Wednesday K-pop! with Liliana: NU’EST (a.k.a. #RISENUESTRISE) + Produce 101 S2 finale (Part 1, NO spoilers)

wednesday-kpop_20170619155653975

#RISENU’ESTRISE

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Wednesday K-pop! with Liliana. Today I will rant about a boy group that FINALLY GOT THE EXPOSURE THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD 5 YEARS AGO. Also you can dub this blog post as

THE WORLD AND SOUTH KOREA SPECIFICALLY SLEPT WAY TOO LONG ON THESE BOYS NOW THAT THEY’VE HAD TO SUFFER SO MUCH TO THE POINT OF STEPPING ON THEIR OWN PRIDE YOU ARE ALL REGRETTING FOR NOT STANNING THEM EARLIER IF YOU HAD STAYED WITH THEM THEY COULD’VE BECOME A TOP BOY GROUP ALSO PLEDIS YOU ARE A DAMN ASSHOLE FOR PUTTING THESE INNOCENT YOUNG BOYS THROUGH SO MUCH PAIN I HATE YOU NOW DO YOUR WORK PROPERLY AND COMPENSATE THEIR STRUGGLES BY GIVING THEM REGULAR COMEBACKS THESE BOYS DESERVE THE WHOLE WORLD

Okay, so today I’m introducing you to five young boys whose music will send you straight into nirvana. I’m not joking.

Basic information

Group name: NU’EST | 뉴이스트
Debut: March 15, 2012
Agency: PLEDIS Entertainment
Notable singles: Face, Hello, Overcome, Love Paint
Fanclub name: ㄴㅇㅅㅌ (read as LOVE, formed from first consonants in their Korean name)
Official color: Neon pink
What is unique about them: Idols with one of the best debut songs; idols who were speaking out on social issues through their songs; idols who started the Dubstep trend in K-pop; visual killers; first PLEDIS boy group; boy group that the whole universe slept on for 5 years until they had to literally step on their pride to get the long-deserved recognition ~~I’m not joking~~

NU’EST is a 5-member boy group from PLEDIS Entertainment, also known formerly as Pledis Boys before their official debut. The group name is an acronym for: New (NU) Establish (E) Style (S) Tempo (T). They are the very first boy group under their label who made an official debut on March 15th, 2012 through their song Face which talked about social issues such as school bullying. They deemed to have one of the best debuts among male idols, but, unfortunately, their sudden switch of concept resulted in them not breaking out despite initial fuss.

separator

Members

*From left to right: Baekho, Aron, JR, Ren, Minhyun*

JR (Junior Royal, born Kim Jonghyun): leader, main rapper, main dancer, maknae-line (1995)
Aron (born Aaron Youngmin Kwak): eldest member (1993), lead rapper, vocalist, lead dancer
Baekho (born Kang Dongho): main vocalist, maknae-line (1995)
Minhyun (born Hwang Minhyun): lead vocalist, visual, maknae-line (1995)
Ren (born Choi Minki): vocalist, face of the group, maknae (1995, youngest according to DOB)

separator

THESE. BOYS. HAVE. BEEN. SLEPT. ON. FOR. FIVE. LONG. PAINFUL. YEARS. Can you even imagine that????

The boys started off very good, representing themselves as a group who would like to speak out loud of social issues through their songs, which they did for 2 singles straight, Face and Action. NU’EST debuted the same year as B.A.P. and EXO, and, despite having the latter two group gaining much more success, NU’EST were deemed as very promising rookies in K-pop industry as of 2012.

Then things went a little bit wrong, with their sudden switch of concept and music theme. The company made these kids (who were only freaking 17-19 in 2013) sing songs about breakup and love when they were highly praised for original concept. I’m not saying that I didn’t absolutely enjoy Hello, it’s just… you know… that’s when things for these boys went downhill. Still I think this song is one of the best produced for NU’EST.

Then PLEDIS tried to apply cute concept to these boys. Sleep Talking was indeed a catchy song, but what stylists had done with boys’ images and outfits… Pure nightmare for everyone. In the end, exactly this song started pulling knives under their feet on the path to success.

After their poor performance on music charts, the company decided that the boys should be sent to Japan for promotions. The only song they released in 2014 was Good Bye Bye, which also couldn’t break through charts, as the boys barely were seen in South Korea, constantly promoting overseas and thus gaining international fandom but losing their pillar which is Korean fanbase.

In 2016 NU’EST came back with two songs that I consider as best songs ever production-wise, music-wise, lyrics-wise and VISUAL-WISE. But since at that point NU’EST already lost their fanbase in Korea, both songs couldn’t chart.

Overcome (also known as The Queen’s Knight from Korean title [여왕의 기사]) transformed the young boys into loyal knights promising to protect their queen which are their fans. And you know what? Best. Concept. Ever. Speaking as a fantasy-lover, I’ve got so obsessed with this song I replayed it for 3 days straight. Also. VISUALS. THESE. OUTSTANDING VISUALS Lead by the VISUAL EMPEROR HWANG MINHYUN (blond hair). And overall aesthetics of the music video. AND VOCALS GOD DAMNIT!

And what’s the worst thing? That very boy Hwang Minhyun is allergic to salt, yet the company MADE him dug himself deep into salt that was used to mimic the snow. Imagine how painful it was for the boy to endure all of it in order to produce such aesthetic video?

LOVE PAINT (Every Afternoon) is a definition of ART. I mean, look at those aesthetics. Okay, exclude the horrible pink wig on Ren, but everything else is PURE AESTHETICS. Art film. Call it whatever close to those terms. Visuals. Vocals. Music. Lyrics.

separator

Other notable trivia

While you think that the boys have specific aura and images, let me say to you: these five are ABSOLUTE BUNCH OF DORKS. Especially if you look at Minhyun who seems to be bearing a very cool, manly, or even chic image. Nope. Not at all.

Also Ren is known as a Diva type of person, being sassy and extra (actually, they’re all extra af), and he’s also the biggest Lady Gaga fanboy ever. Oh, and he is indeed prettier than any girl ever. Search it up to figure out why.

Oh, and also Kwak Aron. He’s nicknamed as the fake maknae, because he acts exactly as the youngest despite being the only oldest in the group.

And their friendship are just screaming #goals. Especially after Produce 101 Season 2 FINALE.

separator

Reasons you should pay attention to this artist:

THEY WERE MISTREATED FOR SO LONG THEY DIDN’T DESERVE IT IN FIRST PLACE
All their songs are so good everyone’s now questioning their senses on why they effin’ slept on these boys for five freaking years
Choreos that speaks all their lyrics.
The friendship that is so genuine. They’re a damn family that stick together no matter how good or bad things were going. #friendshipgoals
VISUALS.
VISUAL EMPEROR HWANG MINHYUN
CHARISMATIC VISUAL JR
VISUAL THAT IS PRETTIER THAN OF A GIRL’S REN
BANDIT SEXY VISUAL BAEKHO
BEST FRIEND VISUAL ~~lowkey I don’t speak proper English~~ ARON
These boys now deserve the whole world.
They’re basically angels fallen from the sky, and we don’t deserve them because they’re so innocent and pure PROTECT THESE KIDS AT ALL COSTS
VOCALS.
If you freaking need proof, here you go some more song recommendations!

PROCEED TO PART 2 TO READ ABOUT THEIR PARTICIPATION IN PRODUCE 101 SEASON 2

Warning: Heavy spoilers on the show’s final results! If you’re following Produce 101, but haven’t seen the latest episodes, please be careful when reading the next part!