Beats of the Month: K-pop is Feeling Rebellious Thanks to AxMxP, Chanyeol, D.O., & P1Harmony

In the vast landscape of Korean entertainment, sometimes it’s the little things that bring us joy (or disappointment) and make our fan girl/boy/folk hearts beat a little faster.

Each month, we ask our writers to share: Among the many Hallyu things vying for your attention, what’s caught your eye, is on your mind, or has made your heart skip a beat?

EXO UPS, AND EXO DOWNS — CHELSEA

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With Sehun completing his military service In September and SM Entertainment releasing an ominous teaser for an Exo comeback on the night of a lunar eclipse in South Korea, safe to say I’ve had Exo on the brain. Throw into that the ongoing lawsuit between the CBX members and SM that failed in mediation, and Chanyeol and Suho‘s comebacks in the past two months, my feelings as a long-time fan have been all over the place. Will the comeback be OT4? OT8? OT9?! Will the members still with SM continue to pretend CBX don’t exist? Who knows.

However, I can say I’m enjoying are the solo releases. Even if it’s not a group comeback, I’m being spoiled in all directions. First, Chanyeol came back with Upside Down, which was a wonderful follow-up to his debut EP. It kept the rock styling momentum of his solo debut, while also pulling away from hype songs. (Shout out to the goat in the title MV.) While the whole album is a smooth listen, “Ocean Drive” has been a favorite for my commute playlist since its August release. Then there is Suho, who aside from D.O. is the member I most trust to put out fun, quality music that reflects their quirkier tastes. He’s doing his own thing, and Who Are You plays like a solid, if not somewhat nostalgic indie rock album. There’s also a return to yeehaw K-pop which I will always cheer for.

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Chen‘s comeback went a little more under the radar, but INB100 booked the correct appearances for his return: less focus on K-pop trophies, more focus on musical variety like Lee Mujin’s Service and other panel broadcasts that let him shine as an artist and a personality. Of course, while I root for CBX’s new freedoms under INB100 and advocate for them being properly compensated by SM for their previous work, I am also still holding out hope for a full-group comeback. Is compromise possible before December?

There have been many major K-pop court cases this year. My NewJeans dissertation has yet to be published here (waiting for the October 30 ruling), but I do think that these disputes from idols can both expose and reinforce the mechanisms of K-pop. It’ll be interesting to see if SM can reach a solution that allows Exo to promote as one (if the group wants), or if they try to pass off Exo as only four. Either way, the members are doing their own things and doing them well, so I can’t say I’m deprived in any way.

P1HARMONY’S WINNING RUN — SIENA

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For the last year or so, P1Harmony have been making a slow but steady climb up my K-pop favorites list….not unlike their slow but steady rise to popularity. The six-member group have a polished but slightly rowdy energy that, for me, recall iKon at their prime (a compliment I do not bestow lightly).

Their recent releases have really seen them on a winning streak. Last year’s “Sad Song” was an insanely fun and catchy hit, and this year’s “Duh!” was its worthy spiritual successor. As an avowed K-pop rap skeptic, I was floored that one of my favorite parts of “Duh!” is Jongseob’s staccato rap verse. I also was a latecomer to the hype around b-side “Pretty Boy,” but a couple full-blast listens with earbuds cured that!

Their newest venture is an all-English EP, always an interesting and potentially perilous project. While I find the EP itself a little easy-listening for my taste, b-side “Stupid Brain” & title track “Ex” are both really solid. “Ex,” in particular stands out as a surprisingly sensitive and witty take on a deadbeat relationship, even if I wish the MV had fleshed out the concept with more creativity.

“Ex” is also great as its softer vibe shows that P1Harmony, who largely stick to unabashed noise music, can have range without sacrificing their signature bite. Of course, I’d argue that their consistent identity was a key part of their eventual success, but it’s exciting to see a group that have already grown so much still stretch for greater range and shoot for higher heights.

K-POP IS ENTERING ITS GARAGE BAND ERA, AND I’M OBSESSED — LUCIA

The people yearn for the return of garage bands, and this month, K-pop delivered. Doh Kyung Soo (D.O.) and Penomeco’s “Dumb” MV is a creative and fun call back to the resurgence of garage rock bands that occurred in the 2000s. It fully captures the heart of the conditions that sparked its rise in popularity—namely “dissatisfaction with some aspect of the present.” In the MV, Doh Kyung Soo and Penomeco take on the nerdy loser stereotype that was rampant in 2000s movies like Superbad and Napoleon Dynamite—and just like in films like Lemonade Mouth and School of Rock, they channel the hopes and desires they’re unable to express at school into their music. Lyrics like “dreams, what dreams? All they say is bullshit,” and “I’ll find my own exit” speak to Lemonade Mouth, No Vacancy, and Doh Kyung Soo and Penomeco’s efforts to buck conventional culture. The vibes of “Dumb” embrace the essence of garage rock, with “loud guitars, simple melodies and distorted vocals,” and the home video version of the MV is fully in a garage, hammering home the song’s homage to garage band aesthetics, sounds, and philosophies.

“Dumb” can easily be seen as just a one-off — but this month, FNC Entertainment also debuted their latest boy band, AxMxP. The group dropped their first album on September 10, and I’m going to need you to sit down before I tell you that this debut album is a full album with ten songs. So rare to see these days! The songs are of differing genres and emotions, but the fact that the group play their own instruments gives every track the stripped down sound that is so characteristic of garage rock music. I cannot stop listening to “Season of Tears,” which I would describe as melancholy rock with a perfect mix of melodic and shout-y vocals. However, I also love “Calling All You” and “Shocking Drama,” which remind me of my favorite pop punk bands from my youth, including All American Rejects and Simple Plan. Overall, my eyes are wide open, and I am paying very close attention to what comes next from this group, as well as any other K-pop adjacent groups who choose to go in this direction!

(The Post, X[1][2][3][4], YouTube[1][2][3][4]. Images via FNC Entertainment, INB100, SM Entertainment.)