Beats of the Month: Whimsical Delights from D.O., Katseye, Onew, StayC, and TXT

2 weeks ago 19

In the vast landscape of Korean entertainment, sometimes it’s the little things that bring us joy (or disappointment) and make our fan girl/boy/folk hearts beat a little faster.

Each month, we ask our writers to share: Among the many Hallyu things vying for your attention, what’s caught your eye, is on your mind, or has made your heart skip a beat?

It’s in the Extra Details (From Katseye & StayC)
— Siena

Katseye is surely our newest “Is this K-pop?” frontrunner, combining a K-pop adjacent training model, simultaneous Korean and American management, English-language music, and a global member lineup. I don’t even know where to begin with categorizing them (nor do I think that’s really the most important point), but watching their meteoric rise over the last few months has been fascinating.

Timing and industry backing always play a role, but I also think the group are doing some genuinely excellent things. I had mixed feelings about “Gnarly,” though I think it served its (attention-grabbing) purpose well, but I was quite impressed with follow-up single “Gabriela,” which carries over the absurdist humor and sense of fun from “Gnarly” and adds a touch more polish.

“Gabriela” is also one of the best examples I’ve recently seen in pop (K- or otherwise) of cultural appreciation that never veers into cultural appropriation. Paying homage to telenovelas, “Gabriela” always comes across as a joyful, if over-the-top, tribute. The Spanish-language verse from Daniela, an American member with roots in Venezuela and Cuba, is the cherry on top, and frankly a flex that shows the artistic doors an international lineup can fling open.

Katseye’s success also owes a lot to the members’ prolific and charming online content creation. I particularly love Megan‘s Phineas and Ferb–inspired choreography videos, which are both adorable and absolutely astonishing in terms of the amount of body control needed to create the stop-start effect. It’s small but eye-catching content like this that proves a group is firing on all cylinders… and often is responsible for drawing in new fans.

Another example of a small piece of content with a big impact is StayC‘s recent single album highlight medley. Featuring the voice of famed lyricist Kim Eana, the medley is structured like a late night radio show, complete with thoughtful introductions to each of the album’s three tracks. Particularly given the continued importance of radio shows in South Korean music, it’s a simple but fantastically compelling idea that makes a mundane piece of content just a bit more special.

A month of solos with Kyungsoo, Onew, and TXT
— Chelsea

As a longtime Exo fan, I can tell you for a fact that one thing the fandom never saw coming was Doh Kyungsoo with blond hair. But, since leaving SM Entertainment to found CompanySooSoo, he’s been embracing his more quirky side — blond buzzcut and all.

In that same time, I’ve come to adore the whimsy of his solo MV’s from “Popcorn” and “Mars” to his latest “Sing Along.” The premise itself is nothing groundbreaking: the world is boring and monotonous, coffee gets spilled, days don’t go as planned. We can choose to let these things upset us, or we can just choose to embrace the day as it is and smile, featuring a Truman Show exit. What sells the MV is Kyungsoo’s spot-on acting and complete confidence in doing his own thing, both musically and aesthetically.

Kyungsoo’s always been a bit of an oddball, but since leaving SM, that quirkiness is being celebrated both in his songs and MVs. Each of his releases brightens my month. And, yes, the grammatical error in the chorus does get me every time, but it also adds to the song’s charm.

I want to also give a spotlight to fellow SM-escapee, Onew. This month he returned with the superb Percent, which feels like quite a departure from the gospel stylings of Circle. Heavier in the rock and lighter on the ballads, it shows off another side of his musicality. Its title “Animals” and accompanying MV let Onew, like Kyungsoo, be a little silly. And nothing could have prepared me for the random CGI wolf. Also in the same vein as Kyungsoo, “Animals” is a feel-good song to let go to. All around, another great release.

And finally, on my solo shout-outs of the month list are the TXT members (of course). Along with The Star Chapter: Together came individual MVs, and I love how each is distinct to fit the track. From Soobin‘s silly “Sunday Driver,” to the London-angst (and very YungBlud stylings) of Yeonjun‘s “Ghost Girl,” Kai‘s sultry “Dance With You” and Beomgyu and Taehyun‘s more emotional “Take My Half” and “Bird of Night,” respectfully, each MV captures its member’s style and musical vibe. It’s great to see solo work from them in such a balanced way while also spanning so many genres. And despite listening to the album a dozen or so times, my favorite solo track keeps changing.