This will be about me writing about anything that comes to my mind depending on my mood and the current events in my life. Of course, I will try my best to not be crude or offensive.
And it is that time again...more K-pop! Yaaaay!!! Or not, as I'm sure that some of you are probably over these entries, but it's my blog and nobody's forcing you to visit it. Besides, I haven't really had the time or energy to do much else that might be of interest to you faceless readers/visitors/lost souls.
So, let's just jump into it, shall we?
1. DIA - Mr. Potter
As exciting as a K-pop ode to Harry Potter might seem on paper, I was kind of disappointed by this song and video. It's pretty much your standard girl group fare, meaning that it's too cute for its own good, so it's not really my cup of tea. However, there's a reason that the cute concept keeps on getting recycled - obviously more than enough people enjoy it... I'm just not one of them.
2. Kim Juna - Summer Dream
Since I wasn't able to find the actual music video, a practice video will simply have to suffice in this case. If I've said it once, I've said it at least a dozen times: I am not a fan of the slower songs...but this is actually really good. Then again, it's not necessarily slow, it's more mid-tempo albeit slightly less impactful than what I usually listen to. Also, she has a very pleasant voice. It's slightly deeper and a bit on the husky side without crossing over into "cigarette/whiskey voice" territory. It's soulful, okay? So yeah, another perfect song for a lazy [insert your day of choice] afternoon.
I like 2PM, I do, but this isn't necessarily my favorite song of theirs. That being said, this is still a fairly decent song, so I can't really complain too much.
4. Yoon Mi Rae - JamCome On Baby
Even though Yoon Mi Rae has such a beautiful, soulful voice and presence, her songs are usually too slow and sad for me. Or as a friend of mine said, they tend to be too "ballad-y." However, this is easily the most interesting song and video of the past week. In addition to that, I just generally respect her for having both mad vocal and rap skills.
Considering how uneventful last week was in terms of K-pop releases, I have decided to stop at four songs/videos this time around. This also means that I won't be including any honorable mentions. Sooo, rejoice people. All I can do now is end this entry with the hope that this week will offer me a bit more variety, but I guess we'll see about that in my next post.
I know, I know...I'm late. However, I have my reasons. Reasons that will remain secret for another...2-3 weeks. And no, it's nothing super exciting, so you can all rest easy.
As for my favorite songs/videos from the past week, or at least those that I consider to be particularly noteworthy, I could easily fill out four of the five slots with Bobby and Mino...but for the sake of diversity I won't.
1. Gain - Carnival (The Last Day)
Just slightly over six minutes long, this is more of a short film than a music video. Even though Gain is better known for her epic eyeliner skills and massive sex appeal, I think it's great that she went a bit of a different route for this song. Granted, this isn't my favorite, but I do appreciate the 50s musical vibe.
2. FIVE RUN STRIKE - Round & Round
Oh hey, it's K-rock...or K-rock lite/diet rock/rock zero (some of the rock 'n' roll flavor, none of the calories aka sex and drugs?)...or K-pop/rock or something like that. While I do like this song, it would probably be too cute for me if it weren't for all of the guitars.
3. Clazziquai Project - #Curious (I'm Curious)
Yes, I realize that this video has Italian subtitles. Just ignore them and focus on the song, okay? Unless you want to practice your Italian reading comprehension skills that is... What's great about this song is how reminiscent it is of 70s disco. Then again, I'm usually a sucker for anything that sounds like it could be from the 70s or 80s. Other than that, this is a great song to dance or relax to.
4. Mino (from WINNER) - Body
I know what some of you thinking: What?! You're going to talk about Mino's solo release, but not Bobby's?! And to that I say: I'm only at number four, so how do you know that Bobby isn't next? Anyway, I like this song because it's kind of moody and yet also sensual in its own way. Also, I heard that the original version of this video was so racy that they had to edit out all of the good stuff and now there are plans to release an uncut version of it. Can you tell I'm excited? So excited...the uncut version had better be good though, otherwise it'll be 50 Shades all over again...
5. MOBB (Mino and Bobby) feat. KUSH (the artist, not the, uh, other stuff...) - Hit Me
Okay, fine...so this isn't Bobby's solo release, but technically I did include Bobby. And at least this way we don't have to look at him sporting dreads. Oh, what?! I like him better with his regular black hair... Ahem...anywho...it was difficult for me to choose which one of their two songs I like more because they both are quite good (and the more I listen to Full House, the more I like it), but Hit Me just lifts my spirits a little bit more. However, both are decent party songs...even if I'm not much of a public partier.
I can't really say that I'm too excited about the K-pop offerings from last week, but that's what happens when most of the really strong songs get released during the first half of the month. Let's see...there were Hyuna's and CL's comebacks as solo artists...then Black Pink debuted...and then BTS' Suga aka Yoongi aka Agust D released his mixtape...and in between there were a few other solid songs, but this past week has been kind of meh in that area. There wasn't anything that got me really excited...except for maybe Jay Park, but I'll get to that a bit later. Other than that, I've mainly been listening to metal or techno while out and about or to mashups and remixes when I've been at home. However, I still managed to find a few songs that might be of some interest to you guys.
Okay, so this isn't my fave, but that doesn't mean that it's not a good song. I mean, Lovelyz' Kei has a, dare I say, lovely voice and I like the interplay of the rap segments with her vocals. However, this is something I would listen to while relaxing or have it play in the background, as opposed to listening to it while I'm out running errands or exercising.
Say what?! Another slow song?!?! What's wrong with you?!?!?! Well...how much time do we have? I'm kidding, but this week was kind of full of slower song releases, so you're going to be seeing...at least one more of those in this post. This is a fairly sad song, but it does do a good job of describing the pain and worry one has to contend with when dealing with love. Ugh, feelings...so annoying, amirite?! (And no, I don't actually think that.) What particularly impresses me is that the song was co-written by Rap Monster from BTS, and while I initially couldn't really imagine the rapper working with this duo whose strong suit is their ballads, he pulled it off really well. So I will gladly listen to this sad love song...not all the time though because I...I just can't...
3 and 4. MAMAMOO subunits - Angel (Solar & Wheein) and Dab Dab (Moonbyul & Hwasa)
I like MAMAMOO. Granted, they're not at the top of my list when it comes to picking out workout songs, not unless they're remixes, but they do have great voices, a ton of personality and are unexpectedly dorky and pervy, so all positives in my book. While Angel is another one of those slow songs that are perfect to listen to on a calm, relaxing afternoon (assuming you can afford such a luxury), Dab Dab would be right at home in a lounge setting. And yes, I was expecting something slightly more hardcore or edgier from the two rappers in the group, but this is actually fairly typical of the group's sound as a whole, so no major complaints from me there.
And 5. *drumroll please* Jay Park - Aquaman (Warning: I wouldn't sing this out loud at work, unless you work at home, then sing along all you want.)
[Disclaimer: Don't be led astray by the title, this is not about DC Comics' superhero of the same name. It's about Jay Park's...uh...ability to hold his breath underwater. Yeah...we'll just go with that explanation.]
*slow clap* This. Song. Is. Amazeballs. This was actually recommended to me by a friend (and no, not that kind of "friend") and her main selling point was its amazing, nay astonishing, douchiness. And she was right and it's just glorious. It is kind of douchey, but in probably the best possible way. Besides, this is coming from the same guy who gave us the song Sex Trip ("Your ass will go up and your face will go down..."...what could he have possibly been trying to tell us with that line? Hmm...), so I don't know what exactly I was expecting from him. If you're annoyed by listening to lyrics you don't understand, no worries, because the whole song is in English. (Unless you don't understand English, of course...in which case, welcome to my blog!) However, once he says that he wants to call you mama because you're going to be making a baby, you just might end up wishing it was in Korean. That being said, there are worse songs out there. This one's actually kind of okay and it makes me laugh, so that's a plus. I would also say that you might like this song if you enjoy listening to Justin Bieber or Drake.
With that, I will wrap up this entry and hopefully, there is a song here that you like (either because it's something you enjoy listening to or because it's just plain amusing, sometimes that's more than enough). Feel free to let me know what your faves are, or even if you have a fave. Like I said, I thought the past week was kind of lackluster, but that's just me and my very humble opinion. Until next time and take care (especially if Jay Park invites you to join him in his hot tub and wants to show you his best Aquaman impression)!
To be completely honest, this past week wasn't really that exciting in terms of K-pop releases. Then again, I'm also comparing this to the last couple of weeks when there was a greater variety to choose from. However, that doesn't mean that I didn't like any of the songs that came out, so here are my faves:
1. Tymee - Cinderella
This is one of those instances where the video and song just don't quite line up for me. While I like the song, Tymee's rap skills are quite decent and she has one of those voices I really like, I feel like the video was more of an afterthought. Either the lip-synching doesn't quite match up or she's just not really matching her facial expression to the lyrics...there's just a bit of a disconnect. Also, can we talk about the outfit and "dance" for one second? I get it, she's a "hip hop Cinderella", but I'm getting some minor Lil Kim vibes from this outfit...although she is far less explicit than Miss Kim. I guess I just wanted her to dress more like her backup dancers. I don't mind the body suit per se, but it still strikes me as a bit of an odd choice. On to the choreography: What is up with the slow twerk and the slapping of the chest? I mean, sure, I think there are plenty of women out there who like to fluff their own pillows from time to time, be it for fun or out of sheer boredom (and no, I won't say whether or not I belong to that group), but I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of sense here. Then again, I have yet to look up what the lyrics mean, so maybe it would make more sense then... Like I said, decent song, could have done without the video.
2. Two X - Over
Eye candy alert!!! Like major eye candy...men with bulging biceps and chocolate abs (aka six pack abs) for days... So yeah, don't say Miss Bettina never gave you ladies and men-loving gentlemen anything. That being said, the group is comprised of four flawless-looking ladies, so there's pretty much something for everyone. While some/many/most might consider the sight of bulked up men to be droolworthy because, let's face it, they are very nice to look at, I found myself almost falling over laughing while watching this video. In fact, I still do. Why? Well, because they slow the speed down when they focus on the men. They focus on the movement of their arms while they're busy sauteing garlic and...shallots?...don't judge, I was too busy laughing to pay attention!...or while they're kneading dough. (And no, kneading dough isn't meant as a euphemism, the one guy is actually busy preparing dough for...pasta...or something like that...) Either way, it's a very memorable video and fortunately, the song isn't too shabby either.
3. ELO - Rose
This is just a great song to bliss out or slow dance to. I find myself swaying to the beat of it with my eyes closed every single time I listen to it. It's so great that I've put the whole album on my must-play list.
4. Kreatures - Some Say
Another slower paced song, this is also perfect to listen to while relaxing. I also applaud the video for including some homoerotic tension (and yes, I do realize that one could argue that similar types of tension are hidden in many other K-pop videos), although it is kind of creepy that we see a lot of it taking place in a parking garage with not only some strange dude standing outside of the car with a cigarette, but also the whole friggin' band playing nearby... But to each his or her own, amirite? Still, another great song.
5. Spica - Secret Time
I like Spica because they have some of the most solid and soulful voices in K-pop, or even in general, so I was kind of looking forward to this one. Granted, this isn't as good as You Don't Love Me (which I looove singing along to), but this is still a more than decent song.
And that is what I consider to be the highlights of yet another week's worth of K-pop. Hopefully, I have managed to pick at least one song that you guys can enjoy as well! Until next time!
A new week has started meaning that I get to look back at another week's worth of K-pop releases. However, since there are so many of them, maybe I should just whittle them down to the few that I deem to be particularly noteworthy...CL's Lifted not included. I'm sorry, but I just wasn't that into it. I like CL as part of the group 2NE1, but she just doesn't do it for me as a solo artist. Most of her solo releases have been more miss than hit for me. However, if you want to listen to a K-pop song that's completely in English or if you like the songs that are about getting one's drink or swag on, then you should absolutely look it up. And if you don't like that I'm not Team CL or that I don't want to suddenly get lifted with my shorties downing 40s, then go ahead and hate. It's like a wise woman once said: Ain't nobody got time for that!
Credit: starpolar.wikia.com
Anyway...if I'm not going to talk about possibly one of the most beloved comebacks of the past week, which I technically still did, then what songs made the cut?
1. BU - Heotdari
I'm actually not entirely sure how to transcribe the title, so I just went with what made the most sense to me, at least based off of what I've seen and what little I know of Korean. It's a very decent song and she does have a good voice. She kind of reminds me of Lee Hi, vocally speaking. Since she doesn't belong to one of the bigger companies, one can't really expect a super high quality or elaborate video. However, I still think they did a good job and it looks like they actually had fun, so that's always a plus. Besides, I appreciate the use of background dancers sporting some serious mermaid thighs. And yes, that was meant to be positive. 2. EXO - Lotto
Okay...yes...I do like this song. One moment you think you've outgrown boy bands and then they just manage to reel you in again...and again...and again... Granted, it's very heavy handed with the autotune, but that's intentional. Or at least I hope it is. I don't like this as much as Lucky One or Monster though because both of those were pretty great and catchy. That being said, I'm kind of amused by the baby baller/swag lite image that the group went for this time around.
It's rare for me to immediately be swept off my feet when I listen to a song for the first time. However, Suga did do quite a good job with his mixtape. And yes, I did actually listen to all of it, and because I'm such an awesome person, I will also share the rest of the songs with you. To be completely honest, Agust D and Give It To Me aren't even really my favorite tracks off of the mixtape (mine are 724148, The Last and Tony Montana...my brother would be so proud...), but they're both still worth listening to. Especially if you're into rap or hip hop, which aren't usually my go-to genres, but oh well.
4. Beatburger - Vagabond
This is probably a bit more up my alley or at least closer to what I listen to when I'm out and about or working out. It's also not really what comes to mind initially, when one thinks about K-pop. I would say that the sound is in the same vein as music from The Prodigy.
5. IMGL - My World/Hey You
Again, not really the most representative song of K-pop, but oddly enough this is closer to what I listen to when I'm out amongst the people. As for a Euroamerican equivalent, I would say that these two songs are fairly reminiscent of someone like Adam Lambert...albeit with a slightly more narrow vocal range and less power.
And now you can all resume hating me for not liking CL's Lifted. Either that, or you can go back to feeling mostly indifferent about K-pop.
Some of you might be surprised that I'm posting something about K-pop, but those of you who know a bit more about me might be aware that I contribute to a website about Korean music/TV/cinema/culture (you should be able to find the link in my links list on this blog). However, the question still remains: Why a post about K-pop on my personal blog of all things?
There are two answers to this: 1) Because I can discuss the newest releases in a way that I probably shouldn't on the other website, at least not without it being an op-ed piece. Besides, it's happened quite a bit that a new song has come out, but I don't notice it until a week later, at which point it's pretty useless to write about it. Those K-pop lovers are pretty much on it when it comes to release dates... And 2) Because up until the end of July, I had a standing lunch date with a friend every Monday and one of the topics that would inevitably come up would be the latest K-pop releases and what our personal thoughts on them were. Unfortunately, now that friend has left the country and probably won't be returning, that is if she can help it, so I am left alone with my opinions and nobody really to vent to. Outside of Facebook and a few very confused individuals in my inner circle, that is.
Of course, there's always answer No. 3, which is: Because I can and it's fun.
I will try my best to include posts about music that isn't K-pop, but since I already wind up paying more attention to this type of music out of habit/"necessity" anyway, it's just easier for me to write about songs that belong to this category.
So, let's get started, shall we?
1. B.A.P - That's My Jam
One of my favorite K-pop boy bands and groups in general, B.A.P also seems to be one of the overall faves of K-pop fans worldwide. They have both plenty of talent and personality, so it's always interesting to see what they can come up with for each new song and album. That being said, That's My Jam is not my favorite song of the week. It's a great party song, there's a lot of great energy, I know I'll have no issues working out to it and I do thoroughly enjoy the video (I mean, they spoof everything from reality and talk shows to whole channels to their own music videos...), but unfortunately, it came out the same week as Black Pink's debut songs (which I will mention here in a bit), and I happened to like one of those a tiny bit more.
This has probably been one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year...mainly because it's been several years in the making. I can't really say that I was too excited for this group though, but that's more than likely because way too many people were losing their isht over them. Now, before I move on to the videos (yeah, one song wasn't enough...they had to follow the trend of releasing multiple videos to multiple title songs), I'm just going to get something out of the way and the hardcore K-pop fans probably aren't going to like it: 2NE1 2.0. For those of you who don't get it, and nobody expects you to, 2NE1 is another group signed to the same company as Black Pink and up until May of this year, they also had four members. In addition to that, the sound is also kind of reminiscent of 2NE1. If you don't believe me, look up the mashup for Black Pink's Boombayah and 2NE1's Fire. There's a reason they go so well together. However, Black Pink, as pretty as they are, seem to have more uniform of a look than their seniors do. What I mean is, that the only one who, initially at least, really stands out is Lisa, visually speaking. Of course, those who are used to looking at these girls can tell them apart. The untrained eye would have a couple of issues figuring out who is who though. 2NE1, on the other hand, featured four uniquely different personalities and you could tell by looking at them. All points of comparison aside, I certainly wasn't mad at their debut. One can be as aggravated at YG Entertainment and its tendency to flake and procrastinate as one wants, but it did deliver in this case. Whereas Whistle delivered my favorite line of the week ("Make 'em whistle like a missile"), Boombayah has to be my favorite song of the week. And it also features the very relatable line "I don't want a boy, I need a man" because ain't that the friggin' truth.
4. I.O.I's subunit (oddly enough still called I.O.I because that's not confusing at all)- Whatta Man
I wanted to like this song and video more, I really did, but it kind of bothers me. The song is decent, I actually don't have any major complaints about the song itself. It samples Linda Lyndell's 1968 hit song (or if you're a bigger fan of 90s hip hop: Salt-n-Pepa's and En Vogue's cover version), which is what really drew me in, but the video...bothers me. First of all, the half-assed und mostly unnecessary hair flips. If your hair's up in a ponytail, you don't need to flip it! If you're already halfway across the room with your back turned to the intended target of your sassiness, no flipping of the hair! You missed your chance! And don't pick up your hair and then semi-listlessly drop it! But I can't really blame those girls, can I? The director probably wanted them to "switch it up" and "keep it fresh." Then, of course, there are the outfits and the dance. I appreciate that they tried to incorporate the Mr. Universe stance into the choreography, but what works for BTS (most of them at least) and their more pronounced biceps, doesn't really work for the slender arms of I.O.I. As for the outfits, the group's agency claimed that they had no idea why anyone would think that they were sexy. Well, umm, maybe it's because they stuck them in semi-tight leather outfits with some interesting harnessing details. Of course, it would be wrong to call the girls themselves sexy (even if I might have inadvertently done so in one of my articles...I know, I'm part of the problem, not the solution...I'm trying to work on it), especially considering that the face of the group (and yes, there is a face of the group...usually the most visually appealing one) is, as far as I know, still 15. Even if she isn't anymore, that would still only make her 16. So, to make a long story short, the song and concept probably weren't the best choices for the group. Sure, they have decent enough voices, but the song would have been a better fit for a group like Rainbow, whereas the concept is more up Nine Muses' alley.
5. INX - Alright
This isn't my favorite song. While I do appreciate seeing a man tied up and in a blindfold (oh what?! Are we really surprised by that statement?), and parts of it kinda sorta reminded me of MBLAQ's Smoky Girl, I wasn't really wowed by it. Maybe that's just because I'm comparing it to some of the other releases because it's certainly not a bad song. I'm just not as impressed by it comparatively speaking nor do I have that much to say about the group or the song and video (I know, you're all relieved by that).
6. J-MIN - Ready For Your Love
As some of you may already know, I am not the biggest fan of the slow jams. I have to be in a certain mood and in a certain setting for me to enjoy slower R&B songs or ballads of any type. However, I can still say that this is a good song and video. In terms of choreography, it's non-existent, which is always a nice change of pace for K-pop. And soundwise this reminds me of those pop songs from the early/mid 90s (you know, like Seal's Kiss From A Rose), which isn't actually a bad thing. J-MIN does have a beautiful voice after all. Even though it won't be a go-to song for one (or any) of my workouts, it is one of those songs that I enjoy singing along to or have playing in the background.
ERMEHGERD!!! Look at Jun.K and those yummy abs of his!!! I'm kidding...mostly. Of course, the guy shows off his body and why shouldn't he? It's part of his job, after all. I mean...I'm not entirely sure if he actually gets paid to take off that very sensible cardigan of his, but he's selling a fantasy to all of da ladies while singing about how he thinks about them. It is quite the sexy song, and if you like R&B in general or the music from his probably more familiar contemporaries Drake or Usher, you'll probably enjoy Jun.K's music too.
8. MONSTA X - Stuck
If I were to sing a song about this song, I would call it Conflicted because that's how I feel about it. I like some parts of it, but then others not so much. Then again, I'm not really that into MONSTA X... In general though, I would say that this is still a fairly decent song. Even if the lyrics might come across as borderline stalkeriffic, but hey, no judgment on my part.
9. Stellar - Love Spell
As much as I love Stellar and I want them to do well and I'm glad that they're slowly able to distance themselves from their sexy image, especially since it turns out they didn't necessarily want to be stuck with it to begin with, this is not really my favorite song of theirs. It's nice and sweet and I'm okay with having it play in the background or listening to it while enjoying the nice weather outside, it's not really at the top of my playlist.
Believe it or not, I am completely unfamiliar with this artist. (Say whaaat?!) Granted, I'm also completely unfamiliar with J-MIN, but at least I was aware of her existence. I had never even heard of Suran until I saw this video. This song follows another trend in K-pop: tropical house. It seems that every other song that has been released this summer has at the very least featured some elements of tropical house. Or maybe that's just my impression. However, I don't necessarily mind it and her voice actually is very well-suited to the genre.
11. UP10TION - Tonight
Oh UP10TION... Really? We went the cute route? I think it's fine, but it's not my favorite song of theirs. Actually, I've only really liked one of their songs so far... Okay, it's a fun and very lighthearted song...so again, something that I could only really listen to under very specific circumstances.
Consisting of MONSTA X and part of Cosmic Girls, I did want to like this collaboration because I think it's great when K-pop goes co-ed. However, this wasn't really my cup of tea. Parts of it were promising, but most of it just was a bit too High School Musical for me. Then again, maybe MONSTA X is to blame...or maybe I should just start listening to more MONSTA X, maybe they'll grow on me, which would actually be fairly typical of K-pop...
Hopefully, this was at the very least mildly entertaining for you guys and maybe I can continue doing this if not on a weekly basis, maybe on a monthly basis, but with a slightly different format.
