to start the year off we have a gorgeous sophisti-ballad from Luna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyNYCrrYcBY
and another solid Chung Ha single
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlN2BXNJzxA
― ufo, Friday, 4 January 2019 05:06 (five months ago) Permalink
oh and of course Blackpink high up on the coachella lineup - rumour was they're going to make a big push at the US market this year so that fits
― ufo, Friday, 4 January 2019 07:03 (five months ago) Permalink
yay Chungha killing it early in the year once again.
Luna's song is pretty - would prefer another "Free Somebody" though.
Blackpink signed with Interscope a few months back so yeah it makes sense. As much as I like them though, just thinking about their live performances makes me wish it was really 2NE1 at Coachella. Alas, the timing was never right.
― Roz, Friday, 4 January 2019 15:33 (five months ago) Permalink
This little ditty is 10 years old today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7mPqycQ0tQ
― Roz, Saturday, 5 January 2019 04:48 (five months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUJ3Pq74H4c
new japanese red velvet single 'Sappy' is pretty interesting, chorus still leans towards the sort of annoying repetitive thing they've had on weaker singles like 'Rookie' but that warped brass line rules
― ufo, Sunday, 6 January 2019 05:02 (five months ago) Permalink
it's probably their weirdest single yet and i'm here for that
― ufo, Sunday, 6 January 2019 05:08 (five months ago) Permalink
cosign on "weird" and "here for that"
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Sunday, 6 January 2019 17:02 (five months ago) Permalink
I couldn't finish Sappy the other day, but maybe I'll give it another try today. I just can't get into Red Velvet's new direction.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Sunday, 6 January 2019 19:15 (five months ago) Permalink
it's the first time one of their hyperactive kitchen sink r&b tracks has really worked this well for me, predecessors like Really Bad Boy (still can't believe they called a song that), #Cookie Jar and Rookie were nowhere near as strong
Sappy feels like it's constantly threatening to completely go off the rails rhythmically but never quite does
― ufo, Sunday, 6 January 2019 23:56 (five months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5daqkRvJDE
still confused by Apink's sudden shift to being decently interesting that happened last year but i'm glad they're keeping it up
― ufo, Monday, 7 January 2019 09:56 (five months ago) Permalink
I really like this a lot, it's what So Sick promised to be but for real this time.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Thursday, 10 January 2019 01:43 (five months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0LfLNWUwE8
just discovered this fantastic shambhala track from last year, if i'd heard this sooner i'd absolutely have it in my eoy list
― ufo, Sunday, 13 January 2019 06:56 (five months ago) Permalink
Surprising (to me) chart topper, lot of fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBouh6xLbdo
― abcfsk, Monday, 14 January 2019 20:58 (five months ago) Permalink
Ok this lady rocks, this would've been campaigned for year-end heavily if I had heard it before
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r076sitx4AE
― abcfsk, Monday, 14 January 2019 21:08 (five months ago) Permalink
'Tting' is really really good, but 'Enchanted Propaganda' might just be the greatest song in human history!
― abcfsk, Monday, 14 January 2019 21:39 (five months ago) Permalink
Thank you ufo/abcfsk - last few tracks are all amazing.
Meanwhile, Lee Hi's all grown up. ;_; In my head, she's still the teenager with the big voice who YG insisted on dressing like a 5-year-old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGDwcoGnI7M
― Roz, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 03:31 (five months ago) Permalink
Listening to ILX Listen: 2019
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 16 January 2019 16:54 (five months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeicprlAbGE
― abcfsk, Friday, 25 January 2019 22:33 (four months ago) Permalink
Really love that Nieah track.
I don't dig this CLC single as much the G-Idle ones, and I fear this still won't be CLC's breakout moment, but it's cool that one girl group member wrote, composed and produced another girl group's single.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZO8guhtnFw
― abcfsk, Wednesday, 30 January 2019 16:16 (four months ago) Permalink
i like "No" a fair amount, Soyeon absolutely one of kpop's mvps at the moment
― ufo, Wednesday, 30 January 2019 16:20 (four months ago) Permalink
guys, I know I didn't do enough campaigning for it (thanks for picking up the slack ufo!) but i'm going to be really bummed if "Baby Don't Stop" doesn't make the Top 77. It was ranked 3rd on my ballot, while Red Velvet was 4th and that just barely made it in. Suspect name recognition helped RV too - they've made the list twice before.
― Roz, Thursday, 31 January 2019 02:36 (four months ago) Permalink
"Baby Don't Stop" is the one i'm still hoping will place, i had it very high on my ballot too. if it does place i think it'd be the highest kpop placement ever apart from gangnam style at this point so that'd be something
― ufo, Thursday, 31 January 2019 02:42 (four months ago) Permalink
that would be great yeah but i'm not feeling too confident, ILMers don't seem as interested in boybands compared to girl groups. Also, TSJ never reviewed it - I feel like that's usually needed for non-English language pop to get some traction on the poll.
― Roz, Thursday, 31 January 2019 03:00 (four months ago) Permalink
i think there's still room to be pleasantly surprised after "new" did so well last year mostly from people discovering it in the nominations playlist and going "wow this rules"
― ufo, Thursday, 31 January 2019 03:25 (four months ago) Permalink
My 13 yo listens to kpop. Got into it cause of a classmate. It's the only thing she listens to. Bought her some kpop gear for xmas. I love how obsessed she is.
― nathom, Thursday, 31 January 2019 08:14 (four months ago) Permalink
Yeah, I noticed that Portuguese stores that barely still sells CDs do have a largeish section for K-Pop.
― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 31 January 2019 10:46 (four months ago) Permalink
It's very cool to listen to kpop, I notice. Kinda like indie was when I was young (or northern soul when my dad was young). So when my kid only talks ab it, I get it. The only text messages she sends me or pics of Jungwoo. Haha.
― nathom, Thursday, 31 January 2019 20:46 (four months ago) Permalink
teenage girls into K-pop are the only people in the world who are still buying physical copies of CDs - many of their fan communities organise bulk buying campaigns. (It helps that K-pop artists are also the only pop acts that still have the budget to produce album covers with bonus features like photo booklets, postcards, pull out lyrics sheets, etc.)
― Roz, Friday, 1 February 2019 15:15 (four months ago) Permalink
Well, except for idol fans in Japan.
It's the new JYP girl group! Obviously launched as TWICE counter-programming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNfTK39k55U
― abcfsk, Sunday, 10 February 2019 19:58 (four months ago) Permalink
Chungha’s “Gotta Go” is awesome. I love the swirling psychedelic trap soundscape.
― breastcrawl, Sunday, 10 February 2019 20:53 (four months ago) Permalink
"Dalla Dalla" is really fun
― ufo, Sunday, 10 February 2019 22:19 (four months ago) Permalink
LOVE "Dalla Dalla". What a great debut.
― Roz, Monday, 11 February 2019 15:34 (four months ago) Permalink
seeing Taemin lean into androgyny after spending most of his early years in SHINee being uncomfortable in his role as the designated pretty one makes me happy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OfOkiVFmhM
Late but enjoying "Sunrise" too - classic spring K-pop single
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iciFwCnsyY4
― Roz, Monday, 11 February 2019 15:36 (four months ago) Permalink
the only complaint i have about "dalla dalla" is that chanting in the bridge - it was annoying enough in quite a few twice singles
taemin's "want" is really great, such a groove
― ufo, Monday, 11 February 2019 23:17 (four months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq_mbTSR-a0
― abcfsk, Wednesday, 13 February 2019 11:16 (four months ago) Permalink
Whoa that rules. I haven't liked their previous singles but this is straight up awesome.
― Roz, Thursday, 14 February 2019 16:09 (four months ago) Permalink
this rules
― nxd, Friday, 15 February 2019 10:18 (four months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEOCbFJjRw0
new LOONA "Butterfly" is their best single in a while, doesn't quite reach the heights of say "Girl Front" or "new" but pretty enjoyable still. the chorus beat drop is very nice but the rest of the chorus lets it down a little, though it is a lot better at the end when there's more going on
― ufo, Tuesday, 19 February 2019 11:57 (three months ago) Permalink
Yeah that is lovely - their sound design is incredible.
Underwritten choruses or choruses that are mere excuses for a drop/dance break have been a thing in K-pop for a while now ("Killing me" by IKON and RV's "Peek-a-Boo" come to mind, but there are loads of others).
― Roz, Tuesday, 19 February 2019 14:42 (three months ago) Permalink
On the opposite end of the spectrum, this song is all over the place but I'm kind of obsessed with the echo-y harmonies on the chorus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C3hIJg4rHo
― Roz, Tuesday, 19 February 2019 14:46 (three months ago) Permalink
loona are so good arent they
― nxd, Wednesday, 20 February 2019 09:29 (three months ago) Permalink
Japanese singer releases Korean single in the Japanese city-pop genre style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67jSYCSrnE4
― abcfsk, Friday, 22 February 2019 12:51 (three months ago) Permalink
Really should post this over on the J-pop thread but on a similar tip, Japanese-Korean artist Chanmina raps/sings in both languages + English. She's a Big Bang fan if it's not obvious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ1caaQYkz0
― Roz, Friday, 22 February 2019 15:06 (three months ago) Permalink
just catching up on the past few weeks - posted about it a bit on the Big Bang thread, but what started as tawdry gossip over a nightclub assault has turned into an epic clusterfuck. Like this article doesn't even scratch the surface of what's been reported on so far (if anyone finds a decent primer on it, let me know).
Meanwhile, the rest of kpop world keeps on rolling.
the season of great debuts continues with TXT (I'm annoyed that Spotify lists them by their full name TOMORROW X TOGETHER, which is just awkward):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3iSnJ663II
"Senorita" has really grown on me. Love those horns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8APgeFfkAk
Park Bom be like "YG who?" I don't love her in ballad mode, but this is nice enough. I'm happy to hear her voice again and she must be so relieved to have escaped YG's dungeon when she did lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnQflYjicms
And finally, the best music video of 2019 so far (sorry CRJ):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNeNwplE_aw
― Roz, Monday, 18 March 2019 14:14 (three months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dab4EENTW5I
― Roz, Tuesday, 26 March 2019 13:01 (two months ago) Permalink
Been talking w my kpop obsessed daughter about the scandal. My colleague's sister was just "wtf is happening!" The whole coverage is weird too. Watching it on youtube, it's weird.
― nathom, Tuesday, 26 March 2019 13:25 (two months ago) Permalink
yeh the coverage has been a lil strange
xp that sunmi song rules
― nxd, Wednesday, 27 March 2019 09:36 (two months ago) Permalink
re coverage: I think it's because it wasn't a single exposé that revealed everything or a scandal that was focused on a particular issue - it started with a brawl at a club, and unfolded in fits and starts to uncover all manner of wrongdoing in Seoul's celebrity/party/business circles. The central figure in all of the stories is Big Bang's Seungri, who straddles all of these worlds - on top of being part of one of Korea's biggest and most-loved boy groups, he owns a successful ramen chain and has a reputation as a party boy. So all of the reporting has ultimately been about him really, even as it has engulfed other pop stars/celebs.
I will say that as a former Big Bang obsessive, nothing that has come out about Seungri has been particularly surprising, other than being baffled by why he thought it was a good idea to go so far in the first place. I'm just looking back at stuff I wrote in 2012-13 in which I had described him variously as: "a frat douche", "a skirtchaser", "an uncontrollable freak" and "a sociopath" - like even though I was half-joking in most of these, the signs were always there.
I'm mostly heartbroken for the young women and teenagers who worshipped these guys - it's always a huge betrayal when you find out your favourite artist are secretly terrible people. weirdly, it hasn't affected me that much but I've gone off Big Bang quite a bit in the past few years (plus, I think after Jesse Lacey/Brand New, I've come to expect that bands/male artists that mean a lot to me will probably disappoint me eventually).
― Roz, Wednesday, 27 March 2019 14:32 (two months ago) Permalink
artists*
― Roz, Wednesday, 27 March 2019 14:36 (two months ago) Permalink
Another distinct female rapper hitting it big... outside of all the shitty news stories 2019 is a good year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcpHE-BpGHAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBBQNCDzeYo
― abcfsk, Sunday, 31 March 2019 15:58 (two months ago) Permalink
For posterity, and for purely selfish reasons (as I’m in a country rn that won’t allow to see YouTube links): what songs are those?
― breastcrawl, Sunday, 31 March 2019 16:12 (two months ago) Permalink
allow *me
― breastcrawl, Sunday, 31 March 2019 16:14 (two months ago) Permalink
Swervy, young rapper and recent signee on Paloalto's label Hi-Lite, and her debut single "Red Lite", and the new collab single with the rest of the label's crew, "Hi-Lite Sign", which is rising on the charts
― abcfsk, Sunday, 31 March 2019 21:45 (two months ago) Permalink
Thank you - hopefully the tracks will be on Spotify soon...
― breastcrawl, Monday, 1 April 2019 00:30 (two months ago) Permalink
recently kpop has been really quite uninteresting unfortunately but there's finally something of note
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P87gzqWr1_U
Lim Kim finally returns with this weird rap track in english that doesn't bare any resemblance to her previous work! i'm not sure how to feel about it but it's at least interesting
― ufo, Friday, 24 May 2019 05:48 (three weeks ago) Permalink
Love the synth bass on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1taLXjVxB4UWeki Meki • Picky Picky
(from the Songs of the Summer 2019 thread, where it was posted by eric)
― breastcrawl, Monday, 10 June 2019 20:03 (one week ago) Permalink