K-pop (2014)

^is it on spotify?

I don't think so... it's on Youtube at http://youtu.be/YwHTn5UTDyI

thanks. it's a pain listening to youtube on my phone at work, but i'll give it a listen in a sec

NP! They're on Naver too if you'd rather listen without video.

Whoops, looks like Naver doesn't work outside of Korea... sorry ∞, hope it's worth it when you finally get to listen

Nice relaxing belated Spring track, from Kim Yeon Woo and Kyung of Block B (who gets all the best features for some reason):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M52hTSrK57w

I really love that video, a bit iffy on the song itself. Park Kyung is underrated though - Zico gets all the attention but I've always liked Kyung's more laidback style.

I like Kim Yeon Woo's tone and my standards for Spring tracks are low to begin with, lol. But it does start off stronger than it finishes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqbXx4pHu-k#t=151

And in a less lolzy video (MAYBE), here's BTOB on Immortal Song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtwqZR8Z_no

the best

If there's one thing you can't accuse Breath of, it's not sounding like a ZE:A single. They really have a recognizable sound.

I mean this is basically The Day We Broke Up, Part 2, no?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0tkGdr0R0g

wa$$up's Brazil world cup song: fun song, funner video. (and considering they were probably made for the South American market, very timely)

TOPP DOGG all over the place as usual, but this single is actually, relatively, more cohesive:

http://youtu.be/kUSIdLEs2hA

I'm kind of looking for to Kidoh (their main composer)'s solo album, there's a lot of talent in this group.

Annnnnd here's the Topp Dogg mini: youtube.com/watch?v=WrnvjS22KPw&list=PLN7JkcVNG8Ikg1gWZgrddAe2wC4n0zVxd

"this might be the last, but it sure as hell ain't gonna be the least"

Mini is a MESS but there's something there... maybe. 'Amadaeus' sounds like a 4minute song tho.

And then there's this unexpectedly good song from Cross Gene http://youtu.be/abcv7Ua1JrU

What's getting me is how much they're posing *exactly* like a girl-group would.

Really dig this song and it was filmed in my city!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUCIzn0mRHc

AKMU!!! They're known for their deeper-than-pop-generally-is lyrics so this fits right in. That kid is a really good actor too.

I'm kind of feeling the girl-group songs out right now, Tahiti 'Oops You're Mine' http://youtu.be/SK3q9C4lAmg (maybe I'm just relieved they're not all scary-thin anymore) and Bob Girls 'No Way' http://youtu.be/Ty8co3ttizQ (paging Osamu Tezuka, Osamu Tezuka come in).

The real news from the week, though, is that Taeyang's set designers deserve a raise:

http://youtu.be/QVk85qm_d9c
http://youtu.be/7kWBgBx_x5w

AKMU!!! They're known for their deeper-than-pop-generally-is lyrics so this fits right in. That kid is a really good actor too.

I'm kind of feeling the girl-group songs out right now, Tahiti 'Oops You're Mine' http://youtu.be/SK3q9C4lAmg (maybe I'm just relieved they're not all scary-thin anymore) and Bob Girls 'No Way' http://youtu.be/Ty8co3ttizQ (paging Osamu Tezuka, Osamu Tezuka come in).

― hurricane weather (forapper), Thursday, June 12, 2014 7:35 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'm all into the deep/philosophical songs/lyrics if given an option, though

@forapper, by the way, isn't it super late/early in Korea? What are you doing awake?

I'm not in Korea, nor am I Korean, LOL. I live outside NYC!

I'll be in Hong Kong visiting friends in late June/early July, though, and I'm thinking of swinging by Korea or SE Asia... either Seoul or Singapore or MKuala Lumpur, I haven't decided yet.

I'm sorry ∞... Akdong Musician get a lot of coverage on other websites though. I like their OST song I Love You.

^Just pulling your chain, forapper

And oh, sorry. I didn't know why I thought you were Korean and lived there.

don't*

AKMU are a little too twee for me but yeah that's their best song, and the video's beautiful.

Taeyang's stages for "Eyes, Nose, Lips" are gorgeous, and he sounds good too. someone on omona said YGE overhauled their creative department this year which might explain why their recent releases have been on point + barely any delays! way to step up.

btw are we not into Crush around here? What rhymes with...

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

What other people call a teaser, History call a "pre-listening release":

http://youtu.be/1gndhS771A0

I love how Kpop companies assume you'll want to buy an album based on who composed the tracks and their degree of sophistication in genre-borrowing.

J4kob D0r0f is an ilxor, no? Dude, if you're still around... thanks for this sweet interview with Winner!

Anyone else following the drama with EXO and SNSD? Fans are approaching Changmin-in-a-spoon levels of detection... they figured out that EXO Baekhyun posted a photo of himself at Taeyeon's house based on the wallpaper, and that a picture Taeyeon posted of two oreos was a coded message to BH because his name means "white black" and the oreos were stacked the same way as the ones on his birthday cake. Apparently.

Crayon Pop!

http://youtu.be/dlg6DkJF3sE

It's for the soundtrack of a show called "Trot Lovers" and it sounds like an Orange Caramel song <-- everything you need to know

Haven't liked Beast's recent singles but this new one is pretty good. chorus keeps getting stuck in my head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs8QGv2VqJA

It's for the soundtrack of a show called "Trot Lovers" and it sounds like an Orange Caramel song <-- everything you need to know

gotta admit, I don't fully grasp what 'trot' music really is but I've really enjoyed the last two crayon pop singles and am curious. I've dug around and the history about how it evolved from enka is really interesting but I haven't found any modern examples that have really done it for me and that's more what I'm after (dance beats, keyboard presets, good stuff like that - basically looking for more songs that sound like "uh-ee").

a little help? recommended comps, mixes, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

f(x) continue to release amazing teasers

https://31.media.tumblr.com/939e40db107cff95a480554044006ad4/tumblr_inline_n7xpvk23iv1qdjb7q.jpg

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

http://www.southflorida.com/music/sf-kpop-korean-culture-south-florida-20140627,0,1290145.story

f(x)! http://youtu.be/iv-8-EgPEY0

They look amazing! Shame about the song though - some great sounds in there, but overall a bit of a mess.

I'm into it. I loved IGAB. I even dug 'Wolf'. Disjointed SM singles get a big 'yes' from me in general.

The other song they've performed, Milk, is also classic f(x) and great https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAo87xaFJAw

lol i hate "IGAB", and can only barely tolerate "Wolf" (the "awwwwoooooooo...."s amuse me).

"Milk" is good though. :D I'm still looking forward to the rest of the album.

f(x) album is out and it delivers for anyone who liked pink tape

Looks like f(x) went ahead and made the indie MV they teased in front of Pink Tape, lol.

Have you guys heard the demo track SM turned into Red Light? It's kind of a better song (http://youtu.be/xJo3DN0Nrzs)

But I also like Milk

Had to double-check to make sure these girls weren't a Jpop group: http://youtu.be/8b9TWbkN0K8

SHINee Jonghyun sharing some self-composed songs on his radio show, of which this is the prettiest

I mean it's clear why SM aren't falling all over themselves to put this out as an album, but they're serviceable... B2ST's Good Luck is growing on me btw.

ummmm B2ST's new mini, Jonghyun's new songs, and all of Red Light fucking kill it. plus the finalized "Red Light" is miles beyond the boring, straightup trap demo.

I can't say which just yet, but I just successfully pitched an article at a HUGE (and hugely influential) publication that stands to be the biggest and most detailed musical discussion of K-pop to date. The idea is to talk about K-pop not as MV countdown, cultural curio, or fashion talking point, but as actual, fantastic music (for once!). I'm substantiating the claim that K-pop has produced some of the most intelligent, adventurous, and challenging pop music in recent times.

I think ILX might have some good perspective here. What are the most MUSICALLY mindblowing K-pop songs you know? Does not have to be a single or have a video, but if it was a commercially successful song then that's a bonus. Examples of what I mean are things like "Rum Pum Pum Pum," "One Minute Back" (SHINee), the "Whatever They Say" a capella by DBSK, etc. "Catallena" stuff. Please rack your brains for me; maybe one of your favorite songs will wind up in a milestone K-pop article!

(didn't want to risk opening a new thread since i'm pretty newb, but do you think this merits it? this is gonna be the most significant k-pop article in yearssss)

I feel like I was just asked to help with someone's dissertation, lol. But OK!

SNSD - I Got a Boy (it's a musical in a single song), MR MR (it has two key changes)

B1A4 - What's Going On (sounds like it's made entirely out of bridges, has five key changes)

2PM - Hands Up (awesome backing instrumental that sounds busy and clean at the same time)

JJ Project - Bounce (shifts from trap to K-hip-hop to rock and back again, v. good and underrated song that was sadly released ahead of its time)

2NE1 - Gotta Be You (can't decide what genre it wants to be but pop-prettified all the way through), Come Back Home (although the genre-switching in this song sounds like a stunt)

EXO - Wolf (harsh-sounding electro-dupstep track promoting madness that's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Mountain-Three-Short-Sleeve/dp/B002HJ377A";>3 Wolves</a> levels of cheesy), also some of the experimental RnB tracks on EXO's first mini like What is Love and Machine

SHINee - Why So Serious (to quote absfk, it's metal/mental, a homegrown version of the crazy tracks SMEnt likes to buy off foreign producers to keep up their rep of being futuristic and modern)

Infinite - The Chaser (has traditional instruments), Destiny (lacks modulation)

TOPDOGG - Arario (has traditional instruments AND lacks modulation!...I think these guys make unintentionally weird songs because they're ambitious while still learning how to write, like Double A and B1A4)

GDragon - CraYon (touched off the many-songs-in-one-song craze)

SISTAR - Alone (pop piano/disco/reggae hybrid)

MFBTY - Sweet Dream (wouldn't sound out of place on US pop radio except it mixes two totally different genres together)

Boyfriend - I'll Be There/Brave Girls - Nowadays You/ZE:A - Aftermath/C Clown - Shaking Heart (dunno if any of these are ground-breaking but Kpop certainly does set its sad/psychotic breakup songs to a faster beat you'd find in most other countries, also the C Clown song and many Shinsadong Tiger tracks surprisingly use traditional instruments for their dance tracks)

Tara - Roly Poly (it secretly speeds up from 126 to 130 beats per minute), Lovey Dovey (ditto but only speeds up during the chorus)

Wa$$up - Jingle Bell (like very few other Xmas songs you've ever heard)

Wonderboyz - Tarzan (I dunno that anyone else is going for the pop-radio-friendly-dancehall-lite sound this song has, for better or worse)

[this list needs more girlgroup songs!]

Overall I'd say it's not that Kpop is more experimental, but that Kpop producers make more of an attempt to incorporate newly popular sounds into songs that are then produced in a crowd-pleasingly approachable pop way, with sticky melodies/traditional instruments/lots of energy.