We’re taking
a look back at some of the best releases of September 2018 onwards!
100% - ‘Heart’
It has been
a rough year for 100% as their leader Minwoo sadly passed away in March from a
cardiac arrest. Despite this, it’s nice to see the group focus once more on
Korean promotions given their success in neighbouring Japan. ‘Heart’ is a
smooth dance track with a beautiful aesthetic in the music video.
Girls’ Generation Oh!GG - ‘Lil Touch’
A titan in
the K-Pop industry, this girl group have also had their fair share of unrest
with changes in contracts causing members to part ways, though not writing off
future reunions. What came out of it all was Oh!GG – a group made up of the
remaining 5 members. ‘Lil Touch’ is a fast-paced number that wouldn’t be out of
place within European charts in its ambient club sound.
SUNMI – ‘Siren’
SUNMI’s
songs seem to me to have a real power about them. They are undeniably catchy
and she always brings forth a femininity and style that is unusual and
refreshing. ‘Siren’ completely fits into this framework – she is unapologetic
in her presentation and explores unique imagery in bold colour. She is a female
soloist that will surely stick in anyone’s mind.
iKON – ‘Goodbye Road’
Topping the
huge popularity of ‘Love Scenario’ is always going to be hard for iKON.
However, ‘Goodbye Road’ has merit of its own. It’s a beautiful ballad with iKON
signature, authentic sound. I am always impressed with iKON’s ability to walk
the line between soft and tough in their image. They also manage to maintain rawness
in their music that is often missing in many a K-Pop groups’ sound.
San E – ‘Wannabe Rapper’
San E
creates his own version of Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ for this track.
Within it, he criticises Korean politics and people on issues like division,
gender equality and people always thinking they are right. He also points out
the flaws in hip hop and rap culture as a whole.
IU – ‘BBIBBI’
As IU has
matured in the spotlight, we have seen her content mature along with her. She now frequently discusses issues in her
songs such as self-image and expectations put on her as a female celebrity. In
this track, she firmly asserts her boundaries to those that always try to delve
into her business and criticise her for every move she makes. She has been able
to maintain her cute and sweet aesthetic, but a real strength now lays within it.
It seems she is using her music as a form of communication to those who need to
be put in their place. There is an authenticity to her that comes from her
speaking her mind and confronting these feelings in her work.
RM – ‘forever rain’
As always,
RM doesn’t shy away from tough topics and feelings. He raps about a feeling of immense loneliness
and how the rain provides a sort of company and reassurance for him in a tough
and unfeeling world. Hopefully it gives many listeners comfort in that they are
not alone if they feel the same way, but we also hope he is doing okay himself!
IZ*ONE – ‘La Vie en Rose’
This newly
debuted Korean-Japanese girl group is already making waves in the K-Pop
industry. They were formed through the Mnet competition reality show ‘Produce
48’ and it will be interesting to see if they are able to create the same
success as their predecessors and, perhaps, surpass it.
EXO – ‘Tempo’
Though many
people were surprised at how little promotion this track received, I’m sure it
didn’t mess up the tempo (sorry) for this K-Pop juggernaut! As slick and
polished as ever, the boys of EXO show off some fast rap-like lyricism and
switch it up frequently with harmonies. Typical of SM to keep it mixed and
unpredictable!
TWICE – ‘YES or YES’
Speaking of
K-Pop juggernaut, here is another. TWICE came back with their special brand of
sweet and cute pop music. This track was likely getting fans bouncing from day
one, and as always, the members give us some great choreography in the MV.
Key – ‘Forever Yours (Feat. Soyou)
How did it
take this long for SHINee’s Key to be given a solo gig?! As you would have
probably guessed, given Key’s love of bold fashion choices, the MV is full to
the brim with colour. It has SHINee’s now signature surrealist flavour and
Soyou’s additional vocals are always beautiful.
Jennie – SOLO
The
long-awaited solo from BLACKPINK’s Jennie came along and was very well received
by BLINKs everywhere. As expected, she shows off her beauty and attitude in
this aptly titled track.
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