Hi everyone!

You read the title, you know what I’m going to say; today, September 13th, is the two year anniversary of Married To The Music. Two years ago, I sat down at my desk and scribbled some half-thought out commentary about (G)I-DLE’s newest album on a yellow notepad, needing something to listen to while I started my first desk job. And then, because, at the time none of my in-person friends were big kpop fans, I decided to put it online (on Tumblr), thinking “hey, maybe someone will read this, it’ll probably get like three views, two of them will be my parents because I bullied them into it,” etc, etc.

Imagine my absolute shock when I got a notification that someone had not only read it but took the time to comment. And then more people did. And then more. Someone messaged me asking what the next group I’d cover was going to be, and I went: holy shit. People care? People…want to read my commentary? Huh.

Fast forward two years, and not only am I still writing reviews, but people are somehow still reading them. I’ve covered over a hundred different groups, typed up an eyewatering 400,000 words of rambling about how much I love harmonizing and how much I hate anti-drops, and have somehow gotten tens of thousands of views.

I know this is going to sound hokey, but I can’t believe that this little blog my absolute weirdo of a high school self thought up one day while bored at my desk job has turned into this. Into something I look forward to writing and publishing every week, or, even crazier, into something other people look forward to reading. (Still including my parents, who I don’t even have to bully about it anymore! Wild!)

And that’s only part of it. I’ve met so many lovely people through this blog that I never would have come across otherwise. I’ve become a fan of so many groups I never would have taken the time to check out without it: Le Sserafim, BoyNextDoor, ONEWE, Lucy, Super Junior, the list goes on and on. I’ve made friends who support my interests and share them, and were willing to spend their Sunday afternoons eating popcorn on my couch and reacting to kpop songs with me, willing to come with me to concerts and scream their lungs out in a language they don’t understand.

I’ve started learning Korean, and despite still being terrible at it, I enjoy every bit. Just this year, I spent a month studying and traveling in Korea, possibly the most life-changing month of my…uh…life? (Isn’t my writing just amazing, guys? Genuinely can’t believe you’re subscribed to this.)

All this is to say that Married To The Music has genuinely changed my life, and for once in my life, I don’t really know what to say. (She says after writing ten paragraphs). But I suppose I could start with thank you. Thank you for reading, of course. Thank you for subscribing, for liking, for commenting, for sending messages. If you’ve ever read a review and left me a lovely note, please know that I screenshot them all and keep them safe in a folder for whenever I’m feeling down. Thank you for being a small part of this meticulously color-coded ramble-filled nightmare of parentheses, em dashes, and references to obscure German musicals that no one’s ever heard of.

To be brief (editing Anna has a coughing fit in the background): Thank you so, so much. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings–but whatever happens, I hope you keep reading.

All my love, Anna

Thank you. 너무 감사하게도. 太谢谢了。Muchas Gracias. ありがとう ございます。Merci Beaucoup. आपका बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद. Maraming Salamat Po. And, of course, Vielen Dank.