SAY THE NAME!!!! Confession of a Kpop fanatic

Stan a group. Follow a boy idol group or a girl idol group. Watch and stream their music videos. Listen to every song they release. Laugh at their variety shows even if you don't understand a single word unless you will wait a week for english subtitles. Buy every korean dictionary just to study basic Korean words.

That is how a K-pop fan live every single day. That is how I lived as a K-pop fan. Basically, K-pop or Korean pop music is like any other pop music, American, Mexican or Filipino pop music. But what is with Korean Pop music that differs them from other countries' pop music?

I have been a K-Pop fan since 2009 during the era of 2NE1 where the Pambansang Krung-Krung ng Pilipinas, Sandara Park is a member, the era where everyone must know how to dance to the tune of "Nobody, nobody but you!", the era to which the famous line "DAO MING SI" became "GO JUN PYO!" from the hit Korean remake of Meteor Garden, Boys Over Flowers. To this era where Korean pop music totally bloomed and became famous in the Philippines and to the rest of the Asian countries and even worldwide. To this era that they considered it as the GOLDEN AGE OF KOREAN POP MUSIC.

But like what I have said, I have been into K-Pop since the golden age. And then I have stopped stanning. What stanning even means, right? I'll explain it later. Again, I have stopped listening to new K-Pop songs. Not totally stopped like the way you imagine it because I still listen to every single song my bias groups new releases like my ultimate bias, 2NE1, and of course from Super Junior, Girls Generation, Big Bang and a lot more. A lot more but only from the 2nd generation K-Pop groups. Until I get bored. Or maybe bored is way too offensive so let's use, uhmmmmm, until I get too much of it.

Now, don't be confused. I am not talking about songs here but instead, I am talking about groups that kept on debuting from side to side, right or left, north or south, up or down, west or east. Kind of out the step right? But what I am trying to say is that, there were too much groups that kept on debuting wherein some of them were being underrated. That was when I have stopped. That was from 2012 actually. Beyond 2012, I don't know all of the groups that kept appearing on TV except of course those groups coming from the Big 3 (YG, JYP, SM) like EXO, WINNER, RED VELVET, GOT7. It was not that I do not know them but I didn't pay much attention to them because like what I have said, there were too much. I don't even know the existence of BTS (2013) which is by the way the currently worldwide trendsetter and representative of Korean music, and NU'EST (2012) that actually debuted almost the same time as EXO.

Now, for all the K-Pop fans who might read this, most especially to EXO-L's or ARMY's, I am not saying I don't like your group or don't even know their existence in the K-Pop scene but I am simply stating I didn't pay much attention to their music because of too many new releases from new and fresh idol groups. I actually appreciate their music and actually started coming back to being a K-Pop lover.

But when did I really came back on stanning a boy group or a girl group? First, let me explain what does stanning means. Stanning means buying all the goods of a K-pop group from official albums to official merchandise to even unofficial goods released by co-Kpop fans. It also means following all the group activities from concerts to fanmeetings to music shows to variety shows to Korean dramas. Literally, stanning means knowing all the group members by name, by nicknames, by heart no matter how many members they have in the group.

For me, stanning a group is totally different from listening to a group. For example, you listen to a new song release from a group and you liked it but that doesn't mean you will also like the group. Maybe you will do some research about the groups background but not totally memorize all of their adventures and activities, even just the members' names. It will be enough for you to just know the name of the whole group who sang the song, period.

But in stanning a group, no matter how clumsy the song release will be, for you, their new song will be awarded the best song of the year in spite of the tight competition. For you, their album is the best ever album out there even if there are a lot of other good albums in the market. For you, no matter what the members do or whatever decisions they make, you will accept them wholeheartedly. For you, they became your inspiration in continuing to live and dream to the fullest.

That is what I exactly felt when I started stanning a group named SEVENTEEN but only have thirteen members! 😂😂😂😂😂

Actually, like what I have said, I didn't know Seventeen since debut to which by the way they debuted way back last May 26, 2015. I heard their group's name and even actually watched one of their live music show which was Pretty U. But I didn't actually finished watching it and didn't appreciated the song well. Now CARATS don't be mad. I'll explain. Or maybe the explanation was already discussed above. I had stopped liking new groups and paid little attention to them. So please, co-Carats please be a little bit understandable. 🙏🙏🙏

Now, how did I get to know them again and actually paid attention to them? I am a little bit apologetic of how I get to know them again but it was because of Produce 101. Remember IOI? Who did wrote IOI's last song before disbandment? It was Woozi. But did I know him before? It will be a lie if I say yes, so yeah, I didn't know him at all. Now here comes Season 2 of Produce 101 to which I got to know a lot of handsome and talented guys but one group stand out the most, NU'EST, Seventeen's sunbaes.

They debuted way back in 2012, I think just right after EXO did. But they were underrated. They participated in the show for a second chance. And thankfully they achieved it through hard work. But how it was related of getting to know Seventeen? Here's how. If my memory served me right, Dong Ho (Baekho of NU'EST) once said in an interview in PD 101 that they were jealous of the popularity of Seventeen and that they wish, one day NU'EST will get the same recognition as what Seventeen has.

I got curious. Why were they more popular than their seniors? Who are they by the way? Who is Seventeen? Then my curiosity brought me to knowing them. In timely, Seventeen released a new album by that time, around last week of May. It was ULGO SHIPJI ANHA or DON'T WANNA CRY. The first time I heard it, "Oh its good. I like the genre." Then I decided to watch their live. Second thing I know, I was amazed by the choreography so I thought, "Okay, they are really good."

But then again, I hesitated to know more about them. Why? Because there are too many members in the group and because I was traumatized. I doubted myself I would even listen to the group ever again so I just appreciated their music. But then again! I couldn't stop myself but to watch again their live performances on that certain song. So I challenge myself. If I will remember all of their names and recognize their faces, then I will give myself a chance to know them better. And so I did.

I memorized all of the names of Super Junior members for about 6 months, Girls Generation members for a about the same number of months and EXO members for a year. But for Seventeen, well it only took me a day to memorized their names and remember their faces.

So yes, I dig more about them and that was when I knew they actually have sub-units already. A Hip-Hop unit, a Vocal unit and Performance unit to which each unit encompasses members of the group who have the specialty of rapping, singing, and total performing. "So each member has actually time to shine," I thought. Unlike other groups that only one or two members really shine on stage and only them are being recognized by a lot of fans. It was the first time I saw a group that actually divided their image into fairness. And I was actually shocked that even the Chinese members have moments to shine. So I said, "Okay, so maybe I can stan this group."

So I researched their songs, listened to every track they had to which was very rare for me to do it since I only listen to the title tracks of every group. And I actually appreciated all of their songs. That was actually a sign that I am gradually stanning the group since like what I have said, in a group, I only listen to their title tracks and ignore the rest of their songs in their album. With of course, exception to my already biased groups. Then I dig more more information about them until I came across with their rings.

"So what's with the ring?" My curiosity about Seventeen got deeper. And so I learned the ring was considered to be their bond ring, a symbol that they are members of Seventeen. And I realized, the bond is deeper than what I had expected. Why?

Here's the thing. I think I mentioned this above. I was traumatized that was why I hesitated. Why was I traumatized.? It was my first heartbreak in K-Pop. My favorite member of the group left. And that was Jessica leaving Girls Generation. Then rumors spread as to why she left the group and those rumors doesn't really sound good. I began to question their bond. Despite all the rumors, I trusted them that their bond was stronger than any words coming out of every stranger and every hater. But that was when it hit me. She left. They accepted it. That was the end.

So I basically stopped knowing new groups because what's the point of it if one member leave the group then another one then another one until the group disband. It is like creating a new group with members who just wanted to debut but doesn't really care about each other. I don't really know what happened to GG and I may not have the right to judge what really happened but as of now, I think I understand what really happened and that their bond was overshadowed with something else. For Sones, I guess you might want to carefully see things around the group you adored.

So I doubted in stanning Seventeen. But my curiosity overshadowed it. Because there is a question that I want to know.

"How far will they go together as a complete group? How far will their rings bring them to the future?"

I want to see it. I want to witness it.

2NE1, my ultimate bias group disbanded. But I told myself even before stanning them, there would be a time they would go on their separate ways. But will the bond remain? And so it did. 2NE1 is still there supporting each other and their bond go beyond the group's name and popularity. They do not fear to show their bond is destined by faith.

For Seventeen, I want to see their future. They always say that their rings are very important. They actually don't even take it off no matter what they are doing. And I witnessed it. I want to see how far their bond will be. That even if the time will come for them to make a very hard decision, I want to witness the bond they will create beyond their idol image.