K-pop (2014)

i haven't been keeping up with the news lately so I'm actually surprised by this - for all their fuckery, you'd think SM would take better care of their biggest asset. what a mess.

SM doesn't negotiate, their style is totally "do as you're told or we'll ruin you".

Apparently there's a Jessica & Kystal album sitting around already done, too. They filmed an MV for it and everything, but since Jessica is out of GG and publicly unhappy about it everything's been shelved.

I mean it makes sense that they'd want to promote GG more than once a year but booting Jessica out right after she re-signed a three year contract is some kind of serious fuckery.

Anyway I came here to post IU x Seo Taiji, and comment on abcfsk's awesome rapper lady (she's awesome).

She is!

And IU Seo song is really nice, will be interesting to see if ST manages to deliver a full-length album that makes sense in 2013. IU's found every possible way to all-kill the Korean charts in the past 12 months. Big major single, low key acoustic release, helping out a rookie boyband, covering old songs, working with k-pop's founding father.. and she is the best-selling digital artist of the last 5 years http://www.allkpop.com/forums/discussion/197756/top-10-selling-digital-artists-gaon-history

2014*

Annnnnd there's an MV: http://youtu.be/GHu39FEFIks

Also, have some YOLO: http://youtu.be/hIifkvZGXng

And here's B to B back for one last shot at the Korean market before they ship their nuttiness off to Japan: http://youtu.be/GRl7ZfzzISU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S86Cr1kaH7I

Actually, I think Seo Taiji's version is a little better than IU's:

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

Also, YG is now officially the biggest entertainment company in S. Korea:

http://%3A//ic.pics.livejournal.com/aki_san/3432044/17483/17483_original.png

That 15% drop is what happened after Luhan (of EXO) filed for a divorce from SM -- and it probably would have been higher if the KOSDAQ didn't have a 15% daily upper/lower limit on stock price changes.

whoops, let's see if this one embeds:

http://koreanslate.com/images/sm-entertainment-stock-price-kosdaq-halts-trading-15.jpg

VIXX and Song Jieun's albums are out... VIXX's is about what you'd expect, Jieun's has some really good album tracks on it.

And I see that I'm the only person here who cares about EXO, lol.

Jieun's is pretty solid overall, actually, even if not that different (musically) from Hyosung's single album earlier this year. There's a pretty big disconnect between the lyrics of her single, 25, and the MV though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL5kNlgP0P0

In other news, BTOB hopping on board the Booty Train http://youtu.be/KXnEGUGmkbA

More notable stuff:

Strawberry Milk (Choa and Way from Crayon Pop) doing SUPER JPOP cute-creepy twin stuff: http://youtu.be/1VQ-OJ3vCn0

+Another Strawberry Milk song: http://youtu.be/D5H4iIly2lw

Seo Taiji's Nightmare Before Xmas song "Chrismalo.win" (get it?): http://youtu.be/EwEeYx9ALbg

Probably of interest to fans only:

Jessica gets the first and last word in on SNSD's new Japanese single: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/swwHoIOfFfs/?FR=LIAN

+Girl's Day ballad featuring lots of Hyeri (they won't be performing it live): http://youtu.be/EAc3QKoRll0

i fkn LOVE "chrismalo.win." his single with IU was a really nice way to make the Chvrches sound not reek, too. intrigued for his album...

I can't see Seo Taiji the same way since his ex wife gave that interview on Healing Camp about their secret 14 year marriage (though there's two sides to every story I guess). But thinking that he's creepy doesn't really take away from his music... since the music is supposed to be kind of creepy as well.

Actually VIXX's mini is growing on me, Jrock vibes and all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Wqwf4Etak

Well okay Error is pretty boring but I quite like Blue Blossom. Listening to too much idol music obviously.

Seo In Young and Zion T. aiming for Miguel and Mariah:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weL6ia2NF_w

Also GAEKO's album is out.

EPIK HIGH!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8GUlNNXBVg

Though actually I think 'Burj Khalifa and Born Hater are stronger... Spoiler is like a slightly better Empty.

And I would say those tracks are also better because the features (Yankie & Gaeko on Burj Khalifa, BI & Bobby & Verbal Jint & Beenzino on Born Hater) are better than the home team... if we're just going by how the tracks sound.

Also I regret jumping the gun on Seo Taiji cause there's a nine-minute THE PEOPLE'S HALLOWEEN vs THOSE NORTH POLE FASCISTS version of Christmalo.win out now

http://youtu.be/guovNnTnchQ

And here's the album: http://youtu.be/LUoFgOVUe_Q?list=UU4nCVzTmEsvVYLiODA92VAQ

Whole thing is great but 90s Icon (http://youtu.be/4aLFmLmHyTQ) is my favorite track rn

Seo Taiji has confirmed that not only is he the undisputed progenitor of K-pop, but also still its boldest innovator. Quiet Night is probably the best single K-pop album I've heard to date (even if Pink Tape still has my heart), and "Christmalo.win" is in strong contention for Korea's song of the year. Really only "Fxxk U" has a chance against it, I think.

Topp Dogg finally learning to dial to back from 11 (or Cho PD stepped back and let them write their own stuff):

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

Surprisingly good rookie debut from HOTSHOT :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9s2N7d2aLY

I LOVE the production on this - it's minimalist and clean, but also all over the place.

Currently at the top of the charts in a major way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMsz1vEvP0A

This is the guy who was on trial for draft-dodging in 2010 (basically the worst crime against the S. Korean public you can commit) and has been "reflecting" on his mistakes for the last four years. Competing rumors have him being, on the one hand, sociophobic during that time, and on the other, the secretly ghostwriting for close friends/popular composer duo Duble Sidekick.

(Of course, those could both be true.)

I gotta say if all Duble Sidekick's tracks were this decent, I'd have fewer complaints about them...

(On the feature list: Girl's Day Minah, SISTAR Hyorin, The Seeya Sung Yoo Jin, Gary, Bumkey, Lyn, Ailee, Mad Soul Child Jin Sil, Baek Ji Young.)

Here's the title: http://youtu.be/-6OxVfem0WM

the MC Mong album sucks. looking forward to the new AOA

I don't think it's good, but I do think it's better than most of Double Sidekick

Speaking of popular songwriters, the massively eclipsed Brave Brothers finally makes a reappearance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP2PILSAwLs

The choreography is a mess of thins stolen from other, more popular girl groups, but as a Brave Brothers fan I do like the song.

I see Sistar, Girl's Day, Fiestar and Jiyeon in the choreo, and I hear a lot of Girls Day - Something and a little bit of Delight - Hate You! in the music.

That Hello Venus song is very disappointing, Whisky should have been promoted instead. I've been pretty disappointed by every single after their debut though. I definitely hear Something in there (which I frankly don't like much either) but echoes of both AOA singles from this year are definitely there too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DikFQp6a7FM

And speaking of recent comebacks from 2012 rookie groups, Spica's new one is an above average ballad if only because they're all great vocalists. They had such a great run in 2012 (Potently, Russian Roulette, Painkiller, I'll Be There, Lonely + two minis, their first one being pretty great) but I've felt a bit indifferent about them ever since. They had a decent run this year but nothing's impressed me much. I Did It was surprisingly good for an english track though. Give Your Love was one of the better Brave Bros tracks this year too when I think about it.

Hello Venus song sucks. Brave Brothers keeps finding ways to make his same old template even thinner. his only decent song this year was AOA's MiniHair dyad, and 4minute's "Only Gained Weight" was his only really good one (itself a morose rewrite of "Like Water?").

here comes woolim's much-hyped girl group answer to infinite:

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

don't mind how the beat enters, but as a song it's super duper bland imo. k-pop 2014 was off to an incredible start ("fxxk u," "dirty vibe," acoustic "miniskirt," new neon bunny) but i don't think it ever regained its momentum after the ferry tragedy...

I liked that After School song that they contributed to the 10th Anniversary compilation. Aside from that and the AOA songs, I can't think of much else I've enjoyed from Brave Brothers. I was pretty indifferent to "Fxxk U" despite it having interesting production; I've been a way bigger fan of the other things Bumkey has been a part of this year. Great music video though -- you'd think the whole pastel color bleeding would get old but whoever made that vid knew what they were doing (love Ga-in's make up too). Some awkward framing here and there but that shower curtain bit is well done. I think I preferred older Neon Bunny tracks but It's You was pretty decent. Had a very somber Korean/Pastel Music feel to it that differentiated it enough from stuff like Chvrches or even M83's HUWD.

I'd say this year's been a bit worse than 2013, which I thought was worse than 2012, but there have been plenty of songs I liked this year when I think about it. I really enjoyed all the duets this year (Jung In & Gary, San E & Raina, SoYou & Junggigo) which is kind of surprising to me.

That Lovelyz song is just a pre-debut track so I'm still pretty interested to hear what they'll sound like. Pretty innocuous ballad otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3ibFCehLbk

New Teen Top is pretty good. Really like the music video aside from the double exposure, which I think almost always looks terrible in the context of any video.

Hello Venus-single a black hole of a non-song from BB. Lovelyz pretty enjoyable.

I do feel like it's not just us and that boy and girl groups have struggled to make a big impact commercially in Korea this year. Not to mention all the break-ups and disputes. We saw some of it earlier years, a shift towards different types of artists taking over the top of the charts, hip hop, balladeers (well they've always been there), indie pop, singer songwriters. Many groups have flopped with their singles this year, groups that used to be at least relatively high in the tiers. Only a few idol groups, like Sistar, have had huge year-defining hits.

Look at the best selling songs of 2010

1. 2AM - Can't Let You Go Even If I Die (3,352,827)
2. Girls' Generation - Oh! (3,316,889)
3. Miss A - Bad Girl Good Girl (3,119,784)
4. 4MEN - I Can't (3,093,483)
5. T-ara - I Go Crazy Because Of You (3,042,224)
6. IU & Seulong - Nagging (3,008,795)
7. KARA - Lupin (2,977,898)
8. CNBLUE - I'm A Loner (2,959,800)
9. Wonder Girls - 2 Different Tears (2,790,298)
10. MC Mong - Sick Enough To Die (feat. Mellow) (2,698,185)

2013
1. BaeChiGi - Shower of Tears: 1,880,676
2. Leessang - Tears: 1,806,317
3. Sistar19 - GNAAL: 1,723,704
4. Heo Gak & Yoo Seung Woo - Monodrama: 1,645,880
5. Psy - Gentleman: 1,604,778
6. Roy Kim - Spring x3: 1,490,031
7. Sistar - Give It To Me: 1,486,661
8. 4Minute - What's Your Name?: 1,477,832
9. Davichi - Turtle: 1,439,190
10. Lee Seung Chul - My Love: 1,393,066

2014, we'll see.

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

New AOA is surprisingly fresh, though I can't imagine listening to it more than their previous singles at this point. Maybe listening to the whole mini will change my mind. Really makes you feel like Brave Bros didn't even try for that Hello Venus track.

2014 has definitely been a worse year for idol pop than 2013... it's why I was reaching with the Hello Venus song.

(Would add TVXQ's "Something" to the list of strong singles from earlier in the year though.)

I like "Like a Cat" more than Miniskirt! But I'm always here for campy tracks with "la la la" hooks.

Hoping for good things from the upcoming Boys Republic single, it seems like it's gonna be a jam: http://youtu.be/ynDfOI3ryaQ

Lee Hi and Soohyun passing the time until they can officially return with a low-pressure unit group that combines both their sounds, is charming but doesn't really go anywhere: http://youtu.be/YT8NR198yz8

YES to Teen Top. Their last single (Missing) came close to being good, but the chorus/Niel's distinctive voice didn't fit the rest of the song and kind of ruined it. All the pieces fit together here however.

Also like the closing track on AOA's mini, brings back memories of AOA-the-rock-band: http://youtu.be/yuD7rMxOaxg

Yea that Boys Republic teaser definitely piques my interest. New Nicole teaser is definitely intriguing: http://youtu.be/gpCdhnB-0Sw

hah, this is a thing even in here

there is no escaping the sexy automatons

AOA mini is kinda a bummer...title is okay but very plain on the whole.

@abcfsk, bummer to see overall sales figures drop so precipitously =\

Sales drop has to do with price jump - it was a very clear shift from one year to another where prices were doubled per government regulation.