K-pop (2016)

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

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

Really positive reviews for Jessica's solo album from netizens (it's #1 on melon), but the only track I kinda like is this one:

https://youtu.be/X6BYwilwqI4

She has a great voice, the songs are kinda simple tho.

Other self-composed or co-composed solos of note:

Tiffany (SNSD): https://youtu.be/9ZELOYRQfj0

Subin (Dal Shabet): https://youtu.be/TkxSc1VlrmA

Really liking the Monsta X mini right now... minus the title track, which sounds like one long teaser.

https://youtu.be/wUgiCua_N3o

AOA "Good Luck" is a snoozefest at regular speed (decent vocals but nothing going on the backing track), but more fun at double time:

https://youtu.be/ARvqija65WM

Original, for comparison:

https://youtu.be/sno_genwMz8

Subin better at composing for herself than dal shabet.

My hopes pinned on this to be the girl group album of the year

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ci3lUAAUYAAny4t.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3o_jC6sObE

Makes me miss the Yonsei uni days ;\

Lee Hi did the same event, it was epic...

I didn't know you went to Yonsei, abcfsk! When were you there?

Jonghyun's solo album is legit, guys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqrhD_a6gaw

I was there from 2012 through 2013. Good times.

quite like the new Oh My Girl

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJqhKWo89FQ

That songs rocks, it's got those Jpop chords and I love how it goes hard on the chorus... their debut stage was really cool too, the choreography at the chorus really emphasizes the change of pace:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCTzLUR8xOk

Good lyrics, too!

UKISS continuing to put out solid albums no one but their fanbase will listen to:

https://youtu.be/3pN7REpLn3I (Staker - single)
https://youtu.be/dwgrCPgxZdU (Heartless - NSync-ish throwback jam)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GnBsjwuTcg (Even when I close my eyes - ballad w/ 90s alternative rock harmonies)

didn't mean to embed the last link, sorry guys :( Should check out the single if you check out any of these

Like. this is the one I should have embedded:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pN7REpLn3I

Younha ft Hartfelt and Cheetah!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeo_nWsu5cs

I'm feeling the girlpower right now, guys.

Wonder Girls are coming back and put out a pre-release on vinyl penned by Sunmi https://soundcloud.com/150818/oppaback

Aesthetics are on point, looking forward to that!

SISTAR sounding good as usual:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJVUjmNMF8c

Also EXO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73QzQYN8FtE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSH-FVVtTf0

Songwriters were obviously told to aim for Daft Punk with "Lucky One" but the song rocks so... and I like their slow trap jam too.

playlist updated from top of the thread; lots added over the last few months.

ILM's Rolling K-Pop Thread Spotify Playlist

i like how jong hyun "she is" comes off in the hook as if he's saying "oh shiz" like an expletive

also this:
http://www.dailydot.com/geek/kpop-fans-over-30-kcon-panel/?curator=MusicREDEF

I hope Wonder Girls spend the next ten years being an awesome mainstream pop rock band (to further prove they didn't just do it as a one-time concept this time the recording features the members instrument playing, unlike last time)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYGODWJgR-c

the concept of that song seems to be "what if 'rude' were good"

i love it ofc

The only other bright spot in an otherwise pretty disappointing July:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-wFp43XOrA

Been a pretty good July imo with Wonder Girls surprising total domination.

BLACKPINK is live.

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

Boombayah https://youtu.be/bwmSjveL3Lc

Nice visuals but a disappointing debut imo, songs are kinda boring and their charisma is totally contrived.

I like Whistle, Red Velvet meets 4Minute

I do like the prechorus on Whistle quite a bit... a bit of a that fusion country sound Bae Bae had (and awesome production like YG always has too). The verses are a little too sparse for me tho, and I don't like the chorus until the very last go round.

I guess it's a stylistic thing but I'm really not into these super sparse trap tracks.... though the snare drum and high hat hits do add a bit of interest to this one.

I'm into this though, or maybe just happy BAP are being allowed to be weird again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLLBk6fb5Zw

BYG has writing credits on half the songs on the single, which bodes well for them, I hope...

BLACKPINK going strong in the US charts... first group to top the worldwide Billboard with a debut song.

BTW **both** new album tracks on EXO's obligatory album repackage are killer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN-TNtUNXMA

And She's dreaming + Lotto (single). Baekhyun is so good, especially.

Hmm after a couple playthroughs I think She's Dreaming (the played-straight RnB track with chewy surf guitars keeping the beat) has more staying power.

You guys never told me how good "All Mine" is! Maybe not as ILXy as last year's album but idk I love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0S3knWIdrY

yeah, All Night is great. another favourite of mine is Why
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri6wvGjuoOg

Playlist is updated.

f(x) is the most overrated K-pop band. Black Pink is no 2NE1, I don't understand what CL is doing at all

was always a Jia guy (rip Miss A) but Fei didn't get a mention?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEF1Ah8QaXw ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSm1eRvS_k0
this is great

Yes please, after IU went full songwriter I've been missing this patented grand mid tempo pop from Lee Min-soo and Kim Eana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-67pGMcgW3k

Jay Park never trading on subtlety but this sounds pretty lush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?a=&v=-qSNMfm1rlg

The new Red Velvet single - and this is the group that set the golden standard for that brand of upbeat pop with "Happiness", `"Ice Cream Cake" and "Dumb Dumb" - is majory disappointing and just.. bad. I'm not even going to post it unles it grows magically on me.

not getting on too well without me, i see!

"all mine" might be a Station throwaway but lol @ best pop act of the decade being "overrated," and "russian roulette" may not quite make ICC or DD muster but putting "happiness" above it would be mental (it's great (whole EP's easily the best k-pop release since The Red))

Sounds like a middling SNSD song, making it an extra disappointing Red Velvet single. Verses just aren't there. Ok production makes it listenable - barely. Will have to give the EP a bit more time - some of it sounds good, some completely forgettable.

I guess no one posted GFriend's Navillera here - it's not _quite_ as good as their previous singles, but they're still gunning for one of the more consistently good single runs.