What are you listening to right NOW?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Daichi
  • Start date Start date
sarasara said:
Same here actually. While I kinda liked Boomerang, I didn't like Sweet Lies at all (it was way too American trap-sounding for me, I don't get why it was so popular.), and Power was so meh.
As for the actual album, I only really liked Walk on Memories, which just goes to show again how much better EXO's ballads are lol.

I liked parts of Forever (mainly Chen sounding awesome in the Chorus), I liked the super cool acoustic guitar bridge of Diamond (the rest of that song is so weird tho), I liked parts of Chill (before that really weird drop where the song completely changes), and that's...about it. Lol. The rest of the songs were okay but they were too Western sounding for me (especially What U Do, blergh)

While I didn't hate the album or anything, I certainly didn't love it either and I still think Ex'act/the Lotto repackage is their best album. (While I hated Lotto as a song, the repackage tracks like She's Dreaming and Can't Bring Me Down were SOOO GOOD).

One good thing I will say about the Power album though is that there is a lot of Chen in many of the songs and he sounds so good and I can't get enough of his voice so that made the album a lot more tolerable for me, but overall yeah, it wasn't their best.

Currently listening to f(x): Jet.
Lunas high note!!! ♡♡
Click to expand...

Yesss I mean, I don't hate the album - but there's no song that actually I liked from beginning to end. The songs were alright, but there's no song that completely captivated me like the way, for example, White Noise from Ex'act did. Completely agreed on that part about Chill. I was like, oh okay this I could like but then whyyy. And yess about the rest of the album were too western sounding (too... American, for lack of better word) and tbh that's the reason why most people really liked it but that's the reason for me to not liking it lol. I watched a line distribution video for the whole Power album and D.O. actually got the most lines in almost all songs (thanks to his adlibs here and there), followed closely by Chen - but Chen is more noticeable due to his tone. If I didn't watch the video I would thought Chen got the most lines.

Ex'act and the repackage on the contrary isn't too popular within the EXO-L (as far as the comment on YouTube I read) but I think that's EXO's best release so far. If they didn't sing it so obnoxiously, I could picture myself liking Lotto a lot. The beat and the melody are actually really pleasant to listen to. That song was composed by the same team that did f(x)'s 4 walls after all - it's just the way they sang was the only thing that hindered me from liking it. They sang it so obnoxiously but weirdly that's why that song got easily stuck in my head. Lipstick chateau wainbit color~lalalala :XD:

Currently Listening to: Don't Let Me Go - SHINee urgh the whole 1 of 1 and the repackage (1 and 1) is just perfecttttt there's not a song that I don't like
 
ritardando said:
Yesss I mean, I don't hate the album - but there's no song that actually I liked from beginning to end. The songs were alright, but there's no song that completely captivated me like the way, for example, White Noise from Ex'act did. Completely agreed on that part about Chill. I was like, oh okay this I could like but then whyyy. And yess about the rest of the album were too western sounding (too... American, for lack of better word) and tbh that's the reason why most people really liked it but that's the reason for me to not liking it lol. I watched a line distribution video for the whole Power album and D.O. actually got the most lines in almost all songs (thanks to his adlibs here and there), followed closely by Chen - but Chen is more noticeable due to his tone. If I didn't watch the video I would thought Chen got the most lines.

Ex'act and the repackage on the contrary isn't too popular within the EXO-L (as far as the comment on YouTube I read) but I think that's EXO's best release so far. If they didn't sing it so obnoxiously, I could picture myself liking Lotto a lot. The beat and the melody are actually really pleasant to listen to. That song was composed by the same team that did f(x)'s 4 walls after all - it's just the way they sang was the only thing that hindered me from liking it. They sang it so obnoxiously but weirdly that's why that song got easily stuck in my head. Lipstick chateau wainbit color~lalalala :XD:

Currently Listening to: Don't Let Me Go - SHINee urgh the whole 1 of 1 and the repackage (1 and 1) is just perfecttttt there's not a song that I don't like
Click to expand...

Yeah exactly! Everywhere on forums and stuff people were saying that this Power album was their best album, and that Ex'act was 'boring' and 'disappointing', and I just didn't get it. I guess this is the reason SHINee isn't as popular nowadays, because their style of music is similar to the style that was on Ex'act (which is undoubtedly why I liked that album so much), but that kind of funky R&B sound just isn't that appealing to as many people nowadays, which is sad.
I mean, if they want Western sounding music so much, then just go listen to Western music (or YG & BTS lol, it's practically the same thing).
The good thing about EXO though is that their sound is constantly evolving, and each of their albums sound way different than the last, so hopefully their next comeback will go back to that cooler R&B funk sound, or at least not sound so Western and mainstream.

Oh wow, I didn't actually know D.O. got the most lines. For me, his voice tends to blend in with Baekhyun's a lot, so he doesn't really stick out to me in the same way that Chen does, Chen's tone is just so distinct and noticeable lol.

Agreed on Lotto too! I'm able to enjoy live performances of the song much more because the vocals aren't quite as distorted there as they are in the studio version (but it's still pretty obnoxious lol). I really like the bridge in that song though, and like you said, it's sooo catchy.

And yess about 1of1! I love every single song on that album so much, SHINee is literally just the perfect group, they have like practically no songs that I outright dislike.

Currently listening to: Taemin- Ace
Taemin's confirmed to be having a Korean comeback sometime this month and I'M SO EXCITEDDDD, it's his first Korean comeback in a year and like 8 months, I seriously can't wait.
 
@sarasara I knowww right I think SHINee perfected the R&B sound in Kpop and since I'm a sucker for 80s-90s throwback sound I really really liked their 1 of 1 and its repackage and I think it's my favorite SHINee release so far

Btw it's really amusing how one comment from that 2nd reddit thread said that they made the album to go with theme of current releases while imo the album was quite far from the mainstream/current releases at that time. Hmm I haven't listened to whole EXO's discography tbh (mostly I haven't listened to their earlier releases but I've listened to some tracks here and there) but I kinda get what you mean about their sound keeps evolving and each album sounds different from each other. It's a good thing that they're keep on evolving but I think I still don't get the "EXO sound" other than their vocalists' voices if that makes any sense? I still don't get what makes them truly different from other groups other than their vocalists.

I mean, in SHINee, even though they're trying a different genre from their usual release (for example, Everybody that's more dubstep and View that's actually on deep house genre - same as f(x)'s 4 walls) they still retain their R&B-retro sound that's undeniably SHINee. The whole f(x)'s discography is another prime example - each album has different genre and concept but you can't help notice that there's the f(x)'s sound in it - and that's not only because of the vocalists' voice. One youtube reactor (who is quite technical in his comments) said that in each f(x)'s release there's always this half-rap half-sing sound (in Milk and Deja Vu, for example) that only f(x) can successfully pull off. They tried different genres and they still successfully deliver them with their own style. I don't get this uniqueness from any other group tbh and that's why SHINee and f(x) are truly the best Kpop groups for me.

Anyway this is completely unrelated but am I the only one who thinks that Kai isn't that attractive? I mean yea he's got a great body but so do tons of other Kpop idols (Jonghyun and Minho got an even greater body than his) and his face isn't that handsome either. I'll take Suho, Kyungsoo, Lay, Sehun, and Chen anytime over Kai lmao. I'm so thankful for Exo'rdium in Japan DVD because Lay is the Japanese' bias and he has the most screentime in that DVD lol precious Yixing why so cute and innocent.

URGH I'M SO EXCITED FOR TAEMIN'S COMEBACK UYEAH I love love love his solo releases so much. This month's Taemin, and hopefully Luna (I adoreee the Free Somebody mini album so much) next month. I'm so ready for this.

currently listening to: Drip Drop - Taemin
 
ritardando said:
@sarasara I knowww right I think SHINee perfected the R&B sound in Kpop and since I'm a sucker for 80s-90s throwback sound I really really liked their 1 of 1 and its repackage and I think it's my favorite SHINee release so far

Btw it's really amusing how one comment from that 2nd reddit thread said that they made the album to go with theme of current releases while imo the album was quite far from the mainstream/current releases at that time. Hmm I haven't listened to whole EXO's discography tbh (mostly I haven't listened to their earlier releases but I've listened to some tracks here and there) but I kinda get what you mean about their sound keeps evolving and each album sounds different from each other. It's a good thing that they're keep on evolving but I think I still don't get the "EXO sound" other than their vocalists' voices if that makes any sense? I still don't get what makes them truly different from other groups other than their vocalists.

I mean, in SHINee, even though they're trying a different genre from their usual release (for example, Everybody that's more dubstep and View that's actually on deep house genre - same as f(x)'s 4 walls) they still retain their R&B-retro sound that's undeniably SHINee. The whole f(x)'s discography is another prime example - each album has different genre and concept but you can't help notice that there's the f(x)'s sound in it - and that's not only because of the vocalists' voice. One youtube reactor (who is quite technical in his comments) said that in each f(x)'s release there's always this half-rap half-sing sound (in Milk and Deja Vu, for example) that only f(x) can successfully pull off. They tried different genres and they still successfully deliver them with their own style. I don't get this uniqueness from any other group tbh and that's why SHINee and f(x) are truly the best Kpop groups for me.

Anyway this is completely unrelated but am I the only one who thinks that Kai isn't that attractive? I mean yea he's got a great body but so do tons of other Kpop idols (Jonghyun and Minho got an even greater body than his) and his face isn't that handsome either. I'll take Suho, Kyungsoo, Lay, Sehun, and Chen anytime over Kai lmao. I'm so thankful for Exo'rdium in Japan DVD because Lay is the Japanese' bias and he has the most screentime in that DVD lol precious Yixing why so cute and innocent.

URGH I'M SO EXCITED FOR TAEMIN'S COMEBACK UYEAH I love love love his solo releases so much. This month's Taemin, and hopefully Luna (I adoreee the Free Somebody mini album so much) next month. I'm so ready for this.

currently listening to: Drip Drop - Taemin
Click to expand...

OMG SAMEEE, 1of1 has been my favorite SHINee release BY FAR too!! I loved absolutely everything about it, from the concept, to the outfits (they all look the hottest in the 1of1 outfits like omg), to just all the songs on the album, urghhh so good. I'm so glad I own the physical copy lol

But lol yeah, I don't think those reddit people knew what they were talking about. Literally that entire album is the most not-mainstream a group could get like what.
About EXO though, like if you listen to some of the songs on their first album XOXO, it's wayyy different than the stuff they're releasing today, like some of the songs almost sound like stuff One Direction would sing or something haha. With each new album they've put out though, their sound has been maturing and growing, but yeah, I also agree that they don't really have their own "EXO sound". They used to, back when their original concept was to make super theatrical and over the top songs like Mama and Wolf, but then they dropped that whole thing, so now they don't really have that uniform sound that really makes them stand out compared to other groups. (Besides the vocalists, which is mainly what I love them for.)

That's also why I love SHINee so much, because, like you said, all of their songs, despite being from such a wide variety of genres, all manage to sound distinctly SHINee (f(x) is like this too), which I don't think EXO has fully achieved quite yet. I think they're on the right track though, they just need a few more years.

Btw, just wondering, is MRJKPOP that Youtuber you were referencing? He's the only Kpop reactor I've ever seen who actually knows stuff about music and gives techincal comments, 99% of all other Kpop Youtubers out there are awful.

Lol I'm with you on Kai too haha. Jonghyun has a muchhh better body than Kai imo (and a better face too LOL).

But OMG IK, these next few months are going to be amazing for Kpop. First Taemin's comeback, then Luna's, and then Super Junior will be having one too (which, admittedly, I'm not as excited for because both Kyuhyun and Ryeowook are gone in the army, and they're the only people I really love in Suju, but I'll still listen to the comeback bc it's been forever since a Suju release, and their newer releases have all been really good anyways)

Currently listening: Taemin-Until Today
Taemin does R&B so well urghhhh I love him

Younique Unit- Maxstep. I literally just discovered this today, wtf is this and how have I not known about it until now?? Like the song itself really isn't that bad (it has some really cool harmonies), but it's just so weird and such a random combination of people lol. I don't like the rap/dubstep break in the middle though. :/ Taemin sounds good tho (He looks so young here too aww).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
sarasara said:
OMG SAMEEE, 1of1 has been my favorite SHINee release BY FAR too!! I loved absolutely everything about it, from the concept, to the outfits (they all look the hottest in the 1of1 outfits like omg), to just all the songs on the album, urghhh so good. I'm so glad I own the physical copy lol

But lol yeah, I don't think those reddit people knew what they were talking about. Literally that entire album is the most not-mainstream a group could get like what.
About EXO though, like if you listen to some of the songs on their first album XOXO, it's wayyy different than the stuff they're releasing today, like some of the songs almost sound like stuff One Direction would sing or something haha. With each new album they've put out though, their sound has been maturing and growing, but yeah, I also agree that they don't really have their own "EXO sound". They used to, back when their original concept was to make super theatrical and over the top songs like Mama and Wolf, but then they dropped that whole thing, so now they don't really have that uniform sound that really makes them stand out compared to other groups. (Besides the vocalists, which is mainly what I love them for.)

That's also why I love SHINee so much, because, like you said, all of their songs, despite being from such a wide variety of genres, all manage to sound distinctly SHINee (f(x) is like this too), which I don't think EXO has fully achieved quite yet. I think they're on the right track though, they just need a few more years.

Btw, just wondering, is MRJKPOP that Youtuber you were referencing? He's the only Kpop reactor I've ever seen who actually knows stuff about music and gives techincal comments, 99% of all other Kpop Youtubers out there are awful.

Lol I'm with you on Kai too haha. Jonghyun has a muchhh better body than Kai imo (and a better face too LOL).

But OMG IK, these next few months are going to be amazing for Kpop. First Taemin's comeback, then Luna's, and then Super Junior will be having one too (which, admittedly, I'm not as excited for because both Kyuhyun and Ryeowook are gone in the army, and they're the only people I really love in Suju, but I'll still listen to the comeback bc it's been forever since a Suju release, and their newer releases have all been really good anyways)

Currently listening: Taemin-Until Today
Taemin does R&B so well urghhhh I love him

Younique Unit- Maxstep. I literally just discovered this today, wtf is this and how have I not known about it until now?? Like the song itself really isn't that bad (it has some really cool harmonies), but it's just so weird and such a random combination of people lol. I don't like the rap/dubstep break in the middle though. :/ Taemin sounds good tho (He looks so young here too aww).
Click to expand...

omg you worded EXO's earlier/debut releases in the way that I couldn't. Yes with MAMA and Wolf they were all super over the top but idk I didn't care much about Kpop back then but I thought it wasn't as successful? Then they dropped that concept and went for easier-to-listen song and released Growl which afaik was the start of their success? i don't really know much about this though.
AND YES OMG THEIR XOXO Album sounds like something that would come from 1D lol I remember I listened to that album (just some songs). It's not bad but it's not something that pique my interest either. Well EXO wouldn't have another comeback until next year so hopefully in their next release I'd find the "EXO sound" and hopefully their next release would be another good release.

(another) yes that kpop commenter is MRJKPOP lol I am so glad I found his channel because almost Kpop youtube reactors/commenter are very subjective and aren't able to judge the musics from the technical standpoint.

After I started listening to Kpop I try to give almost every group a try on their music. I wouldn't say that I'm excited for Suju's comeback but I'd definitely give them a try since they haven't released anything in quite a long time and hopefully they'd have another good release. The only comeback I wait is f(x)'s though :cry: when will SM give them another comeback. I'm still crossing my fingers for 2018 comeback. And for SHINee too I hope this Onew scandal will soon pass and SHINee will shine again next year.

Younique Unit has been around my youtube home for weeks and I haven't give them a try lolol

currently listening to: Love - f(x)
 
Hokuto no Ken soundtrack+unreleased tracks

Hokuto no Ken is one of my favorites by YK, hands down. How I wish there were an official release of all the previously unreleased songs...
 
battle of the shadows-Kajiura (looooove this song so so much! It makes me so happy, I love how mysterious Remi sounds, the violin, the guitar and everything! It's like a Tsubasa/Fate/SAO all combined and I don't hate it one bit)
 
Lay 2nd Album - "Sheep"

I initially didn't really care about this release because even though he's my bias, Sheep is a really really weird song albeit a quite catchy one. This afternoon I searched for his tag on tumblr and people were all talking about Peach and about how sexual the lyrics are (Peach in this context being the metaphor for booty lmao) and obviously I need to hear the track. I went lmao at the lyrics and were quite awed because his English enunciation is really clear lol I didn't even need to search for the lyrics because the song is all in English. Tonight I decide to give the whole album a try and honestly I like the last 3 tracks - with Director (track 9) being my favorite and would be willing to purchase those particular tracks. Admittedly it's not an album that I really like but I don't hate it either.

oot
@sarasara also wow the ex-EXO members are all making fortune in China lolol even more than Lay - would he eventually leave or would he get kicked by SM (so he doesn't receive backlash from EXO-Ls bcs kicked is different from leaving) so that he could pursue his solo career more? SM would get double income with that. And Sooyoung-Tiffany-Seohyun left SM and SNSD :cry: 2017 is a bad year for girl groups
 
ritardando said:
omg you worded EXO's earlier/debut releases in the way that I couldn't. Yes with MAMA and Wolf they were all super over the top but idk I didn't care much about Kpop back then but I thought it wasn't as successful? Then they dropped that concept and went for easier-to-listen song and released Growl which afaik was the start of their success? i don't really know much about this though.
AND YES OMG THEIR XOXO Album sounds like something that would come from 1D lol I remember I listened to that album (just some songs). It's not bad but it's not something that pique my interest either. Well EXO wouldn't have another comeback until next year so hopefully in their next release I'd find the "EXO sound" and hopefully their next release would be another good release.

(another) yes that kpop commenter is MRJKPOP lol I am so glad I found his channel because almost Kpop youtube reactors/commenter are very subjective and aren't able to judge the musics from the technical standpoint.

After I started listening to Kpop I try to give almost every group a try on their music. I wouldn't say that I'm excited for Suju's comeback but I'd definitely give them a try since they haven't released anything in quite a long time and hopefully they'd have another good release. The only comeback I wait is f(x)'s though :cry: when will SM give them another comeback. I'm still crossing my fingers for 2018 comeback. And for SHINee too I hope this Onew scandal will soon pass and SHINee will shine again next year.

Younique Unit has been around my youtube home for weeks and I haven't give them a try lolol

currently listening to: Love - f(x)
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're right. It's not that Mama and Wolf were failures or anything, it's just once they realized how much more popular (and better selling) Growl was, they just started releasing more standard (and like you said, easier to listen to) pop, rather than going for that super crazy theatrical over-the-top concept.
I was really into Kpop in that 2012-2013 time period (before I completely fell out of it for like 4 years until really recently) so I remember all of this really well lol.

But LOL yeah Ikr? Going back and comparing some of the songs on the XOXO album to songs on like The War or something, it's just so night and day, it's almost funny lol

And yes I love MRJKPOP! It sucks that he got in involved in some scandal or something last year though so he disabled all his comments and social media and hasn't posted a video in forever :( I hope he'll come back one day but I doubt it at this point, he was the only Kpop youtuber I could stand

Again, with you on f(x). It's been too long since a comeback from them :(
Same with SHINee too. Hopefully they have a great 10th anniversary album next year before Onew (and eventually the other members) have to go off to the army, I just really want the whole scandal to blow over already :/

Lol you should watch Younique Unit though! The only thing they've ever released is that one song (which was apparently part of a commercial campaign with Hyundai?) and it's really not that bad, it's just super random. (Luhan, Kai, Taemin, Eunhyuk, Henry, and Hyeoyeon lol. It's just such a weird combo of people)

ritardando said:
Lay 2nd Album - "Sheep"

I initially didn't really care about this release because even though he's my bias, Sheep is a really really weird song albeit a quite catchy one. This afternoon I searched for his tag on tumblr and people were all talking about Peach and about how sexual the lyrics are (Peach in this context being the metaphor for booty lmao) and obviously I need to hear the track. I went lmao at the lyrics and were quite awed because his English enunciation is really clear lol I didn't even need to search for the lyrics because the song is all in English. Tonight I decide to give the whole album a try and honestly I like the last 3 tracks - with Director (track 9) being my favorite and would be willing to purchase those particular tracks. Admittedly it's not an album that I really like but I don't hate it either.

oot
@sarasara also wow the ex-EXO members are all making fortune in China lolol even more than Lay - would he eventually leave or would he get kicked by SM (so he doesn't receive backlash from EXO-Ls bcs kicked is different from leaving) so that he could pursue his solo career more? SM would get double income with that. And Sooyoung-Tiffany-Seohyun left SM and SNSD :cry: 2017 is a bad year for girl groups
Click to expand...

Ok, I might actually check out the album now lol. I only heard Sheep and it really really weirded me out (which was disappointing to me since I really liked I Need U) so I didn't want to check out the rest of the songs, but if they're actually somewhat good I just might haha.

But ikr, poor Lay :( I don't even really like the music that the other ex-EXO Chinese members are releasing that much (some of Luhan's stuff is ok though), but Lay would honestly probably be better off if he wasnt in SM anymore. I feel like that happening is not that far off though.

But IKKKK the SNSD news made me really sad today :( I mean, I could see it happening with Sooyoung, but Tiffany and Seohyun leaving really surprised me. I'm also more surprised that Yoona and Yuri stayed too.
At least the split wasn't on bad terms though, but still. I wasn't the biggest SNSD fan in the world, but they did have some legit great songs and it's sad to see the end of an era just go like that :(
I think SHINee, f(x), Big Bang, and Super Junior are now the only second gen groups to still be around today.

But hey, at least the Taemin teasers were released today! It's going to be another dark concept, I'm so excited. The 16th can't come soon enough

Currently listening to:
SHINee- Forever or Never
SHINee's old songs are still so good, even today.

Also, f(x)- Vacance
This song is sooooooo gooooooooood. So many cool chord progressions and harmonies and layered vocals, and Luna sounds so good here hnggg <333
 
@sarasara i'm so with you on Vacance. I don't know why I slept on that track for so long until I listened to the whole Red Light album again. Back then the only songs that really captured my attention are Red Light, Milk, Butterfly, and Dracula. Recently I got really into All Night and Paper Heart. I used to don't really care about Spit it Out and Boom Bang Boom but after listening to them again they're not bad - just take some time to get used to.

AND FYEAH I'm so excited for Taemin's solo lol the teaser notification came to me at almost midnight yesterday thankfully i haven't slept yet. I completely forgot that they (SHINee members) are yet to take their mandatory military service. If they decide to serve after their 10th anniv (just like what Shinhwa did) we'd get like 2-4 years hiatus. 2 years if they decide to take their service at the same time and 4 years if they decide to take their service one by one (again, like what Shinhwa did). Urgh I just got really into them and they're facing a scandal plus they're going to take an inevitable hiatus due to military service.

SNSD members leaving making their shitty promotion for their 10th anniversary kinda explained. Why bother promoting them hard when the members were going to leave/not extending their contracts? I'm pretty sure they already had their talk about their contracts since earlier this year. I'm also not the biggest fan of them but they're still iconic and they did have really good songs. There's no actual talk about their disbandment but having half of the members left I'm not really sure about SNSD's future. The members also have their solo activities after all.

Do give Lay's album a try! The self-proclaimed Sheep of China worked really hard for this album and he was very anxious for this album after all. Anw I haven't given any Luhan's songs a try lol but from what I know he's really really big in China.

Currently listening to: a youtube video played by my lil siblings (a gamer youtuber)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top