(HOP) SKZ HOP HIP TAPE: a Patchwork Quilt of Music and Family

This album was a slow burn for me, as I expected after it was released on December 13, 2024. I was still enthralled with Stray Kids’s recent Japanese release, Giant, which was released on November 13, 2024. This was on the heels of their collaboration with Tom Morello and Young Miko for Arcane’s Season Two Theme, “Come Play” which was released in October 2024 before the show’s release. “Come Play” was the crescendo of soundtracks being released in the fall for Stray Kids with “Night” and “Falling Up” announced for season two of the anime, Tower of God.

But this was two months after we in the STAY fandom were processing the quiet release of “Slash” for Deadpool and Wolverine’s soundtrack in August 2024, a month after their July 2024 release of ATE. ATE was their big release of the year so far after months of waiting for an album after the drops of “Lose My Breath” and “WHY?” a soundtrack for the J-Drama Re:Revenge being released in the first quarter of 2024.

L to R: I.N., Lee Know, Seungmin, Hyunjin, HAN, Changbin, Felix, and Bang Chan

Did I mention this was a busy year for Stray Kids and their listeners? In this year of endless highs, Stray Kids announced their contract renewal a year ahead of the deadline, confirming that all eight members would stay at JYP Entertainment, making music together for years to come. It’s fitting then, that the last release of the year “HOP” was a title with a little wordplay, using the Chinese Hanja character “Hop” which means unity. In K-Pop, groups come and go, just look at New Jeans (2022-2024) and their possible disbandment after leaving ADOR. Contract renewals by all members to the same label are not guaranteed, look at the current state of Blackpink with each member taking their solo careers to various labels.

There is also the logistics of Stray Kids being a boy group with 6 out of 8 members being Korean citizens heading into their mid-twenties. Mandatory military service completion looms, which comes with a period of complications for music production, tours, and storytelling. Currently, BTS is completing their military service as a group (J-Hope and Jin have completed their service as of writing this). NCT 127 is following a different path, sending their members in a delayed fashion, (currently their leader Taeyong and member Jaehyun are completing their service) while the remaining members have released an album and performed tour dates. Although the military service question comes up a lot in K-Pop fandoms, more than I think we should dwell on it, the impression “HOP” and Stray Kids’ contract renewal left on STAYs I would say is like a comforting hug.

I didn’t understand this fully until Stray Kids’ account shared moments from their SKZ 5 O’Clock fan meet where the members performed each other’s solo songs on stage. What does this have to do with SKZ HOP HIP TAPE? Well, HOP was different kind of album from their usual format. On a Stray Kids’ EP or full album, there is usually a title track or several and then B-Sides with all eight members or songs performed by sub-units, affectionately called Rachas. For example – 3Racha (Bang Chan, Changbin, HAN) is their production unit and rapline, vocalracha (Seungmin, I.N.) supply lead vocals, and danceracha (Lee Know, Hyunjin, Felix) the lead dancers of the group. Instead of following this format, HOP is more like a patchwork quilt in my opinion.

Walkin’ On Water
Bounce Back
U (feat. TABLO)
Walkin’ on Water (HIP Ver.)
Railway (Bang Chan)
Unfair (Felix)
Hallucination (I.N.)
Youth (Lee Know)
So Good (Hyunjin)
ULTRA (Changbin)
Hold my hand (HAN)
As we are (Seungmin)

These solo songs, the members perform on tour through solo stages, were songs I was not sure about upon the first listen. Instead of appreciating the music, all I could think of was – is this the end of eight as one? Is this signaling them “growing up and growing out” of their collaborative style?

How silly is that? But in 2025, in our current friendship recession and drought of healthy communities, having deep friendship feels like something you have to “grow out of” to become a lonely “successful” adult. I think it says more about my life and my culture more than the album, to be honest. (Am I okay?) But then, I listened to the album again. And again. I watched the craftsmanship of the music videos and dove into the lyrics and I was impressed! The layers of talent – vocal range, dancing ability, lyricism, concept, etc. Each song has a personality unique to the member, you can clearly see them in the song but you can also feel Stray Kids in each song too.

This is not how I would describe most K-pop solo releases. Take NCT for example – Taeyong has released two EPs, Shalala (2023) and TAP (2024) which are not NCT 127 music. They showcase Taeyong and his unique talents – dancing, vocal range, and visuals. Mark of NCT 127 has released two singles, 200 (2024) and Fraktsiya (2024) which are again vastly different from NCT 127’s musical style. 200 is a casual love song and Fraktsiya is a rap focused song. Yuta of NCT 127 released an album in 2024 that deviates into J-Rock to celebrate his Japanese culture. Blackpink is another example of this, with Rose, Lisa, Jennie, and Jisoo going in completely different directions where they feel like different artists from their Blackpink performances.

For Stray Kids, their solos have range but through their 5 O’Clock Fan Meet performance swaps, it showed me that these songs are fully solos and fully Stray Kids which makes me interested in what the future holds. Will they release solo albums? Will they do sub-units? Will they do these solo mix tapes, like SKZ Replay of 2021, that featured previously unreleased solos and subunit songs? I think they truly just love creating, producing, and performing in an organic way that is synergistic in an unforced way. It’s like a harmony, even when they do their own things, they are still part of the whole without losing themselves. It is a family, a beautiful patchwork quilt, it is as the name “HOP” declares, unity. They do their own thing and some people hate it, but I love it. I’ve never had a band bring me as much musical joy as well as a sense of community as being a STAY.

All the releases of 2024 felt like a present for the fans, each one more exciting than the next, and that is why I think at first HOP did not grab me. There was an embarrassment of riches, too much to process, appreciate, or focus on. Three months later, I see the wonder of it all and hold HOP in regard as a unique experiment I’d enjoy listening to more of. They are always working on something new, what will 2025 hold? I look forward to finding out.

March 6, 2025

#64 – Weather Changes and Shifting Projects

I find myself in an October slump which I discussed in a previous post. Last year I was much less productive with my writing goals in October than I wished, and its happening again! I’ve paused on sewing and have taken time to recharge, yet its still happening! I think I know why, the weather.

Since we were in Erie, my hometown has been having some pretty cool temps which has sent me into the knitting zone. I have been working on a cowl, some mittens, leg warmers, and reading up on how to make socks.

It’s been my trend for a while, I tend to focus on sewing fall/winter pieces in August and September to be prepared for the first cool days. Then in October when it drops and I get that first taste of cold hands or ears, I hurry to knit those cold-weather accessories. Like a light bulb goes off. It’s fun making things with the seasons too.

Stray Kids have been going insane with song releases so far this month too with two soundtrack releases for for the anime Tower of God and a third collaboration for Arcane on Netflix. Itzy and Ateez released new albums in October as well, plus Aespa’s upcoming release on the 21st, it’s been a distracting few weeks. Not to mention Mario Party Jamboree which I cannot wait to play tonight!

Currently, I’m dabbling in colorwork and its unlocking this whole world of possibilities for intricate storytelling across the canvas of wool.

I have a few knitting projects I excited to share that were the start of these colorwork projects. I just need to motivate myself to put down the needles and type.

Maybe I’ll do that now? Okay, I’ll meet you back here in a few. 🙂

October 17, 2024

Hit the Klaxon? (G)-IDLE and Aespa Confusing Summer Concepts

Something that I noticed this summer, is that Korean girl group (G)-IDLE’s July album release ‘I Sway’ felt disjointed and didn’t land. As I watched the beach dancing sequence in the music video, I thought I was the only one, but as I’ve browsed K-Pop subreddits, I am far from the only one feeling weird about this song and era.

I saw discussions about whether (G)-IDLE’s concept was going downhill or what was going on with this album. I have been confused by what a ‘klaxon’ is. Is it a made-up word? Is it a Korean word? Why did the trailer look like the song was going to be set in a city with old cars and instead we get cringe choreography on the beach while the members dance in swimsuits that feel so unoriginal and not true to (G)-IDLE’s normal aesthetic.

It’s vaguely Californian but honestly, the beach could be anywhere? The stage performance and dance challenge shorts feature the members in lifeguard-themed outfits that look like the lifeguard hoodies you can purchase at Wings at the Outer Banks. The dance challenges feel off, not even Changbin really got into it. Which I was looking forward to, as the weird sexual choreography where they pop their chest at the “honk honk” lyric sounded funny for a boy group member to do.

I did learn, from The Grand Tour ironically, that “Klaxon” is an old-fashioned turn for a car horn. Yeah, weird. A bit too niche. Maybe if the music video was more car-focused or the lyrics had built on that theme more the theme would have meshed well with the name and the choreography? 2Baddies and Faster from NCT 127 are two examples of car-focused songs and a car-focused music video that works well, a girl group building on this theme would have been cool!

I personally find this comeback disappointing because so far in 2024, (G)-IDLE has been one of my favorite bands. Super Lady and Wife were amazing concepts that challenged the norm without being trite. (G)-IDLE for years now has been so fantastically original and pushing back against the stereotypes women navigate. Hoping this is a fluke and not a full-on concept change.

Last Summer I had similar concerns about Aespa after their ‘Better Things” comeback which seemed to bop between a mermaid water concept and a sitcom “Friends” style. It was a different song for the band too, with a slower concept, less beat-heavy. In that way it reminds me of Stray Kids ‘Lose My Breath’ music video and concept from this year. Where Aespa was less successful than Stray Kids was that they couldn’t quite blend the conflicting aesthetics and song style together into something that landed. This song, Better Things, has grown on me in the months since they released it, but it isn’t one I listen to regularly.

I hope ‘Klaxon’ does the same. What surprises me the most with these concepts is that the coconut girl, mermaid-core, beach vibes aesthetic is not landing. You would think releasing this in the summer would be a hit, but these concepts just didn’t come to fruition in my opinion and other K-pop fans.

To be fair, I still don’t like the ‘Lose My Breath’ aesthetics, it was interesting but not a favorite compared to other Stray Kids concepts and maybe that is what ‘Better Things’ and ‘Klaxon’ are suffering from. Maybe the other stuff is so good, just peak concepts, that these good but not great concepts seem like flops?

July 25, 2024

Japanese Update with a Twist: July 2024

Moving and all the little details involved with purchasing a house wreaked havoc on my routines and productivity. I stubbornly vowed that I would not fall behind on my knitting project, my sewing plans, my writing goals for this blog, my Bible reading plan, and my language learning but honestly, it did! I lost all those good habits and since then, yeah my language learning has been spotty at best.

I did a little bit of learning while at my mom’s house where I spent an afternoon reviewing my hiragana and katakana flash cards where I felt like I was being defeated by the language. I would quiz myself and make some gains, do it again, and then I would forget the ones I had remembered previously. There was no perceivable progress and I was frustrated.

Frustrated by my lack of focus and lack of consistency in my life at that point. Frustrated that my Japanese study books were stored and questioned if I should have kept them out. Worrying that I was going to lose all my progress. It was a downward spiral. When I was studying my life was still in chaos and I think it showed in my studying. My perfectionism was coming on strong instead of being willing to learn, to fail, and to keep practicing.

Once we closed, June was basically a month of hauling cubes, cleaning, and finding our life once again. But in July I began to feel the lack of habits getting to me. I had a place to work, but instead, I was prioritizing sewing, knitting, and recording the process for Instagram and the blog. Although those are productive, not having that sense of order and balance was irking me. I was pleased with how balanced I was in the spring, I was working on, creating, learning, and progressing. Instead of letting myself get bummed out, I needed to keep fighting to reclaim those habits. I’m so excited about this new home and the space it has to pursue the things I want to do. I needed to accept that this chaos was temporary and discover a new plan.

To get started I’ve been blocking out activities for focus. Laundry on one day where I balance with knitting. If I sew I tend to do it all on one day where I can stay in my sewing studio. Cleaning in the morning, and my personal projects in the afternoon. I’ve been challenging myself to be in the moment and let things be out of my control. If I forget to workout, or read my Bible, instead of making myself feel bad I’ve shifted my perspective to looking forward to tomorrow and the ability to do better.

But what about my Japanese language learning? This idea came to me randomly. I was watching a video that had to do with K-pop and the person was saying she was also learning Korean through Duolingo. Well, I remember Duolingo. It was an option I tried before and got tired of. I questioned whether I would actually learn Japanese to the level I would like and if it was a gimmick. Feeling like I needed to break up my studying routine, something to jump-start my drive and get me motivated again, I decided to re-download the app. This time I mixed up my plan though – I signed up for Korean lessons and picked up my Japanese progress from 2022.

So yeah, I’m learning both now. This probably sounds insane but I watch so much K-pop content on YouTube, particularly the SKZ Code episodes. I listen to K-pop most of the time, and I like K-dramas. While watching M*A*S*H, I realized that they were actually speaking Korean and that I was picking it up because I was already learning Korean by exposure to Korean content. So why not start the process officially?

My plan is to practice on Duolingo and then pick up actual learning books because I have learned in the past year that Duolingo is a tool to practice with but it does not replace other resources and taking the initiative to study. Duolingo has its limitations but it also has one good feature – reminders! And pre-made lessons which are such an amazing thing when you are feeling stuck. This has been the jumpstart I’ve needed for Japanese. I’ve been getting into a habit again!

The last thing that I’ve added to my learning routine is watching Haikyu, a Japanese anime about high school volleyball. It is epic! I’ve been watching it with subtitles and getting immersed in the language like I have been able to do with K-dramas. I’m so encouraged by my enjoyment of Haikyu because I would love to find more anime shows to watch.

Oh, I almost forgot – I have also started listening to J-pop through an Ateez collaboration with the Japanese boy band Be First. I’m hoping this will continue my immersion into the language so that I can improve my listening skills and pronunciation. Things are looking up and I am feeling encouraged! 🙂

July 23, 2024

Aespa’s Supernova MV is an Explosion of Imagination

I wanted to be quick and write this post before their full album release on Monday because the Supernova release has been one of the most fun comebacks they have had I think since Next Level in 2021, which was how I found Aespa initially. This song has dethroned “Supernova Girl” from Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century as my favorite futuristic, y2k, outer-space-themed song. That is no small compliment, I’ve loved that song and the styling of the movie since 1999. That being said, Aespa blew me away with their ‘that tick, tick, bomb’ bridge and funky mix of Portal 2 sounds, reminiscent of the lasers and aerial faith plates, layered over the signature production of Dem Jointz. I wasn’t expecting that signature “Incoming!” line that I find on most NCT albums. This was the fun noise music style I was missing from the current comebacks of Stray Kids, NCT’s solo work, and the releases of girl groups so far in 2024.

Four Distinct Looks

I love a music video with a good costume change, and this one gave me four! The stylist for Aespa hit it out of the park with these experimental yet familiar pieces giving the eye a tasting menu of throwback futuristic pieces yet styled in a way that felt now and new at the same time.

In one short story, we move from streetwear with mesh and bright colors, to light pastel pleather for that space-age feel, to vibrant, shocking, and furry accessories that look like the star exploding, to a y2k jeans look in gray tones as the supernova is complete. The girls are blown into the wind.

My favorite look of them all happens to be Winter’s pink tutu look with platform shoes. She resembles a magical faerie or modern-day superhero without the cringy Hollywood painted-on catsuit. Other details I appreciate are the vampire fangs, pointy nails, intricate braids, colorful eyeliner, bubble hems, dual eye colors, chunky jewelry that looks DIY in a good way, and Gisele’s bedazzled cast.

Imagery of Supernova

Each member seems to have special powers in this music video. Winter can fly, Ningning can fire bend, Gisele can change time, and Karina has superhuman strength. They have the power of the “Supernova” and are a unified force to be reckoned with. I love that Karina falls to earth like an asteroid to open the scene. There is imagery of heat and destruction, darkness and light, brokenness like the dying star, and birthdays like a star reborn through the explosion. They are like a storm but are also a source of power.

Aespa Lore – Returning to Concept

This comeback feels like Aespa’s lore and concept coming full circle where other bands have drifted off into randomness, Aespa is keeping the story of Kwangya, Black Mamba, Naevis, and the real world all in its premise. Some were disappointed with the shift to being in the real world with Spicy (2023) and Drama (2023) as falling prey to the 2000s nostalgia bug sweeping the 2020s.

But I see their comebacks as chapters in one story like Ateez does so well. For Savage and Girls they were in Kwangya, Kosmo, and the Flat. They have fought Black Mamba then coming into the real world with Naevis in My World, continuing the fight in Drama. For now, it seems like Supernova and Armageddon are returning the girls to the other dimension but reborn with powers instead of being consumed by the destruction. I am very excited for May 27th to behold what is in store for their first full album!

May 23, 2024

Acne Studios Fall 2024: Johnny & Jonny

To be honest, before Johnny of NCT was appointed as a brand ambassador and flew out for Paris Fashion Week, I had no idea what Acne Studios was. Zip, nothing, nada. But holy moly, I love their style. Acne Studios is a Swedish luxury brand, based in Stockholm. Their creative director is Jonny Johansson, so there is a lot of Johnny’s involved here which is kind of funny to me, but anyway, I’d have to say Jonny is becoming one of my favorite creative directors of the time!

This collection is sculptural, wearable, and a lot of fun for showcasing a lot of neutrals. The knitwear is utilized refreshingly with cuffs on the dresses, full-length asymmetrical zipper coats, and a turtleneck crop top bustier. It showcases how versatile and capable the craft of knitting is.

My other favorites are the handbag dresses, the orange version is pictured below, for the kitschy zip-top closure and surreal nature of this design. It was out of the box and that is what these shows should be about. It is a fantasy. All these pieces fit in a fantasy world that can become our world, because of the attention to detail to make them still wearable. I’m a fan now!

March 7, 2024

Kpop B-Sides from 2023

In 2023, the amount of good releases felt like a never-ceasing wave of music. It was an epic ride, and I’m sad to know the year is almost up. But hopefully, Year of the Dragon will be as generous as Year of the Rabbit was. Here are a few of my favorite b-sides (not title tracks) that made this year melodious and fun.

Also, congrats to 3RACHA for winning Best Creator at the 2023 Asia Artist Awards last night! They deserve it ❤