I feel like that’s going to be the theme of the next few posts or has been the theme of my posts for a while. Listen, 2022 was super busy! My first nine to five job ever, working full time really does take the time out of everything. I’ve had less time to study languages and read and write.

Although, weirdly because I knew I had less time I made time to read so I’ve read more than I have in years since like Secondary School…. ok that’s an exaggeration, I have yet to beat Secondary School Gift, she was on fire.

But yeah, I’ve had less time. Although, again, I knew this would happen once I got a job so in 2021 I really made the most of doing everything. As I’ve mentioned I may have gone too hard because I ended up feeling a little burned out.

In terms of Kpop I listened to every new release and I did album reviews on my YT channel (that is now deleted) and wow… I did a lot. But I was stressed with trying to make a living out of my creative pursuits that I ended up feeling tired and done by the end of 2021.

So, in 2022, I didn’t listen to every single Kpop song that came out. I kind of drew back a little and only listened to the groups I know I like.

Also, not going to lie there are some parts of the Kpop industry, like the music industry that has been pissing me off. The longer you’re a fan the more you notice and the more you see (although there are fans who surprisingly don’t and I’m like, “how?”) so that has also played a part in my decreased Kpop love.

So what songs did I like last year?

EXID – IDK

Yeah that’s right I liked the B side more than the title track. It was just so good, it surprised me. Wait, not surprised me but reminded me of why I love EXID.

I ride for EXID, so when they came out with a mini album for their tenth anniversary, of course I was there.

IDK is just everything I love about EXID. The frank lyrics that talk about situations we all feel or may feel when going out there and dating, the vocals, they are so sweet and work so well together, LE, my girl! I love her. She’s such an underrated rapper and producer. Yeah, it was just a good song.

Ateez

Yes, the group in general. In 2022 I listened to discographies of different groups like Queen and Lynyrd Skynyrd and in Kpop it was Ateez. I’ve been interested in them since Fireworks (I’m the One) and Deja Vu so I had to check out their other songs.

When I say I became obsessed. Their songs are so good!

My favourites so far that are b sides are Cyberpunk and Take Me Home. Listen, you play those songs for me I am gone! Gone!

I was surprised when I liked 90% of their music but I did and here I am. I could play my Ateez favourites on Spotify on a loop.

Side note: the best purchase/subscription I got is Spotify, it makes listening to discographies so much easier. I used to do that one by one on YT now I can just play the album as I work. I also check out new albums much quicker now that I do that.

Monsta X

Don’t mob me, but I’ve been avoiding Monsta X.

I wasn’t into their debut and I did hear they came from a reality show but at that point I was so done with reality shows I refused to watch it, especially as most people who watched it were like wow, that was brutal. Why do they do that to young people/children? I swear these music companies are sadists.

Then I just didn’t check out their songs past Hero as I had so many groups I was into at that point. Also, I wasn’t into Hero. *dodges tomato* hear me out!

But I always knew of them, especially I.M and Jooheon, I just liked them. Which is surprising, that I liked them first, given how Wonho had such a grip on the Kpop world (still does). Funnily enough I got to know Wonho later and then as you know if you follow this blog I got into his solo music pretty much from day one.

I swear being a Kpop fan is like being in a community or a village because even if you’re not into a group if the news is big enough you’ll hear about it. So I did hear everything that happened with Wonho. I wasn’t even a fan then and it still made me mad.

Anyway, I started to get into Monsta X with Gambler. This was in the year where I was checking out everything. So good things did come from that year. So then from there I kept up with their title tracks because Gambler was JUST SO GOOD! As I kept liking their title tracks I kept saying I would check out their discography. And in 2022 I finally did.

Again, don’t mob me but I didn’t love their earlier stuff. At first, I wasn’t feeling it and I wondered, *gasp* do I only like three title tracks I’ve heard (Gambler, Rush Hour and Love). But nope, as soon as I got to Alligator‘s album, (OMD WJSN covered Alligator – my memory for names is bad so I was looking up the album on YT and that came up, aah!) Take. 2 We are Here. That was the beginning then I loved the albums Fatal Love, One of a Kind, Shape of Love, The Dreaming and now Reason (I’ll talk about that in a separate post).

I do think though, my dislike for the earlier stuff was coloured a bit by the bad day I was having when I listened to their disc. As I said above I tend to put it on whilst I work and man that was a stressful day. I say that because before I didn’t really like any of the earlier songs and yet as I’ve been watching their variety shows and their channel content I’ve fallen for some of the older stuff like Shoot Out, Jealousy, Follow, Zone and more really. Wait, Follow was after Alligator and Zone too… so I’ll replace them with Destroyer and Fighter (banger)… oh and Blind.

It’s gotten to the point that I think I’m going to become a hardcore Monbebe.

The thing I like the most about them is that they’re grown (we’re the same age!). I’m not gonna lie I’m less and less interested in new groups because they’re babies to me. Sure, I’ll still listen if it’s a good song but in some ways I just can’t relate to them or the stuff they sing about. It’s just nice to have a group where they sing about grown things without being shy and without innuendos.

Love Killa, caught me by surprise. I sat there like, “Excuse me sir, what?” The way I paused whilst working. “Just look in my eyes, straight into my eyes and say…” *listens to you finishing the lyrics* That’s the one! I’m honestly surprised they didn’t censor that on the music shows. They’ve censored less… but then I wondered if it’s because it was in English and it’s slang. And Rotate! I.M again, sir! It’s not just I.M though. It’s all of them. I love it.

I do find it funny that they do cute concepts for racy songs like Monsta Truck.

I also love how confident they are as people, I mean Kihyun, what an icon. Confidence is attractive, that’s all I’m saying.

So yes, if you witness me becoming a Monbebe… what can I say.

It’s a good thing I discovered them late though, I would have been MEANCE!

I do want to talk about the other music I listened to like Queen but I’ll do that in another post. I wrote so many notes.

I did like other songs like Newjeans’ Attention and Lesserafim’s Anti-Fragile (twas an earworm) and Red Velvet’s The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday (are they lowkey the villain in Birthday, like they terrorised those poor … creatures?), my fav song was on that album was Bye Bye. So yeah I did listen to songs but I didn’t write them all down so I only remember the ones towards the end of the year.

Anyhow, this is the first post in the new year that isn’t scheduled so Happy New Year, the year of the Rabbit is coming up and I hope this year goes well for you! xoxo