my favorite songs of 2019

You might remember that I usually include a music section in my monthly wrap ups, talking about the songs I listened to most or fell in love with during said month. Music is a huge part of my life. I honestly don’t know what I would do without my Spotify subscription… I listen to music constantly: when I get ready, when I commute to work, during work, while cooking, while working out… There’s an appropriate song or playlist for everything. So I figured I would share some of my favorite songs of 2019. The ones that had an impact on my year, and I can vividly remember listening to on repeat.

BTS – Dionysus

Let’s start with my most listened to song of 2019, shall we? I fell in love with this dynamic song from their latest album. It’s so energetic and gets me ready to take on the day. I find with BTS that it’s well worth listening to all the tracks on their album thoroughly, because I often find myself loving the other tracks more than the title track (not that I dislike Boy With Love, don’t worry).

A.C.E – Under Cover

The song that started my love for A.C.E. This song is so my style that I knew I would end up listening to it non-stop within the first few seconds. The combination of rock and hiphop is fantastic. Catch me listening to it on repeat in 2020 as well.

Taemin – Want

Listen, Taemin is the king of sexy songs. This came out in February 2019 and I still listen to it pretty much every day. It just doesn’t get boring! If you haven’t watched Taemin’s solo songs (which would surprise me), please do. You’re truly missing out.

Jonas Brothers – Sucker

It’s the return of the Jonas Brothers!! Need I say more? This video is so adorable as well, and it makes me happy to see how well these men have found their way in life. They are loved, happy, and making music together again. What more could a fan want?

BTS – Pied Piper

I know that this is not a 2019 release, yet I can’t leave it off the list. It’s another one of my most listened to songs of last year. I guess they did their job well, creating a song that you cannot resist 😉

MAMAMOO – Hip

Listen, these women are incapable of creating bad songs. They are so talented, work so hard, and deliver at every point in time. I might have a crush on every single member. Especially Wheein.

Angèle – Balance Ton Quoi

Angèle is a queen. This is an incredible song, both in terms of the music itself and the lyrics. If you don’t speak French, please turn on the English CC! You can’t miss out on the meanings in this feminist anthem. I wish I could have gone to her concert, but it sold out immediately. Next time!

ONEWE – Regulus

Ever since their debut Reminisce About All, I kept my eye out for this band. I adore bands, and I don’t know enough Korean ones. This song absolutely blew me away. It wasn’t what I expected whatsoever, yet it’s so good. I can’t wait for their next release, whenever that may be.

Stray Kids – Chronosaurus

Chronosaurus might be my favorite Stray Kids song to date. It’s so hauntingly beautiful. I absolutely love this group. They are not afraid to experiment with their songs and albums, sometimes resulting in a song that seems chaotic at first until its brilliance hits you like a brick.

Seventeen – FEAR

A more recent release, but another favorite from SEVENTEEN. I can’t wait to see these guys perform in March! Their songs are always epic, their choreographies growing more impressive with every comeback. They have never let me down.

DAY6 – Time of Our Life

DAY6 is one of my all-time favorite bands. They are also incapable of creating a bad song. I saw them live last January, and will see them live again this January. Worth every single cent, it was one of the best concerts of my life. It may seem ridiculous to you but one of the reasons I love this upbeat song so much is that they all seem so happy while performing.

ONE OK ROCK – Stand Out Fit In

Lindsey actually introduced me to ONE OK ROCK in one of her monthly wrap ups. I always look at her wrap ups because a) she’s one of my favorite bloggers and b) our taste in music is so similar. I was blown away by Stand Out Fit In, and proceeded to listen to their entire album (Eye of the Storm) on repeat. I love literally every song on there, and according to Spotify it is one of my most played albums of the year.

---

I have so many other songs I could have included here, but I tried to narrow it down a number close to 10. It ended up being 12, which I’m quite happy with. I think I want to create some more music related posts this year, maybe my favorite bands, solo artists, female artists, groups, male artists, etc. Please let me know if you’d be interested in that! I want to create the posts, but would feel kind of sad if no one actually cares. 

Which songs made your 2019? 

2018 ranked | songs I’ve played on repeat part 2

Last week, I posted my first ‘songs I’ve played on repeat’ post featuring some of my most listened to K-pop songs of 2018. I realized it best to split the posts up when I tried to write down all the songs I feel deserve a place in this ‘2018 ranked’ post. I listen to music all the time, so I didn’t think it fair to only choose 10 songs in total. While I talked solely about K-pop last week, I’ll talk about music from other countries today.

Here are some more songs I kept playing last year! These weren’t all released in 2018, I just listened to them last year. Thank the universe I live alone so I don’t have to annoy anyone else by constantly listening to the same songs. 

Moulin Rouge – El Tango de Roxanne

I don’t know why I suddenly became obsessed with this song in 2018, since I didn’t even rewatch the movie. This song is just so epic, and I could listen to it again and again. Especially the part where everyone is screaming at the end and it’s just one powerful battle in your ears.

PENTATONIX – Havana

I know everyone got sick and tired of listening to Havana, but Pentatonix released their cover of the song in February 2018 and I absolutely adore it. I always love their songs because their harmonies are truly out of this world, but this one has stuck with me throughout the entire year.

BLØF ft. Geike Arnaert – Zoutelande

I know this song was released at the end of 2017, but even in 2018 you couldn’t go anywhere in Belgium without hearing this song on the radio. It grew on me, and I still listen to it every now and then. I also heard Zoutelande has seen quite the increase in tourism after the release of this song!

The Weeknd – Call Out My Name

Another artist who can do no wrong in terms of music, in my opinion. I don’t even know what to say at this point, because I’m sure absolutely everyone has heard this song before. If you haven’t, how is that possible?

Avicii – Feeling Good

This song was used in an episode of Sense8, and I had to look it up immediately so I could add it to my playlist. It’s an incredible cover of Nina Simone’s song Feeling Good, and the way they blended the song with the show itself was mind-blowing.

Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?

A song that’s 5 or 6 years old this time around! I don’t know why I suddenly started listening to Do I Wanna Know? again, but it happened.

Lady Gaga – Always Remember Us This Way

You knew I’d have a song from A Star is Born on this list, didn’t you? I watched this movie last year, and this song truly touched me. To me, it was the second most memorable song of the entire movie. Although a lot of people preferred Shallow, I thought Always Remember Us This Way was the right song to add to my playlist.

Lovers in the night
Poets trying to write
We don’t know how to rhyme
But, damn, we try
But all I really know
You’re where I wanna go
The part of me that’s you will never die

Matt Bloyd and Colton Haynes – A Million Dreams

Another song from a musical, I’m well aware. I actually prefer this cover by Matt Bloyd and Colton Haynes to the original. If you didn’t know, A Million Dreams originally comes from the movie The Greatest Showman, which I’d highly recommend watching if you haven’t done so already.

The Oh Hellos – Hello My Old Heart

I came across this song in a Spotify playlist with music ideal for calming baths – I can’t remember the actual title, sorry. I think this song is quite ‘old’ already since this video was posted in 2011 but I had never heard it before. It’s absolutely beautiful though.

Ariana Grande – God Is a Woman

Could I really make a list without adding Ariana Grande to it? While I’d say her song thank u, next was even more popular than this one, I’m quite partial to God is a woman.

---

There you have it! An additional few songs I kept on playing in 2018. It’s a mix of old and new songs, which I’m really happy with. Have you heard these songs before? Which are your most played songs of the year?

2018 ranked | songs I’ve played on repeat – K-pop edition

Obviously, this edition of ‘ranked 2018’ will be a bit different. I can’t post all the music I listened to in 2018 from my least favorite to favorite because the post would be endless. Just the thought of doing that gives me nightmares… Instead, I’ll talk about some of my favorite songs of the year! The ones I’ve played over and over again, and don’t seem to get sick of.

Not all of these songs were released in 2018, I just happened to listen to them during said year. I also didn’t rank them, so I guess this is an unranked episode of ranked.

When I started compiling this list, I realized just how many songs I’ve truly loved this year and knew I had to split this up in several posts… This is part 1: the K-pop edition.

NCT U – Baby Don’t Stop

The long-awaited comeback of Ten. Baby Don’t Stop and Boss are the songs that truly got me into NCT’s music. I wasn’t a huge fan of their previous songs, aside from Cherry Bomb, but this one absolutely blew me away. Ten and Taeyong’s chemistry is through the roof, they work so well together. This song came out in February 2018 and I’ve been listening to it ever since.

NCT U – BOSS

Like I mentioned earlier, Boss is one of the songs that actually introduced me to NCT. I’d heard of them before, but didn’t listen to them much. I knew from the first second of this video that this song would be more my style, and I wasn’t wrong. I finally learned the members’ names after Boss, and that’s when I fell into the black hole that’s called being a fan of this group.

EXO – Electric Kiss

I know that this is technically a Japanese release and album, but EXO is still a Korean group so I’m putting it in the K-pop category. I feel like so many people skip over Electric Kiss because it wasn’t a full MV/a Korean release but I absolutely love this song. It’s one of my favorites from EXO, to be honest. Plus, the dance practice is so satisfying to watch.

EXO – Love Shot

The comeback we’d been waiting for. I know they came back with Tempo after a year (more than a year?) and I do love that song as well. However, it’s not as catchy as Love Shot. This song got stuck in my head constantly after its release in December. Sidenote: can we appreciate how good everyone looks in this MV? But especially Kyungsoo. There, I said it.

Stray Kids – District 9

2018 was truly the year of Stray Kids. This group is so talented and hardworking, I can’t believe they only debuted last year. They’ve created some of my favorite songs, and the messages they put out to the world are wonderful. District 9 is a song that always manages to hype me up.

Stray Kids – Voices

Like I said before, the messages Stray Kids put out in the world through their songs are fantastic. If you haven’t listened to their music yet, please give this song a try. Don’t forget to turn on CC to read the English subtitles!

MONSTA X – Destroyer

In June 2018, I was lucky enough to see Monsta X in concert in Amsterdam. I can’t give you an MV of Destroyer because it wasn’t a title track and therefore doesn’t have one. However, this is one of my all-time favorite Monsta X songs. Partially influenced by I.M, since his rap verse in Destroyer is my favorite.

MONSTA X – Tropical Night

I wasn’t really aware of this song’s existence before going to the concert in June. When they performed it, however, the atmosphere and vibe the song created was so incredibly nice. I’ve been listening to it ever since, and it always puts me in a good mood.

DAY6 – I Need Somebody

If I had to choose 2 DAY6 songs to listen to for the rest of my life, I Need Somebody would be one of them. This song gets me every time. It never fails to make me emotional. It honestly feels like I’m listening to it for the first time every single time. Besides, the lyrics are so relateable.

DAY6 – I Like You

Before you ask, yes, this would be my second pick. I Like You was the song that made me a fan of DAY6. I’ve listened to it hundreds of times, and I’ll continue to do so for years. It’s just SO BEAUTIFUL.

DAY6 – Shoot Me

And finally, a 2018 DAY6 release. Shoot Me is once again very different than their previous songs. I feel like DAY6 changes the style and genre of their songs with every comeback, yet they never fail to sound like a ‘DAY6’ song either. They haven’t had a single comeback I didn’t love. I’m fairly certain they’re incapable of making bad songs.

iKON – Killing Me

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to Killing Me. I know that Love Scenario is their most popular song, but I don’t love it that much. Killing Me is more my style. If you haven’t listened to iKon’s music before, maybe give this one a go! Also, B.I looks so good in this MV. He truly is killing me.

Mamamoo – Egotistic

MAMAMOO is probably my favorite girl group at the moment. Their songs are catchy and beautiful, their harmonies incredible, and the amount of talent these women have is out of this world. Egotistic is one of my favorite songs from MAMAMOO, and I listened to it countless times in 2018. Can’t forget to mention how insanely gorgeous they all are. Girl crush right here.

ASTRO – Always You

Always You was quite a different release for ASTRO. The group tends to focus on more of a ‘cute vibe’ which is evident in their songs Baby and Crazy, Sexy, Cool. Their previous releases had been upbeat and adorable. Always You has a more serious tone, as it’s a message from the group to their fans. Thank you for waiting for us, I’m sorry we couldn’t be back earlier. Due to the problems the management of their company, Fantagio, had faced.

Chanyeol x Sehun – We Young

MORE EXO! Well, part of EXO… Chanyeol and Sehun came out with their own song last year, and I was here for it. This song is upbeat and fun, which is exactly what I needed. Don’t sleep on this release, everyone!

SUPER JUNIOR – Otra Vez

K-pop and Latin music combined their powers in Super Junior and Reik’s Otra Vez. Super Junior has been around for quite a long time, and here’s the reason why. They still make fantastic music!

ATEEZ – Pirate King

Rookies on the list! ATEEZ debuted in late 2018 with the songs Pirate King and Treasure. I absolutely love both debut songs, but I listened to Pirate King a tad more often. These guys are so talented, and I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store for them. P.S. they’ve already released a new song Say My Name which is fantastic too. 2019 is clearly going to be their year.

Sunmi – Siren

Is Sunmi the only solo artist on this list? Well, she deserves a spot of her own because this woman is fierce. Gashina might be her most famous release but I adore Siren too. She came out with this song in September 2018, and it has been playing on repeat in my head ever since.

Big Bang – BAE BAE

Bae Bae might be the oldest song on this list, but I couldn’t not include it. Every K-pop fan has heard of Big Bang, the ‘Kings of K-pop’. While I was familiar with them and knew some of their songs, I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t know all that much about them. I started listening to Bae Bae after going to The Rose’s concert in Berlin where they performed a cover of this song. It has such a good vibe! Never mind this weird af music video though. I’ll definitely rectify my past mistakes and learn more about Big Bang in 2019.

---

Obviously, I listened to a lot more K-pop songs than only these but I think it’s safe to say my 2018 was shaped by these songs. I’ll make a part 2 of this list soon where I’ll talk about the other music (thus not K-pop) I listened to in the past year. Have you listened to any of these songs? Who’s your favorite artist? Let’s talk about it!

 

Life wrap up | everything I watched, listened to, and did in September

It’s time for another ‘in the life of Jolien’ post today, as September comes to an end. Let’s talk about the movies and TV shows I watched, the music I listened to, and the things I did in the past month!

Deadpool 2 – 3.5/5 stars
I watched Deadpool 2 on the plane to South Korea, as I had quite a long flight ahead of me. I was so excited to see this movie on their entertainment offerings list, because I had been waiting for ages to watch it. Somehow, I never ended up going to the theater to watch this, even though I loved the first Deadpool movie. I did really enjoy this, and it definitely made me laugh at times. But I didn’t love it as much as I did the first one.

The Dragon Prince – no rating yet, but definitely liking it so far
I saw everyone on Twitter talking about this new animated Netflix show, so I decided to give it a go myself. I’ve watched three episodes so far, and I’m really enjoying it! I feel like I can’t truly give a detailed opinion or rating yet, because I’ve watched so little of it. But I’m planning on continuing the series soon!

Chanyeol x Sehun – We Young
We have been waiting on an EXO comeback for a while now, so I was really happy to see Chanyeol and Sehun put out a song together! I adore this song, and I’ve listened to it so many times in the past month.

AOA – Bingle Bangle
Listen, I’m not usually into the cutesy concept so I wouldn’t have started listening to this song on my own. But it was playing on the TV during breakfast at the hostel I was staying at in Seoul and man, is this song catchy. I’m not kidding, it’ll get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Good luck with that!

Quite a lot has happened in September! For example, I turned 24! That’s right, my birthday has come and gone once again. I am now almost a quarter of a century old. Yay!

On September 4th, I left for my solo trip to South Korea and Thailand. As I am typing this, I am in my hostel in Busan waiting for the rain to stop. So on the 4th, my dad drove me to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam (about a 2,5h drive). I had to wait in the airport for a few hours, and then had my first flight (of 2,5 hours) to Helsinki. Another 2-hour wait later, I was on the plane to Korea, which took about 8 hours. All in all, it was a long day.

I spent 3 weeks in Seoul, and loved every second of it. Honestly, it’s such a great city! There’s so much to do and see, I could’ve stayed for years and not grown tired of it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have years. On September 27th, I took the train to Busan (fortunately without zombies), where I currently am. In a few days, I’ll move on to Jeju and Bangkok before going home.

It’s been a busy month, but I’ve had so much fun discovering Korea. I can’t believe so much time has passed already…

---

That was my month of September! How was yours?

 

What I Watched, Listened to & Did in July

I’m making a separate post for my July wrap up this month, mostly because it would’ve been an incredibly long post otherwise. So let’s take a look at what I listened to and watched during July 2018, and what I did.

It’s time for some more music!

ASTRO – Always You

I feel like Astro is a criminally underrated K-pop group. They usually have pretty cutesy songs, which isn’t all that common for boy groups. This comeback however is a lot more mature. I believe it’s due to the problems their company, Fantagio, has been facing. Maybe they even believed they’d never have a comeback again, or maybe their group is still in danger due to the company’s problems. I’m not sure, but I would recommend listening to the song anyway. It’s really good.

Avicii – Feeling Good

This song was used in a Sense8 episode and I have been listening to it for months. For some reason, I keep coming back to it.

SEVENTEEN – Oh My!

I’m going to be honest, this is not my favorite SVT comeback. Seventeen is one of my all-time favorite K-pop groups though, so I’ve still been listening to this song. It’s quite different from their previous ones.

I watched quite a few more episodes of Rich Man, Poor Woman at the start of the month. I haven’t caught up with the show yet, mostly because I’m not super into it. I like it well enough while watching, but never have the urgent need or want to start watching again. I do quite like the main actress! While I love Suho as well, I don’t adore him in this.

Then I started watching Queer Eye. I wasn’t excited about this show at first, because who really needs more transformation reality tv? But then I saw how many people adore this show, and how emotional it made them. So I figured I’d give it a try. I was hooked immediately. I managed to watch all the episodes in the span of a week and I can’t believe there aren’t more to watch now.

I really want to listen to Queer Eye’s Jonathan’s podcast now, because I just love his energy and positivity! Have you listened to it?

July was an important month for me because I really got in a better mindset during the past month. Most of that is due to one thing: I started my yoga practice again. I had been neglecting yoga for about a year, and I always had trouble getting back onto the mat. During the month of July, I started Yoga With Adriene’s True series. The difference in my practice this time is that I went into it with an open mind. I didn’t get angry at myself for being less flexible or not being able to hold positions for a long time. I was just proud of myself for showing up and doing my best. And that had such a big effect on my life. My anxious feelings lessened, and so did my self-doubt. I slept better and got a lot more done during the day. Overall, my mood was a lot more uplifted and positive. I have been slacking a bit for the past few days because I haven’t been in the best mindset, but I’m feeling much better today and I know I will show up on my mat again tonight.

The second exciting thing I did in July was go to YALC! I absolutely loved my time at YALC last year, and this year was no exception. I met so many great authors like Becky Chambers, Holly Bourne, Tomi Adeyemi, Alice Oseman, Alwyn Hamilton, and more. They were all such kind and wonderful people! Definitely worth it, even though the queues were insane at times.

One of my favorite things about YALC is getting to meet all these wonderful and kind bookish people. Here are some incredible people you should definitely follow, if you don’t already:

• Alessandra: a wonderful and kind Ravenclaw who everyone should get to know
• Jane Kelsey: such a fun and amazing woman who fangirled with me over the celebrities we saw at YALC -and who has a beautiful bookstagram account!
• TJ Lubrano: another wonderfully kind and funny woman who creates the most beautiful illustrations

---

So that was my month of July! Or at least, the part I feel comfortable sharing right now… How was your month? Did you watch any good shows or movies? Did you listen to any great songs and podcasts? Let me know!

 

June Wrap Up | What I Watched, Did and Listened to

I didn’t read anything during June. That’s right! No books for me. That’s also why I didn’t include “what I read” in the title of this post. I just haven’t been in a reading mood (although it might be coming back while writing this). But I still wanted to let you know what happened in my life in the past month. So let’s get into the other stuff! 

I did it. I finished watching season 2 of Sense8 days before the series finale came out. And then I watched the finale, and became incredibly emotional. This is the best show ever and it shouldn’t have been cancelled. I’m kicking myself for not watching it sooner. My favorite character? So hard to choose… I do love Wolfgang. And Sun. Honestly, if you haven’t watched this show, please do. It’s so good.

I also watched a few episodes of the new Korean remake of Suits. I didn’t really know what to expect of this remake, and how they would adapt the American show to Korean culture. To be honest, I started watching this because of Park Hyung-sik… I’ve only seen a few episodes but I’m enjoying it so far! I keep trying to compare new characters that pop up through the episodes with their American counterparts.

BLACKPINK – DDU-DU DDU-DU

I can’t tell you how happy I was to see Blackpink come back with another song! They look like badass queens in this MV, and I will support them forever.

DAY6 – Shoot Me

DAY6 COMEBACK TIME! DAY6 has become one of my absolute favorite groups, which is really saying something. I think they’re top 3 for me. This song is quite different than all their previous works but it’s so so so good.

Monsta X – Tropical Night

Monsta X might be another top 3 group for me. Care to find out the third one? I’ve been obsessed with Monsta X this month but more on that later. I don’t know why this song specifically has been stuck in my head for ages but that’s just the way it is. It was a song I never really used to pay attention too, and now it’s always stuck in my head. I just enjoy the chill vibe and playfulness it has.

Monsta X – Destroyer

I don’t think there’s a MV for this song so I’ve included a lyric video. Another Monsta X song that has been stuck in my head for weeks.

So what happened in real life?

In the beginning of the month I visited my grandparents at the seaside. I’m not usually a fan of the Belgian seaside, to be honest. But my grandparents usually spend about 2 months a year there so I went for a visit with my mom. As always, ate a lot of great food with some wonderful company.

Probably the most exciting thing to happen this month was a concert. I went to Amsterdam to see Monsta X in concert. I was so excited to see one of my favorite groups live. The waiting in line was a nightmare (seriously) but it was so worth it. The concert was absolutely amazing and they blew my expectations out of the water.

Took this picture right before the concert started. During the concert I was way too busy having fun, shouting along with the songs and cheering them on. The crowd was so pumped and full of energy and the guys were incredible. The songs were perfect, the choreography amazing and their special stages… wow. I was not ready for Hyungwon’s and I.M’s dance stage to Charlie Puth’s How Long.

Obviously, June marked the start of the football craze in Belgium. Football is one of the biggest sports here, so the world championship is inescapable. I’m really enjoying watching the games, even though some of them are not good for my nerves and heard (looking at you, Belgium vs. Japan).

---

That was it, really. That was my month of June! How was yours?

 

 

May Wrap Up | Books, Music, Movies and TV Shows

Moonrise by Sarah Crossan // ★★★★ // I read this in a matter of hours. I think it’s the first novel I’ve read that is written in verse. And if it isn’t, the last one must have been so long ago I’ve completely forgotten about it. This was a really beautiful read, yet so rough at the same time. It’s about a boy whose brother is on death row. It forces you to think about death row, the death penalty, innocence and how to truly prove that someone is guilty. I’d highly recommend it. 

A Close and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers // ★★★★ // After reading The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet I knew I had to read the sequel immediately. I was bit surprised to realize that it’s actually a companion novel! It follows Pepper and Lovey, and I can’t really say more without spoiling part of the first novel. Although I truly enjoyed this novel, I didn’t love it as much as the first one. Still, I absolutely adored learning more about Pepper, and Lovey’s life brings a lot of interesting debates on tech to the surface. I can’t wait to meet Becky Chambers in July (at least I hope I will), because she’s a true genius. 

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli // ★★★★ // You knew this would be on the list, didn’t you? After falling in love with both Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and The Upside of Unrequited, I had to read Becky Albertalli’s latest release as soon as possible. Once again, I was completely blown away. Every time I think Becky Albertalli can’t make a character more relatable, she proves me wrong. I don’t identify as bisexual, yet so many aspects of Leah’s character are familiar to me. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because of the way Leah reacted when someone came out to her. I believe that could’ve been handled differently. Every other aspect of this book was absolutely incredible, and I love it endlessly. (IT WAS SO ADORABLE!)

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee // ★★★★ // From an adorable read like Leah on the Offbeat to a realistic and horribly sad one like Pachinko. I saw this book on a BookTubers “favorite books of 2017” list and thought it sounded really interesting. Side note, I can’t remember whose video that was so if you did put Pachinko on your favorites list and I have commented on your video, feel free to let me know so I can refer to your video! This book follows 4 generations of one family through 8 decades in Korea and Japan. It starts in 1911, shortly after Japan annexed Korea, in Yeongdo. This book hit me hard. It is so sad and honestly, not many good things happen to this family. It’s an incredible novel though, and I would still highly recommend it. It taught me a lot about Korea’s history, as well as the lives of Koreans who moved to Japan after the annexation and how they were treated. 

I started watching Sense8 again. I don’t know why I stopped watching for a while, because this show is absolutely incredible. I’m currently finishing up season 1 and am hoping to move on to season 2 immediately afterward. 

I also watched 2 episodes of Rich Man, Poor Woman. This is a K-drama that stars Suho from EXO! Not going to lie, that’s why I started watching. However, I’m enjoying the female lead even more? Ha Yeon-Soo is so beautiful and seems so kind. This is a remake of a 2012 series, if I’m not mistaken. I can’t really say much on the show yet, because I’ve only seen 2 episodes but I do want to continue watching. 

I binge-watched Just Between Lovers this past month. This K-Drama was just so incredible, I couldn’t stop watching! It’s a very sad story though, and will play with your emotions. But if you haven’t seen it, please go do so. Won Jin Ah was absolutely gorgeous in this drama, and I can’t wait to watch her in more movies and/or shows. And can we talk about Lee Junho for a second? Because wow… 

I’m currently also watching Between, a Taiwanese drama. It’s about a “sandwich” girl, which I believe is a girl who is always stuck in the middle. At work, she’s stuck between the management and the employees because she’s a supervisor. And obviously, she’s stuck between two guys as well. I’m quite enjoying this drama, although it’s so utterly cheesy at times. I can handle a bit of cheesiness or clichés, but this has a lot of them. It just makes me laugh after a while. BUT I’m enjoying it enough to eagerly anticipate new episodes (and subtitles). And can we talk about how beautiful the female lead is? I feel like I’ve said that multiple times, but really, her smile is so adorable. 

And the most exciting news of the month? I won 2 tickets for an early viewing of Love, Simon! I know what you’re thinking. Jolien, that movie has been out for months? What do you mean, early viewing? Well, in some countries it was released in March. Yet in Belgium (and I believe the Netherlands too) Love, Simon is only scheduled for release on June 20th. Which means I got to see it a month before it hit theaters here. It was everything I could ever have asked for. I will be going to the cinema once it does release, pay for a ticket and watch it all over again. I want to watch this movie a million times (and support it with my money). 

DAY6 – I Need Somebody

I have been in love with DAY6 for months. Moonrise might be one of my favorite albums, in fact. Partly because of this song. Not only is it absolutely beautiful, the lyrics are incredible too. I understand this song and the feelings behind it so well, it’s a bit terrifying to be honest. 

MOMOLAND – BBoom Bboom

A completely different song, but I have been loving it. It makes me want to dance every single time I hear it. 

BTS – Fake Love

Obviously, this was going to be one my list. I don’t think anyone is really surprised here. I’m really enjoying BTS’ new comeback and I’m digging the songs. I have to admit that some of their “older” songs are still my favorites. I have a special place in my heart for Silver Spoon and Blood, Sweat and Tears in particular. 

---

What did you read, watch and/or listen to this past month?

My April Wrap Up

I’m back with another monthly wrap up! I’ve finally started reading again, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco // ★★★★ // This was a re-read for me. I read this for the first time in 2016, before its release, and absolutely loved it. When I got my pre-order of the sequel, I knew I had to re-read this one first because there was so much I’d forgotten. I still adored it the second time around -and it actually helped get me out of my months-long reading slump.

The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco // ★★★★★ // After re-reading the first book, I was ready for the sequel. I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint at all! Rin Chupeco mentioned that The Heart Forger is about loving someone despite their flaws and disagreements – about how living separate lives does not mean the lessening of bonds. What an accurate and wonderful summation of this book. 

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller // ★★★★ // I read this one for work, to be honest. It’s a very interesting read though! I’d highly recommend it.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo // ★★★ // I’m sad to say I was a bit disappointed by this. Yes, I knew going in to it that it was based on K-dramas and romance and that those tend to be a bit cliché and over the top. No hate here though, because I love K-dramas!! I wasn’t prepared though for the absolutely ridiculous levels the MC went to. Honestly, she was a danger to humanity. Yes, it was cute and fluffy too. Yes, I loved learning more about her Korean-American background. Yes, I adored her dad. But that wasn’t enough to make up for the fact that she did seriously dangerous things without them having true consequences.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers // ★★★★.5 // I FINALLY READ THIS. I’ve had the first two books om my shelves for almost a year now, and I still hadn’t read them. Now that Becky Chambers will be at YALC though, I knew I had to read them. And so glad to say this didn’t disappoint. It was incredible, and it forced me to think about things I never really considered before.

Circe by Madeline Miller // ★★★★★ // The long-awaited second novel by Madeline Miller. You knew I was going to read this as soon as possible. Once again, didn’t disappoint. Did I love it as much as The Song of Achilles? No. Do I think she wrote an amazing novel about a woman who had been vilified in mythology and made you see her in a different perspective? Yes. 

This has become one of my favorite sections, to be honest! 

I don’t really think I need to say a lot about the podcast I’ve been listening to, Buffering the Vampire Slayer, because I’ve made an entire post about it. You can read that one here, if you’re interested.

SONGS

B.A.P – Hands Up

I know that this isn’t a new song, but I’ve only recently started listening to it! I’ve actually only recently started getting into B.A.P. I’m not familiar with them yet, but I do want to dive more into the group, because I feel like they’re kind of underrated.

NCT 2018 – Black On Black

Well, no surprise there. NCT has been killing it in 2018, and this might be my favorite one yet. I know there isn’t really any singing in here, but the performance is just so good.

Eric Nam – Honestly

Eric Nam is another artist I feel is criminally underrated. He has so many amazing songs! Many of his songs always put me in a good mood, like this one. 

Ten – New Heroes

Ten might be my NCT bias. Sorry, Taeyong… He’s just so talented. Not only is he an incredible singer but he’s such a talented dancer too!

EXO-CBX – Blooming Day

So many amazing songs this month! I also loved EXO-CBX’s comeback called Blooming Day. Such a fun rhythm. Again, it’s one of those songs that just puts me in a good mood. 

---

That was my month? What did you read and/or listen to?

January Wrap Up | What I Read, Watched & Listened to

It’s been a while since I’ve done a true wrap up post on my blog… But I’m back, and talking to you about everything I read, watched and listened to this month! Well, not everything I listened to, but the highlights. You understand, right? Let’s get into it. 

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp // ★★ // This was quite a disappointing read for me. I loved her debut novel This Is Where It Ends, but this one just wasn’t for me. I’ve written a review on this one and why it didn’t appeal to me which you can read here, if you’re interested in my thoughts on this book. 

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor #1) by Mark Lawrence // ★★★★.5 // I’m so glad I finally read this one! It was my first Mark Lawrence book, and I will definitely be reading more of his works. I loved this story about Nona, a girl who joins the Convent of Sweet Mercy (ASSASSIN NUNS! POISONER/SPY NUNS!!!). Again, I’ve written a full review on it, which you can find here. 

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio // ★★★★.5 // This was a completely random pick at the library. The cover and title intrigued me, so I decided to take it with me. This book was such a pleasant surprise. I can see why they’d recommend it to fans of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. I’ve written a full review one this one too which you can find here. I’m trying to write reviews on all the books I’ve read this year. Last year, I read so many books that I never reviewed, which makes me sad. I’m trying my best this year. 

Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown // ★★★★★ // Will I ever be the same again? NO. This book was such a wild ride, and I can’t believe it ended where it ended. I’ll never be the same. What’s going to happen? I’m frantic, people. I need to read Morning Star soon.

 

I finally watched the last episodes of Lucifer season 2. Now I just have to catch up on season three! 

I also managed to watch the entire K-Drama I Am Not a Robot. This was so adorable and so much fun to watch! It’s about this guy who is the director of KM Financial, a big company that buys and sells other companies. For the past 15 years, he’s had a severe allergy to human contact which means he’s been alone for an incredibly long time. Then a team of researchers comes to him with a new invention: a robot that looks human – successful and operating Artificial Intelligence. Some things happen and instead of getting the robot, he ends up with the girl the robot was based on without knowing it. SO MUCH FUN!

Baby Driver by Simon & Garfunkel has been stuck in my head ever since I saw the Baby Driver movie back in December. It’s just such a fun song, and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. It’s very different than the music I would usually listen to, which makes me appreciate it even more. 

DAY6 – I Like You. I feel like DAY6 is such an underappreciated group in the K-pop industry. They’re so so so good! I actually came across them because Jae, one of the members, has his own YouTube channel (it’s called JaeSix) that I stumbled across. He seemed really charismatic and fun, so of course I had to check out their music. Promptly fell in love with this song and bought two of their albums – Sunrise and Moonrise. 

EXO – Electric Kiss. The album (and thus the song) were only released on January 31st, but the dance practice has been live since the middle of January. I’ve watched this countless times, not only because I adore to watch (EXO) dance practices, but also because I happen to adore this song. 

---

That’s it, the highlights of the month!
Have you read any of these books? Watched any of these shows? Listened to any of the songs? Let me know, because I’d love to talk about them with you! 
What were your January highlights?

2017 Favorites | Songs & Music Videos

I thought I’d try something different today. As you know, this is a book blog. But I’ve also used this platform to talk about my favorite TV shows and movies before. Today, I want to talk about something I’ve been neglecting for years: music. So let’s take a look at some of my favorite songs and music videos of the year!

2017 was the year I fell into the K-Pop black hole. It’s pretty much all I’ve been listening to for months, so expect quite a lot of this list to be K-pop… 

ALEX & SIERRA – YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I WANT

These two have made this famous song into such a slow and hauntingly beautiful one! It’s astonishing to think this is the same song as in ‘Grease’. They’re so talented. 

ARTY FT. ERIC NAM – IDEA OF YOU

Eric Nam is a Korean-American singer, and I’m such a fan. I’ve had several of his songs on repeat during 2017 but this remains one of my absolute favorites. The entire song is in English, by the way.

BTS – BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS

This was the first BTS song I fell in love with, and started my love for K-pop. I discovered this at the same time as I did ‘Not Today’. While I do love their new album (especially Go Go) and older stuff too, there’s just something about this one that makes it my favorite.

EXO – THE EVE

I think The Eve might be my favorite EXO song to date. I love many of their songs, but there’s just something about this one in particular that calls to me. I’ve included the dance practice video here because this one doesn’t actually have an MV. Plus, the dance practice is excellent.

HKEEM & TEMUR – FY FAEN

I discovered this because it was featured in an episode of Skam! I don’t speak Norwegian at all,  but I’m fairly certain fy faen means ‘holy fuck’ or ‘damn’ or something along those lines? Anyway, it’s a great song. 

JEAN-BAPTISTE MAUNIER – JE REVIENS

I’ve loved this song for a while. I think I’ve been listening to it since it was released in 2015? I’m still not tired of it. He’s a genius. 

LUIS FONSI FT. DADDY YANKEE – DESPACITO

I couldn’t leave this off the list, now could I? This is just such a wonderful song, and it never fails to make me smile. Also, no, I didn’t listen to the Justin Bieber version. Fuck that. The original version is just so much better.

MONSTA X – BEAUTIFUL

I adore this song, and I ADORE the music video. They’re all just so talented and beautiful…

OUR LAST NIGHT – SHAPE OF YOU

This is a rock cover of Shape of You (originally by Ed Sheeran) by Our Last Night. This was my introduction to Our Last Night, and I’m so glad I found them. I’ve come to love many of their songs!

SEVENTEEN – DON’T WANNA CRY

SO MUCH TALENT IN ONE GROUP. Also, so many people. I love every single person in this group, though. 

---

That’s it. Some of my favorite songs of 2017!
I could’ve made this into an impossibly long list but I tried to contain myself.
Have you listened to any of these songs? What did you listen to in 2017?