Dispatches by Adrian Conoza

Yeonwoo and Taeha are members to be missed I was supposed to go back this December with this blog. It took this news to pull me back to writing for this blog. But now, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) came, an enhanced community quarantine goes on, and now I found myself back on this blog once more. I know this is so late already. But I better let this out. Wash your hands and  always  keep safe. --- I t shocked me, and the many fans of Kpop girlgroup Momoland, for sure, when MLD Entertainment announced that former members Yeonwoo and Taeha would leave the group. In a statement released by MLD Entertainment last November, it was revealed that the two "are about to make a new start by leaving the team". "Both TAEHA and YEONWOO have thought deeply about their career path for a long time and upon having enough time for their thoughts, have had much conversation with the company," MLD Entertainment said. Kim Taeha, who served as the group's ma...

Picture from: K-PLAZA.com Momoland's original line-up returns with fifth mini-album It seems that Kpop is having its own "March Madness" as the industry's artists are amusing fans anew with fresh material. The month witnessed the debut of Big Hit Entertainment's newest boy group, TXT. IZ*ONE, meanwhile, had their rendition of "Rise" by EDM producer Jonas Blue released last March 7. Last March 14 four-piece Mamamoo returned with "gogobebe", while Red Velvet's youngest member, Yeri, launched her first solo "Dear Diary". Other groups like KARD and Blackpink have announced their comebacks set later within this month. And as we reach the latter half of the month, MLD Entertainment's girl group Momoland joins these artists in going back to the spotlight. Returning sans Daisy, Taeha After gaining much attention from their singles "Bboom Bboom" and "Baam", Momoland excites Merries (the fanbase) w...

Twice just gave us Yes or Yes . IZ*ONE debuted recently. Momoland and Blackpink are going to Manila next year. But I'm just posting today my thoughts on recent comebacks, particularly last summer. While I missed reviewing Twice's Summer Nights , I was able to write my thoughts on two notable comebacks of the past season—those of five-piece female group Red Velvet and four-member co-ed KARD. Sourced from YouTube KARD amplified summer vibes Last July, the four-piece co-ed group KARD joined other groups for a bunch of summer comebacks. Yet, KARD was back with a very unique package that consists the 6-track Ride On The Wind after last year's You&Me  accelerated KARD's sound and image to a deeper level. Ride brings KARD back to its firsthand sound, while building up a hip-hop/dance visage with identifiable tropical vibes. The mini-album's title track marked the group's comeback, jiving in with the summer feel which was tapped by other groups lik...

💻  FEED Blackpink :  BLACKPINK’s Jisoo Scolds BLINKs In The Cutest Way Possible (Koreaboo) BLINKs adore Jisoo’s kind and generous nature. Jisoo is known to go out of her way to take care of her fans and make time for them, even with her busy schedule. Busyness :  Why Jam-Packed Schedules Can Be Dangerous by Kevin DeYoung (Crossway) The antidote to over-busyness isn’t sloth and indifference, but rather rest, rhythm, death to pride, acceptance of our own finitude, and trust in God’s providence. It isn’t work itself that’s bad busyness, but working hard at the wrong things: trying to please or control others, trying to do things we haven’t been called to do.

Source: Official Kmusic The Philippines might have another LSS and dance covers to make, and another undivided attention to Nancy as Momoland returns with their latest mini-album Fun to the World , with the carrier single "Baam".

You might have noticed Nancy first on their MV for Bboom, being at the center. But do you also see (L-R): Yeonwoo, Taeha, Jane, Daisy, JooE, Ahin, Hyebin, and Nayun? Source: Soompi.com This is the second of a two-part blog. Click here for the first part . More than Nancy Their other music is not only the thing worth looking into, but also the other members of Momoland. I'm writing this not because my biases are Yeonwoo and Nayun (and Jane too). Not also because I don't find Nancy beautiful or talented (because she's both). But because Momoland, like any other group, is a collaborative effort. Unlike other groups though, names might be hard to recall for groups with more than five members, unless you're a Once (Twice fan) or an Army (BTS fan). But in my case, the names shown in Bboom's MV has been a good help. It took less effort to recall. Might as well further argue that Bboom's have been a good intro to the group (although their first album should...

The nine members of Momoland (L-R): Hyebin, Taeha, Yeonwoo, Nancy, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, Daisy, and Jane Souce: Soompi.com You must have encountered their most known hit these past months and weeks, most likely because of its catchy chorus and dance which has been copied by many—including men. Or you must have been captivated by a pretty face of one of it's members.  I'm referring to Momoland, the nine-member female group launched in 2017, which now has been getting more recognition and fame for their single "Bboom Bboom" . But the album from which it came from was their third one. And they came back this June with their fourth, joining Blackpink, Red Velvet, and Twice in releasing new content. Their catchy song, where cool EDM, synth brass, and attraction-based lyrics intersperse, has been a good introduction for many to this fresh Kpop act. And Nancy, as the most recognizable member in the music video and live performance of the song who is likened to ou...

Source: Blackpink's YouTube page, also on Fobres After a very very long wait, the remarkable YG female group of four Blackpink returned with the launch of their album Square Up and of their music video for their carrier single "Ddu-Du-Ddu-Du". The group has matured, yet their comeback was something worth the wait. When before they were Playing with Fire, now they returned "tigeowo [hot] like Fire."

Images sourced from: Google Images and  YouTube pages of Jobelle Mendoza, Si Whoo-Ree, Peenoise x Fanbois React To, and Mastermind This is a 3-part blog. Click here for the first part . For the second part, go here . ---   I felt it "Bboom Bboom" Then, the first quarter of 2018 brought in a new Kpop single: and this one later on became a fad in the country for either its dance, its music, or one of the group's members. I'm referring to the apparently one hit wonder "Bboom Bboom" by the female group Momoland. I'm convinced I got to hear it long before it became a bandwagon. Another clickbait on YouTube led me to this song, which eventually became an LSS. The starting acoustic riff got me, which was followed by the upbeat synth brass which ignites a bright and happy mood from your ears to your heart and—I guess—your body. Regardless of being compared to that foreign song from our childhood ( "Mi Mi Mi" by Serebro ) "Bboom...

Images sourced from Google Images This is a three-part blog. Click here for the first part .  Being acquainted into Kpop music in just a few days, I became its avid listener and fan. I just like the music. Although we can say it borrows from how Western music sounds, in one way or another Korean artists and producers made it their own (yes, I gotta credit the musicians!). My first favorites are girl groups f(x) and Blackpink. The electronic and the EDM vibe of f(x), likely known for " Electric Shock ", is something I got hooked on, having an ears for electronic sounds. I like their latest album 4 Walls , with the title track and " Rude Love " as my fave picks. Then Blackpink, of course. I started with " Playing with Fire ", then I turned out to love all of their songs. But it went that way very slowly.

I remember last year our block had a retreat together with another block for three days in Calaruega in Batangas, a retreat place very much known to Thomasians. On our second night, we had this talents night. Urged by some of my classmates, two of them, known to be officers of the Korean cultural organization in UST, performed a routine. They danced to the song, "Oh Nana" by K.A.R.D. I got into the song that I later asked another classmate for the title and artist. I searched for the song back at home the following day. The song got me for a long time, and I had the remaining months of my first semester playing it on a regular basis. I stated it in the title. Now I write it again here: I'm into Kpop, and here's my story of how I got to be one.

It's been months since I got back here. Welcome back! And finally I will post more constantly, as I bade my University farewell. I had my first Takeaway last February , and there I stated how Takeaway goes, so check it out. This is a special edition of Takeaway , in light of last Monday's graduation. Enjoy. And congrats, 4CA3, you will all be missed! And congrats to all the graduates out there, including the large number of graduates from the Faculty of Arts and Letters!