Kpop 2018

https://i.imgur.com/uHSbI7t.jpg

would love it if something came of this (grimes is a known fan of them too)

omg yes please. "Loonatic" is the best grimes song not by grimes.

#이달의소녀 #yyxy / LOOΠΔ yyxy [beauty&thebeat]

tracklist
2. love4eva (Feat. Grimes)#LOONA #이브 #츄 #고원 #OliviaHye #Yves #Chuu #GoWon #올리비아혜 #beautyandthebeat #love4eva pic.twitter.com/WsV3HwvITC

— 이달의 소녀(LOOΠΔ) (@loonatheworld) May 19, 2018

it's happening, she's appearing on a track on the LOONA mini-album that's out at the end of the month. no idea how she'll fit among k-pop idol vocals but i'm excited

Nice!!

BTS album is out, not much to say about it overall except that I really like the jazz flute on PLUTO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FBYVkn7phA

They have two rappers with naturally deep voices, it works well for something spoken-word-esque like this, Suga in particular sounds great.

Most of the rest of the tracks are thoughtful takes on the subject of fame/the pressures of, which IMO is smart writing for a band whose main selling point is their connection with fans.

The songwriters speak, LOL @ them getting the writer on "Havana" to do their Latin song.

Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0gDCmVuwME

nice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CTGxKIzD7M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dGwk5-QMpc

the Pristin V track is nice, odd to hear a 2014 rnbass track these days though. the SHINee and Khan tracks are good too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIWpr3tHzII

new LOONA is ok but the chorus is so frantic that it ends up a little unsatisfying. i really like the pre-chorus at least. the Grimes feature just being the introduction is lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Niz3DrENv4

the real gem from the mini is Frozen though

probably should listen to the BTS album since they've hit #1 in the US, still feels wild that they've actually crossed over

Loona & E-tribe looking back to Gee for inspiration and Grimes doing the Jessica opening bit lol. Catchy song.

love4eva just makes me want to listen to Gee, lmao. The instrumentals are fine but the vocal melody is too simple and there's soooooo much autotune, in a way that takes all the energy out of the track.

Twice mini album is really good. The lead/title song is the weakest thing on it. 'Sweet Talker' is probably the highlight but 'Ho!' and 'Dejavu' are not far behind.

beauty&thebeat is pretty good too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MiQonPvlVM

V. trendy but v. well produced song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa8wR2JGK-k

Great production, fun summer song.

Yubin solo is more like recent Wonder Girls than anyone else solo, interesting choice.

I like her voice, she sounds like a S. Korean soloist (a lil bit of in trot in there).

wow Complete is fantastic, a great summer jam for sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ELX7LyXDw

enjoying this too, it's been a good week for summer singles

New Blackpink is very good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHNzOHi8sJs

yeah I like it, the coda and Jennie's rap in the second verse elevate it. the whole mini is good

This mini is disappointing, though the production is good as always. Really underwritten IMP.

On the other hand Taeyeon is killin it (literally) on her solo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im1UUY8dQIk

The only unbelievable part of this is that Taeyeon would actually carry her own suitcases :P

not a fan of the new blackpink - seems a bit idk, 2013. might grow on me though.

mostly enjoying all the new SHINee. Jonghyun's absence still stings a bit but generally, it's been nothing but good vibes.

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

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MXj3Dr7tOY

I'm with you on Blackpink, I think the whole mini is over hyped, songs feel like they were pulled out of a drawer...

Re SHINEE, the capstone single for part 3 of their 3-part release is the Jonghyun tribute ballad we've been expecting, but it was really nice to get the summer songs first.

MV - https://youtu.be/Psl-x_nw7TI
lyrics - https://youtu.be/WQF7KnYwkWw

Jonghyun is also on this one:

https://youtu.be/jmzSxX601rc

It hurts but it feels authentic and not exploitative, also.

I'm gonna knock you out! Mama said knock you out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uer7k-jkk78

The new Momoland so far doesn't seem to quite connect with the public like Bboom Bboom https://youtu.be/txWmd7QKFe8

There are parts of it that sound like T-ara and remind me how awesome it would be getting that sound back on top though.

yeah Baam just feels like more of BBoom BBoom but less hooky, and not as good as the T-ara songs it sounds like either

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sHIq41sI-w

this is from a few months ago but coming back to it now I really love it, the groove is great and the layered vocals in the chorus are overwhelming in the best way. is that buzzing sound in the second verse autotuned vocals? i love it

https://i.imgur.com/yM4XZKq.png

sigh

speaking of LOONA though.... Kyungri's solo kinda sounds like a LOONA solo, it is better (and higher budget) than I was expecting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3-TZ04M6F4

NCT Touch is great!

Key randomly shows up on a Years&Years remix. It's not bad! I like his vocals way more than Olly's on this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaxU9k2e4c

Key does sound good, he just sings so straight and murders the pitch every time.

I feel like I need to embed the SHINEE songs I linked before cause I keep listening to them... especially Lock You Down:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmzSxX601rc

Not sure if this deserves an embed but I'm into UNB's Black Heart rn, more of the jazz/swing trend and the performance is really fun: https://youtu.be/VcSvwHMwDvI

Except for Shaun, only girl groups topping the instz chart!

https://i.imgur.com/J2J9yOa.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P90QTo_uE

GFriend coming through with city pop vibes, I'm a fan

I like the backtrack and some of the chromatic progressions but overall it's a miss for me. I think I want more Sistar-style belting and the voices are too processed and cute.

Hard pass on Triple H - Retro Future but I like the new Seventeen a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5PELxP8Udg

absck, is Chung Ha one of the girls on the chart? It seems like every time you turn around, she has a new single out.

Surprisingly heavy follow up to Holland's "I'm Not Afraid":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwwAmwMe3fM

xp Chungha was not on that chart. The hangul names are Mamamoo and Bol4. But she is now! ;)

This new Minseo release rules on many levels. Some of the best recent work of the old IU team

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYPT5MMb75E

There is something very suspect about white men in their 30s who are into Kpop girl groups.

Better for them to be into Britney or Christina or Rihanna, right?

Get off it dude, this concern trolling is played out.

who the hell is JB?

love that minseo track

Awesome video too.

drive-by troll?

but yeah I really like the minseo, also the new The Boyz track (KeePer) that's way more stripped back than Giddy Up but also in a weird happy minor key like Giddy Up so I guess that's their thing?

and speaking of minor keys... this is waaaaaaaaaay too high for Day6 to sing comfortably but it is, nonetheless, a singalong :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU

SUPER hooky earwormy!

I'm going back to last year's Day6 releases too, some of these tracks are really good.... "What Can I Do" is so happy and jazzy !

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

the minseo track is like a really motivational anime opening song... she is great and the orchestration is so full!

and sunny summer is growing on me too.... I like the instrumental more the more I listen to it.