"kpop always copied and took inspiration from the American industry"
Gee - SNSD 2009
Sorry Sorry - Super Junior 2009
Good Day - IU 2010
I Am The Best - 2NE1 2011
Gangnam Style - PSY 2012
Fantastic Baby - BIGBANG 2012
Gentleman - PSY 2013
Growl - EXO 2013
THIS KPOP?
Vernon on Kpop
🐻❄️: I feel like Kpop sounds more and more like American pop instead of Kpop and i think a lot of people talk about that too so it makes me want to go back to like the 2000s or the early 2010s like when i was in elementary school like wonder girls, or big bang or 2NE1, all that.
I think it’s because kpop producers always try to bring American sounds to kpop and make it their own thing and i think right now they got to the point where they’re too good. You can’t differentiate between Kpop and Pop, i mean you can but the gap has become more and more thin.
sung hanbin’s letter to the zb1 members (full eng trans) 💌
“my beloved members who feel like family to me,
this is your leader, hanbin.
to be honest, i’m not sure if i’ll be able to read this letter all the way to the end, but i’ll try my best to express the things i’ve wanted to say and carefully put them into words.
the time that felt like it would never come has finally come to us. maybe that’s why this moment feels both cruel and a little sad.
during our activities and even in everyday life, i’ve received so much strength from our members. because of that, i always carry a heart full of gratitude toward all of you.
the position of leader, which i took on for the first time, was never something light. sometimes it felt like a burden, and sometimes it felt like a heavy weight. there were definitely moments when it felt difficult. but the reason i was able to strengthen my heart and keep running forward while looking only ahead was because the members i love were by my side.
in life, even until now, i’ve been more used to solving things on my own. rather than leaning on others or receiving help, i thought it was more comfortable to handle things by myself. but through the time we’ve spent together with my precious members, i gained a big realization: that i’m also someone who truly needs the help and support of others.
even in difficult moments, what allowed me to stand up again was the trust that the members gave me. through all of these moments, i felt a great warmth, and with this one belief, i was able to become stronger and stand again. so with the hope that the members can walk confidently wherever they go…so that they could receive that strength, i think i tried even harder to become a good example. because i carried those feelings, there were probably many things i had to say that might have sounded harsh or painful for our members to hear. but there was only one reason behind all those words and actions: so that the members i love wouldn’t get hurt somewhere else, so that their hearts wouldn’t be hurt.
if there were moments when the members felt hurt because of me, i want to take this opportunity to say that i’m really sorry, and i hope you can forgive me with open hearts. sometimes when you said things like, “hanbin hyung is here, hanbin hyung will solve it”, it often felt like a lot of pressure to me. but after realizing that those words were actually a sign of the members’ deep trust, they became incredibly precious to me… it made me feel how precious it truly was. and that’s when i felt it even more that we had really become a family. so now this moment feels even more bittersweet and regretful. even while writing this letter, my heart feels complicated and emotions that are hard to describe in words keep passing through me. but there is something i really want to say:
hanbin, jiwoong, hao, matthew, taerae, ricky, gyuvinie, gunwookie, yunjinie…my members who are like my family, i love you all so much. even if we end up walking different paths from now on, i will always be cheering for you first from a place close to my heart. so with the memories we’ve built together, let’s keep our shoulders up and move forward. i hope you only go through a little hardship and that from now on your path is filled only with flowers.
and someday, when the nine of us gather and meet again, let’s just smile like we do now and make sure to hug each other.
from your leader hanbin,
who may have been imperfect but loved the members more than anyone.
march 15, 2026.” 😭💔