(because we're here, scattered through the HP community, naming animals after songs and quietly honoring our biases)

As HP's unofficial and self-appointed K-pop Ambassador, I decided I'd love to get to know you all (and have a place to scream when my boys accomplish something awesome)! I've noticed a handful of fans around - players who have animals with familiar names and those who own it in their bios - so here's the place to introduce yourself, rep your group(s), and meet each other!

For my introduction, I got into k-pop in 2015 with EXO ("El Dorado" - although ironically, it was the EXO-M version). I followed them for a while, long enough to learn all the members (OT12) and latch onto Chanyeol, but it wasn't until I saw Block B's "Nillili Mambo" music video and fell hard for Zico with his pinkish blond dreds that I got hooked lol. I'm still a BBC and will love those kids to the day I die, but my bias group is hands down BTS. I found them in December 2015 (during their "Run" era) and have been a proud ARMY ever since! I sold my soul to Sunshine Personified (a.k.a. J-Hope - Jung Hoseok), and life hasn't been the same since xD While I haven't been a hardcore stan for a couple years now, I still wholeheartedly support them, their work, and thier mission and do my best to follow their achievements! #LoveYourself #SpeakYourself

Listening since: mid-2015
Bias group/artist: BTS
Other groups/artists: Block B, B.A.P, EXO, NCT, Zico, Dean, various others
Ultimate Bias: Jung Hoseok
Other biases: Zico, Moon Jongup, Park Chanyeol
Concerts? KCON LA July 2016 (BTS, Block B, SHINee, Dean, Monsta X, Astro, Twice, I.O.I, GFriend), BTS Wings Tour @ LA (April 2017)
Anything else? I have a long lost twin and his name is Park Jimin.

Listening since: 
Early 2009

First Song Ever: 
Nobody - Wonder Girls - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZBn1e9pr2Q
(A friend I was gaming with on Left 4 Dead asked if I had ever heard of the Wonder Girls from Korea then proceeded to link me the song.)

Favorite Songs: 
TT - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePpPVE-GGJw
Likey - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2hlQkVJZhE
La Vie en Rose - IZ*ONE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZwr2a_lFWY
Red Flavor - Red Velvet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyiIGEHQP8o
Red - Hyuna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXCgR93zC8
Lipstick - Orange Caramel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z9R57maGvc
My Copycat - Orange Caramel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqSF_9Zf0n4
Gashina - SUNMI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur0hCdne2-s
Hot Summer - f(x) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-rftpZ7kCY
Gee - Girls Generation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7mPqycQ0tQ
Oh! - Girls Generation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGbwL8kSpEk
Kill This Love - BLACKPINK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S24-y0Ij3Y
Shake It - Sistar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9-TIy7WPQI
Good-bye Baby - miss A - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYKO1za5mX0

Favorite Dances: 
We Are a Bit Different - EvoL - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOTGqBJBvI4
Dolls - Nine Muses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_e6PodBkFo
Forever Young - BLACKPINK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89kTb73csYg
Dance The Night Away - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr5bu2cxdzU
Yes or Yes - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl4BJ2TDmWE
Ooh-Ahh - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cszZgUUwLjE
Ddu-du Ddu-du - BLACKPINK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps_Uusz82x8
Crazy - 4Minute - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qJPDmUhPIM
Red Flavor - Red Velvet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq8bql4j8n8
Likey - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHN1dK2UxE4

Favorite groups: 
Sistar, Twice

Favorite members: 
Bora (Sistar), Joy (Red Velvet), Luna (f(x)), Dahyun & Sana (Twice)

Favorite solo: 
Hyuna


As you can tell from my lists, I listen to zero boy KPOP bands. I just can't get into them.

My sister-in-law loves K-Pop. What one song would you reccomend I listen to? :P

Oh geez, I guess it depends on whether you'd be more of a girl or boy group person lol. Prynne can probably recommend a girl group song, for me - I'd say "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" by BTS - https://youtu.be/hmE9f-TEutc

(And because it was so hard to pick one, if you prefer something with a lighter atmosphere (like probably most girl group songs), you could give Boy With Luv by BTS a shot ((it's new :p)) - https://youtu.be/XsX3ATc3FbA )

@Jaya

Something you have to understand about KPOP is that the music is only part of the equation. The music video production and general group style and member personality play a huge role in what drives people to enjoy it. It is pretty different IMO to western music.

Solid Intro Songs (very popular & current groups): 
Red Flavor - Red Velvet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyiIGEHQP8o
Ohh Ahh - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rtV5esQT6I

Modern-style KPOP: Forever Young - BLACKPINK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89kTb73csYg
Cutesy KPOP: Likey - Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2hlQkVJZhE
Retro-style KPOP: I Feel You - Wonder Girls - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9QXQz6uE0M
Something a bit different: La Vie en Rose - IZ*ONE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZwr2a_lFWY

The range in styles for KPOP is pretty wide! If you don't like one group's style, look at others. Some groups are more mature and sexy while others are more cutesy and young. There is honestly something for everyone as long as you like pop in general. (:

EVERYTHING PRYNNE SAID.

A large part of why BTS is so popular (and probably the biggest part of their journey to success) is how open and connected they are with their fans. The members have a joint Twitter account that they all tweet from frequently, they're constantly doing livestreams where the members just sit and talk with fans - answering questions in the comments and stuff, their agency posts a lot of behind-the-scenes videos on their YouTube channel. All of this allows the fans to get to know each member and their personalty and to connect with them unlike most Western artists. Jung Hoseok is my favorite member and someone I identify with and support passionately because he shared his story and it mirrors mine - what he struggled with, the times he almost gave up, the things he holds onto for strength, the battle he's constantly waging (all while keeping up his cutesty, upbeat, over-the-top stage persona). And others have their own favorite member for their own reasons.

The story behind the music is a big part too - at least for BTS fans. The last few albums (starting with Wings and going through the Love Yourself album series) have been telling a story about mental health and the constant battle that is living with depression (all of the members have opened up about their mental health struggles). They started a campaign for mental health awareness, especially in youth (and even spoke before UN about it). They've connected even deeper with their fans and attracted a lot of new ones through the messages in their music.

And then there's the artistic style of each group, the type of music they lean towards producing, the type of dance choreography and stage personas they portray. There's just so much that goes into liking k-pop lol.

That said, it's totally possible to simply listen the music and like what you're hearing (if you don't mind not understanding 95% of the lyrics should you not speak Korean; but there's always Google for looking up lyric translations :p). Like Gangnam Style and how popular that was lol. I wouldn't consider you any less of a fan if you just liked the music and couldn't name any of the members ^^ It's just that in my experience it's all the deeper stuff that hooks people and draws the kind of support that kpop groups get.

OKAY. So, you know I'll have a TON to say about this. When I have the time I'll come back and write my essay. In the meantime I LOVE MY MINSEOK (Xiumin from EXO) SO MUCH AND I'M SO SAD HE'S GOING INTO THE SERVICE IN TWO DAYS.

On the bright side BTS concert on the 18th and I'm super pumped and can't wait!!!

AUDA I NEED YOUR SNAPCHAT AND/OR INSTAGRAM BECAUSE I NEED TO LIVE THROUGH YOU PLS THNX (and i beg you to scream my sunshine's name for me just once lol).

"OPPA J HOPE, MONNIE LOVES YOU" I'll scream that in a snap for you!

Snapchat: Sushikaty

instagram: ahoymateyitskaty

YOU'RE THE BEST ILY

I just wanna drop in here and say A T EE Z is a thing and I just????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Like thanks Pariah, I really needed this in my life
=====___=====

I'm just here to say that SUGA from BTS is Daddy. That is all. 
(*disclaimer that Sat is very gay and her wife also loves BTS but wifey loves V and J-Hope). 

We started by listening to NCT-127 song Cherry Bomb and Regular about 2 years ago and then found our way to BTS. 

I still have never gotten around to listening to any, and should probably do that at some point.

♥ MAMAMOO QUEENS ♥

-blinks-

C'MON ON HEY MOMMMY, C'MON ON HEY DADDY 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbXaQOBscQ8

MAMAMOO FLAVOR FO ME

I love VIXX and BTS, I also listen to some GOT7, EXO and Astro. 

I love how genuine and open the bands are and they are decent, if not amazing singers and dancers. The dance chereography is just incredible and so on point, which just goes to show how dedicated and focused they are. And Suga (BTS) proved every word is sung and not pre-recorded. 

Started: Because my mom was a fan of G.O.D she would watch Music Bank and I would listen as well, so I was first introduced in 07 but didn't really get hooked until Beast in 2009.

Due to living in Hawaii, not easy to see concerts and well, I never had the time either. I listen to a variety of groups, on the massive scale. Beast and U-kiss were my main two for a long while, they are to this day the only groups I've purchased actual albums from, for all the others I just buy the songs now. I use to watch Simon & Martina of eatyourkimichi's music mondays where they would review a kpop music video, so that helped me discover a lot of groups I currently listen to and never unhear some phrases in some music videos.

Boy Groups: Beast (now Highlight), U-kiss, Exo (OT12), Seventeen, Ateez, BTS, B.A.P, Block B, Monsta X, Shinee, Super Junior, Stray Kids, Vixx, A.C.E, D-Crunch, A-jax (disbanded), F.Cuz (disbanded), History (disbanded - I only liked their song called "Queen"), TRCNG (Wolf Baby is pretty much their only song I like), ZE:A, 24K (two songs by them), Infinite, iKon, TXT, Enhypen (Been following through I-Land), Pentagon, The Boyz (road to Kingdom), ONF (road to Kingdom), Oneus, Onewe, Verivery, Nu'est (Face, Action & Sleep Talking), All of the NCTs, WayV, TOO, Up10tion. GOT7 and SuperM. (They're not listed in any particular order either and also the only ones I've purchased songs from).

- Boyfriend, BTOB, B1A4, Big Bang, Astro, KARD, MBLAQ, Cross Gene, 2PM, TVXQ, P1Harmony

- I started with BTS from We Are Bulletproof, Pt. 2

Girl Groups: Evol (disbanded), Girls Generation, Dreamcatcher & Blackpink - there are other girl groups that I listen to, but these are the only ones I've purchased songs from.

- 4Minute, 2NE1, After School, Kara, T-ara, F(x), Mamamoo, Pristin

Solos: Eric Nam, Alexa, Agust D (cause it counts), Henry, Xia (Junsu of JYJ).

I'm sure I'll be like, oh wait I didn't put "them" on that list yet. I really do listen to a lot of Kpop... therefore in this song; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AUFyFEt35g NCT U's Boss, does anyone else near the end of the song starting from 3:07 hear an odd word? I don't want to say the word because "you hear it since I said it" sort of thing, but apparently my parents don't hear the word and I can't find any comments on the video that do either so yeah. Tell me I'm not crazy ^^;

Also thanks to Simon and Martina I can never unhear "We've got the orange juice" at the beginning of Infinite's The Chaser regular music video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgmSImDoJNg - Now maybe you won't unhear it either =D