AH! LOVE for Joshua: Musings for Shua Who Shines Brighter Than Stars

Guess who's turning 29 this month? Wait, you're so right! It's the biggest and brightest star, Joshua Hong from SEVENTEEN. Joshua is a Korean-American member of SEVENTEEN. He is the third eldest member, a singer, songwriter, and visual on top of that, and he's also a member of the vocal unit in the group. Joshua was born on the 30th of December, hailing from Los Angeles, and joined Pledis Entertainment in 2013 and successfully debuted as a SEVENTEEN member in 2015. 

Four years ago, as I was randomly scrolling through my phone, I saw a video compilation of him showing his so-called ‘nyorong’ smile. I had to pause halfway because I found myself smiling from ear to ear. “Who is this man, and why is he so beautiful?," I asked myself as I continued to watch a 7-minute clip of a grown man smiling. That very same day, I was enchanted by his smile. He made me search for his group, and there he was with all his beautiful smile; I found his name! He is Joshua from SEVENTEEN. Little did I know, that was the beginning of my wonderful years as a K-pop fan. 

Joshua is the epitome of peace, warmth, happiness, and love. He is a person with so many interests in life. He is the embodiment of pure adoration. He exudes charm that makes everyone in the room smile. Sure, he is love personified, but if you dig deeper into his dedication in his craft, you will absolutely love him more. Joshua's voice is the closest to heaven that you can get in this timeline. He sings so well. He dances gracefully. He has a pretty face—if elegance was a person, then it is definitely him. If being an ace isn't enough, he also has the best personality in the group. A perfectly balanced wit that will make everyone laugh, charm that makes you treasure him as your bias, and he knows how to set boundaries to his fans, which I think is amazing. He's like the best idol to ever be. If loving a job was a person, then it is Joshua Hong.

If you think that every lovely thing has been written in this write-up, you're actually wrong, because did I ever mention Joshua sharing his thoughts and giving motivation to his fans? Well, not yet, but let me tell you one thing: his words are healing and comforting. When he participated in a podcast called Mindset by Dive Studios, he shared some tips on how to stay calm, shared positive words, and shared tips that help him cope whenever he's having a hard time. My personal favorite that helped me a lot was the episode entitled “When Life Gets Tough." His words even went viral on TikTok as locals felt his sincerity in his words, and it was just relatable that everyone shared their burdens with his voice as background audio. 

Although Joshushushu's (Joshua's sub-fandom) claimed this month as Shua-cember and all of his wishes should be granted, I can't help myself but wish for a Joshua single, too. Joshua has perfect vocals, a distinct vocal color, and a sweet voice in general. His voice deserves to be heard by everyone. We all love hearing Joshua in SEVENTEEN as much as we love his song covers and a few OST’s but we absolutely need more. We may or may not receive a new Shua & Cook episode, a new selca, a digital single, an Ariana Grande or Jeff Bernat song cover, a dinner picture with Jeonghan, and a TikTok with Scoups (iykyk), I am still wishing him good health, a happy heart, and genuine happiness, as he, of all people, deserves only the best that this world could offer. 

For Joshua who shines brighter than the stars, may you continue sharing your music, smiles, and light to us Joshushushu's and CARATS! Happy Shua Day~