Too much to handle atm

Despite the incredible amounts of views that I've been getting from my KPOP STAR WATCH episode recap posts, I have not been able to update on the show since my February reading week. There was too much to do and I have been struggling to even find time to keep up with the show.

I apologize to those of you who have been enjoying my recaps. You haven't been leaving many comments, but I know you're out there :) However, this hiatus will continue until the end of April when my exams are over, and we'll see where this goes from there.

Thanks for reading, hope you are all doing well.

KPOP STAR WATCH: Part 2 of the Battle Auditions

Part 1 of the Battle Auditions
This episode featured three more of Battle Audition rounds with only one left to go.

Group 3


YG's Nicole Curry
JYP seemed to try and show off his ability to speak English by talking to her in the first moments while on stage.... YG noted that it had been only 2 days since she took off a brace from her leg, to which BoA complained about how hard he was working his contestants. I found it hilarious to see Papa YG singing along to Nicole's song.
BoA: There's always a great amount of confidence in Nicole's performances, but her singing abilities aren't up to par so it took away from the performance.
YG: Best attitude and expressions when singing, but singing abilities are weak. Great at one, so weak in the other.

JYP's Choi YeGeun
YG - This song was number one in the audition shows, so the judges will be looking for how original she makes it.
BoA: most refreshing version of Rolling in the Deep; it always sounded as if others were trying to copy Adele but YeGeun delievered in her own style.
JYP: comments about specific music-beat-rhythm-related stuff that I didn't get... its not just her singing that's super talented, but her musical abilities are also very outstanding.
JYP didn't want her to do Rolling in the Deep because now everybody's sick of it but she started singing it and she sounded too good so he let her do it.

SM's 2000 Won
BoA believed they needed a girl voice in the performance so she helped by directly lending her voice to the recording. They've become more determined than ever to show off their true identity, after the last couple of disappointing performances.
I personally think they did a great job with their version of the lyrics.
YG: Anybody will see that their rendition of JYP's Although I Have a Girl... was the best. He added that it was questionable as to whether this performance would be competitive out on SBS Inkigayo.
JYP: What's different about you from all of the other singers out there?
BoA: A fight of ideas is so difficult. Appreciative of how they created a performance that was very much true to their identity.
YG: Just remember that all artists that that same struggle trying to find a new and creative performance every time. its not something that only you!

Results

1st: Choi YeGeun
JYP: There was a brick wall that we hit with both acts; Nicole's singing abilities and 2000W maybe you used all your energy already. But there is a more probability that we can get new ideas than a sudden increase in her abilities
YG's favourite contestant
2nd: 2000W
3rd: Nicole Curry

Group 4
JYP This group has a bunch of bad habits, so the judges are looking for how different they had become.

JYP's Andrew Choi
Boa: We have a problem. I can't watch you as a judge, I can't help but watching you as a girl. Who wouldn't fall in love with you?
YG: His voice definitely improved, but if he had pulled it out as a secret weapon and used it in the end it would've been more impressive.
JYP: He got rid of his bad habits in just a week; usually it should take a couple of months. The fact that he could fix these habits in this such short time was an accomplishment enough.

SM's Choi HeeTae
He was first so well praised, but he started to more and more fall under the expectations. He didn't want to stand on the stage, but he thought again and realized how so many other people were jealous of his opportunity. So he wanted to bring what he brought in his first stage back
BoA -he lacked a lot in his singing abilities, so they just worked on bringing the best of his singing as possible
YG: He plays so well, but why is that his singing doesn't follow?
JYP: his voice has gotten a lot better, his habits from before started showing through near the end of the performance (mkaing faces)
BoA: his voice didn't crack! you improved a lot in those 2 weeks

YG's Seong SuJin
YG -most daring kind of performance;
She's never performed with movement or seduction, she seemed to gain some training with the girl group for how to move
JYP: He was sure that she wouldn't change ever, but he's starting to see how he was wrong (she starts crying!) The beat and feel were all great
BoA: now she's actually interested in the ballads that she sings because it seems like she can actually sing her story

Result

1st: Seong SuJin
2nd: Andrew Choi
3rd: Choi HeeTaek [I'm not a singer, and this is a stage that many singers want to stand on. Thank you; this is just the beginning of my musical journey]

Group5
Each of the contestants got compliments on their outfits but JinWoo seemed cheated out of the opportunity.
BoA promptly turned around and jokingly yelled "HEY STYLIST. WHAT IS THAT?! JinWoo.... go change and come back :(" ROFL

YG's Kim TaeYeon
JYP: Best technique, but worst performance in that your expression is so fake. It feels like watching a musical. Don't act!!
BoA: Your determination to do well took over
YG: I don't know who you really are, so it's hard to tell what you were doing in this performance.

JYP's Shin JiHoon
YG: I thought about what I would do if I were your father; would I make your do skating or singing? SINGING.
JYP: He told his trainees to write something personal to think about while they perform. She didn't perform thinking about that; she sang too quickly, lost the emotion

SM's Yi JinWoo
She's always performed in plays and stuff, but never had any training or lessons. Her major is architecture, but she became very serious in her desire to make it through
BoA: Secret weapon!
JYP: We lost to SM. It's a lot easier to move someone with a sad song, but it's a lot harder to move someone with a happy song. I think I became your fan
YG: How genuine the singer feels is so important and JinWoo brought it
BoA: Thank you for overcoming the fashion terrorism with your singing

Results

1st: Yi JinWoo
JYP: Neither of you did as well as before, so what we look for is who we would look forward to next time. There was a very little difference but JiHoon won
2nd: Shin JiHoon
3rd: Kim TaeYeon

Next week:

Racoon Boys vs. Yoon JuSeok vs. Kim DongOk & YiJuYeon
and the battle of the 2nd placers to determine the rest of the Kpop Star Top 10.

KPOP STAR WATCH: Part 1 of the Battle Auditions!

PART ONE OF THE KPOP STAR BATTLE AUDITIONS IS HERE!
In this stage of the competition, the judges are to narrow the group from 18 acts to the Top 10 acts that will compete on the live stage. This is a crazy stressful round for everyone because the number of contestants is basically cut in half.

KPOP STAR WATCH: Last casting auditions Pt2

Allllrighty! last round of the last casting auditions! The contestants that made it through this round will move on to compete in the "Battle Auditions", where the 18 acts will fight for the spots in the Top 10. From there, the Top 10 perform every week LIVE. I'm super excited!!!

KPOP STAR WATCH: Last casting auditions Pt1

Casting auditions 2 (Part 1)

AAH LAST ROUND OF CASTING AUDITIONS! The judges each have 6 casting opportunities from their pick of the contestants. This means that only 18 acts will go through, eliminating almost half of the contestants left in the competition.

KPOP STAR WATCH: The results of the first round of casting auditions... Pt. 2

Here we are, second part to the first casting auditions!
Because BoA seemed very focused on creating a super girl group this season, this seems to have dictated a lot of her casting choices. This didn't apply for all of her choices, but that is something she seemed to be set on and it streamlined a lot of what she was doing.

KPOP STAR WATCH: The results of the first round of Casting auditions... Pt. 1

I contemplated updating after the ranking auditions, but there were too many names and faces that I couldn't keep up with. I decided to keep up from the Casting auditions, because that's where we get to be more familiar with the contestants and actually see who are the core of this competition.

Group 1:  The Contract Couple Kim TaeYeon & Park JongBin
This was the first "couple" group that was put together as competition for the real couple group coming up next. Because they weren't a real couple but were expected to perform like one, they tried very hard (as seen in the BTS in the clip) to find the chemistry they needed. Kim TaeYeon was noted for her pretty voice during the ranking auditions, and sure enough was casted by JYP for her skills. Park JongBin however was the Sung ShiKyung look and sound-a-like, and for that reason despite everyone's efforts he was not casted.