melissa johnson
@mjohnso.bsky.social
⭐ k-pop writer
⭐ writing at http://blog.mjohnso.com
⭐ writing at http://blog.mjohnso.com
Continuining my unofficial series on k-pop brand-building in Japan in the early ‘00s, I wrote about the compilation albums, K-BOX ~Korea Music Collection~:
Red/Blue
The entertainment agencies invested in cultivating a market for k-pop in Japan in the early aughts understood that building the brand required a multi-pronged approach. One of these prongs, as I have....
blog.mjohnso.com
October 1, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Continuining my unofficial series on k-pop brand-building in Japan in the early ‘00s, I wrote about the compilation albums, K-BOX ~Korea Music Collection~:
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. For the final Friday, I ended up back where I started
September 19, 2026 at 1:58 AM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. For the final Friday, I ended up back where I started
Was not expecting in 2026 for us to get a Jewelry reunion with this lineup
쥬얼리 - One More Time [불후의 명곡2 전설을 노래하다/Immortal Songs 2] | KBS 260912 방송
YouTube video by KBS 레전드 케이팝
youtu.be
September 14, 2026 at 1:35 AM
Was not expecting in 2026 for us to get a Jewelry reunion with this lineup
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week’s pick is a deep cut:
September 11, 2026 at 7:59 PM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week’s pick is a deep cut:
Reposted by melissa johnson
Happy Labor Day from Nancy and Caroline Cash.
September 7, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Happy Labor Day from Nancy and Caroline Cash.
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week’s pick is Orange Caramel’s debut Japanese album:
September 4, 2026 at 3:07 PM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week’s pick is Orange Caramel’s debut Japanese album:
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week, for the last Friday in August I went with another KARA album (I have a good reason!)
August 28, 2026 at 3:01 PM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week, for the last Friday in August I went with another KARA album (I have a good reason!)
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week is one of my all time favorites (with a bonus view)
August 21, 2026 at 12:35 PM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week is one of my all time favorites (with a bonus view)
Yes, I have thoughts about the idol labor union but it also bears pointing out they didn't break this news. Two reporters, Shim Ji-yoon and Kim Seon-wood at Yonsei University's student-run newspaper broke this story back in March, when they confirming with Bang Min-soo that plans had fallen through
[사회·문화] 화려한 조명 아래 멈춰선 권리, 근로자로 보호받지 못하는 아이돌
지난 11월 연예계에서 반복되는 권력 남용으로부터 아이돌의 권익을 보호하기 위한 ‘아이돌노동조합설립준비위원회’가 출범했다. 이는 국내 최초의 아이돌 노동조합 설립 시도로 기대를 모았으나, 우리신문사는 22일 준비위원장이자 아이돌 그룹 ‘틴탑’에서 활동했던 방민수씨와의 인터뷰에서 노조 설립이 무산됐음을 확인했다. 아이돌이 근로자로 인정받는 길은 정말 요원한가...
chunchu.yonsei.ac.kr
August 18, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Yes, I have thoughts about the idol labor union but it also bears pointing out they didn't break this news. Two reporters, Shim Ji-yoon and Kim Seon-wood at Yonsei University's student-run newspaper broke this story back in March, when they confirming with Bang Min-soo that plans had fallen through
Reposted by melissa johnson
A former K-pop idol attempted to form the industry's first labor union for performers, but gave up within nine months after attracting only two people as members in a business where the balance of power with agencies leaves few willing to speak up.
www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/one-id...
www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/one-id...
One idol tried to unionize K-pop. Almost no one followed.
A former Teen Top member withdrew a proposed idol union after it drew only two listed members, exposing fears over agency power and legal uncertainty.
www.koreajoongangdaily.com
August 17, 2026 at 4:43 AM
A former K-pop idol attempted to form the industry's first labor union for performers, but gave up within nine months after attracting only two people as members in a business where the balance of power with agencies leaves few willing to speak up.
www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/one-id...
www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/one-id...
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week is from my favorite (former Secret member):
August 14, 2026 at 11:10 AM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week is from my favorite (former Secret member):
I'm good for one piece about a summer music video a year, and this year I wrote about Sunmi's "Forever July":
Ode to Summer (Music Videos) Pt. 3
In k-pop, summer music videos are cyclical.
Tied to the arrival of the season—although there are the inevitable early and latecomers—every year they are released without fail, transcending...
blog.mjohnso.com
August 5, 2026 at 11:07 PM
I'm good for one piece about a summer music video a year, and this year I wrote about Sunmi's "Forever July":
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week's pick is a quintessential summer pick in honor of the last day in July—Joy's From Joy, With Love
July 31, 2026 at 11:42 AM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week's pick is a quintessential summer pick in honor of the last day in July—Joy's From Joy, With Love
Kangnam's J-Pop Remake project is taking another big swing for their second song choice
[Special Clip Teaser] 한로로 (HANRORO)_ 잔혹한 천사의 테제 : J-POP REMAKE Vol.2
YouTube video by 동네친구 강나미 [Kangnami]
youtu.be
July 29, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Kangnam's J-Pop Remake project is taking another big swing for their second song choice
Reposted by melissa johnson
A government-backed K-culture festival has revived a question that follows Korean pop culture abroad: how much of it was the government's doing?
www.koreaherald.com/article/1082...
www.koreaherald.com/article/1082...
Who really built hallyu?
A government-backed K-culture festival has revived a question that follows Korean pop culture abroad: how much of it was the government's doing? The question wa
www.koreaherald.com
July 28, 2026 at 7:06 AM
A government-backed K-culture festival has revived a question that follows Korean pop culture abroad: how much of it was the government's doing?
www.koreaherald.com/article/1082...
www.koreaherald.com/article/1082...
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week's pick, about 10 days shy of its 11 year anniversary, is Wonder Girls' Reboot
July 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week's pick, about 10 days shy of its 11 year anniversary, is Wonder Girls' Reboot
For my Q2 debut review, I wrote about performance videos, the ongoing evolution of the trainee system, and a TikTok survival show:
Quarterly Debut Review: Q2 2026
Quarterly Debut Reviews are a supplementary series to my annual Periodic Rookie Group Reports, which are published quarterly. Each installment covers three rookie groups that debuted over the past...
blog.mjohnso.com
July 22, 2026 at 8:13 PM
For my Q2 debut review, I wrote about performance videos, the ongoing evolution of the trainee system, and a TikTok survival show:
Happy birthday to this masterpiece of an album! (17 years young!!)
July 21, 2026 at 1:41 AM
Happy birthday to this masterpiece of an album! (17 years young!!)
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week's pick is in honor of my fellow KARA fans RESCENE and their first music show win (and pink gloves because iykyk):
July 17, 2026 at 11:24 AM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week's pick is in honor of my fellow KARA fans RESCENE and their first music show win (and pink gloves because iykyk):
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week’s pick is from Sunny Hill:
July 10, 2026 at 11:16 AM
All summer during my Friday commute I am listening to a different album from my collection. This week’s pick is from Sunny Hill:
This just keeps getting better
'COMEBACK' RESCENE (리센느) - Pretty Girl #엠카운트다운 EP.936 | Mnet 260709 방송
YouTube video by Mnet K-POP
youtu.be
July 9, 2026 at 6:30 PM
This just keeps getting better
This is so much better than the last time a group tried to do a cover of a KARA song (and I love that they kept the choreography mostly the same)
July 8, 2026 at 4:49 PM
This is so much better than the last time a group tried to do a cover of a KARA song (and I love that they kept the choreography mostly the same)
Reposted by melissa johnson
Red Velvet mini album will be released on Aug 3rd 6PM KST, with the title track 'Surfin Boy' 🏄♂️
The album will contain 5 songs. Digital and physical album will be released separately. Preorders will start today 💸
#RedVelvet #레드벨벳
#VelvetSummer #RedVelvet_VelvetSummer
The album will contain 5 songs. Digital and physical album will be released separately. Preorders will start today 💸
#RedVelvet #레드벨벳
#VelvetSummer #RedVelvet_VelvetSummer
July 6, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Red Velvet mini album will be released on Aug 3rd 6PM KST, with the title track 'Surfin Boy' 🏄♂️
The album will contain 5 songs. Digital and physical album will be released separately. Preorders will start today 💸
#RedVelvet #레드벨벳
#VelvetSummer #RedVelvet_VelvetSummer
The album will contain 5 songs. Digital and physical album will be released separately. Preorders will start today 💸
#RedVelvet #레드벨벳
#VelvetSummer #RedVelvet_VelvetSummer
All summer during my Friday commute (although this week because of the holiday, technically it is from my Thursday commute) I am listening to a different k-pop album from my collection. This week is KARA's second (and most successful) JP album Super Girl
July 3, 2026 at 11:25 AM
All summer during my Friday commute (although this week because of the holiday, technically it is from my Thursday commute) I am listening to a different k-pop album from my collection. This week is KARA's second (and most successful) JP album Super Girl