Pre-orders for LOONA Mini Album Vol.4 [&] Launched ... & Navigating Kpop Albums
Pre-orders for LOONA's 4th Mini Album [&] launched today Friday June 11th via multiple sources at 3pm KST - including direct from BlockBerry Creative via blockberrycreativeshop.com, and I've snagged mine via ktown4u.com. The release was announced last night, alongside the reveal of the Tracklist for the album, and I had been biting my nails since. The FOMO is REAL, people! LOL
In lieu of posting the entire package and prices (as each region and locale might be priced differently from each other), I have instead decided to share my personal takeaways from the launch of pre-orders for LOONA's 4th Mini Album [&].
There are 4 Versions (A ver. / B ver. / C ver. / D ver.) - which replicates their [12:00] releases - which were my first ever purchases of LOONA, and I'd posted individual albums here:
[12:00] B Version
[12:00] C Version
[12:00] D Version
The "format" seems largely the same, except for the inclusion of new printed collectible carded items. These are what will be included per Version:
- Cover, Content page , CD: 1p (images varies with version)
- 100 page Photobook (images varies with version)
- Photocard : random 3pc out of 36pcs (images varies with version)
- Sticker : 1pc ( Same images for different versions) *Why do I feel this is for Chuu's and Yeojin's sake? :p
- Calendar : 12p(1set) (images varies with version)
- First Press Limited Poster : (images varies with version) *additional poster tube need to be purchased/added.
(The above listing is from Ktown4u.com, as are the images, some of which I have reformatted here, for my own blog-layout preference, thanks).
Interestingly, out of the 4 Versions, two of the "full line-up" images has since been revealed ("Version B" and "Version C"), while the A-Version will be a group shot of these reveals, and a 4th Concept Shoot as yet to be revealed (blurred in images here), which really intrigued me as for the reason "why"? Does it reveal something intrinsic to the LOONA-lore/story? Or just a visual aspect of their styling which we will see for the first time in relation to "Paint The Town" as a Stage Performance or MV look?
Interestingly, the silhouetted color tones reminded me somehow of their "[+ +] / favOriTe"-era looks/styling...
There is also a "Kit Album" version of [&] - which features a single cover (Thank goodness), plus the following:
*Kihno Content
- Version : 1
- Package / Air Kit : 1pcs
- Title & Credit Card: 1pcs
- Postcard : 1pcs
- Photocard : 26pcs (!!!)
A quick google schooled me on what exactly was a "Kihno": "It is an audio (not only, but more about it later) device. You can compare it to an old school cassette tape or an LP record. But of course it's not an analog but a digital audio format (if we can call it like that). But don't be mistaken. It doesn't contain any data (at least any audio data). It just gives you the access to the digital version of the album through a special application. The audio content has to be downloaded by the app through your Internet connection." (Much More here). Great.. Another new technology to test my rigid oldmanass ... but the "26pcs of photocards" (??) certainly is appealing!
As for being able to access the content, I'll not hold my breathe (sad but ultimately true), and await a kind soul online who'll do a video walk-thru, thanks!
As featured earlier, the following is the tracklist, and I wonder of the Visualizer featured on the list I posted earlier will be replicated in the Kihno-file...?
1. &
2. PTT (Paint The Town)
3. WOW
4. Be Honest
5. Dance On My Own
6. A Different Night
7. U R
Releases 2021.6.28 pm6 (KST)
loonatheworld.com
YouTube Channel
twitter.com/loonatheworld
facebook.com/loonatheworld
instagram.com/loonatheworld
weibo.com
blockberrycreativeshop.com
INTRODUCING LOONA
LOONA & on TUNESTALKSG
LOONA on TUNESTALKSG
I am admittedly "new" to the concept of purchasing and collecting Kpop albums. Back when music shops where still prevalent in Singapore - the days of HMV, Tower Records, Sembawang Music Centre, and all manners of brick-n-mortar shops selling physical music, with the odd cassette tape offerings - I used to loose myself at listening booths, and flicking thru albums from names I've not heard or know of. And even then, purchasing a CD literally was fuss-free with no frills. You get a jewel case, with foldable inserts, and a disc of music, that's it. This entire music hobby-blog is predicated on music CDs hahahaha
I do not know for sure, but my imoressions of "more than a CD"-style of packaging came in the form of additional booklets of prose, lyrics and images, particularly from Eastern (Chinese, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japanese, and yes Kpop) back in the early 2000s - I'll share some of my CD-flip thru videos when I can :p
And even when music shops dwindled to non-existence, there were still sprinkles of CD albums still available at DVD shops, and even bookshops - prime example being Popular Bookshops in SG!
Fast forward to the now, as I have begun the arduous journey to track down LOONA's earlier discography - which I cannot get anywhere besides online, while BLACKPINK and IU can still be had at my sole locale where there literally is a shelves of Kpop, along with mainstream brands, and the commercial names. For all intents and purposes, LOONA is not necessarily considered "mainstream" in the eyes and years of the average public, IMHO. But tio be fair, I am alone in this here in Singapore (at least), so I remain uncertain of its popularity here :p
The concept of "photobooks" and "photo cards" were foreign to me, in the context of buying a music album. "Photobooks" I can understand, like a publication of fashion and lifestyle images, I can relate. I have in times of my life consistently purchase interior design magazines like Wallpaper, with "only" interior designs to look at, so I will in no way disparage fashion publications.
And of times I have chosen to film opening CD jewel-cases and investigate the inserts, is a direct precursor to the entire menagerie of a music album package these days, IMHO.
The notion of "Photocards" reminded me of stacks in boxes found in display-locker-rental shops here in y island country, filled to the brim with images of idols - be it Kpop to Jpop, and I wonder how legit are these phone-card sized photo-prints? But again I will not baulk as I used to heavily collect non-sport trading cards, so it is somewhat same difference.
But to have them all apart of a music CD album purchase? The thrill of random photocards pulled is something I can absolutely appreciate and understand, but the need to figure out photobooks and contents, at times baffle me.
Or simply I cannot read that good lah. Heh.
When I see the listing for [++] in A and B Versions, I see different covers, yes ... but are the interior pages the same? I blame collecting comic books the most - for years I have devoured comic books, and knowing variant covers are only wrapped on the OUTSIDE, while the interior pages are exactly the same, is engrained in my jaded old-man brains.
So when I see a listing for Odd Eye Circle's MAX&MATCH repacked album, I immediately thought; "Oh, change cover only lah! Inside still the same, right?" ... lucky I snagged the one with newly added songs, but the photobook featured different images for both versions. Thank goodness for loonatheworld.fandom.com, OMFG! And neither am I in a position or situation where I can afford to buy everything, so yes, research is needed to track down what you need, what you think you need, and what you don't know you needed, until it is "Out Of Stock".
Understandably there are all physical and tangible items, and are perhaps different from digital downloads and content - I wouldn't know as I've never tried otherwise.
From needing to "just listen to the music", to "oh this is a swell photo card! YAY!", my collecting arc and habits has evolved, and realised my stack of CDs is no longer enough ... If only they'd re-stock+reprint "[X X]"...
ADDED: If for any reason you do not want to purchase their album via regular source(s), or for when availability is scarce (if you happpen to find this blog-feature later :p), the following are listings on Amazon (with a noticeable price difference), for your considerations, cheers.
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