I'm Worried for Beast's Fate in 2016

Baru aja lihat berita tentang grup-grup kpop yang kontraknya abis di tahun 2016 ini. Salah satunya adalah Beast. Selama empat tahun bersama dengan kpop, hanya satu grup yang saya sukai: Beast. Dan dalam empat tahun ini tidak pernah ada pikiran bahwa Beast bakal ada kemungkinan bubar. Rasanya kagum jika mengingat bahwa karir di dunia musik mereka memasuki tahun ketujuh pada 2016 ini. Boro-boro tujuh tahun, kebanyakan grup sudah terkatung-katung di tahun kelimanya. Saya biasanya jagonya positive thinking, tapi setelah membaca berita tadi, rasanya kok jadi galau gini yah. Beberapa hal yang paling menggalaukan tentang Beast saat ini:

1. Hyunseung, member yang punya kemungkinan paling besar untuk hengkang karena merasa dikecewain sama Cube yang kurang keras mempromosikan solonya. Ditambah lagi dengan tekanan dari "fans"-nya Beast sendiri yang kecewa saat mengetahui Hyunseung pernah absen sekali dari fan meeting demi bertemu seorang gadis di sebuah cafe. Ditambah lagi dengan sifat introvert-nya yang sama sekali membuat orang di sekitar jadi merasa canggung di sekitarnya (Saya gak mbayangin rasanya hanya berdua saja sama Hyunseung di ruang yang sama. Eits, jangan mikir yang mesum dulu. Maksud saya, pasti saya bingung sekali harus ngomong apa dulu dengan si Hyunseung yang 4D itu).

2. Doojoon, Junhyung dan Yoseob. Nah, kebalikan dari Hyunseung, ketiga member ini justru tidak pernah ada masalah dengan menempatkan diri dalam grup. Ketiganya dalam posisi nyaman abis. Doojoon selain menjadi leader yang tanggung jawab, juga bersinar di dunia akting (lihat aja "Let's Eat" dan "Splash Splash Love"). Junhyung duitnya selalu mengalir karena kemampuannya menulis dan mengkomposisi lagu, untuk Beast maupun untuk penyanyi lain. Yoseob sudah dianggap senior di dunia drama musikal. Yoseob juga sudah pernah sukses sebagai solois (ingat "Caffeine"). Member yang seperti inilah yang bisa dikatakan paling tidak masalah jika grupnya harus dibubarkan. Mereka bertiga akan baik-baik saja berkarir individual. Lain halnya jika semua anggota grup tidak punya kesempatan berkarir individual, kemungkinan grup itu bubar akan lebih kecil.

3. YeY... Ingat kan comeback mereka di pertengahan 2015 lalu? Entah mengapa, selalu ada aja orang yang mengatakan bahwa YeY itu lagu yang jelek, bahwa di tahun 2015 itu mereka flopped alias gagal. Nggak sedikit juga menyalahkan Cube atas kurangnya promosi. Terus mereka menuntut Beast untuk keluar dari Cube begitu kontraknya habis.

Ini semua konyol. Saya ulangi.. KONYOL. Tanggapan saya atas ketiga sudut pandang di atas adalah:

Tahu sendiri kan kalau dunia entertainment di KorSel itu sangat kejam. Yang realistik dong.. setenar apapun Beast, nggak mungkin kan bisa memulai kembali, mereset karir, setelah keluar dari Cube dengan cepat dan mudah. Pasti jalan untuk bisa moncer di bawah label baru amatlah sulit. Bisa-bisa publik keburu lupa sama Beast. Menurutku Beast itu bakal mengikuti jejaknya Big Bang. Mereka bakal sampai seterusnya tergabung dalam grup yang sama tanpa pergantian member, namun setiap member bisa melakukan aktivitas yang digemarinya di luar aktivitas grup, main di drama kek, jadi MC kek, jadi juri kompetisi kek.

Lalu tentang ketidakpuasan terhadap era "YeY", saya pribadi kok merasa mereka yang bilang Beast flopped itu terlalu egois ya. Pasalnya, mereka tidak bersyukur Beast mendapat juara 1 di music shows sebanyak enam kali selama promosi album Ordinary. Mereka tidak menyadari betapa beruntungnya kita, para B2uty, dapat menyaksikan grup favorit kita tampil utuh, sementara Mblaq harus tampil bertiga saja. Mereka tidak terima bahwa gaya musik Beast sudah berevolusi. Biarkan saja lah mereka bereksperimen dengan EDM dan konsep pesta di klub malam, selama di kehidupan sehari-hari mereka tidak membuat onar atau skandal. Sejujurnya, saya belum pernah bertemu grup idola "sebersih" Beast. Berita jelek tentang mereka paling-paling cuma Junhyung jadian sama Goo Hara (sebenernya sih itu berita bagus, iya nggak? netizens aja yang over) dan dance Hyunseung di Troublemaker bersama HyunA yang dianggap terlalu banyak hot. Selain itu mah Beast adem ayem.

Jadi apa nih kesimpulannya? Beast bakal check out atau tetap di Cube? Beast bakal tetap berenam atau jadi berlima? Beast bakal merilis lagu baru yang lebih bagus dari "YeY" atau lebih jelek? Semua ini masih misteri. Yang jelas, sebagai fans kita harus sadar bahwa hidup kita tidak akan berakhir jika boyband atau girlband favorit kita bubar. Bahkan band legendaris seperti The Beatles aja nggak bertahan sampai 10 tahun. Sudah merupakan pencapaian hebat bisa dihormati sebagai top-tier group di tahun ketujuh karirnya, di tengah gempuran para rookies. Apapun keputusan Beast dan Cube nanti, Beast sudah membuktikan dominasinya di dunia kpop selama tujuh tahun karirya.

Let's Rank the Songs in "Ordinary"

There's only one album in which all of the songs become my favorites: Fiction and Fact. So, after that, I never bother to list the songs in an album from most to least favorite. Ranking the songs would be no fun if the title track came out as the easy winner, while the other non title tracks didn't have the expected standout factors.

This is not the case for Beast's most recent album. Having been listening to the whole album, I can proudly say that I really enjoy all of the songs in Ordinary, ALL OF THEM. Let's not waste any time and check out my ranking:

1. At That Place
2. Gotta Go To Work
3. Take It
4. YeY
5. Suite Room
6. Oh Honey

Yes, I excluded the Korean version of "One Day" and "How About You?" since both of them are bonus tracks (CD only). And yes, I was surprised myself that "YeY" ended up in the 4th place. It's not because the title track is bad. It's because the B-side tracks are SO GOOD. 

I'm gonna let you know my take on each track, but if you look for an explanation from expert perspective, I'm honestly lacking. Okay, here I go.

"At That Place"

This is the only song that I like right away after listening to the audio teaser two days before the comeback. I guess that's because songs with quicker beats are more interesting, therefore, this song stood out among the other songs in the teaser. It certainly helps that Gikwang and Hyunseung's part in the pre-chorus enticed me so much. Dongwoon and Yoseob's voices sound so delicate in the chorus, just like the meaning of this song. Although the beats give this song energetic vibes, leave it to Beast to pour a kind of wistful feeling into a complete happy music. I really think they should perform this song later on goodbye stage, since it has the 'See you there, see you later' lyrics which is delivered flawlessly by Doojoon. And the fact that Junhyung is singing in this song, not rapping, multiplies the awesomeness level in this song by ten.

"Gotta Go To Work"

Finally, we got a fresh and chic song (I can't believe "Beautiful" was released in 2010). A long time B2uty must understand the hunger I've been feeling for Beast to perform in such a cutesy, fluffy atmosphere. After 5 years of waiting I finally got just what I wanted. They smiled a lot during the live performance. I've said this countless times that Beast members are grown men that still kind of dorks. Even better, the themed outfit style for this song is definitely satisfying. The coats, sweaters, shirts, jackets they wore are normal clothes that you rarely see in the world of Kpop. I got two nice surprises from this song. The first was upon learning that Junhyung and Hyunseung are singing the chorus. The second was upon seeing Yoseobie with blonde hair looking like a 10-year-old in the MV. Overall, this song is like a vitamin for you ears and eyes.

"Take It"

Gikwang's line at the pre-chorus, 'It's driving me crazy' was enough to left me intrigued by the time I finished listening to the teaser. However, when I listened to the full song, I was like, "This is not like what I imagined the song would be." The song sounds monotone at first and it reminded me of "The Day You Rest" in Midnight Sun album. To be honest, "The Day You Rest" was a miss for me, so I thought this song would be like that as well, until the song reached the bridge. Yoseob is my vocal bias and his part in the bridge is the highlight for me, starting from 'Ijen neoman saenggakhamyeon gaseumi apa' and going to that powerful adlibs. I could literally listen to that part all day! Also, the rap in this song is too cool. The 'Black black black' rhyme perfectly with 'Heukbaek heukbaek heukbaek' and 'Red red red'.

"YeY"

I can understand that despite the B-side tracks being more interesting that the title track, this is the perfect dance song for summer. I wasn't used to hear Beast using so many EDMs for their choruses at first, but now this song has grown on me. And it's. Growing. Hard! Now, I'm actually addicted to Yoseob's 'Yey yey yey ye~ah'. Watching the live performance definitely helps. The fanchant will blow your ears. The rap is damn catchy, especially the 'Loveless' part. Junhyung continues to be one of the best rapper in Kpop. But, the best part got to be Gikwang's part...SICKEST PRE-CHORUS EVER!

"Suite Room"

This song is like a sedative to me. Super calming melodies sung by the sweet voices of Beast members. I will choose to listen to this song at a peaceful evening after a tiring day. The most captivating part for me is the intro where Yoseob does his delicious 'mmmhmm..yeah..' No, I swear I'm not daydreaming about his voice right now!

"Oh Honey"

When I first hear the song, it was rather plain and standard. The tempo is too slow for my liking. On the other note, I like the instruments and the 'Oh, na..na..na..na' by Gikwang. And hillariously, "So Hot" from Good Luck album and this song has so many similarities, since the composer of both songs are the same person. Yes, I'm proud of Gikwang and his new found skill in composing.

Conclusion: I feel like all of the songs are title tracks. There isn't a single song that I don't like. I give Ordinary a 4.5 out of 5. Well done, Beast ♥

Beast's Pre-Release Win Tradition Continues

I know this information is so late. I'm sorry. BUT MY FEELS ARE COMING BACK IN  FULL FORCE I JUST HAD TO SIT IN FRONT OF MY LAPTOP AT 11.15 PM TO WRITE THIS!

CONGRATULATION, "GGTW" WON #1 ON AUGUST 2nd INKIGAYO!!! THE VERY FIRST WIN FROM THIS COMEBACK!!!

First, even though I don't freaking understand a single word they said in the interview, I know that one of them (more likely Gikwang) said something funny at the end, and the boys ended up laughing/smiling without any restraints (don't mind Hyunseung being 4D at the back). Our OT6 are now grown up men but still kind of dorks.

/Edit: Now I know why they were laughing. Our pabo Kwang said "Music Bank" instead of "Music Starts". He who used to be the MC for the show got the show's name wrong lol.

From the upper left, Junhyung is trying to hide his laugh (why so shy Junnie?), Dongwoon is laughing out loud, Hyunseung is unaffected by the commotion around him and continuing to be 4D *wave hand*, Gikwang is showing his adorable eye-smile and pointing to us (kyaa!), Yoseob is making a new kitten born every time he smiles (not to mention his dimples *swoon*) and Doojoon is falling out laughing. 

Second, even after so many past wins they are still happy and grateful. After the MC announced the winner, they said their thank you speeches, but all I could hear was boyish shouts and "...B2uty!!!...B2uty!!!" They were LOUD. And Gikwang apologized to Cultwo because they weren't able to attend Cultwo Show to accept the win on Inkigayo. That's Gikwang for you. He showed many cute sides that day :D

I want to make it clear that we, B2uties, want to shower these guys with awards out of love, not out of fandom pride. Their happiness is my happiness. From the bottom of my heart, I wish them a long, successful and colorful career.

The First Comeback Stage for Beast's "Ordinary"

Warning: Lots of praises for Beast. If you came here to get bashing materials.. leave now.

" Gotta Go To Work "

3...2...1...

  *Fangirl mode on* 

WHERE DO I EVEN START????

GGTW's performance is the epitome of CUTE.

Love the matching red-white-blue colors on Doojoon's christmas cardigan, Gikwang's stripped shirt, Dongwoon's jacket and Yoseob's coat.

Thank god no sight of weird hairstyles, not even Hyunseung's ramen hair. Yoseob even made me change my opinion about blonde hair. I always thought Asian who bleach his/her hair looks weird, until I saw Yoseob in this video. He's even more charming with that hair *O*

Junhyung with that Harry Potter glasses and mushroom hair (I guess he follows Gikwang's footsteps) looks adorkable X3

Doojoon looks charismatic as always. Plus, he's singing and rapping!

 Gikwang's EYE-SMILE melts me ^u^

Hyunseung.. even when portraying manly man's working, he's still pretty *O*

Dongwoon looks cute in that stripped jacket. He could join A-Pink too XP

Lol, they wore similar outfits on the same day. Funny coincidence.

No one is overshadowed. The line distribution between the five members beside Junhyung is equal. All of them get to shine in their own part.
The dance looks FUN! I love the forearm spin for 'gotta go to work' and their move at the sound of phone ringing in the end. Yoseob's shoulder dance is also sexy cute XD
Even the female dancers deserve a praise. They showed that women don't need to wear revealing clothes to perform on stage.

Overall, this performance emits CUTENESS. I was smiling throughout the video. It's even harder to watch the individual fancams. All of this made me realize how much I missed the cute concept like "Beautiful". Now that they've become older, they're no longer the cute boys, they're cute grown up men!

Dorkiness attack!

The fans tho. They're the BEST!!! Since there are no official fanchants, they were told to scream whenever they felt the time was right, but they ended up singing along. I expected no less from K-B2uties. Jjang..jjang..jjang..XD

" YeY "

After all the negative talks about the "peculiar" chorus, the Big Bang comparison and the dropping chart ranking, I was starting to get nervy waiting for their live stage. This performance proves that none of my worries are relevant.

It was all normal when Doojoon, Junhyung and Hyunseung sang the first verse, then, after the 'L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S' part kicked in, it all went ballistic.

Woah.. the stage setting was EPIC!!! I was so surprised when the wall, or whatever it was, moved up and revealed another stage that was already surrounded by fans. I really didn't see that coming. Kudos to the crews.

Then, the most fascinating thing came into view. The dark grey ocean. It was b2utiful~❤

M!Countdown literally turned into Beast's concert on air!

FREESTYLE BEAST IS BACK!!! I repeat.. FREESTYLE BEAST IS BACK!!!
Yoseob, Dongwoon and Gikwang didn't wear the in-ear and their singing was on point!

The fanchants were so fierce. I'm crying. K-B2uties, thank you! :")
Beast brought the house down, whohoooo..!!! \m/

They can hate the song—music is subjective after all. They can point out the Big Bang comparison just to lower Beast—everyone is biased anyway. They can say SK has lost their interests in Beast merely because "YeY" was dropping down the chart—let's see how the tickets for their upcoming concert on August will be sold out just fine. But, their performances just can't be bashed. It's crystal clear how the fans were really enthusiastic to see Beast. And Beast always answered them with performing all out, throwing adlibs and enjoying EVERY SECONDS OF THEIR STAGE!

Certainly not bad for the first comeback stage ;)

Beast's "YeY" is Finally Out, and...

First thing I did after arriving from a three-hour trip was to turn on the WiFi and stream Beast's "YeY" MV that was released on July 27. The next day, which bring us to now, I just have to type down my feelings for their new song.

I'm the type of person who likes to read other's comments before I watch something. Some of them said that the verse is better than the chorus. Then, after I watched it myself, I immediately thought, "Damn, they were right!" The 'yey yey yey yey' part is quite high-pitched, and the EDM in the background is a bit noisy. It was confusing, how the verse flowed oh-so-good, and the pre-chorus sent electrics to every part of my body, but when the chorus came I was like, "Huh?"

BUT, I gave it another try. I listened to it again without thinking about anything. Then, I found it enjoyable. It's weird, right? It was past midnight and I stared blankly at my screen, wondering how the song managed to leave different impression on the second try.

Then, someone wrote a genius explanation in a forum:

They say if a song's structure is completely unfamiliar that your brain won't like because in parts where you're anticipating the song to go one way, it actually goes another. But when you listen to it more your brain becomes familiar and anticipates what's really coming up in the song, that's when a song grows on you.

That was exactly what I experienced regarding to this song. It never happened before because I am NEVER disappointed when it comes to Beast's music. "12:30" is the perfect example of their song that I love right away, and Knetz's reaction to it was overwhelming. There was a ballad called "On Rainy Days" that was released more than 4 years ago, but it's still able to top the chart whenever it is raining in Korea. Ever since "Clenching a Tight Fist" got good receptions, they always gave a ballad pre-release. And that's how Beast got their streak of pre-release wins with ballads like "Will You Be Alright" and "No More". That's how good their ballads are. With that awareness in mind, they could've chosen the easy path and released another ballad for this comeback—another "12:30"—but they didn't, and I appreciate that.

People could judge this song all they want, but to say that Beast is trying too hard to be like Big Bang because "YeY" sounds more like a Big Bang song is just too stretched. No one is trying to copy anyone. Junhyung composed this with Good Life team, and talked to the other members before they decided to use this song. They simply evolve, just like they always did. I remember when "Beautiful Night" came out, it was no less controversial than "YeY". The situations are indeed similar. The cheerful "Beautiful Night" brought out so many mixed reactions since it came out after the solemn "Fiction". Doing something completely different doesn't strip them of their originality or skills as a singer. It's hard to define a 'style' that Beast is good at because they always pulled it off no matter what the genre of the song is. More important than an all-kill or numerous wins in music shows is their willingness to get out of their comfort zone and try bolder sound like this. It will enrich their skills and experiences which will be useful in the future. Good for them.

Now, onto the MV. I never had problems with it. I just enjoy seeing them making various expressions while partying like crazy, especially Daddy Doojoon's shit-eating-grin, which appears quite often throughout the MV XD

Sorry if the picture is low-quality. It was screencapped by me after all T.T

Oh, how could I forget JunSeung's couple ramen hair? I understand why fans are whining about that. I wouldn't want my Seobie in that hairstyle either >,< I think it would feel better if you take it as 'just for laugh' thing. It does help new fans to memorize the members by their hairstyles *peace* *runs from Honeys and Jesters*.

The coolest part in this MV has to be Gikwang's part in the second pre-chorus, starting around 2:14. A long-time B2uty must be feeling all nostalgic right now because Gikwang used to be the dancer/stripper A LOT when Beast just debuted. Ah, I'm giggling so hard right now. Gikwang, what did you do to me?!

And there's the cutie pie Yoseob who is looking fine with his new blonde hair <3

Bonus: Dongwoonie at the back with ponytail XD

Well, my ultimate message is wait for the full album and live performance. Have faith. With Beast it's all or nothing. Thank you for reading my long-ass essay. See you after Beast's live performance =)  

Beast's "Ordinary" Teasers Are Nothing Ordinary

Hoooorraaaay. . . . ! ! ! !

Just like Good Luck, in this comeback for Beast's 8th mini album Ordinary we get two version. Version A provides the sexy, men in suits concept, while version B provides the cute, summer boys concept. Which one is your favorite?

VERSION A

Doojoon

Hyunseung

Junhyung

Yoseob

Gikwang

Dongwoon

VERSION B

Doojoon

Hyunseung

Junhyung

Yoseob

Gikwang

Dongwoon

I personally like the version B more because I've been craving for a fun and bright theme. The last time we get this happy vibe was in "Beautiful Night", and that song was three years ago. Plus, the "YeY" designs are creatively made.

This person is teasing us again with a photo that was taken from what seems to be the set for "YeY" MV XD

Seriously, the lights in this photo look so cool!

All these teasers are making me excited beyond words. I'm ready for our OT6. Beast, fighting!!!! ^0^

Beast Be Slaying This Comeback!!!

Yesterday at 8.15-10.45 pm I marathon watched Beast’s live performances in various events (music shows, concerts, music awards, gayos, etc) from “Shock” until “12.30” era. And I tell you, those 150 minutes of fangirling gave me so much feels. I am on a Beast kick right now. 

First, I want to tell you how I became a B2uty. I was 14 when my friend showed me the DVD of Beast’s first solo concert: Welcome to B2ST Airline. Beast wasn’t the first boyband she tried to get me to like. Well, I am not going to mention the other boyband’s names. Let’s say the other boybands have members whose faces were visually perfect. And that kind of perfection just didn’t draw me in. On the other hand, I found Beast was more appealing because they looked like good-looking guys from your big brother’s clique, not like the strikingly handsome models whom I would be bored seeing after a while. My first impression of these boys was that they seemed to be the dorky, happy-go-lucky type. This thought was later solidified after I saw them performing “Beautiful”. They totally rocked their lives, they knew how to have fun on stage without sacrificing their performance. And there was this particular baby-faced-member whose voice gave me goosebumps instantly (you know who!). The light-hearted song, the adorable choreography, the energetic life performance, and Yoseob’s cuteness (I didn’t know a boy can be that cute!!!).. those things were DIFFERENT from every Kpop-related thing I had ever seen. So, after the school was over, I made a life-changing decision. I told my friend I wanted to borrow the DVD. And I was a B2uty right away. Not long after that, I learned about their backstory. I could only wonder what Cube saw in them as they decided to debut a group from a bunch of rejects. Not only one or two member, but all of them (excluding Dongwoon) suffered from being the unchosen ones before joining Cube.

I am not like most international fans who likes to stan many groups, I am happy enough with Beast. Just their music is enough for me, because Beast is an incredibly diverse group. You want the pop dance tracks? They have them. You want upbeat songs that makes your body free-styling? They got them. You like sad, heart-wrenching songs? Their ballads are looooved by the nation. Netizens even gave Beast a nickname: ‘Praying for rain-dols’. Because every time they release a ballad, it would be raining. And every time it rains, “On Rainy Days” would climb up the chart. They have five songs that got a roof hit on Melon chart and all of them are ballads. The thing I am most proud of Beast is their sincerity and skill to convey their feelings into the song, indeed.

Let’s slow down the praise train for a moment. There were times when I had mixed feelings for them. Midnight Sun was the most awkward era for me. “Beautiful Night” is pure jam! I love the overlapping HyunSeob’s verse/chorus and the ever-so-catchy lyrics *shouting bam-iya-iya*. The video, unfortunately, was a let down. They tried too hard to look cool. I actually enjoy listening to “Shadow”, even if there were parts in the chorus that sounds a bit repetitive. However, it wasn’t the most public friendly song. It didn’t fit the happy summer athmosphere. Not to mention the long gap time between Midnight Sun and HTLHTL. It was so sad to hear that a lot of B2uty leaving the fandom to join the fandom of newer and more hyped up groups.

I quietly wished Beast could bounce back after experiencing what seems to be the lowest year for Beast since “Fiction” freed them from their nugu status. I knew that no group could stay at the top forever, but it still annoyed me how people were saying that Beast needed second “Fiction” to be famous again, since they already reached their peak and blah blah..

And here I am, having my life revolved around these six men for about 3,5 years now and still excitedly waiting for Beast’s 8th mini album ‘Ordinary’ to come out. This comeback will be the third comeback that I'm going to follow from the beginning. Beast has dropped their pre-release song, and it's a happy song! It's called "Gotta Go to Work". A long-time B2uty would understand why this song is refreshing. Beast isn't singing a broken heart song, for crying out loud XP And the in "Gotta Go to Work" MV, they look five years younger! Oh gosh.. I need to breathe.. Seobie is blonde and looking so cuteeeeee, JunSeung' voice in the chorus is perfect, Doo is a lovely husband, Kwangie looks charming, Woonie looks fabulous and I'm babbling now... XD I am definitely gonna live this promotion period to the fullest ^0^