WIN: Who Is Next - Final Battle "The WINNER is..."

There's a part of me that almost didn't want to write this week's review because I felt so upset over the results... & That's just because of my own personal bias.. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Team A, a sincere congratulations to them. It's just that, as a fan of Team B, I'm sure most of us were hoping that they would be the winners or there would be a twist of events & he'd debut both of them. It's kind of funny that I was still hoping 'til the very end, even after they announced the winner, that YG would change his mind, especially since in the last post I told you guys it probably wouldn't happen..

But nonetheless, I will still write my review of their performances. It might not be as long as they usually are because I feel like that last battle wasn't even about perfection, but seeing both teams enjoy their final stage & leaving without any regrets.

Same Track, Different Arrangement:

First off, Teddy's composition was marvelous! It's such a fun & energetic track. :D

Team A - 

Starting out with their lyrics, it's basically about letting loose & letting go. I believe their original intention was to have a concept about a boy who is looked at as a fool, a pabo, & later on you realize that he's actually really cool -- just another boy. I personally related to this song because I've been so stressed lately. In their lyrics they say, "Today I'm going crazy. I'm going crazy. I can't cope with this tonight," my life story right there. -.- This is the perfect song to shake your worries off & just say, "F*** it! I'm going to have some fun tonight."

Their performance was on point as well. Taehyun, I don't know if it was the hair, but he was wild & out! Everyone seemed to enjoy the stage! The little dance Seunghoon choreographed was so fun & simple as well that I found myself doing it in my seat as I watched. Even Jinwoo was fun to watch; he's had the most growth out of the 11 trainees, in my opinion.

The only slight critique I would have is that I heard Taehyun's voice crack twice, but it didn't seem like anyone else cared. Their performance as a whole made up for that.

Team B -

Team B's concept was simple, all of us single people need some love too! Oh, the single life.. Not that I'm complaining, like they said, "I'm ok."

Onto the performance, it was a very fun & cute performance. I think what makes Team B a bit more charming than Team A, to me, is that they're cuter, cute as in adorable. They have that look that you can't help but love them. This stage showed that off perfectly! They always bring this energy to the stage, it's like kids playing. Again, that might also come from the fact that they're younger than Team A.

I really liked the dance Bobby came up with & how they decided to make it easy & silly. It requires a little more effort to grasp than Team A's dance, but it's really not that difficult. I could see it as a popular dance craze one day.

Overall: I liked both performances, as always. At first, I preferred Team B's stage, but watching it a second time around & looking at the over all content, I thought Team A had a better performance & arrangement. Their stage was more fun & the song was a very nice stress-reliever that can really lift up your spirits.

Dance Battle:

Team A -

This performance surprised me because Team A's choreography isn't usually all too intricate, but this was different. Seunghoon really worked with the varying beats & piano. It reminded of a lot of Movement Lifestyle's dancers' work. The floor work was executed very well & cleanly. Taehyun's windmill was really impressive because I didn't even know he could do that. Seunghoon's circle formation also added more texture to the choreography. The emotion shined through, as well, with this piece.

Team B -

Oh these boys... This was definitely a different side of Team B, & that's exactly what they were going for. I usually call them very cute & charming, but they obviously wanted us to see that they are more than a cute face.

This was such a strong routine! First off, the song choice was perfect. GD's Shake the World was a strong, confident song to open with. I liked how they matched the clicks of the gun sound effects, to a T I might add, in the beginning & went straight into the acrobatics, from Yunhyeong & Donghyuk's flips to Jinhwan's death drop. Their choreography was so smooth & precise that it matched the cockiness of the song perfectly. Their transition from Shake the World to Turn Up the Music flowed very well.

During Turn Up the Music, I really liked how they used their hats to cover their faces. It highlighted their choreography a lot more because you didn't focus on their face as much & went really well with the slow motion feel of the choreography. The rest of the routine was more about having fun & showing off, just look at those hip thrusts. They were bringing it! This song choice was also great because it was so fun & energetic.

This is, by far, my favorite routine Team B has come up with. They're really talented dancers. & If it isn't obvious, this was my favorite dance out of the two.

Self-Composed Song:

Team A -

We can't deny what a talented composer Kang Seungyoon is. This is another up beat song to get your spirits up & make you feel better. Seungyoon, Mino, & Seunghoon's lyrics, which I believe they usually are the writers, were so poetic. Their diction makes the song pleasing to the ear & adds to its overall meaning.

Their overall performance was very fun; it was like a concert. I especially enjoyed their little shoulder dance move during the first chorus, very cute. My only concern was, again, Taehyun because he seemed a tad bit out of breath.

Team B -

This final stage from Team B was, honestly, none like I've ever seen. They were so sincere in everything they put out, from their lyrics to the actual performance. Just listening to the lyrics is heart-wrenching. In the beginning, Bobby talks about his mom, how he misses her & the promises he made to her. B.I talked about the weight of having not only his life, but the future of his other team members on his shoulders. The whole song discussed their dreams, worries, & just leaving this final stage with no regrets.

Seeing B.I step out in the very center, on the extended stage, with all the lights only on him & rapping without any music or beat, just him, was so powerful. You could feel the raw emotion. It was saddening to see him fall to his knees, almost in tears, on that stage. They really put them selves out there.

Overall: Both songs were well written & well executed. The main reason why I have to pick Climax over Go Up is because that song & performance really touched my heart & hit home for me. If you can reach an audience member's soul with your song, it's a winner.

At the end of the day, Team B will be the winner in mine & other fans' hearts.

Nonetheless, Team A put in a lot of work, blood, sweat, & tears, as well, & it's nice that their hard work has paid off. So I tip my hat to Team A, aka WINNER.

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As for Team B, the stage will be yours one day. Until that day, we'll be waiting.

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G-Dragon - KCON 2013 Interview

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WIN: Who Is Next - Episode 9 "Aegyo Adventure's Thoughts"

Another week & a just a single step away from finding out who will be the WINNER.

This week's episode didn't involve any performances & didn't showcase too much of their preparations for the fierce & final battle to come. This week we got to see more of the members themselves & their thoughts on the situation they're in. Because of this, my own thoughts may not be as organized as they usually would be, but this is probably the much awaited post on how I feel about the whole program, in general, & who my heart goes out to.

First, & foremost, I have officially decided that I am rooting for Team B to debut. I know there's a lot of controversy among the fans saying that we shouldn't even pick a single team we want to debut; we should basically protest & hope for an ot11. As much as I would LOVE for that to happen, realistically speaking, that's probably not how things are going to go down. If this is the way YG is going to handle who debuts, we have to at least provide as much support to one of them because we all can agree that both deserve to debut, no matter who it is.

Considering how well Team A did in the last battle & how the voting results turned out for the first round, I did expect them to win in the most recent week's voting results. The fact that the margin between the winners & losers in the voting results decreased even more so than the week before, not even by a point difference: 50.26 to 49.74, shows the growing popularity of Team B. Also, Seungyoon & Seunghoon, already being quite well-known, has given Team A a very slight advantage. But hey, all is fair in love & war. (I will be putting more effort into voting for the next round since I wasn't that active last week. Different time zone problems... -.-)

It was very cute & humbling that neither of the teams expected to have that many fans show up to their high-touch. Most people hate the survival program YG has come up with, but it was a very smart publicity tactic, just look at how many of us are keeping tabs on them, & they're still trainees. The only part that surprised me during their high-touch event was when Seungyoon introduced himself as the leader. I understood that he was going to take over since Minho was injured, but I didn't think they meant permanently. It seems like that's still a sore spot for Minho considering that he introduced himself as the former leader before Seungyoon... :x Haha B.I's introduction, giving the fans a second to cheer even more before he spoke, showed what a natural leader & artist he is. I definitely see him making a name for himself, whether it be with YG or another company.

Many of the fans were shaking with astonishment & joy after being able to meet their soon-to-be idols. Girl, I would've done the same thing! Haha I especially loved Taehyun & Seunghoon's flustered reactions to the fan that gave them a full fledged bow. Seunghoon introducing himself as the "baby hip-hop lion" was too cute because I can totally picture him as such. Taehyun also made me fall for him even more by showing how caring he was as he told the fans to "be careful" as they were leaving the event. What a sweet boy. ( ^ - ^ )

In terms of their challenges for the final battle, it is evident that they're putting a lot of effort into this finale round. Team A's idea to come up with three songs, since they couldn't come to a consensus, & then send them to Yang Hyun Suk for the final decision was a productive choice because it'll make the decision making faster & gain the approval of the CEO. I personally liked Taehyun's funky song, but I thought Seungyoon's explanation for the tempo of his song matching a heartbeat was very deep & sincere. & Poor Mino... Hahaha I sympathize with his pain from losing all his data after the computer shut down, but his song sounded far to aggravated. x)

Team B, on the other hand, let B.I & Bobby handle the general foundation of the song. From what I've heard of the melody & beat so far, I really like it. It's a sound we haven't heard from them yet, a slower, more R&B feel. I'm also very, very excited to hear their lyrics because they are putting their own stories into it, their lives & struggles as trainees. They want their final stage to be memorable & by sharing their stories this one last time, they're sure to leave an impression. I know they've been through a lot so I'm extremely excited for its outcome.

At the end of the day, this program isn't merely to be cruel, as most people would judge, but it has taught them how to compose their own songs. Just as YG had said, win or lose, they have this capability to take with them.

Dancing wise, I have always preferred Team B's style just because it's more intricate & enjoyable. They make it into a dance you'd want to get up & learn. (If I only was good at hip-hop... Haha) & Lately they've been working on more tricks for their routines, as well, which makes it even more entertaining. As always they're working on their accuracy & cleanliness, which as a dancer, I sincerely appreciate. But I am anticipating Team A's choreography because Seunghoon's concept sounds very interesting & has a bit of a storyline to it; I'm also a sucker for work with a message or a story. I'm also quite intrigued in how their song fits into their concept because it sounded like a different version of Rihanna's Please Don't Stop the Music.

WARNING: The following gifs may make you lightheaded... From how sexy they are... Hahaha

I have no idea why these boys decided they wanted to do this, to appear more manly I guess, but my feels could not handle it when I watched this part of the episode. As their noona, & not even by much -- Jinhwan is only two months younger than me (in Western aging standards) -- so I'm not really much of a pedonoona, I found it terribly wrong to be enticed by them.. & If you're a noona fan facing the same problems as me, please comment your sympathy pains down below. ( T - T ) Hahaha But they chose their winners well. :x

Presenting the maknae on the inside, but a real man on the outside... Kim Donghyuk!

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& Of course, the man with the West Side swagger… Bobby!

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Aigoo, these children...

After seeing them be so charismatic, I was appalled when Donghyuk went to visit his dad. I understood that he hadn't visited him in a long while, just like the other trainees, but that was a surprise I did not expect.. For those of you that don't know, Donghyuk's father passed away when he was about 8 years old. I don't really have much to comment on that & I feel as though I shouldn't because that should remain a private, as private as reality tv can get, moment between him & his dad. <3

The final challenge for the two teams is to create different arrangements for a track titled "Just Another Boy," that both teams will have, produced by Teddy. From the little preview we received, I really liked the beat of the track, no surprise coming from Teddy. Team A has decided to go with the concept: from a fool to Mr. Cool, which is good. I'm not terribly impressed by it, but they could do a lot with that & just blow me away. So, as always, I'm looking forward to their stage. Team B decided to go with the theme of being single & alone. First of all, I don't know why they were trippin' about being alone. It wasn't anything dramatic, but I just thought it was funny that that thought came to mind for them. Haha I did like B.I's quote for their concept, "There's nothing bad about being single at all. But in the end, I'm just a boy who needs love. Just another boy." 

Overall, in terms of the upcoming battle, it seems like Team A is more efficient with getting their work done, which has been an advantage for them. At the same time, I am eager to see what Team B has prepared because they're adding a lot more elements that we haven't seen from them all season. I look forward to seeing both of their stages.

My thoughts on this entire program aren't as negative as others may be. If you look at how much all the members improved, grew, & changed, it wouldn't have happened without the show. They've also bonded much more, even as a whole, despite the competition. It has also provided a ton of publicity & a strong fan base for whoever is to debut. 

Just like everyone else though, I am hoping & praying that the losing team will not be disband. Seunghoon mentioned that they've become such a YG family that he couldn't see any of them promoting for another company. My hopes were that the losing team would be picked up by another company, such as JYP, just so that their talents would not go to waste. The fact that they all feel so bonded & loyal to YG makes the idea of either of them losing even worse. I can't say whether or not I believe YG will go through with his word because as cruel as he comes across, he's a smart man. I don't know if there would be enough fans that would be upset with the disbandment, but I think it could be a factor in his decision.

My heart is torn & goes out to both teams. We'll just have to wait & see what happens...

Until then, thank you for reading!

WIN: Who Is Next - Episode 8: Self-Composed Songs

& Finally, the last portion of Round 2's battle! YG asked the teams to create a song composed in its entirety solely by the groups.

How well did things go for them?

Team B:

With all of the complications during their preparation for the battle aside, they came off with a fairly strong stage. The beat & hushed, subtle comments from B.I in the very beginning of the song was a good start because you got a subtle introduction to the beat, letting you just bob your head like "Okay, okay. I'm feelin' it." B.I also has a lot of charm, a great start to their performance. Opening with Bobby was a great idea as well because he lays the foreground for the hip-hop feel of the song & gives off a lot of swagger &, as JYP would say, feeling. His rapping style is so strong, that even the judges have already mentioned it before, if he only knew it, he has a lot of power.

Team B, in their hip-hop element, has an undeniable stage presence. Their mannerisms & facial expressions show how confident they are on stage, giving them a very cool image. I have to point out Jinhwan's charisma, when he smirks, sticking his tongue out, doing this swagger-like swishing hand movement/dance. (Tried my best to describe it.. Haha)

I just had to make a gif to make up for my poor description Haha

He is so cute & charming! Definitely going to catch the hearts of the noonas! Haha & I have to applaud the costume designer for Donghyuk's outfit because I love the cowl neck, or rather turtleneck, sleeveless shirt he was wearing. It added to his badass appeal & the overall image of the group.

Onto the actual lyrics... (Just a quick tip: if you don't speak Korean, when you're looking for translations of a song, take a look at at least two sources because the direct translations may differ depending on the translator.) After taking a look at the lyrics a second time, I enjoyed the message a lot more than I originally had. It's nothing life changing or a moral that you should learn from, but simply about how freakin' awesome they are & that others' opinions don't really matter. I immediately thought of GD as I was reading because it is such a typical cocky, yeah I'm cool, I'm swagged out, I'm winnin all day, GD style of song. Haha Not saying that's a bad thing either. One thing that took me FOREVER to understand was the line "I'm killin' these hooks like Peter Pan." How much slower can I get?! Peter Pan's enemy is Hook!! ( T - T ) After I realized this, I found this specific line to be quite clever. Haha

As for the judges:

• JYP pointed out two points of judging that I completely agree with: one, how well did they did, & two, how different were they. Discussing solely how well they executed the overall hip-hop feel, sound, & style, they were on point one-hundred percent. The only problem is that they weren't that different from any other hip-hop artist or song. The one thing I hate about certain rap or hip-hop songs is that at first they'll be cool & catchy, but then you'd get tired of it because it sounds like every other song on the radio. 
• Judge Lee Hyundo was kind in his comments, saying that they represented their generation very well. They kept up a good energy & even when they were doing their individual parts, the members in the background were enjoying as well. Bobby was called out again on how charming he is, but he needs to work on being short of breath when he raps. I didn't notice it before because it seemed to be a part of his style, but you can hear it once you start paying attention to it.
• Yoon Jongshin was impressed by the fact that they went with a similar beat & bounce during the melody & rap. How difficult is that? I have no idea, but he knows his stuff. Haha Just like him, I found myself repeating the melody/chorus the second time around. I personally found that to be another smart move because it's something that could easily get stuck in someone's head. He was disappointed in the fact that it seemed as though they had just finished producing the song, which was not necessarily their fault. *Ahem* YG..  -.-" *Ahem* 
• & Just because YG had commented this time, I both agree & disagree with his preference for more Korean lyrics in their song. I am very impressed with how well this group has done with English lyrics, specifically their pronunciation. I think this would be a great asset in getting attention overseas. I also think that they should focus a little more on Korean lyrics because they need to make it big at home first, & don't think k-fans would be able to appreciate the songs as much if it wasn't in their native tongue.

& Then we have...

Team A:

I found out before watching this episode that Team A had won this battle, & after seeing their performance, compared to Team B's, I completely understood why they had won. 

Off the bat, their sound was different compared to a lot of other songs out there. It has a very chill rock sound at first & then the beat picks up a little & gets into a pop feel. Their stage presence was astounding in my opinion, but I think the song itself & the production design had a big influence as well. The cloudy, night sky-like background added to the ethereal feel of the song.

In terms of performance, Seunghoon & Seungyoon stood out to me the most. Seunghoon always seems like he's having the most fun & the most relaxed. Seungyoon has a certain aura that you can just tell he's the most experienced out of all of them, from his eye contact, singing, & body language. Jinwoo also stood out to me, just a bit, because of the eye contact he made during his solo during the second half of the song. He has such a deep gaze; I hope one day he'll learn to hone that. Oh! & I also have to mention Minho's smile in the very beginning because who wouldn't fall for that?!

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The beat of the song had a pop rock feel to me, & definitely seemed like Kang Seungyoon's style. I also really liked how the composition highlighted each of the members' talents. I think I've mentioned it before, but I really like Taehyun's voice! The overall message of the song is about being able to smile again after being down in the dumps & how they'll be with you & help you until you can smile again. This is the kind of song that one would listen to when they're upset to feel better. By the end of the performance, I found myself dancing along with them. 

The confetti at the end was the icing on the cake! It was what signaled their victory, in this round at least.

The judges seemed to feel the same way:

• Lee Hyundo always seems to have compliments. This was his favorite stage. He appreciated how Jinwoo looked like he was having fun & how clear Mino & Seunghoon's raps were. Taehyun had some tense notes in his opinion, but his high note, which was amazing to me, fit the song very well. Even though he mentioned that their were things he could point out to improve upon, this performance was a great advantage to Team A. 
• Yoon Jongshin, being as musically inclined as he is, pointed out the plot behind the back notes, how they gradually build to the climax. Listening for it the second, well third, time around, I found that to be very smart & skilled decision. He mentioned that it was a common song that had its own charm, which I concur. The way they organized the lyrics, as he said, was very entertaining. 
• JYP, again with his two points, surprised me when he said that Team B's composition was more refined, but he did feel that Team A's song was more unique. Then he went on about something that had to do with chord progressions that neither YG or I understood... Hahaha
• YG was so impressed that he said he may even feel like promoting the song. & Just as I said before, the composition really suited all five members.

Overall, this round took a turn that I don't think anybody expected, even Team A. I was very impressed with & found it humbling at how strong the camaraderie between the two groups is. Team A had expressed at the end of the battle how they felt a bit guilty for winning over their dongsaengs because of all the trouble they had gone through in their preparations. Team B, in turn, only had one comment: that they would win in the final round. Even though Team A feels guilty, I think it was a fair win & the close scores reflect that. As for what I think will become of the next round or who will be the overall winner calls for an entirely separate post on its own. Haha

I apologize that it took me so long to get this up, but as always, I thank you for reading! Until next time. :)

WIN: Who Is Next - Episode 8: Dance Battle

I must say that watching this past episode had my heart racing the whole time. I think I've come to realize that I do want Team B to win, BUT that will not affect my review whatsoever. I completely understand why Team A won this 2nd Battle Round; I was just a bit worried for Team B considering all the problems they were having preparing for this battle. But enough about how I felt about the episode itself, let's move on to the actual performances!

So I've cut this episode into two review posts, the dance portion & the self-composed song performance, because both are going to be full (aka lengthy) reviews. & First off, we have....

Team B:

I thought the concept was very cute, not necessarily fresh like their other performances because "the nerds versus the bullies" concept has been done before, but it was well executed. Their idea to incorporate a story into their routine was a very smart move because it adds a whole other element to the performance, & their acting was done very well, especially Jinhwan & B.I.

The two songs they chose were mixed well, providing fluid transitions for the concept, but the songs themselves, Picasso Baby by Jay-Z & Gold Digger by Kanye, didn't seem to fit the storyline. Touch the Sky by Kanye did make some sense to me though, seeing as it is a song about rags to riches. You can say it ties into the model students being cooler than the bullies see them to be or Team B's journey from trainees to being the winner. The song choices also had similar tempos, which kept the flow of their choreography.

They were probably inspired to try tumbling after the battle with JYP's trainees since they had a lot more acrobatics in their choreography than actual dance moves, which I thought was a smart move. Who isn't entertained by flips & tricks? Their choreography in this round was also more focused, taking into consideration T.O.P oppa's critique in the last battle. There weren't too many critical points trying to be showcased, which is a good thing. My favorite moves were Jinhwan dancing on Bobby's shoulders, their hip action during "get down girl, go head, get down," & Jinhwan's little shimmy during "lemme see ya dance." (Jinhwan's shimmy was so adorable, seriously my favorite part. Haha) & Of course, they did their signature Bernie dance move as well. (I say signature because they always do that move. :p Haha) The cleanliness of the choreography as a group was pretty darn perfect as well. (As expected of Team B.)

In relation to what the judges had to say:

• Lee Hyundo had nothing but compliments! Just as he said, their performance was lively & charismatic. They came out with a great storyline. Their movements were quite synchronized despite different costumes & body types. He said Kim Jinhwan suited his own personal preference, which I don't blame him for. I'm not exactly sure what type of "feel" he was referring to in his preferred style, but Jinhwan is a very charismatic performer. (As I've said before, he's so adorable. ^ - ^ )
• JYP, being super constructive as always, talked about two points, feel & accuracy. He called out B.I on his need for some stretching in order to make his movements bigger, which will result from stretching. Now whether or not B.I really needs to have bigger movements is still a question in the air for me because I couldn't get as accurate of a read of the choreography that I would have liked since the cinematographer wanted to do a little too much with his camera angles & zooming... But with that aside, they seemed pretty on point to me. I will admit that there were moments where the cleanliness wasn't perfect per say, but that's just me nitpicking. & Of course, we can't deny Bobby's undeniable swagger when he's in his Hip-Hop comfort zone. JYP particularly mentioned that individually they were great, but his scoring was based on their work as whole. His 88 was somewhat of a fair score in my books since I can see how he wasn't feeling it as a group performance. There was just a slight, slight something missing...
• Judge Yoon Jongshin admitted that he wasn't that experienced in the dancing world, but really enjoyed the energy & performance Team B gave. We all know that if there's one thing Team B can do, it's to give an energic & charismatic performance.

Next up...

Team A:

First & for most, can we point out what an adorable nerd Seunghoon was! Haha He was absolutely great & very into his character! Surprisingly, they all were. Team A really got into their concept, & even though it was a school concept just like Team B, I'm happy they stuck to it. I don't have much else to say about the concept itself, since it's pretty self-explanatory, but I was quite impressed with how much effort they put into the acting portion of it. & Because this was the most relaxed I've ever seen them perform, their charisma really shined through. Truly daebak!

Next, their secret weapon. The only other time I've seen someone dance to beat-boxing was during one of the audition episodes for an American dance competition show called So You Think You Can Dance, so seeing it done in their performance definitely caught me by surprise. Granted, it wasn't perfectly executed, where their movements matched Minho's beats exactly, but it's probably not that easy to do & was done pretty well nonetheless. I thought it was a very unique idea. & I don't know if they intended on it matching their song choice, but I found it ironic that they used Jay Z's D.O.A, which discusses the use of too much auto-tune in the industry where, in turn, the beat-boxing kind of relates to that old school music making vibe. I'm probably looking too much into it. Haha

As for the judges:

• Here goes JYP again with his thoughts: idea, feel, accuracy, & amount of practice. He said the fluidity of their movements wasn't executed well, which I can agree with. There were moments during the beat-boxing where the synchronization could have been showcased, but the accuracy just wasn't there. Despite that, it was very good. He also complimented them by saying you can tell they practiced more than Team B did. I couldn't say who practiced more or less, but I concur with the fact that their performance really showed how much effort they put into it. *thumbs up* He called out Jinwoo for finally looking relaxed & cool. Haha He pointed out that Jinwoo was no longer looking around here & there, which made me realize that's why he always seemed so nervous to me!
• I completely agree with everything Yoon Jongshin had to say. One, Taehyun is super charming. He stuck out to me the most, as well, during this performance. & Second, because Minho was injured & couldn't participate fully in the dance, it did take away from their performance as a whole. It wasn't a big factor, but I feel like having Minho come in & out & not dancing detracted from their stage as a group.
• One thing I didn't understand was how Lee Hyundo commented that the dancing portion with the beatbox would have been better if they propped something up at the time... I'm not sure if he meant using a prop while they danced or something else? Although I completely agree that they would have left a much greater impact if their movements were precise & sharp during the beatbox. & I also agree that despite what they could have done better, they left a deeper impression than Team B did, & for me, it was because of that unique beatbox dance portion.

Overall, it was a pretty close battle between the two. I think what put Team B over the edge was their accuracy compared to Team A. Since this was a dance battle, I definitely preferred Team B's performance over Team A because of the intricacy & breadth of their choreography. If we were just going off of concept, charisma, & performance, I did like Team A better. I felt as though their charms were much more appealing.

Once again, thank you for reading! Sorry for posting it late, I know it's not Sunday, but bear with me. I will have the last portion of the review for this round's battle up tomorrow! See you then. :)

WIN: Who Is Next - Episode 7 "Wonderful Performance"

Hello again! Another week, another episode, another battle!

& I must say, both teams did exceptionally well, in my opinion. :D Of course, there will always be things to work on, but for this first singing performance for Round 2 of the battles, both teams had something about them that really surprised me. So let’s begin!

Following the order of their performances, we will start with…

Team B:

Off the bat, I was shocked at how well they harmonized in the very beginning. Because of the fact that Team B’s rapping was always the heavier aspect of their performances, we never really got to see their vocalists shine, so I assumed they weren’t that great. Obviously, I was wrong! The layering of vocals during the “Yeah Yeah Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah" at the end was really good as well. I especially enjoyed Donghyuk’s voice during that part. 

Their visuals & concept was exactly what they were going for, very fresh. It was cute & boyish, which I really liked. I feel like it fits their personalities, age, & style of that particular song very well. I have to point out the very beginning where Yunhyeong, Jinhwan, Donghyuk, & Joonhwe turned around, smiling, & started singing, it was too cute! That would definitely catch the hearts of all their female fans. ;P 

The way they arranged the song to fit their individual parts was good too. I like how they changed the lyrics to as well. I particularly preferred B.I’s lyrics over Bobby’s, but I like how during Bobby’s part, it was remixed to fit his stronger rapping style & had a bit of jazz feel to it. 

In reference to what the judges had to say:

• I agree with JYP when he says that since they moved into a Pop style versus their usual Hip-Hop style, Bobby’s performance wasn’t as strong. & I think that’s just because since Bobby’s rapping style is very husky & strong, he would have to hold back on such a lighter genre of music. I also agree with his comment that B.I did very well. Hanbin seems to be able to transition into any genre, which is a very good trait to have in that industry. (& Did anyone else see a little bit of GD in this performance from him? Hahah)
• I tried really hard to listen throughout the performance to understand Yoon Jongshin’s comment on how Donghyuk & Joonhwe’s singing method’s were the same, but I kept hearing more similarities between Joonhwe & Yunhyeong. (Please let me know what you guys think!) But I do agree that, among vocalists, having distinct voices would be very good. When you listen to a group, it’s always nice to be able to pinpoint who’s who. Individually, I can hear their varying styles, but when singing together, I can understand how their voices aren’t that differentiated.
• I really appreciate how Lee Hyun Do backed up Team B’s performance saying that even though Yoon Jongshin had said their facial expressions were unnatural, which with any Pop song, I have yet to see a legit natural expression from anyone, they brought this live, positive energy to the stage. They wanted us to see how hard they worked & that shined through.

These judges know their stuff &, in my opinion, were somewhat of harsh critics, but that is necessary if these boys are going to get any better. 

Moving on…

Team A:

Again, off the bat, this group’s vocals are no joke. I still stand by my opinion that Team A’s vocals are better than Team B’s. 

There was nothing in their movements or singing that particularly stood out to me, but their visuals & concept as a whole was what I was most impressed with. For those of you that don’t know, Officially Missing You was/is (not sure which to use?) a song by Tamia that was originally about missing an old love, an old relationship. I really, really like Seungyoon’s idea to remake it into a song to reminisce about their old selves, the pre-trainee days. I thought that was a brilliant idea because it made the song a lot more personal. 

Because they wrote lyrics to reflect their personal stories, it seemed like they could relate to the song, the emotion, & performance 10x better than they have in the past. I felt more of their emotions in this performance. Their lyrics also let us see more of who they are, which is a great way to get the audience to fall in love with you. (& Even though it may or may not have been their idea, I loved seeing their baby pictures in the background. ( ^ - ^ ) Haha)

I forgot to mention that I really love Taehyun’s voice. **two thumbs up** 

In regards to what the judges had to say:

• Yoon Jongshin pointed out Minho’s little mistake in the beginning where he missed a beat, but also said that it wasn’t that important to him. When I first heard it I was thinking, “Whaat? Uh.. Was that a mistake?" & I definitely agree that it wasn’t that important because the way Minho just kept going with the flow of the lyrics & recovered from it made it a very minute detail. He also said that Taehyun needed more emotion, which I can understand why because even though you could tell he was very immersed in the singing aspect of the performance, it was like scratching the surface of emotions that he could have shown. I also concur that they all had great expressions & emotion when they stepped out together at the end.
• Lee Hyundo said that he felt like Seunghoon’s rap was too strong for the sadness & beauty of the song, which I can also understand, but I think if he turned it down just a slight notch, he would have been fine. He said Kang Seungyoon had slightly weird pronunciations, but since I’m not fluent in Korean & I never expect their English to be perfect, I didn’t really notice that. Despite his criticisms, I’m glad he noticed how beautiful & powerful their harmony was.
• JYP, with the most critiques, first pointed out that Seungyoon put too much vibrations in his singing. I’m honestly not quite sure what he meant by that & I tried to look it up, but I still don’t quite understand, so if you know what he’s talking about, let me know! But I felt like Seungyoon was trying to put too much emphasis into his notes while he was singing, like he was trying a little too hard. Like JYP said, he’s already a good singer & that extra emphasis was not necessary. Again, a problem with not understanding what they were saying was pointed out, but with Seunghoon this time, & since I’m not fluent in Korean, it didn’t stand out to me. Lastly, he pointed out exactly what I was thinking for Jinwoo. The talent is there, but he always looks so nervous & worried to me. He needs to get rid of that mentality of trying not to make a mistake & just trust himself! That could go for all of them actually, but particularly Jinwoo in this performance.

Even though they received a lower score than Team B & had some harsh criticisms, I think Team A had a much better performance than I’ve seen before. I feel like there was more emotion in this performance & was definitely a lot more relatable. I know the criticisms are said to help them improve, but I wish they were given a bit more credit for how well they did.

Overall, I think both teams really hit their concepts exceptionally well. It also showed how different these two groups are, especially when it comes to age. Team B’s performance was more light & cute, while Team A’s was definitely a more emotional & mature stage. & I think YG may have given them their particular songs because of this. Because I do think that sometimes cuteness can only go so far or last so long, I did like Team A’s performance a little more than I did Team B’s. Team B’s performance did have me giggling & fangirling with uncontrollable feels. Haha But Team A’s personal performance hit home for me & just made me see how far they’ve come for this dream.

I’m definitely looking forward to their self-composed songs & choreography in the next episode. :)

Once again, I would like to thank you so much for reading! & I somewhat apologize for always having such long reviews, but I want to make sure that both teams receive fair criticisms. & Again, thank you.

P.S.

The dongsaengs’ letters to their hyungs, within Team B, was so sweet & touching, I almost cried. These boys are just too humble & kind. <3

WIN: Who Is Next - Episode 6 "The First Battle"

Hello everyone! :) Hope you all got a chance to see WIN: Who Is Next Episode 6 where Team A & Team B faced off in their first battle! Ready to hear my thoughts?

Let’s start in the same order as the battle. So the first round was, of course, singing.

Team A:

Starting out, I, personally, felt that Minho seemed a bit nervous, more so during the beginning of the performance. Although, I think I feel this way because his rap didn’t come off as strong as I was expecting it to (just as TOP had said), but, at the end of the day, I still love Minho’s voice & rapping style. & (Also just as TOP had said) Surprisingly enough, Seunghoon’s rap, & performance in general, was very cool. He seemed the most relaxed & gave off this enjoyable, fun vibe. Continuing on with how well they were performing, Jinwoo seemed very nervous to me. Just focusing on his eyes, they gave off this scared/worried look. The singing, itself, was done very well, in my opinion. I really like Taehyun’s voice; I have yet to pinpoint why. Haha They all harmonize very well. (In agreement with Daesung) I enjoyed their revision of the song; it was very unique, & I really liked the rap remix in the middle of the song.

Overall, (I agree with Bom) their visuals are great. They’re handsome & super cute/sexy. (Well not super sexy. Yet… Hahaha) They just need to give more eye contact; they were looking down too much. Everyone keeps repeating how losing the first couple of times to their dongsaengs have placed this great burden on them, which is why they appear nervous & scared. But I hope Team A realizes that if they could just get over this fear, they would be so good. 

Team B:

Even before the performance began, just walking onto the stage, sitting & waiting for the music, they seemed cool, calm, & collected. These boys know they’re the shit, or at least act like they do. (Figures, after being mentored by GD. That’s cocky princess. Hahah <3) The song revision at the beginning was a bit unexpected, especially when compared to the original, but executed well (just as TOP had said). I enjoyed listening to Junhoe’s voice the most. All their movements & swagger came off very natural, as if they didn’t have to try too hard. Donghyuk’s aegyo was on point! I seriously loved it & went well with the theme of the song. He’s adorable. ( ^ - ^ ) I really like Bobby’s raspy voiced style of rapping, but (again, just as TOP had said) he sometimes ends up slurring the words together. B.I has always been an amazing, confident performer from day one, but sometimes I do worry that he’s on the verge of doing too much (also agreeing with TOP). If he did just a hair more than what he currently does while performing, it would be going overboard. Daesung had pointed out that there was more rap than singing in their performance, & I think they may have done that because their singing isn’t as strong as Team A, but that’s just my assumption. 

Overall, referencing CL’s comment when she says that she had higher expectations for Team A, at first, because she could pinpoint individuals & their characteristics but could not do that with Team B is exactly why I think Team B gives off a better performance. Because of the fact that you can’t pick just one individual that has a special something on their own (not saying that they don’t have their own talents), they work extremely well as a group. They’re like puzzle pieces that make a greater picture when put together. 

Moving onto the dancing portion…

Team A:

All I have to say about it is that it was okay. Well, actually, it was good. But that’s the problem, it was only good. There wasn’t anything special or amazing about it. I could probably pinpoint two memorable moves: when Taehyun was in the front center & the other four in the back switched places & when they were holding (I think) Seunghoon up as if he was floating. I, personally, felt like the transitions in the choreography & formation changes weren’t that smooth. There seemed to be just a tad bit more emotion in their dancing, but then at times it also felt like too much. I think dancing just isn’t Team A’s strong point. I am curious to see what it would be like if they performed someone else’s choreography because they aren’t bad dancers, they just don’t seem to come up with the best choreography. 

Team B:

It was just as I expected of Team B: creative, fun, & entertaining. As B.I had phrased it, I enjoyed the “reversal of charms.” I thought it made it more interesting since there was more than one emotion, or you could even say story, being presented. It’s very obvious that these kids are more natural dancers, just in their choreography: it’s more intricate & a lot more creative. They know how to play with the beat, in terms of movement. Again, the energy they gave off was very fun. They know how to engage the crowd. There were also a lot more memorable moments/tricks: the robot, Jinhwan being sucked in through that circle, Bobby jumping over Jinhwan. 

My opinion on both teams after this first battle is just that both teams have things they need to work on.

Team A: 

They have great potential, but potential will only get you so far. I hope they learn to feed off of each other’s energy & enjoy a better stage from that. They could be great, they really have it, it’s just a matter of breaking away from their fear of failing & just performing as if they have nothing to lose.

Team B:

The only concern I have for them is that hopefully they won’t end up as the “expected.” By that I mean, I hope they won’t end up being boring one day. It’s like that phrase “too much of a good thing can be bad,” hopefully they can continue to come up with more creative & enjoyable performances. They’re great, but (just as TOP had said, again) they need some focus.

I hope my opinions here don’t come off as bias or anything. I will admit that I am in favor of Team B, but merely because they catch my attention & are more entertaining & enjoyable. I wonder if it’s their youthfulness that makes them more carefree & fun on stage? What do you guys think? But even with that said, my heart somewhat leans toward Team A, again, not sure why. It could be just pure sympathy or even empathy, but I really do like them individually. 

My biggest concern now is that I think it’s obvious that, at the moment, Team B are the better performers, but will everyone who is voting be able to accept that? From what I’ve read, Team A seems to have more popularity & I think it’d be just a bit unfair if Team B was put at a disadvantage because of this. But I do understand that how well they appeal to the fans is important too. I just feel like when it comes to voting, you should consider how well they did for that specific battle, & then how much growth you think the group will have.

As always, thank you for reading. :)

**Side Note: TOP had a lot of insightful things to say, which I didn’t really expect. Hahah

WIN: Who Is Next - Thoughts Part 2

I don’t know why I always end up watching WIN: Who Is Next this late at night (or I guess you could say, this early in the morning). 

But I can never get over how talented these guys are, &, in my personal opinion, especially Team B. 

I seriously think the day they debut, all the rookie groups that I honestly do love now, & the future ones to debut, will be in danger. I do have my biases, don’t get me wrong, but I also like to recognize talent where I see it. & My goodness, these kids are crazy good. 

Sometimes I feel like a bad fan for always looking to see who is the next big thing, but in this industry, that’s what it’s about. Like I said before, I have groups that I favor, but I enjoy seeing how they all differ, their strengths, their weaknesses, how well they dance, charisma, fan service, singing, rapping, the whole shabang. 

At the moment, I feel like Team A isn’t much of a team. I can see them as solo artists, but as a group I don’t see the chemistry, which they need if they’re going to connect to their fans. Team B definitely has the chemistry, no doubt. They have this fresh air, fun kids (Know where that phrase is from? Haha) feel to them. Their synchronistic dancing is because of how well they work together, which I am super impressed with. They are always on point. I do think their singing could use improvement, but they are good. The only thing is who’s going to settle for good?

This show has really got me hooked. Haha They each have a lot of drive, both teams. Not to mention an abundant load of potential, it’s just a matter of what they do with that potential. I’m really excited to see how they progress. :)

Again, this is all just my personal opinion. The things I think about this late at night. & If you did end up reading this, thanks! & I’d actually love to hear what you think. 

WIN: Who Is Next

I highly doubt that YG would disband the losing group just because of all 11 of them are so talented. Despite the fact that each group & each member has things they need to improve on, there's so much talent, potential, drive, & personality from all of them.

Seeing the hardship they go through as trainees almost breaks my heart. :( Especially since Bobby’s family is in America… D; I find the training environment pretty harsh, at least for YG, but quite interesting & very worth while at the same time.

My oh my, I would love to just observe & see every blood, sweat, & tear it takes to survive the training years. To understand the motivation behind enduring that kind of program & the sacrifices they had to make. (& I’m saying this for all trainees. Not just the one’s from WIN.) & One day, I think I’ll do it. Not become a trainee… -.- But travel to South Korea & just have the chance to be immersed in that atmosphere. This is one of the reasons why I’m so intrigued by Korean pop culture. I’ve honestly never paid this much attention to the music industry in the U.S. & I do enjoy listening to American songs, but like I said, the very culture of the music industry in Korea as a whole just really fascinates me. 

Oh. But getting back to WIN, I keep trying to pick a favorite, but I keep falling for each of their individual stories & personalities that I can’t pick one team without being concerned for a member on the other team. & I say concerned just because even though I don’t believe the losing team will be disbanded, this is something they’ve dedicated years of their lives to. The thought of not reaching your dreams after so much time & effort put into is scary. School has been my life for the past 15 years & an education is important to me, but I don’t think I’m as passionate about simply earning a degree as artists are about making a name for their selves. 

I do agree with Tablo when he says that Team B is better at dancing, but Team A has better vocals. & Was anyone else extremely surprised when Zico showed up outta the cuts? Hahah Forgot how cute he was. Made me more excited for Block B’s comeback!

Well that’s it. Just had to get out some thoughts I had while watching. Thanks for reading, if you did!

Aegyo Adventures On A Whole Other Level!

Hello, hello!

If you guys follow me on tumblr, you'll probably be wondering why do I have another Kpop blog?

First off, I would like to thank those who do follow me on tumblr, but I have decided to create a separate Kpop blog to showcase solely my reviews & opinion posts.

If you don't follow me on tumblr -- which if you would like to, I will put the link right here -- my name is Anika and I am a Kpop enthusiast! No surprise there. ;P

The purpose of this blog will be to share my thoughts & opinions on anything & everything hallyu. I enjoy meeting other Kpop fanatics & decided that I not only wanted to share how I felt about all kinds of topics relating to Korean Pop Culture, but to see how others felt about it too.

I have a ton of ideas already for this new blog, such as MV Wednesdays &, of course, continuing with my Winner Sundays, so please look forward to everything I have to share! ( ^ - ^ ) & Don't worry, this is my first priority blog so I will be updating this weekly.

As always, thank you for reading!