K-pop (2016)

New year, new thread!

Previously on ILM:

K-pop
K-pop 2013
K-pop 2014
K-pop 2015

So far we've got:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96es5i6FzDc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H1QOFBNRWs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sy5iBXYx3E

Props to Dal Shabet for releasing a summer single in January!

ILM's Rolling K-Pop Thread Spotify Playlist
^ will update in early February

Someone Like U is a great start to the year

I've started watching the charming new drama Cheese In The Trap (up to ep 3) from TVN, based on a web comic, like several other dramas in the past year.

Let's hear it for the webtoons, democratizing mainstream pop culture content creation in South Korea in a whole new way these past couple of years. Not only in their original form - auteurs with complete creative control allowing for new perspectives on society, new voices, social criticism, representation - but in their adapted form - changing the face of korean dramas too.

I admit that I specifically seek out Korean pop culture content created by women, because -especially as low ranked as Korea is in the OECD on gender equality rankings when it comes to ecomonic participation/power etc - it's a particularly valuable adjustment to other narratives. And while the country's ranking is low, and the entertainment industry suffers from inequality like in all other contries, I'm not sure I've EVER watched a drama that's not at least co-written by a woman, and in this particular case the drama is directed by a woman, written by two women and based on webtoon by one lady. More importantly still it's fresh and youthful storytelling. So far. I've only watched two episodes and read parts of the webcomic, which has a large fanbase already. Hyped, still pretty young-actress Kim Go Eun is the lead and she's never acted in a drama before.

#BraveSounsUSTakeOver

It's from last year but I somehow totally missed Brave Sounds producing for (American rapper) YG, lol.

In sad but unsurprising news, KARA disbands after nine years and several lineup changes. End of an era... they had a pretty good run.

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

Yeah it's sad that DSP has been so bad at keeping their artists happy but these senior kpop groups have been going for awhile. Impressive career all around. They really took off in japan.

Also

Last notice for k-pop fans to please vote in the ilxor thread. Today's the last day.

thanks for the reminder. any guesses at what will place?

I think 4 Walls, I Feel You and Awoo all have a chance. Maybe one of the Red Velvet tracks too.

Thx for the reminder!

Voted!!!

btw here are the 31 best kpop songs of 2015 according to producer group. I only voted for a few of these...

haha cool

i didn't realise Oh My Girl - Closer was nominated... would have voted for it. :(

D: I didn't either!!!

Stellar killing it as always:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or0CGIbVtcw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FyG8s8FvZg

nice

Choi Sam / Enemy https://youtu.be/TMnB0ooybb4

nice!!

this came up in the ILM top songs thread but seemed worth pointing out here:
Lim Kim's "Awoo" is lifting Minnie Riperton's "Les Fleurs"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1kDd6yBQZ4

damn Primary's at it again, huh

i'm actually blown away by that - I love Les Fleurs but somehow never connected it to Awoo!

Cool... but lol yeah, I'm guessing Primary never bothered to get a sample clearance.

credit to Rev for the eagle ear

Another easy to like catnip track from GFRIEND

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VKcLPdY9lI

i might need to hear that a few more times to really like it. watching them dance around in the snow gave me flashbacks to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag2R7Mt8yI8

I'm not sold on Rough, but I like gfriend's new mini as a whole

It's similar to -- but stronger than -- song than Me Gustas Tu tho, yah

Star Empire going for that manic flowerboy sound for their new boygroup Imfact:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ydTrmax9o

Kinda like a Sweetune single, but with less Japanesesy 80s synth and more saxobeat

that's a bit of a mess but I like it. the mix is really blurry though which is weird

lol @ manic flowerboy sound

it's totally a thing!!

their name is spelled "I'M FACT" apparently, and they're a lot of fun live: https://youtu.be/eKknzMGUTKc

Dunno if this is part of the ongoing plan to promote k-indie abroad or what but I LIKE IT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3GZkxoZeU

Bonus, last year's DΞΔN x Eric Bellinger https://youtu.be/-A96vsgB1EM

Ooops posted something in the 2015 thread

yeah that's not bad, but why indie?

Just that there's a push recently to get k-indie on the same internat'l distribution channels as the idol pop, that's all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_F9HUTYnl0

I saw these fan mash-ups and thought perhaps someone here would enjoy it...

Bang Bang Bang/Zero For Conduct
Doom Dada/Zero For Conduct

In my little opinion, the heavier instrumental and contrast between verse and chorus really redeem Bang Bang Bang.

Not totally sold on 4minute but it sounds like it could be pretty awesome live

also the costumes are a bold choice, 4minute embracing their female fans...

^Maybe since... 2nd half of 2015? Korean media have completely embraced the term "girl crush" for all female entertainers with a strong look appealing to female fans. Tons of articles in January using it https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%EA%B1%B8%ED%81%AC%EB%9F%AC%EC%89%AC&safe=off&tbm=nws

slim pickings this early on as to what has distribution but the playlist is updated

ILM's Rolling K-Pop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

<333

i like 4minute's new song. i played it alongside choi sam's 'enemy' and thought it sounded p good

I don't like Hate much, it's quite bland. I think Skrillex produced it though?

I still can't get enough of Someone Like U, I think I like it more than any k-pop from last year.

Dig Hate, especially the farty chorus.

GFriend's Rough (posted above) is somewhat surprisingly the first candidate for biggest selling song of 2016. Surprisingly because it's very similar to their previous songs (and other rookies like Lovelyz have a similar thing going on). Only somewhat, because I've felt this girl group sound is a lot catchier and more appealing to the mainstream than last time cute/non-sexy concepts were the 'thing'. What's been holding them back is very few people watch music shows and it takes some time for rookies to move beyond core k-pop fans.

I feel with these new girl groups k-pop are getting closer to a j-pop idol-ish sound foundation for cute, inoffensive catchy pop. It doesn't sound like j-pop, not the same chords, but unlike the post-Gee cutesy period there's something reliable to the output here.

yeh i totally agree, though i don't know anything about chords the production is pretty jpopish, and it's easy/nostalgic listening while still being a bit more sophisticated, so it's got a lot of public appeal. though rough is a bit boring to me.

catchyyyyyyy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhKFSXN2Fr4

new AOA! kind of

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.

I agree with you the Hyuna Ep is great though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXHJQ7CYqQM

She has so much charisma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNc6kDLUiV4

Really takes off after the 3 min mark

Everyone's favorite underrated boyband (High4) are back with a rapper subunit named... wait for it... High4:20. The song is pretty good!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwp7Kfenbyo

I mean it's taking a lot of pages from GDYB's "Good Boy" but that's a good song too so...

Wait why didn't anyone mention to me that SHINee had gone ahead and recorded a goddamn 2-step song?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BSDV9uKEIo

<333 I really like '1 of 1' too!

I.O.I going out on a high note:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1hxg1rY17I

Also another nicely jazzy downtempo song from Ladies Code:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsx9f8tdifw

It took me a while to warm up to Cheer Up (TWICE) but I eventually got there... Very Very Very has a similar tempo and vocal style but it sounds good right away. Though I wish they'd thought of way to end the track and not resorted to the fade out...

I really like the direction Ladies Code have gone in since their reboot, they really suit the chic jazzy songs... especially Sojung with her kinda smoky vocal tone...

Ladies Code fill a niche in the k girl group landscape, just hope they do well enough to keep doing their thing with expensive looking classy videos.

Very Very Very is def in the Gee school of earworms. And directly lifts 2 seconds of melody from Gee. I like it.

Playlist is updated; we got 90 songs and about 5 1/2 hours of music.

ILM's Rolling K-Pop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Like the new Hyuna!

New group with a solid debut song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOnK_GOR3W8

TWICE TT grew on me a lot (still don't like the MV tho):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOnK_GOR3W8

Happy to see IMFACT again considering the financial woes of their company:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOXVTjlF2pk

And of course there's EXO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOzVyVv1HtQ

The IMFACT song is a different from what they were doing before but they kept the bratty rapping I enjoyed in Topp Dogg also. As far as EXO goes, the video is enjoyable, but the live performances are terrible as always... you'd think that with 2/3 of the vocalists in the group they'd be allowed to sing live for once...

Whoops, messed up the TWICE link... you know what, have a selfie version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_wyXaRK8Q0

GUYS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nchkAmc49p4

Pretty song, pretty video, pretty vocals, and pretty perfectly on-trend single from SHINEE.

Plus more easy-listening rnb:

Nu'est - Look https://youtu.be/rKNL7eME7JY
Junggigo - Nocture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdVNfYP-3eA

Sistar on that tatu - all about us game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4TygUpWUTQ

Lmao it really does sound like tatu!

It's the processing on the vocals and the 90s anime italodisco backtrack making it sound like that, right?

So far, the only K-pop-related performer that I can find speaking out or demonstrating against Park Geun-hye is Lee Joon, ex of MBLAQ. Are there any more? I'm not shocked there aren't a lot - likely many have contracts that limit such things - but I'd still expect more than there are. She's down to a 5% favorability rating, so I wouldn't think there'd be a lot of risk here. I know that in South Korea the government can boost or limit artists, more so than in the U.S. or Western Europe. This would seem to provide plenty of motivation to work against her, to try to change the system or at least to keep friends of Park's from being the ones who wield the hammer. That's what the scandal is basically about, extortion and influence-peddling, right? Anyway, I'd think that you'd find anti-Park feeling among the Brown Eyed Girls and Hwang Soo Ah and thereabouts.

Other prominent music performers in the demonstrations are Jeon In-kwon and Lee Seung-hwan, neither of whom I previously knew anything about (but both got started prior to K-pop, right?) and rock group Crying Nut.

(I'm wondering if anyone's talked to Shin Jung-hyeun, who was imprisoned and tortured by Park Geun-hye's dad. He's 78 now. I gather that in his heyday he was something like a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Berry Gordy.)

Also, has anybody here been following the scandal well enough to know what's going on with Cha Eun-taek and whether he was genuinely part of Choi Soon-sil's circle? He's been arrested, and an AP story says prosecutors are seeking to indict him. But I feel that even on a board as obscure as ilX I shouldn't be glib about whom I'm connecting to scandals and such: I'm thinking of how the constant repetition of phrases like "T-ara bullying scandal" and "Clinton email scandal" had such a destructive effect, convincing members of the public who actually knew nothing about it that T-ara and Clinton must have done something deeply wrong, even though there was no actual evidence. In any event, I know almost nothing about the current scandal. Fyi, Cha directed the video for my favorite K-pop song (T-ara's "I Go Crazy Because Of You"); he directed perhaps my favorite K-pop video ever, at least one of my top five, T-ara's "Roly-Poly"; also "Cry Cry"; also the Japanese version of "Bo Peep Bo Peep"; also Lee Hyori's "U Go Girl"; also 2NE1's "Go Away." I wouldn't say, from my distance, the attitudes in these vids are socially challenging. But they do seem vaguely feminist, and there is nothing remotely reactionary or traditionalist about them. And they are good. (And Cha took the risk of speaking up for T-ara when they were under attack.) He's accused (by whom? on the basis of what evidence? not that there probably isn't a lot, just expressing my ignorance here) of wielding power in the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

By the way, I miss abcfsk and hurricane weather over on my lj, if you or anyone else would like to drop by.

I haven't been quality-commenting on anyone's LJ recently but I'm listening to your top 2016 singles now, Frank.

Frank, I don't have a stream for livejournal so have to rely on suddenly getting the idea to visit the place. I missed out on you posting some solid kpop content this month so I'll get to that now.

I think there are a few who have spoken out against the scandal. I remember thinking "wow, this is a special case" when I saw a girl group member posting an instagram photo of the downtown demonstrations - but a quick look now didn't jog my memory on who it was. In any case, when active idols feel safe with a political statement like that it's something. I also feel like I've read a few stories about angry tweets but can't remember who now.

Lee Hyori and a few friends put out a protest song (ballad) https://youtu.be/hXEjZTdCr4w

About BEG and Hwang Soo AH, both Kim Eana and her husband Loen's Cho Young-cheol have been at the demonstrations.

None of this would've come to light now, btw, if it wasn't for the awesome students at Ewha Women's University who tirelessly protested for weeks earlier this fall after suspecting rotten play at the top - leading to the discovery of secret players.

Lee Hyori's a big deal. The protest ballad - "Abandoned By The Side Of A Street," by Lee Seung-hwan ft. Lee Hyori and Jeon In-kwon, produced by Lee Kyo-ho - now has a part two featuring a cast of over a hundred. Soompi reports the performers include Lyn, Sweet Sorrow, Ha Dong Kyun, Rooftop Moonlight, and Shin Dae Chul of Sinawe. Of these, I'd only heard of Lyn and Sinawe, though that doesn't tell you anything about how prominent they might be. Still, not much idol participation. And except for metal guy Shin Dae Chul, the new listed performers seem to be from the ballad/legit singer or respectable indie wing of showbiz.

2016's most unlikely feud: Wiz Khalifa vs Taeyeon

https://twitter.com/hyk0505/status/805063085950169089

You'd have thought someone one the awards show staff would've checked these issues beforehand... or bothered to communicate them to the foreign star who flew all the way out to perform...

But then a story about technical incompetence at a KPOP awards show, and a story about an SM star being suddenly hospitalized are equally believable, so.

And the most believable explanation of all is that SM nixed this over concerns about the optics - he's too "tall" standing next to Taeyeon, they don't look "good" on stage together, etc.

Control-freak image management and a dash of racism.

And there's Taeyeon's previous racist remarks and rumored diva attitude in the mix, too.

I dunno, the more I think about it the more clear it is which side fucked up here.

SM probably busy burying the news stories and hoping this will just go away, the MAMAs only had like a 1.5% viewership rating in Korea.

playlist updated.

'tis the season of christmas rnb singles (yay)

older group, down to 3 members:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQwAri7qFRg

new group, mixed gender:

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

and if you like the standard christmas ballad sound (like me) you can try Heize's "Star" too:

https://youtu.be/XUR8QByF2As

Going through some year-end stuff and found this Nine Muses song from August... didn't realize they were still promoting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb6v2Uma82w

Final playlist roundup for the year. I went through the thread top to bottom and updated the Spotify list (also added a handful of other recommended tracks that I got into this year) and scratch-built a YouTube playlist to include everything that _wasn't_ on Spotify. Enjoy!

ILM's Rolling K-Pop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist - Final

ILM's Rolling K-Pop Thread 2016 YouTube Playlist - Final

One more try:

ILM's Rolling K-Pop Thread 2016 YouTube Playlist - Final

Thx ulysses!

I guess we didn't coordinate anything for the year-end poll, huh? All I see on there are Hyuna and BTS.

Does anyone want to start a 2017 thread? I think Jan 2017 will be stronger than Jan 2016, a bunch of pretty decent tracks are already out.

I guess we didn't coordinate anything for the year-end poll, huh? All I see on there are Hyuna and BTS.

― hurricane weather (forapper), Sunday, January 8, 2017 7:30 PM (forty-nine seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i nominated ladies' code!

no albums really stood out to me this year but certainly voting for dalshabet, ladies' code, luna, and taeyon in the tracks poll, maybe more. there were a lot of singles i really liked this year

For what it's worth, I nominated Brave Girls ("Deepened") and BTS ("Blood, Sweat & Tears"), and the EXO and BTS albums. Other non-thread contributors may have nominated other tracks/albums.