Bunni Pop's September faves: Featuring RIIZE, V, D.O, The Rose and B.I
The leaves are changing, and fall has officially started.
Dear readers, thank you for bearing with me! I realize that we’re already well on our way into October. Though as I’ve mentioned on this newsletter before…September is often a very busy month! The last couple of weeks were no exception, and I’ve barely been able to sit down and catch my breath.
I love using my monthly favourites to revisit the songs I have gravitated towards. However, it’s also an excuse to write down everything I’ve been up to beyond my playlists. So without further ado, here are some highlights from the last month.
V - Layover (Album)
Unlike the heavy pop bangers and hip hop tracks his BTS bandmates have released, many were disappointed to hear that V’s Layover did not follow the same path. Some thought it was too anti-climatic or boring. Others thought the album was missing something.
Personally, I loved the project because it perfectly encapsulates V and stays true to the genres of music he’s gravitated towards. To me, Layover is all about setting a vibe, and I love the mellow, slower tunes he’s favoured here. This project is meant to be listened to as you unwind after a long day, and it shows that not everything that comes from a BTS member needs to have a catchy hook/bridge to reel you in.
I also think it’s commendable to see V make a project that favours more artistic choices rather than commercial ones. And as a member of the world’s most popular boy band, he can more than afford to take that risk. Read more of my review of Layover here.
RIIZE - ‘Get a Guitar’
SM Entertainment debuted its newest idol boy group RIIZE last month, featuring former NCT members Shotaro and Sungchan. The pair are joined by Eunseok, Wonbin, Seunghan, Sohee and Anton.
‘Get A Guitar’ is RIIZE’s debut track, and I love the laidback style of the song. Moving away from the synths and heavy beats heard in many boy group songs today, ‘Get a Guitar’ focuses more on a simple guitar rhythm (go figure!) The styling and concept takes me back to my Disney Channel days, and the choreography for this track is super fun (though looks extremely hard).
RIIZE is certainly a group to watch for in the future! Can’t wait to see what they do next.
D.O. - ‘Somebody’
Get ready to put on a scarf and buy yourself a pumpkin spice latte. As the leaves start changing, it’s time to slow things down. What better way to do that than with the latest offering from EXO’s D.O.?
‘Somebody’ isn’t necessarily what I would call a ballad, but it’s something I can picture playing at a cafe. Perhaps it’d be paired perfectly on rotation with V’s Layover?
What makes this song work for me is D.O’s powerful vocals, and the track’s emotional bridge and chorus. It’s a very comforting and soothing song to listen to, and it’s a nice departure from the summer bops we’ve heard over the last couple of months.
B.I feat. James Reid - ‘4 Letters’
Continuing with my trend of relaxing songs, I am really digging this new track by South Korean singer/rapper B.I and Filipino-Australian singer James Reid.
Set to the tune of a strumming guitar, ‘4 Letters’ is a bittersweet track that have the pair singing about lost love and saying goodbye. I’ve really liked Reid’s previous collabs with artists like The Rose and Jay B, and love that he continues to get attention from popular Korean artists.
‘4 Letters’ is a single that will be part of B.I’s upcoming album Love or Loved Pt. 2, which releases on November 10.
The Rose - DUAL (album)
It’s been a big year for The Rose, who in October 2022 released their debut studio album HEAL, toured the world and played in some of the biggest music festivals including Lollapalooza and BST Hyde Park. Now with the release of their second studio album DUAL, the group looks to expand on their sound — offering listeners a more playful side to their music.
While fans have long followed The Rose for comforting tracks like ‘Sour’ and ‘Red’, DUAL has the members playing with genres like dubstep, EDM and pop-punk. I admit that DUAL is best experienced over multiple listens, especially because each song has a very distinctive sound. Unlike the therapeutic nature of HEAL, DUAL really feels like The Rose is letting loose and having fun experimenting with music.
Back in August, I sat down with The Rose over Zoom to chat about DUAL for an interview with GRAMMY, in which Woosung told me about the intentions behind the project.
"I think experimenting with music and trying to connect different genres is really fun as a writer, and to showcase our personality,” he said.
Listen to Bunni Pop’s faves wherever you go:
Dreamcatcher
The month began with a show by Dreamcatcher, who took over Toronto’s Meridian Hall for their “Apocalypse: From Us” tour.
Known as “The Face of Rock in K-pop”, the girls showcased their distinctive sound, playing with elements of rock and metal. As someone who was pretty unfamiliar with Dreamcatcher prior to the show, I very much enjoyed going into the venue not knowing what to expect. Tracks like ‘BONVOYAGE’ and ‘BOCA’ really remind me of the type of J-pop songs I would hear during the intro of an anime series.
I was particularly stunned by main vocalist Siyeon’s vocals. Whew! That woman can belt. While I was only in a theatre, I could totally hear something like ‘BONVOYAGE’ being particularly epic in a stadium or arena setting.
Kingdom
The Kingdom concert fell during the last few days of the Toronto International Film Festival, and I’m stunned that I was even able to make time for it in between movie screenings, panels, work and a lacklustre sleeping schedule.
Nevertheless, I made it happen! And I had a great time!
As part of the seven-piece group’s Grand America tour, the band played an intimate show at the TD Music Hall, a venue connected to Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall.
Given the venue’s acoustics and size, fans (known as Kingmakers), had a better chance to connect with members on stage. I actually think this is a great way to build a following as a newer group because Toronto is a city full of fans who are more likely to check out an act because they love K-pop and are curious to know more. I know that was the case for me.
Kingdom is a unique group because each member (Dann, Arthur, Mujin, Louis, Ivan, Howon and Jahan) each have their own fantasy kingdoms. As part of the tour, Kingdom promoted their most recent comeback, which tells the story of member Mujin — who represents the Kingdom of cherry blossoms.
Mujin, of course, faced a few hiccups at the beginning of the tour as his visa application was delayed. As a result, Toronto ended up being his first time in Canada because he missed the group's Vancouver stop.
Still, spirits were high, with Mujin telling the crowd, "The members told me the first show was so good so I came with high expectations."
"I think it lives up to its expectations."
Toronto International Film Festival
It's been a strange year for TIFF. But at least Asian stars get to shine
This probably ages me a lot, but I’ve been going to the Toronto International Film Festival for over a decade now. Over the years, I’ve attended the event as a spectator, a volunteer and as a member of the media. But aside from two pandemic years, the ongoing Hollywood actors and writers strikes have certainly put a damper on TIFF this year. Fewer Holly…
While I have dabbled into the world of TV and movies on this newsletter, it has remained mostly a K-pop/Asian music publication. I hope to change that in the near future, and include some of the things I’ve been watching!
I think the Toronto International Film Festival is a great place to start, especially since so many Korean and Chinese stars end up dabbling in both music and TV/movies.
I mean, where else would I get the opportunity to sit in and listen to people like Andy Lau (who I grew up listening to!) talk about his Cantopop, his movie career and the significance of the Hong Kong New Wave?
Or be in the same room as Park Seo-joon, who I’ve watched in everything from What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?, Fight for My Way or Itaewon Class? To learn about the rising popularity of Asian film and TV is to know how the industry operates. And what better way to learn about all of it from those in front of the screen? I learned so much during my time covering and attending TIFF, and every year truly does feel like a once in a lifetime experience.
I have a lot of content and audio recorded from my time at TIFF, and I look forward to sorting through it all. In the meantime, read my highs and lows of the festival here.
A2K
The K-pop industry is not new to finding its stars from around the world, with many idols hailing from the United States, Canada, Australia, China and Japan. But while most groups have typically favoured those of East Asian descent (and can pass as a South Korean), the K-pop industry is now deliberating making moves to create a global idol group built on the trainee system.
That’s where a competition show like A2K comes in, in which JYP Entertainment CEO J.Y Park searches across America to find the members of his first North American girl group. The final lineup for Park’s global girl group — named VCHA — was revealed on Sept. 21. And the band released a song called ‘Y.O. Universe’ to show the world a little bit more about who they are.
While I didn’t know much about JYP — besides the fact that he is the butt of many memes and jokes on TikTok— I was actually struck by how compassionate and helpful he was in giving feedback to the contestants.
This man is behind acts like 2PM, Twice and Stray Kids! While he may be an easy target to poke fun of, he knows what he’s doing! I’m excited to see what he has in store for VCHA in the future.
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Layover has definitely been growing on me more and more as time goes on. I'm absolutely obsessed with The Rose's album too!
I haven't listened in full to Layover yet, but it took me several listens to figure out why I surprisingly like "Slow Dancing": the flute solo at the end reminding me of childhoods listening to smooth jazz radio stations on a Sunday!