K-Pop Connection

"Chocolate" by Max Changmin Max & U-Know I've gotta be straight up with you about this one.  In the summer of 2019 I spent six magnificent weeks in Seoul, South Korea on a study abroad trip and it changed my entire life.  One thing that it changed was the fact that I became aware that for the last 11/12 years of my K-Pop obsession I have been SLEEPING on TVXQ!.   Being a veteran of K-Pop, around in the early days of Super Junior and the debut of SHINee, I somehow overlooked TVXQ!.   TVXQ! or DBSK! stands for 동방신기 which literally translates to "Rising Gods of the East."  They debuted in 2003 with five members:  U-Know Yunho, Micky Yoochun, Hero Jaejoong, Xiah Junsu, and Max Changmin.  Their major hit song was in 2009 (roughly the year I got into K-Pop) and was called "Mirotic."   If you know anything about 2nd Generation K-pop, you know that this song was ICONIC and defined the generation.  It was scandalous and sexual in a ...

"Candy" by Baekhyun "Candy" by Baekhyun I gotta be real with you.  When I first heard the song, I didn't like it.  I was SO EXCITED about this comeback because UN Village slapped and made me feel things that I didn't know I could feel.  It was... hot.  And that's being tame.  So, of course, I was ready for Baekhyun to ruin my life with yet ANOTHER perfect song.  I wasn't a huge fan of the styling in the comeback teasers but I was willing to look over it because I knew that Baekhyun would deliver.  He always does, after all.  I really tried to be excited, I really did.  But from the teaser pictures and the sample, I didn't exactly have a good impression of the song.  So when it came out I avoided it for like a week.  Maybe two.  Let me tell you, I was really disappointed with the song overall because there was SOMETHING missing.  That classic Baekhyun thing was missing.  You know, it's that special something he brings ...