An Album a Day

An Album a Day is my exploration into the Korean music scene. This podcast will cover mainstream, indie and some underground artists within the scene and provide both factual and opinionated commentary. The biggest benefit to sharing my thoughts this way is that it will hopefully expose you to more great music and exploration of your own.

It’s the middle of winter in North America and the covid-19 pandemic experience is almost a year old in the United States. Through your support of the show -- both through reviews, listenership, and in some cases, financial contributions -- the pandemic bumped A3Day around a bit but didn’t end. Thank you! Being the host of this podcast is a true joy for me and a true energy drainer while juggling responsibilities away from this microphone. Therefore, there will be a long break between this season and the next.

During this time, I will be participating in guest spots on other shows, mentoring, supporting the development of a brand ambassadorship program within the podcast community, researching and developing episodes for Season 6, and preparing details for the potential return of the podcast festival my team hosted in 2020. Most importantly, I’ll be resting. It might not sound like it, based on what I just shared, but know that I’ll be basking in rest.

We aren’t finished yet, k-pop fans. First, our final idol group of Season 5, the men of AlphaBat, right after the drop.

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Hey y’all, in 2012 two young men were set to debut as AlphaBAT under an agency called YUB Entertainment. By the time the group made its debut in 2013, one fully departed the scene while the other, Shin Selin, changed his stage name to Iota -- the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet -- and was joined by eight other young men, all named after letters in the Greek alphabet. You would think that he would be the leader since he was an original member, but that belonged to the member who went by Beta. “Alpha” was reserved for their fandom.

Allow me to break down the name of AlphaBAT’s members, past and present:

• Ji Ha Yong, aka Beta
• Yoo Yeong Jin aka Epsilon, the older brother of Ricky of boy group Teen Top
• Lee Yeon Woo aka Lambda
• Lee Yong Hun aka Kappa
• Kim Jun Su aka Gamma
• Kim Sang Hun aka Code, whose name isn’t in the Greek alphabet and who almost made his debut with EXO
• Choi Yeon Soo aka Delta, who almost made his debut with boy group BOYFRIEND
• Lee San Ha aka Fie (Pi)
• Seol Jun aka Heta, another almost-EXO-member
• Shin Se Lin aka Iota
• Kim Su Yeob aka Jeta (Zeta), and
• Cho Gyu Min, who went by his first name and left the alphabet alone

This was during the time when double-digit groups were the way to play, trying to compete with the behemoth that is... was? ... the original EXO lineup, numerically brought to us by the efforts of Super Junior. We’ll learn more about these groups later down the line.

After leaving YUB Entertainment, AlphaBAT made their home at Simtong Entertainment and technically made their debut on November 12, 2013, with a performance of “AB City” for Arirang: Simply K-pop. I say “technically” because their label at the time selected November 14, 2013, as their official debut date. This is also the day that they performed on M! Countdown for the first time and just what was the reason for rejecting the Arirang moment? Is it because that’s South Korea’s premier English-language television network? Who knows, but things went well, apparently. The positive reception sent them into the release of their first studio album, “Attention,” released February 25, 2014.

I remember the debut single’s video. I was tickled by the refrain of the English alphabet and overwhelmed by the size of the group. I found them somehow by way of another large boy group called Topp Dogg, but that’s a story for another time. What tickles me now is the fact that “Attention” is a studio album but has only four new songs and one instrumental on it. The rest of the album is made of adding their pre-album singles to round it out. If you look at this information solely from good ol’ Wikipedia, you’re bound to be confused. I had a moment before listening where I said to myself, “Every time I believe we’ve definitively sorted out the difference between an EP and a studio album, something like this comes along and destroys my understanding of it all.”

Nevertheless, the album is a product of its time, staying true to the percussive choices and in-your-face audio aggressiveness that was popular during that time in K-pop. You were either R&B heavy or one 8-count away from potentially getting into a shoving match, reasons be damned. I particularly enjoyed their song “Always,” as it was a mellow transition from the energy of the other songs on the album. The production is smooth ...

An Album a Day is my exploration into the Korean music scene. This podcast will cover mainstream, indie and some underground artists within the scene and provide both factual and opinionated commentary. The biggest benefit to sharing my thoughts this way is that it will hopefully expose you to more great music and exploration of your own.

Welcome to the final Rookie Roundup for 2020 Korean idol groups. Today’s lineup consists of nine groups and my top three groups to watch, right after the drop.

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Hey y’all, tomorrow we move along with A-named idol groups but today, we’ve a bounty of new babies and one supergroup to acknowledge. The previous rookies brought a lot of enjoyment to my ears so I don’t think it’s premature to say that more great music is heading our way.

In the previous Rookie Roundup for 2020, I mentioned that Refund Sisters was the follow-up supergroup to another group from the television show Hangout with Yoo. “The Nation’s MC” Yoo Jae-Suk combined forces with sensational soloists Rain and Lee Hyori to create SSAK3, and their music is good. I mean, for those of you who are fans of Korean t.v. series, you’re familiar with Yoo Jae-Suk in an unavoidable way. He’s one of the most well-known celebrities in South Korea, hands down, and absolutely loves music and dancing. I had a brief interaction with him on a t.v. set and was blown away by how he commands space, so pairing up with two other entertainment legends was bound to pull lots of attention. And so SSAK3 did, much to the frustration of some netizens who said they’d have an unfair advantage due to unbridled popularity. Thus, the standard to donate all proceeds from their works to charity was set for both them, and Lee Hyori’s second group, Refund Sisters.

But come on now, what could they have expected from a group whose name is a play on the Korean word, “to sweep”? These are proven stars and star-quality sound coats their pop projects. Each album builds upon the concept and season of summer and there are other widely popular artists as features on their last album. In short, add them to your warm-weather playlist rotation.

Next up, Star To A Young Culture, a six-member girl group on High Up Entertainment. Making their debut on November 12, 2020, StayC (get it, it’s the first letters of their longer name now stylized as its own name?) was formed by production team Black Eyed Pilseung and has an exciting production style. The group doesn’t have fluffy vocals or the stereotypical vocal softness of many girl groups on their first go-around. Their debut single album has two memorable tracks and I’m excited to hear more from them. Likewise, netizens who enjoy Korean dramas and K-pop are excited too, as member Park Si-eun is a popular actor and the daughter of solo male artist and former actor Park Nam Jung. Her dad invented the L-dance craze in the late 1980s -- I wonder if she’ll be able to innovate a dance with StayC? Side note, you have to YouTube the video of him performing with Super Junior. No other words to say except, “Do it!”

Ten-member boy band TOO has too many people and that’s ridiculous of me to say when I’ve gone over a year with calling SM Entertainment’s NCT my bandmates. Though the group made their debut on April 1, 2020, their journey towards debut began publicly in 2019 on the t.v. show To Be World Klass. There were moments when I had a Stank Face of Approval while listening to their two albums and I am ready for more of whatever it is that Stone Music Entertainment has planned for them. They are really good and having almost a dozen members means that subunits could be the next thing for them.

Speaking of 10- and 12-piece boy group combos, YG Entertainment released a dozen young men, two co-leaders included, onto the scene on August 7, 2020, by the name of Treasure. The reality t.v. show survivors of YG Treasure Box are Korean and Japanese members and dang it, it’s about time. YG Entertainment has never had this much of a Japanese presence not ever for the label’s groups. Artists are taught the Japanese language and entertainment etiquette to expand their catalog into the adjacent country, but YG hasn’t had this much in-house representation before. That aside, Treasure doesn’t have a sound yet. As two units, Treasure and Magnum, fused together now, their influences are wide-reaching and they both can and cannot recreate aspects of their label seniors Big Bang, Winner, and iKon in their own colors yet. Their song “Mmm” is memorable for sure, though.

Let’s bring the group size down now and make history by debuting in Taiwan in 2016, but hold off on the official Korean debut until February 23, 2020. Such is the story of UNVS, a five-member male group in their late 20s and early 30s and a costuming rotational habit of someone refusing to commit to a buttoned shirt if offered the chance. I a...

An Album a Day is my exploration into the Korean music scene. This podcast will cover mainstream, indie and some underground artists within the scene and provide both factual and opinionated commentary. The biggest benefit to sharing my thoughts this way is that it will hopefully expose you to more great music and exploration of your own.

When a group goes on informal hiatus or disbands, it can be a major disruption for fans. The Hallyu Wave is a vast ocean of artists having their moment in the sun, cresting, and quite possibly not rising to the same levels again. When today’s idol group had their contracts expire on March 31, 2019, had they made enough of an impact on the scene to potentially return as soloists? It’s almost been two years since then and it appears that they’ve moved on from idoldom. Let’s journey into the discography of former boy group A-Jax and hear their story, right after the drop.

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Hey y’all, on June 1, 2012, South Korean boy band A-Jax made their debut with the song “One 4 U,” a song that was anticipated from the fan following developed through their survival show, Making the Star. Before they were known as DSP Boys, taking the approach of many Korean labels when a group is close to debut but not quite out of the pre-debut process. The month of April was spent introducing the members and concluded with an April 24, 2012 announcement that DSP Boys were to be called A-Jax. I’m actually fine with this name, as they chose to be named after the Greek mythological hero -- they wanted to convey courage and power. This is a name that makes sense, SoKo!

When June 1 rolled around, then members Seo Jaehyung, Maeng Yunyoung, Moon Jihu (who previously went by Hyojun), Park Sungmin, Lee Seungyeop, Kim Dowoo (who previously went by Hyeongkon), and Ham Seungjin, released the single album plus “Never Let Go” but didn’t make major waves chart-wise. Their follow-up single, “Hot Game,” brought them to the peak position of number 59 on Korean charts, but both this single and their debut numerically remained lukewarm. They even took on the Japanese market immediately, re-releasing their singles in Japan. At least a buzz was starting to begin? It is hard to be on a label that housed disbanded seniors KARA and not be overshadowed by other boy bands like EXO and BIGBANG at the time when A-Jax started, but they didn’t back down.

On November 15, 2012, A-Jax released their first EP entitled “2MYX” (“to my ex”) and climbed up to the number 6 spot on Korean charts. In just over five months, they made an impact with three unreleased songs alongside their three previous releases and deliver a 26-minute EP that is unique. First, the production choices pulled from established samples and styles that have worked for other artists without being too obvious. For the title track, “2MYX” utilizes a drum kit that will immediately resonate with fans of New Jack Swing. The best comparison is Michael Jackson’s “Keep it in the Closet,” and it works well for the song. This influence can likely be chalked up to the works of Korean American producer Steven Lee, who has produced and pinned multiple hits over his 20-year career.

Second, the seven members of A-Jax maximized on choral singing, choosing to use as many of their vocals as possible in bridges, choruses, and refrains. Some groups make the distinction between vocal lines and rap lines very clear. By going with that “all-together-now” arrangement, it helped them stand out.

They honestly remind me of 2PM's “1:59 PM” album with “2MYX.” The songs jump from one style to another throughout the EP and it is more flash in the pan than strategically planned. Therefore, K-pop fans on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being essential listening and 1 not worth mentioning, the A3Day rating for this album is a 4. Since their discography isn’t extensive, I’m not sure if they’ll be able to rise above that rank, but we can only push forward and find out. Continue to check out the #A3Day Highlights Playlist on Spotify, as it features tracks from today’s albums and past episode’s artists, and I’ll catch you in the next episode, bye y’all.

There’s sponsored ads and social media hashtags but this show is truly supported by the efforts of my MACGoalas, the most amazing fan base a lil’ entertainer could ever have.

Special shout out to my Patreon patrons -- the Student Body, the Scholars, and the Staff -- who keep my vision of becoming your favorite foreign Korean music historian, exploring all the industry from A to Z a real thing. If you’re interested in supporting the growth of this content, please visit patreon.com/multifacetedacg and for as little as $1.00 a month, you can get in on the magic.

Interested in continuing your support at the free-99 price? I love you for it. You can still engage with the show and me, your lovely host, when you retweet, repost, and share t...

If you already binge on K-pop, now's the time to know a little about everything with your favorite foreign Korean music historian explorin’ all the industry from A to Z -- me, Multifacetedacg!

Journey through the entire catalog of some of Korean entertainment's most popular artists and become familiar with lesser-known acts with my "shortcast." "An Album a Day". We’re traversing over 30 years of discographies with opinionated and fact-based commentary.

Join the experience when you find Multifacetedacg Presents An Album a Day on your favorite podcast platform or at www.a3daypodcast.com. That’s m-u-l-t-i-f-a-c-e-t-e-d-a-c-g.

An Album a Day is my exploration into the Korean music scene. This podcast will cover mainstream, indie and some underground artists within the scene and provide both factual and opinionated commentary. The biggest benefit to sharing my thoughts this way is that it will hopefully expose you to more great music and exploration of your own.

The date is July 11, 2013, and A-Jax returned for a sophomore mini-album. Five tracks, 18 minutes, and a hunger for success. Did A-Jax make magic happen? Find out, right after the drop.

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Hey y’all, after reaching top 10 ranks with their debut EP, I’m convinced that A-Jax set out to prove something with “insane,” their follow-up album. It isn’t always necessary to provide an album with double-digit track listings, especially when the title track could stand on its own as an instrumental. It’s a complete shame that it isn’t available as an instrumental somewhere for me to devour, but I’ll get back to this song in just a moment.

First on the album is “Don’t break my heart.” Don’t let this song’s title confuse you, it’s not a ballad and it’s not mopy. In fact,it’s a pulsing, futuristic dance track where the members are telling their love interest that things are over, all the while begging them to stay. I mistook the chorus as saying, “Don’t go out,” but they’re actually saying “go, go out.” I really enjoyed hearing the conflict! Suddenly, it stops and in creeps “Insane,” the title track.

I’ll say this now, I’m truly biased towards this track. “Insane” follows a pattern that many dance music and instrumental producers, myself included, commit to. There is a drum kit that doesn’t let up while synths and other production effects encircle the vocals and it’s absolutely delicious. The music for the first verse is thick and highlights the lower vocals of the members, and then opens up sonically. The advancing sounds from the 38-second mark until its completion around 52 seconds is... this sounds like something I would’ve produced! It’s a tried and true escalation and the nuances are so pleasing. Even more unfortunate than not having an instrumental for me to boots-and-cats, in-my-living-room-nightclub dance to is, there is no information about who produced the track. How dare Korean entertainment companies?!?! Yes, I know that their philosophy is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, 하지만 진지하게요, 왜요?! (Translation: But seriously, why?!)

The party keeps going with track number three, “Don’t leave me.” This time, A-Jax’s mind is made up from the first song! If you need an idea of what the vibe is, think of the couple off to the side at a party who looks like they think they’re in a movie, drama, or music video, what with the dramatic movements and distressed facial expressions. Imagine 90s R&B hand motions and a drizzle of rain, for added effect. The emotions depart quickly with “Fantasy,” the fourth track that throws us back into Dance Dance Revolution mode. The guitars on this track are begging for you to acknowledge it, so do so with a thrashing of your body. The guys are somewhat swallowed up by the music in this track but it’s not a failure.

A surprise for me was hearing the final track, “Thank ya,” as I immediately remembered hearing it in 2013. It was passive listening on a YouTube playlist, I’m certain, but the familiarity really made me smile. Actively listening now, there’s nothing wrong with the song except for a groaning sound effect at transitions in the song. I really wish they wouldn’t have done that! It’s not very distracting but it’s awkward. Especially given the lyrics, as they’re thanking their partner for being present and open to their love. And then you groan. Eww.

K-pop fans on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being essential listening and 1 not worth mentioning, the A3Day rating for this album is a 5. It’s cohesive, high-energy, and genuinely sounds innovative. They eventually earned the number 8 spot on Korean charts with this one, so I’m calling it a success, for sure. Continue to check out the #A3Day Highlights Playlist on Spotify, as it features tracks from today’s albums and past episode’s artists, and I’ll catch you in the next episode, bye y’all.

There’s sponsored ads and social media hashtags but this show is truly supported by the efforts of my MACGoalas, the most amazing fan base a lil’ entertainer could ever have.

Special shout out to my Patreon patrons -- the Student Body, the Scholars, and the Staff -- who keep my vision of becoming your favorite foreign Korean music historian, exploring all the industry from A to Z a real thing. If you’re interested in supporting the growth of this content, please visit patreon.com/multifacetedacg and for as little as $1.00 a month, you can get in on the magic.

Interested in continuing your support at the free-99 price? I love you for it. You can still engage with the ...