K-pop (2015)

I got really interested in EXID when I Feel Good came out, thought that song was so dang catchy + the vid was really amusing (LE at the car is legit funny). And then when they redid Telephone (best song on their mini, and one LE helped write both the music and lyrics for) as Every Night I was sold. A shame they didn't do anything in 2013 aside from that forgettable Dasoni subgroup but they got huge with UP&DOWN so I guess it was worth it. Have really high hopes for them this year.

fortunately the song that blew them up is awesome, so hopefully their team tries to explore that direction a bit more.

G-Dragon/other YG artists typically only do <i>one</i> of those shows (Inkigayo), sometimes two (Music Core), not the whole gamut. But EXID's music video for Up&Down *was* ratchet, and moreover they'd (imo) lost too much weight ahead of their comeback and lacked energy. In later, less hungry performances their skills were more obvious.

But I think abcfsk is right about the music shows. Veteran non-idol singers like PSY, Choi Pil Kang, and Seo Taiji don't bother showing up even when they're nominated for a win; Crayon Pop got their break with a viral video and street performances after getting locked out of the shows. Groups like GOT7, TOPP DOGG, Fiestar and SPEED have international fans but aren't popular domestically. And so on.

YG limits that shit b/c of affiliations they have w/ certain programs and supposed bad blood they have with others. i.e., they don't perform at things where they know they'll have a disadvantage anyway (same with the year-end shows).

and nah, PSY and choi are just old, and Seo Taiji is an actual musician with a real band, for which these shows are completely ill-equipped (busker busker also didn't bother w/ that shit). crayon pop def promotes on the shows now that they have a way in, and although all those groups don't have domestic fanbases they still perform on the shows. in korea, it's a platform you should absolutely use if you fit the mold, at the very least strategically in the way YG does.

but yeah maybe g.soul refuses to learn choreography and knows he'd be at a disadvantage without one. still think it could only help him though, and i want to see him do well...15 years...;_;

also groups like GOT7 would kill for more domestic exposure and the CF money that entails...even groups made for the chinese market like UNIQ release korean versions first and hit the shows, korea's all about exposure and TV is the only reliable medium. (no one listens to radio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lse2Lix6j3k

he's back

I wouldn't say no one. For one I listened to a lot of radio in Korea and radio appearances are also a mandatory part of idol promotion rounds (and something the good talkers hot from time to time).

Could be the sleep deprivation but I'm really feeling A.KOR:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K56AL8xnOqI

It's mixed like one of those sad 90s alternative anthems, but with a ghostly 80s synths countermelody thrown in to keep it interesting, and a key change at the end just because.

Or something...

There's also Yongwha's multilingual (Korean-Chinese) duet with JJLin, which I'm liking for similar nostalgic reasons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUyq02k6-sE

Hitchhiker: the return everyone (no-one) was waiting for. But that video is pretty great.

In more indie news, trad hip hop: http://youtu.be/n-vteByk3jo

Looks like Shinsadong Tiger wrote the A.KOR track... which explains why it's so much better than their last one

I really like 4Minute. Most of their songs have something. Is It Poppin? was underrated. Hyuna sounds nice there. It's different http://youtu.be/DRSRpXPZVdM

Jiyoon has produced (and composed) a song on their upcoming mini. We saw her in her own little studio playing with sounds years ago - I really hope this marks the arrival of an interesting new creative force in the group.

yeah i love "is it poppin." it was on my top 20 k-pop list of 2013 for vice.

"cold rain" is excellent too

The closest song in Kpop to Is it Poppin is After School RED - Night Sky I think http://youtu.be/63WubbkFIxo

And the closest to hitchhiker's 11 (remix) is UKISS - Top That http://youtu.be/SemnBw9T940

Nice Christmassy RnB song from Zion T (ft Crush) that probably should've come out a little earlier, but better late than never:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FHOigzF1Uw

Crush isn't much of a rapper, Zion T sounds great as always though

Song's perfect with the Chicago weather right now. And Zion.T always looks so good.

Solo album from Amber coming out next week. Super interested to see how that goes.

Speaking of pop trot w Lizzy, the reigning queen Hong Jin Young releases a shameless sequel to 'Love Battery' that's still pretty great http://youtu.be/so9-z28EX88

been a slow start to the year, hasn't it? by this time last we had "fxxk u," girl's day "something," "miniskirt," some good stuff on the TVXQ album, etc...

i went insane on this one. K-Pendium entry 2, 2NE1 "I Am The Best" http://www.k-pendium.com/002/

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B9CdlrJCYAEv40Z.jpg:large

i went insane on this one. K-Pendium entry 2, 2NE1 "I Am The Best" http://www.k-pendium.com/002/

― soyrev, Wednesday, February 4, 2015 8:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that modal analysis timeline is outstanding, thank you! it's the first thing you notice about the song, it should just not work at all, but instead it is total ear-blinking fusion

If you go back to 2013 it was the same thing though, ballads & comfort tracks in January, cutesy pastel-colored tracks in March, a couple people trying to corner the market on 'song of the summer' in May... the machine doesn't really get going until mid-late summer and the hits tend to come out in the second half of the year.

Cheers for the article... I thought I was done with IATB after 8,999 replays but I just added one more. It's freaky how well that song gels (and you can remix it with other songs and it will still mostly gel). Maybe it's because there's so much empty space in each layer. I remember when I first got REALLY into 2NE1 and shared their album with a drummer friend his main comment was that it was more precise/less busy than Western pop (though not as precise as Jpop).

Did you have anything to do with the Tzechar piece of investigative journalism on Vice, soyrev?

Found out in roundabout way that N.SONIC (remember them?) have been touring and building a fanbase in India... *ahead* of the major Kpop players. Usually the little groups play the same game as everyone else (at worse odds), so I was surprised, and kinda happy to see them being so scrappy.

Not of interest to this board I'm sure, but I have a soft spot for N.SONIC.

(I dunno about their chances though because there's such a strong local pop scene in (parts of) India already... Every now and then I think about submitting something from the local 'desi' station to thesinglesjukebox, but when I track the songs down they're inevitably not current. Some day!)

thanks for the props, y'all. please do pass it around if you don't mind, more on the way soon...

hurricane, this one?

http://thump.vice.com/words/i-tracked-down-the-elusive-k-pop-remixer-tzechar

nope! predated me being aware of tzechar at all, i think. but tzechar did just float me one of the best mixes i've ever heard, and i'm hoping to do something via vice or elsewhere about it...seriously so fucking good...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nCLBTmjJBY

a lot better than similar sounding songs; the energy's really sustained throughout (sohyun omg). and bless the costume designer who wanted to incorporate health goth elements <3 <3

really happy they didn't have brave brothers produce their lead single

yeah they killed this one. "cold rain" is even better but this is an awesome banger. four-on-the-floor EDM build prechorus + glassbreak/reverse snare transition into that really swung beat chorus is super gratifying

whole 4minute mini is really strong actually, best of year so far

that was great! has Red's chant-choruses and 'castle in the sky' synth melody but it's more fun with five (and gayoon and sohyun BOTH killed their parts).

accidentally xposted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyZJIJqx3ww

Yerin <333

It's good but so far nothing has matched the covers she uploads on youtube or instagram.

I dunno, I think there's something to be said for originals.

And speaking of originals, here's one for EVOL watch 2015:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwZ66TiZB-E

misterjoshua, I'm reading that Gayoon was the style director on CRAZY <3

Dalmation/DMTN lives too! http://youtu.be/AJ29X5Dwang

I'm into this trend of talented people from failed idol groups going solo

Will also agree with the "there's something to be said for originals" sentiment. Song's nice, not sure if I vibe with Kanto's part thoguh. But maybe that's just because he has such a recognizable voice. Digging that EvoL song as well despite how straightforward it is. And pretty awesome to hear Gayoon played a part in the costuming ahh

And yeah whoa definitely feeling that KIXS song. fun video too. I also absolutely love San E so much. He's proving to be the only Korean rapper that has a sort of personality that I care about. You look at him and you can just tell he's a goofy guy, and dude really sells it on every song he's on. love the outtakes in the video for A Midsummer Night's Sweetness (acoustic).

There's something to be said for originals but none of the originals have been good enough.. she's got the greatest voice in k-pop and the composers should work to bring it out.

Another good low-key JP AS release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWScSWtG6IU

Seems too simple, but charming.

Michin geotcheoreom, geurae michin geotcheoreom

VS

Nan nappeun gijibae, na- nan nappeun gijibae

?

4minute's opener "Call Me" is even more indebted to Baddest Female... that song was really ahead of its time, huh.

^^Cut it Out, not Call Me

it was, but i prefer "cut it out." better ideas, more fluid execution

amber - shake that brass: https://soundcloud.com/jet95/amber-shake-that-brass-full-audio