Midweek Release Roundup :: June 26th - July 3rd

[hitokage]

Today's ... been a really long ass day, hence the lateness of this post. I still stuck to a 1am cut-off for the listing, so videos that released to YouTube after that time today will be in next week's roundup. There's still almost 60 videos in this listing as it is, covering a range of genres including dance pop, rock, hip-hop, and jazz, so chances are good you'll find something appealing in there somewhere. Continuing releases from Epik High, half a dozen debuts, a fistful of Japanese releases, a couple OSTs, and so many comebacks. So maybe grab a snack and a drink and pace yourselves!

Banner artists this week are BE:FIRST and ATEEZ with a screenshot from their collab MV, "Hush-Hush"! Trying to narrow down my additional picks was kind of a nightmare - there was a lot of great music this week - but in the end, I ended up going with AleXa, Wumuti, and Key, all for different reasons. What are your favorites this week? Anyone surprise you? Let's chat about it!

Releases for the week of June 26th - July 3rd:
Mashiho - Just the 2 of us (Japanese release) (debut) *
Taewoo - Cook! *
Lee Minhyuk - The Way (My Sweet Mobster OST) *
Kim Jaejoong - Glorious Day *
B.D.U - My One (debut) *
Epik High - Group Chat Freestyle *
JULY ON - SHELL *
Hong Dayeon - The Color of Love (audio only)
BLINGONE - Kiss & Call (debut) *
Lim Youngmin - Love? *
FTIsland - Burn it *
JinE - Summer Bliss *
Rocky - Jealousy *
Lisa (Blackpink) - Rockstar *
Aquibird - As if Next to Me (Lovers Rock Remix)
KATSEYE - Debut (debut) *
Jimin - Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco) *
AleXa - Distraction *
IVE - Summer Festa *
Jueun - Stay
Epik High - Late Checkout *
Zhoumi, Zhang Li Yin - Please don't go today
LUNCH - Love Like VIP *
BOYNEXTDOOR - Lucky Charm (Miss Night and Day OST) *
Dahae, Dohee (DIAWINGS) - You're wrong *
GreatGuys - I Love You *
Up Star - Play of youth *
Lee Jeongsuk - It's Raining *
Dust funk - Act of God *
WUMUTI - You Make Me Better
DALsooobin - MUCK *
Jay Park - McNasty *
Wooks, XAMXON - Go Shawty *
Lee Mujin - Sorrow Thoughts
Rothy - Happy End (Bossa KOR lip ver)
BABYMONSTER - Forever *
KISS OF LIFE - Sticky
Shin Mirae - I Cham
KissN - Transit Love (feat. UO) *
STAYC - Cheeky Icy Thang *
NCT Wish - Songbird (Korean ver)
BEN - I Loved You Like a Movie
CHUU - Honeybee
DALDAM - Summer
Kim Jaejoong - Glorious Day (Face Cam ver)
BE:FIRST x ATEEZ - Hush-Hush (Japanese collab release) *
BE'O - Criminal (feat. MC Mong) *
ALL(H)OURS - SHOCK *
Park Chorong (APINK) - Fallin'
J-min (BAE173) - Falling without you
TRENDZ - Season of You (Japanese pre-release) *
TXT - We'll Never Change (Japanese release) *
Key (SHINee) - Tongue Tied (Japanese release) *
Yang Jinseok - Better Getter *
Yang Jinseok - Dreamy Moment *
Boun - Writing Love Song
Miss H - Bamboo (debut) *


The Mea Culpa Section:
Fortunately, this continues to be a bit thin, but things are still sometimes slipping past me, so... This will be at the top of the listing below.

Afgan - Escape (feat. Jessi) *

* content warning - see comment for specific warnings

🎋 due to this list compiling nightly and chronologically, the two versions of Jaejoong's new MV are quite separate above, but I've pulled them back together for the listing below.


🌟 despite how it sometimes feels, I promise, I don't go looking for reasons to content warn on videos ... there are just weeks where it's a lot of flashing of various levels.

Afgan - Escape (feat. Jessi) https://youtu.be/tojZsS1T-t4?si=SCWNoRSbjc7lOvGG
cw: lens flares, flashing, Jessi
note: Jessi makes me sink into semi-rabid lesbianism, it's a bit ridiculous, but I can't resist her. XD


Mashiho - Just the 2 of us (Japanese release) (solo debut) https://youtu.be/83uNJeP0Nlg
cw: unsteady cam, flashing, beer neon
note: Mashiho is redebuting now as a Jpop idol, but he started as a member of Treasure, so expect him to keep turning up in these listings ♥️


Taewoo - Cook! https://youtu.be/_kMjYLq2y-0
cw: flashing, false color. Night vision, gun


Lee Minhyuk - The Way (My Sweet Mobster OST) https://youtu.be/SYtbNo4xnes
cw: violence, slow-mo melodrama sequences
nb: video is clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers
note: I'm actually starting to think maybe I should watch this drama....


Kim Jaejoong - Glorious Day
• regular MV: https://youtu.be/ZJbNfBUdNM4
cw: flashing, lens flares, Jaejoong looking only 20, mild surrealism
note: I'm still having Feelings about it being twenty years since his debut okay?
• Face Cam ver: https://youtu.be/AlcJyYvVcCA
note: because what we really needed was an entire video focused on his unageing face XD


B.D.U - My One (debut) https://youtu.be/yW9qFraDnI4
cw: lens flares, unsteady self-cam, flashing


Epik High - Group Chat Freestyle https://youtu.be/sbp2Fb3EyfQ
cw: Tablo's dirty mouth
note: [insert snarky comment about censoring closed captions here] But seriously, if he's allowed to say it uncensored, then CC shouldn't censor either, dammit.


JULY ON - SHELL https://youtu.be/5Zfn9eIgG6g
cw: flashing


Hong Dayeon - The Color of Love (audio only) https://youtu.be/ZNSoEHqC8nA


BLINGONE - Kiss & Call (debut) https://youtu.be/FIylMeEltvo
cw: lens flares, background flashing/strobing lights
note: this is the first subunit of another new "global" Kpop group still in the process of being formed


Lim Youngmin - Love? https://youtu.be/Yo_CMjKLADc
cw: flashing, blood/injury, implied major character death, violence


FTIsland - Burn it https://youtu.be/6_YAKarZq48
cw: lens flares, flashing/strobing lights
note: ok but walking down the center line in dark clothes at night is a bad idea, kids ;)


JinE - Summer Bliss https://youtu.be/V9rwKrzweGo
cw: flashing (mild)


Rocky - Jealousy https://youtu.be/vQa1Bmt77HU
cw: flashing, drinking
note: unsurprisingly, given the title, the plot here is not healthy or good for anyone involved 😛


Lisa (Blackpink) - Rockstar https://youtu.be/hbcGx4MGUMg
cw: flashing


Aquibird - As if Next to Me (Lovers Rock Remix) https://youtu.be/ZDEU_DpcJb0
note: I'm feeling a little lied to here, since there's not really a music video here, but here we are 😛


KATSEYE - Debut (debut) https://youtu.be/bYg6aMDQ_TA
cw: flashing
note: I ... oh boy. At least they aren't trying to call themselves the first global girl group (and if that sounds excessively snarky, well, there have been at least three girl groups trying to call themselves the first global group). Honestly, I'm happy for the girls that made it this far, I'm just unimpressed with this debut.


Jimin - Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco) https://youtu.be/LIER2z3DBe8
cw: flashing
note: the comp-het-ness makes me itchy (especially since this released in June), but the kids are adorable.


AleXa - Distraction https://youtu.be/cFwDy3lV9dg
cw: scratches/visual noise, unsteady cam, drinking, censored rude gesture
note: there's already enough warnings piled on but also I'd feel weird tagging a foul language warning for just "piece of shit" (which is as foul as this one gets, so pretty low compared to, say, Tablo's repeated "motherfucker"s)


IVE - Summer Festa https://youtu.be/9adnWMIVHQ0
cw: flashing, lens flares
note: oh look it's another extended Pepsi commercial. They're making a tradition of this. XD


Jueun - Stay https://youtu.be/g5rv8qPYzEA
cw: flashing, unsteady cam


Epik High - Late Checkout https://youtu.be/ZHXVtl3SHQU
note: this whole album has me wondering what stupid drama I've been missing by not being on Kpop Twitter anymore...but not enough to try looking at that steaming pile.


Zhoumi, Zhang Li Yin - Please don't go today https://youtu.be/2JCFF5QfVSo


LUNCH - Love Like VIP https://youtu.be/CjOsQEbSB-Q
cw: flashing, lens flares
note: maybe it's just supposed to be friendship, but I choose to read this as queer anyway 😛


BOYNEXTDOOR - Lucky Charm (Miss Night and Day OST) https://youtu.be/VF77gX9T1CU
cw: lens flares, camera flashes, club lights
nb: video is clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers


Dahae, Dohee (DIAWINGS) - You're wrong https://youtu.be/pPoGB3kyy4E
cw: lens flares
note: the hardcoded subs, not following best practices, are often hard to read


GreatGuys - I Love You https://youtu.be/0Zua51vGdHM
cw: lens flares, "flashing" spot
note: again with pointing a bright spot right at the camera and behind dancers


Up Star - Play of youth https://youtu.be/2MZxD-ri8dI
cw: lens flares, flashing, unsteady cam


Lee Jeongsuk - It's Raining https://youtu.be/I9Bk0zN_VGU
cw: motion blur, lens flare


Dust funk - Act of God https://youtu.be/YR4hDAlfKVE
cw: flashing
note: video is nature footage and the music is a brief electronica/atmospheric new age interlude in our listing ;)


WUMUTI - You Make Me Better https://youtu.be/IEdj3srbt4w
note: oh I needed this ♥️


DALsooobin - MUCK https://youtu.be/rS0ZqHu2ZwU
cw: flashing, lens flares, arson


Jay Park - McNasty https://youtu.be/yz7I64sIL7w
cw: shirtless Jay Park, flashing, NSFW
note: really do I need to tell you that nothing about this is safe for work? He may be in a kitchen, but it's not food he's rappin' 'bout


Wooks, XAMXON - Go Shawty https://youtu.be/2kFQLjKXwEk
cw: lens flares, shirtless male, unsteady (self-)cam sections


Lee Mujin - Sorrow Thoughts https://youtu.be/K16nk_7VyL0
note: this man is too cute for my health, istg


Rothy - Happy End (Bossa KOR lip ver) https://youtu.be/frefR5T6YbI
note: the date stamp at the start of the video is for the original release of the original version of this song. This version feels much more like bossa nova than the live version from the weekend overflow (or maybe I'm just hearing it better since I proofed this on headphones and had proofed that on a speaker)


BABYMONSTER - Forever https://youtu.be/eJCHKjt0MPw
cw: aggressive flashing


KISS OF LIFE - Sticky https://youtu.be/IajeQM00yfE


Shin Mirae - I Cham https://youtu.be/ZCVJsqv8vv4
note: yeah, I've trained YT to irregularly push trot at me along with the more "mainstream" Kpop XD


KissN - Transit Love (feat. UO) https://youtu.be/UIBTXC62hpc
cw: flashing, video noise effect, lens flare
note: yellow-orange hardcoded subs again but these are easier to read


STAYC - Cheeky Icy Thang https://youtu.be/s-UXxaQdUew
cw: flashing
note: not sure the writers of this MV realize there's a difference between cheeky and flat out rude, but 🤷


NCT Wish - Songbird (Korean ver) https://youtu.be/2XqVNFBtVo4
cw: flashing, surrealism
note: as far as I can tell, this version of the MV is entirely in the dream world we saw in the Japanese version (though of course I could be wrong)


BEN - I Loved You Like a Movie https://youtu.be/Kkqcr9K2nvg


CHUU - Honeybee https://youtu.be/Hjc6AaESmQg


DALDAM - Summer https://youtu.be/uGlu3l1MXGQ
nb: comes with hardcoded subs but they're often tricky to read, melting into the video sometimes


BE:FIRST x ATEEZ - Hush-Hush (Japanese collab release) https://youtu.be/6KEqMEmyuIs
cw: flashing, cyberpunk surrealism
note: RIEHATA, OUR BELOVED! I'll have more to say about this when I do a full review for Music Monday on Monday, but for now ... I'm in love again. This is the way to do a collab and I need to see a performance stage, please please please.


BE'O - Criminal (feat. MC Mong) https://youtu.be/JGqSEM9-LWM
cw: drinking, censored rude gesture


ALL(H)OURS - SHOCK https://youtu.be/Vv4mdNcly6A
cw: flashing
note: the official translation has chosen (as is common) to translate "dokkaebi" as "goblin" which is…problematic, but not surprising. Dokkaebi and Western goblins aren't really the same creatures and it's not a translation choice I'm ever comfortable with, hence this note. It's pandering to white audiences and I hate it, but it seems to be The Way Things Are in publishing right now.


Park Chorong (APINK) - Fallin' https://youtu.be/p4An4H8n5ic


J-min (BAE173) - Falling without you https://youtu.be/vsZtV5ykz7I


TRENDZ - Season of You (Japanese pre-release) https://youtu.be/mfSmiEIjk9g
cw: lens flares


TXT - We'll Never Change (Japanese release) https://youtu.be/5BVC6VggY3A
cw: lens flares, fireworks


Key (SHINee) - Tongue Tied (Japanese pre-release) https://youtu.be/aH0zux6WOM4
cw: surrealism, flashing
note: this is surprisingly low on camp given that it's Key


Yang Jinseok - Better Getter https://youtu.be/-Wp-klrATXk
cw: flashing stage lights


Yang Jinseok - Dreamy Moment https://youtu.be/FmT6u1unde0
cw: flashing stage lights


Boun - Writing Love Song https://youtu.be/zoRXPgELx2g


Miss H - Bamboo (debut) https://youtu.be/exuleBqnEHg
cw: flashing




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