While the landscape of Korean entertainment can be vast and wondrous, it’s often the little things that make us fall in love, inspire awe, evoke secondhand embarrassment, or sometimes… break our hearts.
In this special November-December edition of Beats of the Month, we ask our writers: Among the many things vying for your attention as 2023 wraps up, what won and made your heart beat?
Soundtrack #1 and CIX’s ‘Ok’ Episode 2: I’m Ok
— Qing
Maybe it’s the rainy weather that the monsoon season is bringing in, but my music and drama tastes are more sentimental this month. After enjoying the nuanced, underrated More Than Friends (which I praised in the last Beats of the Month), I moved on to another friends-to-lovers story, Soundtrack #1.
In just four episodes, Soundtrack paints a compelling picture of the main couple’s struggles to come to terms with their feelings for each other. Flashbacks to their shared past as teens are used artfully and sparingly to show the strong foundations of their friendship: how they saw each other in moments that mattered the most. The angst of one-sided love is balanced by witty dialogue. The scenes lean on close-ups that spotlight Han So-hee and Park Hyung-sik‘s masterful micro-expressions, and the cinematography is dreamy and pensive, not unlike that of a film. The story is a path well trodden, but the execution elevates it.
On the music side, I have a massive backlog and strain to remember what was released this year. But CIX‘s ‘Ok’ Episode 2: I’m Ok captured my heart with the nostalgia of its early third-generation sound (I’m thinking in particular of BtoB). It’s one of those micro mini albums that clock in at under 15 minutes, but it brings back the glorious days of ballad-driven dance tracks. The choice to open on a ballad expresses confidence in the group’s vocals; the production never gets too fancy, and its light touch helps the mini to focus on the melodies and emotional delivery. The pared-down “Curtain Call”, with its wistful falsettos, is a stand-out for me.
Jaefriends and a Last-Minute 2023 Standout Comeback from Viviz
— Siena
In my endless search for relaxing, amusing Hallyu content, I recently stumbled across second-gen legend Jaejoong‘s YouTube talk show Jaefriends. The format, with Jaejoong cooking and sitting with his guest or guests for a casual conversation and meal, reminds me of Suga‘s Suchwita in its laid back tone and ability to elicit surprisingly candid discussions. Jaejoong’s affable but quirky personality makes him a warm yet entertaining host, and he certainly has a wealth of fascinating Hallyu experience to share. The show’s first season just wrapped up with a pair of fabulous episodes, the second-to-last featuring Ateez‘s San, Wooyoung, and Wooyoung, and the final welcoming Jaejoong’s fellow former TVXQ and JYJ member Junsu. That makes now the perfect time to binge Jaefriends if you’re looking for a calm but insightful slice of K-YouTube variety.
On the music front, I’ve been furiously reviewing 2023 comebacks in preparation for our upcoming End-of-Year review articles. That deep dive, plus our recent Unsung Artists November edition, clued me into the fabulousness that is Viviz‘s recent comeback. Title track “Maniac” is a sugar sweet delight, but the true highlight for me is promoted b-side “Untie.” Showcasing a playful yet mature sensuality that is dearly missed from much of the current K-pop scene, Viviz are confidently eating up every performance of “Untie” I’ve watched. To see the trio, who have weathered the bumpy waters of their industry from GFriend to today with admirable grace, continue to innovate and reach new heights almost a decade into their career is gratifying and truly exciting.
The Bemusing Charms of Celebrity
— Chelsea
It’s been a busy month, which meant I needed to tune out from reality to passively consume the petty problems of fictional characters. My escape came in the form of Netflix‘s new 12 episode series, Celebrity. The premise is simple: Ari (Park Gyu-young) , a former rich girl who now sells door-to-door cosmetics and has no interest in the ‘influencer’ lifestyle, somehow becomes Korea’s number one influencer…. before she drowns. The series is framed through her back-from-the-dead tell-all Instagram live streams that reveal the dirty secrets of the influencer world. Only, the tea she’s supposedly spilling isn’t tea at all: rich people behave badly, influencing is a competitive and fabricated industry, and people don’t always play fair.
What kept me watching the series was not the drama nor even the big mystery of how Ari is broadcasting her secrets from the grave. Rather, the main mystery for me was why all this happened to Ari in the first place. This is not a critique of Park Gyu-young’s acting, but the role itself is one of the most bland, Mary Sue, Main Character leads I’ve experienced in a drama in a long time — and I’ve watched Goong three times. Ari, in all her ambivalence, still manages to hit every K-drama note: she stumbles into a party in someone else’s designer dress and tells off a rich woman getting wine thrown at her, a CEO falls for her after one interaction, her Instagram account hits 10k followers through simple outfit posts, and even all her insider knowledge that she uses to take down the ‘bad guys’ is bestowed to her from a mysterious Instagram account out of the ‘goodness’ of their own heart. Ari does nothing in the series aside from show up places and things happen to her. Everyone seems to care about Ari, but we’re given no reason as an audience as to why we should.
Every character was a caricature, and while the series did try to bring up the reality of cyber fame and online harassment, it fell short. Nonetheless, I watched it all the way through and even gasped aloud a couple times. So? Escape accomplished.
Agust D’s D-Day Concerts
— Sabrina
My personal Hallyu highlight from 2023 that I haven’t yet discussed was seeing Agust D’s D-Day concerts, both live and on livestream. Agust D was BTS Suga’s solo persona, born out of pain and embodying anger. The show began with a video dramatizing a real-life motor scooter accident that left Suga with chronic shoulder pain, followed by four dancers carrying him onstage. From there, Suga launched into four of his most fiery Agust D songs (“Haegeum”, “Daechwita,” “Agust D,” and “Give It to Me”).
As the show progressed, segments of the stage rose to the ceiling, as though peeling away layers of the Agust D persona. The last third of the setlist highlighted Suga’s more personal and emotional work. He performed “Snooze”, imparting the wisdom to younger idols he wished others had shared with him. The last song before the encore was “Amygdala,” which portrays him grappling with his hardships, including his accident, family members’ illnesses, and self-harm. “The Last,” a raw depiction of Suga’s mental health struggles, closed out the show. At the end, Suga simply walked off-stage, all of the layers peeled away.
The encore of the final Seoul show felt like the last act of Agust D. Suga finally revealed his “7” tattoo (that all 7 BTS members got last year), covering the scar on his injured shoulder. During his final performance of “The Last,” he faced a white door featured in the “Amygdala” MV. In “Amygdala”, he strives, but fails, to open this door. At the final concert, he walked through it, finally healed of his pain. The show ended with a screen reading “Future’s gonna be okay,” a line from “D-Day,” moving on from the past and reassuring us about what is to come. It was the most cathartic experience I’ve had watching a concert (especially an online one), and expanded my notions of how a live show can relate to the rest of an artist’s work.
Black Pink are Here to Stay and Baby Monster’s Debut Falls Flat
— Eileen
After months of speculation on whether or not Black Pink would renew their contracts with YG Entertainment, the confirmation that the members will be continuing their activities together is quite exciting. Though I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m a Blink, I still felt a little relieved once I heard the news. The group have reached many new heights over the past few years including a recent appearance at Buckingham Palace and being awarded honorary MBEs with Rosé receiving a substantive honor as a New Zealand citizen. It’s an event I never expected to see in the K-pop sphere, and I’m curious to see what else the quartet will achieve in the future.
While Black Pink had my jaw dropped in surprise, their youngest labelmates Baby Monster only have me scratching my head. As YG’s first girl group in seven years, expectations for their debut were high, but it was significantly delayed like many other releases from the agency. And despite the almost 11 months of preparation, “Batter Up” still comes across as a rushed project. There’s no element in the song that YG hasn’t already done before, and it feels strange to be able to predict every part of the track during the first listen. The music video, with empty and uncoordinated sets, doesn’t make things any interesting either.
Although the adamance to stick to the YG sound is impressive, I can’t help but be disappointed at the lack of innovation and creativity coming from such a prominent company. Seeing the fresh-faced members tackle an aggressive and intimidating concept also felt a bit odd, but at least it’s obvious that the girls have promising talent. Hopefully, their next release will be more distinct and impactful.
(Korea JoongAng Daily, YouTube[1][2][3][4][5][6]. Image via Instagram, HYBE Labels.)
