Midweek New Music Roundup :: February 11th - 18th

[hitokage]

Thanks to Seoul actually observing the holiday this time, the release roundup for this week is pretty thin. Which is good for all of us cuz I've been struggling with my health again, so if it had been too much longer, I doubt I would've made it. As it is, there were so few listings that I reverted back to the original form of banner ... and then, like the predictable simp I am, put my Emotional Support Boyband in it. You're welcome.

Depending on your specific Kpop interest, it's entirely possible you won't find anything for you this week - the men dominated, with a smattering of releases across pop, alt rock, folk rock, hiphop, trot, adult contemporary, and even a neoclassical instrumental. Short as this listing is, most of these drops came as a surprise, so there's that. And hey, it's a short enough list, you won't lose too much time clicking every link.

As already noted, banner slot this week went to ATEEZ, with additional favorites marked.

Releases for the week of February 11th - 18th:
JIWOO (KARD) - Home Sweet Home (solo debut) *
blah - Youth *
mellow button - You Were My Shining Moment (audio only)
Lee Jiham - Too late *
Kim Sooyoon - The World is a Circle (audio only) 💚
JuO - Heart (audio only)
WOODZ - CINEMA 🔤 * 💚
TRENDZ - Kart Racer (audio only) 💚
Simin Kim - I was young back then (audio only)
PERCENT - The way you make me happy (No Tail to Tell OST) *
YOUNG POSSE - Pilot3 (feat. KOONTA) * ⚠️
ENHYPEN - No Way Back (feat. So!YoON!) 🔤 *
ENHYPEN - Big Girls Don't Cry 🔤 * 💚
KIEL - 각애(各愛) (audio only)
JUMINJU - Islet (audio only)
Choi Eunbin - Stealing Love (To My Beloved Thief OST) *
Lee A Young - If I hadn't known you + *
WÉREMA - Chasing Perfection *
Paranteum - who says (audio only)
ATEEZ - NASA 🔤 * 💚
Purynn - Tool Kit 🔤 *
JIN WOO - Yes! I'm buying it (audio only)
Kassy - Again (To My Beloved Thief OST) *
RIIZE - All of You (Japanese release) 🔤 * 💚
li:vi - Imagine (audio only)
TYVE - Wherever You Go *


The Mea Culpa Section
remains empty for another week

key:
* content warning
+ includes “disappearing” hard subs
🔤 includes CC in English
⚠️ elevated content warning
🔞 age-restricted by YouTube
🚩 other warning
❌ did not complete
🌟 special note
💚 picks of the week


JIWOO (KARD) - Home Sweet Home (solo debut) https://youtu.be/0hGs2Uts1KA
genre: dance pop
cw: aggressive flashing, lens flares, implied supernatural elements
note: oh yeah, this is not something SFW, even if it's more implication than anything outright stated. Pretty sure the song was entirely in English, but I admit I got distracted a few times.


blah - Youth https://youtu.be/Th3GJB4aKkA
genre: alt rock
cw: medical (doctor's office visit), kidnapping
note: ML is going through it all right, but it comes off as a fight with himself, really


mellow button - You Were My Shining Moment (audio only) https://youtu.be/2fiaKt36UnA
genre: neoclassical instrumental
note: a soft piano interlude for those needing a break in their day


Lee Jiham - Too late https://youtu.be/3m-FJIfBCEs
genre: folk rock
cw: water glare, unsteady cam, lens flares
note: the low quality of the video had me going digging to confirm this really is a new release (it is). But ooph, the shaky camera work nearly took me out so many times.... One might be better off looking it up on another service and skipping the video entirely. 😜


Kim Sooyoon - The World is a Circle (audio only) 💚 https://youtu.be/AzNRwBSfTBY
genre: folk rock
note: the cover art kinda looks like a closeup of an eye, but upon further inspection, I think it's a fish-eye lens effect on a lapse of a lightning storm. Another song entirely in English with a lovely sentiment.


JuO - Heart (audio only) https://youtu.be/HhPtnp4o8_c
genre: R&B (ballad)
note: adorable cover art is adorable and the song sounds sweet, too, with female vocal and piano primary. Almost a jazz feel, but ended up going with R&B for the genre.


WOODZ - CINEMA 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/b60RXXBik1w
genre: rock
cw: flashing, lens flares, unsteady cam, water glare
note: CC in 6 tracks, including English. I'm undecided if this video meant to imply a major character death or if I'm reading too much into it. Either way, it's an unhappy ending, so there's your warning.


TRENDZ - Kart Racer (audio only) 💚 https://youtu.be/74nnQPPCaC8
genre: dance pop
note: will I regret having this in the listing already if they turn around and put out an MV later? Not likely www


Simin Kim - I was young back then (audio only) https://youtu.be/DoNko_aRa0o
genre: adult contemporary
note: artist's name presented as it is on the upload 🤷


PERCENT - The way you make me happy (No Tail to Tell OST) https://youtu.be/fvaPQsMgj_w
genre: folk rock
cw: lens flares, soaking wet ML (variously clothed), dubcon (sudden kiss trope)
note: video is entirely clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers.


YOUNG POSSE - Pilot3 (feat. KOONTA) https://youtu.be/iyDqTxB6Ndc
genre: hiphop
cw: visual interference/noise, lens flares, f-bombs, flashing, unsteady cam, live seafood
note: elevating the warning level for the cumulative effect that threatened to make me force-quit the video several times. Not even the fluffy fat cat towards the end could save this video, sigh, genre mismatch, I recommend looking up the song elsewhere


ENHYPEN - No Way Back (feat. So!YoON!) 🔤 https://youtu.be/3s3BVG798aU
genre: dance pop
cw: animated flashing, supernatural elements (vampires, magic)
note: CC in 7 tracks, including English. The lore is lore-ing all right.

ENHYPEN - Big Girls Don't Cry 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/01R62JW9X6Y
genre: dance pop
cw: lens flares, inverted B&W, flashing, supernatural elements (magic/powers)
note: CC in 7 tracks, including English (but they're incomplete). Again with the lore lore-ing and I'm so confused and curious and needing so many more hours in each day to learn all the things


KIEL - 각애(各愛) (audio only) https://youtu.be/2WChV7Hmo2s
genre: rock
note: happy shiny rock music


JUMINJU - Islet (audio only) https://youtu.be/7BDCa2wS-S0
genre: folk rock
note: female vocals with acoustic guitar


Choi Eunbin - Stealing Love (To My Beloved Thief OST) https://youtu.be/8kDVylqosJA
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
cw: period-typical violence
note: video is entirely clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers.


Lee A Young - If I hadn't known you https://youtu.be/ZpIR4war-go
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
cw: lens flares
note: potential hanky warning? IDK, it's a song with that sort of quality to it, even though the video is just her in a recording studio


WÉREMA - Chasing Perfection https://youtu.be/7N0tHm_aWRU
genre: hiphop
cw: flashing effects, f-bombs
note: now I've got the itch to travel again....


Paranteum - who says (audio only) https://youtu.be/JSYwMP0r2JE
genre: alt rock
note: feels familiar despite being something new


ATEEZ - NASA 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/tVJBWoof09Q
genre: EDM
cw: flashing
note: CC in 10 tracks, including English. I appreciate that the CC cites the lyric as "hell yeah" (something the music shows didn't do). Yeah, I'm biased, but I'm so so happy my favorite b-side also got an MV this time around. But ooph, sparkly silvery space pirates are going to be the end of me.


Purynn - Tool Kit 🔤 https://youtu.be/E-hNHlSH1Ts
genre: alt rock
cw: flashing effects, glitch effects
note: CC in Korean and English. The suffering of that much-loved kitty..... 🤣


JIN WOO - Yes! I'm buying it (audio only) https://youtu.be/6f3BdCwQX4U
genre: trot
note: typical of the upbeat end of the genre


Kassy - Again (To My Beloved Thief OST) https://youtu.be/M7hxdlEYLuk
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
cw: blood/injury, lens flares, water glare, dubcon (sudden kiss trope)
note: video is entirely clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers. Actually includes dialogue from the drama as well, which is unusual


RIIZE - All of You (Japanese release) 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/yfKBI5l81-A
genre: dance pop
cw: surrealism, lens flares, flashing effects
note: CC in 7 tracks, including English. So much snowy boys being boys antics, with bonus boys in fabulous pink. The use of rainbows is absolutely deliberate. Such chaotic disasters. 🤣


li:vi - Imagine (audio only) https://youtu.be/o8sRordVhpE
genre: R&B
note: Man, remember when songs were routinely over four minutes? Pepperidge Farms remembers! 🤣 Just barely over two minutes makes this too short for my ears. Oh and the lyrics are entirely in English.


TYVE - Wherever You Go https://youtu.be/z5PGstShBr8
genre: alt rock (ballad)
cw: blur effect, unsteady cam
note: yeah, I'm a sucker for a boy with an acoustic guitar. Lyrics are entirely in English.


and that's the end!
What were your favorites of the week? Any surprises? Let's chat!




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