Moon Bin (January 26, 1998 - April 19, 2023)

I know this seems a little late, as real life got in the way, but this is something that I have to do.. 

This post is created in solidarity with the greater K-pop community to mourn the passing and to honor the life of ASTRO's Moonbin.

According to news reports, Moonbin was found lifeless in his apartment in Gangnam, Seoul by his manager on April 19th at around 8:10 PM KST. He was 25 years old.

Moonbin is a member of ASTRO (아스트로; Aseuteulo) which started out originally as a 6 member boy group under Fantagio. They debuted on February 23, 2016 and has been quite active ever since. Moonbin also debuted in a subunit with fellow member Sanha on September 14, 2020.

He is survived by his parents and younger sister Moon Sua, the leader of rookie girl group Billlie.

The Moon siblings did a special collaboration stage last June 24, 2022 where they covered Baek Ji Young‘s “Candy In My Ears".

Moonbin and Moon Sua at Music Bank

People familiar to this blog may have noted that I generally do not post about boy groups as I do not have an interest in following them (save for a few from the second gen which I came across as I was starting my K-pop journey). I have to be very honest, I did not know about ASTRO until I was introduced to them a couple of years ago by someone close to me who happened to be a total AROHA.

I found their music to be quite pleasant. I didn't really go into a deep dive about the members, but discovered that Moonbin was actually a childhood friend of GFRIEND's SinB, and was often seen guesting on programs with a friend group of fellow '98 liners that included GFRIEND's Umji. He came across as a decent guy who was caring and thoughtful towards his friends, and is very affectionate towards his little sister.

It is always a terrible thing when someone passes away too soon, and the K-pop industry has had its share of painful losses through the past years.. But I cannot recall being as emotionally affected as I am now.. This was so sudden, and so unexpected. The guy was happily watching over the budding career of his sister, and was also doing quite well professionally. He was surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends, and had so much to live for and to look forward to.. 😔 I will refrain from speculations about his passing out of respect, but let it be known that I hold him in high regard, and I pray that his soul will find peace..

We here at K-Pop Catharsis would like to express our sincere condolences to Moonbin's family, fellow ASTRO members, and friends, and stand in solidarity with AROHAs all around the world as they go through this difficult time. We pray that Sua and her family would find solace in the outpouring of love from Moonbin's industry colleagues and the K-pop fans from different countries and fandoms.

Goodbye Moonbin. You shall be missed.

- B. Oppa

I can make it, raise it, recover it now - tripleS

 With a truckload of debuts and comebacks to sift through, it is really easy to get lost in all the noise (pun intended). Sadly, good music and strong vocals is no longer enough to capture and hold the general public's attention for very long (as unfortunately evidenced by the lower ranking of the STAYC girls among the leading 4th gen GG, which I think is a total crime, but I guess that's a topic for another time..). So you have all these companies making all these crazy changes/concepts/worldviews to hopefully generate enough buzz for their group. All that being said, it can get really daunting as a k-pop fan to discover a group that I could consider worth my while.

The idol of all possibilities

Enter tripleS. Produced by MODHAUS, a company chaired by former LOONA creative director Jaden Jeong, who is obviously no stranger to taking things in a fresh direction to promote a group (although I personally feel that putting LOONA together with what they did was ridiculously over-budget and only generated international hype without much appeal to the local korean fanbase. This is apart from the fact that Blockberry really screwed things up in other aspects as well).

Surprisingly, tripleS (트리플에스; Teulipeul-eseu) is slated to be a 24-member group, with the members slowly revealed one by one since the middle of last year (May 2022).  Its a long play similar to what was done for LOONA, but with some important differences. First off, MODHAUS (thankfully) did away with producing a song and MV for each girl that was being revealed. The group also secured endorsement deals and had product placements in their youtube videos, thus already generating revenue for the group and growing the fandom without risking an entire shitload of money on music releases (with accompanying MVs) that would ultimately flop (I mean, I like LOONA as a group, but you have to face the reality that the individual members' songs didn't really do well at all).

This is them so far (S1-S13). Imagine if they had to make MVs for all of them, with 11 more to go.. 😱

 Its a very ambitious project, but from what I have been observing, they seem to be going about this the right way. Like was previously mentioned, the members were revealed individually, usually having a few weeks to a month in between new members.

This is Yoon Seoyeon, designated S1 as the first member to be revealed.

Since the beginning, the tripleS YouTube channel has been quite active, pushing out daily short clips dubbed SIGNAL, which shows slice of life videos as the members go about their activities in their dorm (dubbed HAUS, because MODHAUS, get it? 😝) and other locations. Seoyeon's situation was a bit unique, since she was filming by her lonesome for the greater part of a month (?) before S2 Hyerin arrived. Add the fact that she was apparently just casted without any prior trainee experience, and you have an interesting start to this group as you cheer on her growth in the clips that followed. Apart from the daily SIGNAL videos which are uploaded every Monday to Friday evening (gotta give props to the editing teams 👏), there are also the SIGNAL WEEKLY vids that come out on Saturdays, which has a few select members discussing the SIGNAL clips from the past week, and also shows some bonus or behind clips to fill in the gaps. On Sundays they come out with the SSSIGNAL (Sunday Selfie Signal) videos, which is a compilation of vlogs from the members that they shot over the course of the week. When you thought you can't have enough daily content, they also randomly come out with these SecretBase vids which are longer form vlogs shot by a single member in a vocal room discussing whatever comes to mind.

So yeah, I tried playing catch-up when they had already come out with S12 and it was the more tiring 2 weeks of my life. 😜

In the months that followed, the internet was peppered with teaser images and vids of the different members as they arrived at the HAUSes one by one, giving barely enough to make you curious and keep you coming back for more. I find it quite brilliant, really. 😅 So here they are in order of appearance, and I included some snippets of info about each.

 

 S2 Jeong Hyerin

 

Not to be confused with the legendary Jung Yerin of GFRIEND fame, Hyerin was a trainee at P-NATION for 3 years, and was teased to be this awesome dancing machine. As of this writing she has just started high school at the famous Hanlim School with fellow S6 Soomin

 

S3 Lee Jiwoo

 

Jiwoo has already been turning heads prior to her revelation as S3, as she already starred in a web drama and particiated in the My Teenage Girl (MTG) survival show where she met the future S5 Yooyeon. She has already been around the block as a trainee at some of the larger companies like SM, YG, JYP, and even FNC. The girl apparently has fantastic taste, as she looks to STAYC as one of her role models. 😛

 

S4 Lee Chaeyeon

 

Chaeyeon may be familiar to other idol fans, having debuted prior in the group Busters which debuted in 2017 and unfortunately disbanded in 2020. S4 has already has dabbled in acting before, starring in a web drama called My Youtube Diary.

 

 S5 Kim Yooyeon

As mentioned earlier, Yooyeon appeared on MTG alongside Jiwoo and just barely made the cut to debut in the group CLASS:Y which was formed at the show's conclusion. Everything worked out for the best though, as she now finds herself as the eldest and unofficial de facto leader of tripleS.

 

S6 Kim Soomin

 

Soomin and her fellow '07 liner Hyerin recently began attending high school at the famous Hanlim Multi Art School, which counts numerous idols among their alumni. She began training at the age of 13 in dance academies prior to joining MODHAUS.

 

 S7 Kim Nakyoung

 

When Nakyoung (Naky for short) was introduced, her teaser trailer showed a totally different mature vibe when compared to all the previous big S that came before her. She is he second eldest after Yooyeon, and is actually the little sister of famed soloist BIBI, which kinda explains the mature vibe. 😅

S8 Gong Yubin

Yubin appeared on TV on SBS Chosun's I am Chef, which I imagine is kinda like Iron Chef for kids, and placed among the top 3. In a twist of fate, she wound up debuting in the same group with her real-life best friend, S3 Jiwoo!

 

With this enviable pantheon of idols raring to go, MODHAUS thought it was time to shake things up by introducing the first GRAVITY event (yeah, they're going all out with the world-building on this one 😛) So from what I understand, these GRAVITY events would occur at certain times with earthshaking effects (ok, I just made that last part up, but you have to admit that gravity and earthquakes go together. 😅). Each GRAVITY event would involve fan voting via the proprietary application COSMO, where fans get tokens of an in-app currency called COMO which are earned through photocard (and probably other merch too) purchases (which you may scan if its a real-world purchase in order to be credited for the card and the corresponding COMO). This tech is apparently NFT-based, so it kinda defines ownership a bit better I guess?.. Not an NFT guy, so I wouldn't know.. 😜

 

Anyways, it was revealed that the eight existing members of tripleS were going to be assigned into one of two sub-units each with their own debut song and concept, with the members of each determined by fan votes from the GRAND GRAVITY event.

 

The resulting sub-units from the 1st GRAND GRAVITY (which took place during September 2022) were Acid Angel from Asia (AAA), and +(KR)ystal Eyes (KRE). It was also revealed that AAA would be debuting in a month, so all the members were actually rehearsing the AAA song just in case while they awaited the results. Then October rolled around..

 

La-lalala-lalala-la-la...

 

The Acid Angel from Asia subunit successfully made their debut on October 28, 2022, and sold around 18,300 copies, which isn't really too bad, but MODHAUS set a requirement for sales to reach at least 100,000 in order to assure the subunit's survival. People were concerned that the subunit would be disbanded and the girls kicked out, but as CEO Jaden Jeong has explained, not making 100,00 just means that the subunit would not be producing new music, and the girls could still perform as a unit during future concerts and such. Jeong further elucidated that even this is not set in stone, as the subunit may be "resurrected" by fan demand during a later GRAVITY event.

While in the midst of the preparations and promotions of AAA, a new big S made her appearance:

S9 Yamada Kaede

Kaede (not to be confused with the fictional Shohoku Small Forward named Rukawa) was a child model during her earlier years. This soft-spoken young lady is the first Japenese member to be revealed as part of tripleS, therefore giving the group a more international flavor.

A week or two after S9 joined the girls, it was revealed to them that they will be debuting as a full unit at the start of the year.. with 10 members! 😳😳😳

Enter the Cherry Rabbit..

S10 Seo Dahyun

Dahyun was revealed as the incoming S10 at the conclusion of the SIGNAL video revealing the plans for the group debut. In true sneaky MODHAUS style, they filmed her entering the SAME ROOM where the rest of the members were just a few hours before. 😱 This is where she was moved to tears upon the revelation that she would be debuting as S10. Her teaser was unique as it featured an OST she just sang, thereby cementing her place as the main vocal of the greater team.

Keeping true to form, it was time for another GRAVITY event, this time to decide the title track. I have to admit that I was skeptical when I heard that this was how the  group debut song was selected, but I guess the fans really know best, as it resulted in this sudden burst of awesomeness..

Yeah, that was fantastic! And they got nominated for first place too, only to be stopped in their tracks by STAYC and the juggernaut that was Teddy Bear 🐻. Too bad, try again next time. 😅

Once again true to form, it was during these preparations that MODHAUS decided to spice things up a bit and reveal two new members who would be staying at another HAUS in Japan

S11 Kamimoto Kotone

Another Japanese member! Kotone was a contestant in Girls Planet 999, (GP 999) the survival program that culminated in the formation of Kep1er. She bought a takoyaki machine and was able to successfully cook for Yeonji before the two of them were eventually shipped out to Korea.

S12 Kwak Yeonji

The maknae of the group is finally revealed. This middle-schooler is an '08 liner, making her younger than the then-maknae pair of Hyerin and Soomin. Yeonji has announced her intentions to enroll at Hanlim the following year, so as to accompany the two older unnies to school. She stayed in Japan for about a month under the watchful eye of S11 Kotone, and was able to eventually fly home to Korea together with Kotone during the tail-end of the Rising promotions.

I consider myself every fortunate to have been able to witness this gathering of S1 through 12.

It really hits differently when you are watching the videos on a nightly basis, especially when you have successfully caught up with the different clips and are anticipating the next video to drop and the next development to unfold.

Currently the Rising promotions have ended and all 12 big S are together in one country. There is news of A GRAVITY event to be held next week to decide the fandom name. So MODHAUS took advantage of the relative peace and quiet to finally introduce S13..

S13 Hsu Nien Tzu

 

The first Taiwanese-Vietnamese member of tripleS, Nien was another contestant on GP 999 but never got close to Kotone as they were never placed in the same team and had stayed at different dorms during that time.

Whew! That pretty much rounds them out (for now). It has been said that the KRE subunit is in the midst of preparations and are expected to debut this coming May, thus explaining their absence from the SIGNAL videos apart from the clip where they welcomed Nien to the team.

The entire concept of how the group was formed as well as the influence that fans have on their activities is fresh and different. It was able to catch my attention and now that I have heard what these ladies can do, I will be following them with great interest, especially after the news dropped that the liberated LOONA members (except Chuu) have been signed by MODHAUS, effectively turning them into labelmates and opening up the possibility for crossover events. 😉

- B. Oppa

Yoohoo and Ahaiii - IVE

 Sorry about the sizable gap between entries. Real life kinda got in the way 😅

I would be remiss if I failed to talk about the super rookie group that took 2022 by storm. Yes friends, I'm talking about Starship Entertainment's sensational rookie girl group IVE (아이브: Aibeu).

Debuting on December 21, 2021, IVE consists of Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo. At first glance, you already have quite the 1-2 punch here, with 2 members of IZ*ONE bannering the team. Given her valuable veteran experience, Yujin suddenly finds herself thrust into the leadership role, and Wonyoung brings that star power as the group's center. This in no way belittles the others, as they also have much to bring to the table. Being the eldest unnie, Gaeul gives off that sexy sophisticated vibe in a cute package. Rei is the group's main rapper (its always the Japanese ones 😅), Liz has been a revelation as a vocal powerhouse, and Leeseo is an all-rounder maknae.

They kicked things off with their debut single ELEVEN, and boy, it sure didn't disappoint..

When I first heard the opening bars, I immediately knew this would be something different. It had this east asian or mid-eastern vibe to it that I couldn't put a handle on. Anyways, it was such a vocal masterpiece, and the song set a kind of dreamy atmosphere that I found absolutely unique and addicting.

I guess that's why they wound up with 13 wins for this promotional cycle. including triple crowns from all three public broadcast music shows (Music Core, Inkigayo and Music Bank). Not too shabby for a debut. 👏👏👏 Their winning streak began on December 8, 2021, and extended all the way up to February 18, 2020 (source).

The single album consisted on only two songs, and this trend would continue until their third release, but quite frankly, it didn't seem to matter.

A few months later, they came out with their next release called LOVE DIVE, an obvious tribute to their fandom called DIVE. This second single album also contained only two songs. LOVE DIVE and ROYAL.

LOVE DIVE would eventually go on to rack up 10 wins, with yet another pair of triple crowns from Inkigayo and Music Bank. This win streak would again last 3 months from April to July 2022. Then came August..

For their third single, IVE decided to ride the retro wave sweeping K-Pop and put out the "I Will Survive" sampled After LIKE, thus cementing its place as a definitive song for the coming new year.

 I mean, just look at it!! 😅

After LIKE had that retro disco funk that I really loved, and I guess the Korean general public liked it as well, as they were able to get another 14 music show wins! True to form, their win streak lasted 3 months, from August to October 2022, but the song resonated well into the new year.

IVE's styling has been pretty consistent thus far, and they have coined the term "chaebol crush" to describe their concept (source).

So there you have it, 3 single albums, for a grand total of 6 songs (plus one Xmas remake of After LIKE as seen on Spotify). I certainly hope they are not going the Blackpink route of music scarcity, but at least they have been releasing at a fairly constant pace. They have had their fair share of controversies from the get-go, mainly targeting Wonyoung for one reason or another. I won't go into specifics anymore so as to not give those controversies further mileage. I like them as a group, and I like their music, so I will be supporting them with each new release (unless they happen to overlap with STAYC 😝). Will I be joining up as a DIVE though? Not a chance. 😛 They won't need me anyway, seeing as they already have enough loyal fans. 😜 I shall be content in enjoying their music when it takes my fancy.

- B. Oppa