kpop 2019

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

on that note, seems that 90's r&b is this year's summer trend

xpost woops wrong link although that (G)I-DLE song is good too! Snapping was what I meant to post lol

yeah i like both, Soyeon and Chungha are both real stars

I wrote a bit about Seungri over on Frank's livejournal, like Roz I was surprised by the extent of Seungri's actual crimes but not that we was involved in unsavory stuff in some way (https://koganbot.dreamwidth.org/373664.html)

Also in small world news, our boy Jakob is out here getting interviewed by the Reacttothek youtube folks, but I think the interview is locked to their Patreon supporters. Maybe only of interest to a small circle of people anyway...

I haven't been around at all this year because I was so disappointed in myself for not recommending Heize's Jenga for the 2018 year-end poll, and then I didn't like most of the big singles. But maybe there will be something in this post that draws me back in.

Will this work? Let's see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDKrFJ3mq3E

From the end of that interview, described as following the emo-rap trend, but with like RnB instead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8mF7CBVCf4

Jakob says the rapper sounds like he's almost screaming, but I think he sounds like he needs to clear his throat... maybe needs to watch his technique or he won't have any voice left soon.

Apparently Day6 is touring. My 13yo asked if she go to the gig. Duh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EfjXQgE1e8

Baek never disappoints; jazz watch 2019

Love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-iJZ0gfKPo

Not sure where else to post this but I love this vietnamese track, thought folks here might enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU4s65RAAKQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHS9E6JFja8

new red velvet "umpah umpah" is a big improvement over "zimzalabim", not really up with their best but considering how dull this year's generally been i'll happily take this

God, that Toc Tien track rules.

Really the only track I like this year is Baekhyun's "UN Village" and the only Mini I like is his mini "City Lights"!

I mean, I stopped listening actively to Kpop but still.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bck8PTQGujo

the only track i really love from this year has been red velvet's "sappy". feels like everything's even more caught up in bland trop house than before so i've been increasingly uninterested

for me it's mostly just been

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bRyQbD9U9c

feeling “UN Village” and “Love Talk”, thanks for those!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ymwOvzhwHs

twice go deep house on "feel special", it's fun enough

OKAY there are TWO tracks I like this year... one is Baekhyun's UN Village and the other is GWSN's The Interpretation of Dreams!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_j8OKeZMHg

It's a throwback to the alt-RnB sound Kpop had in 2012-2013 and I'm here for it.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20191014008551315

RIP Sulli, f(x) were the greatest so this is very sad

it's being investigated if her death was suicide and i've seen some places claim to confirm that it was, which would be extremely tragic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnku4o3tRB4

Just saw this news, so heartbreaking. f(x) were indeed the greatest. :(

Yeah, rip :( The Pink Tape is the best k-pop album, and one of the very best pop albums of the decade, imo.

"Airplane" still rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70MBQrlsr_M

I always felt bad for Sulli, she was treated very badly by the Korean press over her dating "scandal" and basically not fitting in the image her label had crafted for her.

yeah if it is indeed suicide it would unfortunately be not that surprising considering all the ridiculous shit she's had to deal with from the public and the press on top of her struggles with anxiety and depression

Just watched this from June, have people seen this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5uE7KDkDFE

I'm sad about Sulli.

There's a photo that circulated a while back, of f(x) on the set of variety show A Song for You on their press junket for.... I can't remember? The one before 4walls.

Anyway the episode was edited to make it look like Sulli was not there, only the other four were. And they laugh and joke like everything's fine. But in the photo Sulli is sitting right next to them on set, basically catatonic/too depressed to function.

I think about this often because it shows the gap between image and reality. And Sulli more than others really suffered from this gap, I think.

Hmm I found the clip - they were promoting Rum Pum Pum Pum just before Sulli's break from the group in 2014. Anyway out of respect I don't really want to link to the video but you can find it on omonatheydidn't by searching "f(x) a song for you".

Anyway the heartless capitalist logic... the social media logic... the entertainment industry logic of always needing to pretend that you are fine. And if you are not fine, well then, you simply won't appear at all.

RIP Sulli.

p basic but i really like ladies code 'set me free'

http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gif0f4_1z2w

also i was only so so on 'bon bon chocolat' so ended up being a couple of months late on everglow's follow up but i really like 'Adios' even though i get the urge to sing a speeded up 'god rest ye merry gentlemen' over the chorus break

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gX_p1VkgA4

didn't see it mention on this thread but one of my favourites from early in the year is mamamoo 'gogobebe'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp56JdkmE9s

1 billion views (in 18 months) for BLACKPINK's "The Ddu-Du Song"

"Blackpink are the first K-pop band to join YouTube's 'billion views club'"
- https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50405408

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

Looks like everyone has been hit with that ddu-du.

So, tell me... Have they hit you with that ddu-du?

I am far from a scholar but this strikes me as a C+ jam at best

Rene bae has taken over my ig, don’t even know why

iirc the favourite blackpink tracks here are "whistle" and "if its your last" which are both fantastic. "ddu-du ddu-du" is still as mediocre as it was on release

i like 'kill this love' a lot as well as 'ddu-du' and 'whistle'.

from earlier in the year i like hwash's solo 'twit'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScSn235gQx0

also oneus 'twilight'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Njp-J2s5uw

*hwasa not hwash

ddu du ddu du is a perfect storm of easily replicable song-specific dance, killer video (fennec fox! disco ball tank!) and a good jam, all of which travels well. not surprised it hit hard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvRnW-4P8dw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Fwdnij49o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1PvIWdJ8xo

i like "unstable" but wish there were more to it than that

can't believe i completely forgot to post the Lim Kim single from last month:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5S3sPpkd8w

i need to get around to her EP, this reinvention has been pretty wild

sadly I can't get into her new stuff at all, though I'm happy she seems happy doing what she loves.

Nice quick interview explaining her new direction: https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/xwe7kz/lim-kim-is-forging-an-independent-k-pop-revolution

more awful news:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/nov/24/goo-hara-k-pop-singer-found-dead-aged-28

absolutely tragic that it came to this, KARA were fantastic and Hara had really been through a lot lately

Jesus, I was out the whole day and just saw this. Don’t know what to say anymore, this is so awful. Her asshole ex needs to be in jail.

The last photo she posted on IG is heartbreaking. Also, all her photos with Sulli. :(

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/list/8544710/best-k-pop-songs-2010s-top-100

this is a surprisingly good list, apart from a few things like "good day" at #1 being both strange and boring

Agreed - I’ve actually made my own top 100 list (which I’ll post when I have more time this week) and yeah there’s a lot of overlap with that one. I have a different IU track at no. 1, lol.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5SIbaglGzP

Always looks like she’s going to jail

As promised, my top 100 Kpop songs of the 2010s.

Embarrassment of riches tbh - I stuck with a one track per artist rule (subunits and solo tracks allowed) and only songs that were actual singles/had proper MVs (no deep cuts), and still couldn't find space for every thing I loved.

Seo Taiji x IU - "Sogyeokdong"
Infinite - "The Chaser"
2NE1 - "I Am The Best"
Orange Caramel - "Catallena"
Hyuna - "Bubble Pop!"
NCT U - "Baby Don’t Stop"
f(x) - "Rum Pum Pum Pum"
miss A - "Bad Girl Good Girl"
EXO - "Growl"
4Minute - "Volume Up"

Girls Generation - "I Got A Boy"
BOA - "Only One"
Oh My Girl - "Closer"
SHINee - "View"
Big Bang - "Bad Boy"
Red Velvet - "Bad Boy"
Blackpink - "As If It’s Your Last"
2PM - "A.D.T.O.Y"
LOONA/Yves - "new"
MBLAQ - "Smoky Girl"

SISTAR19 - "Gone Not Around Any Longer"
KARA - "Pandora"
T.O.P - "Doom Dada"
B1A4 - "What's Happening?"
After School - "Flashback"
Luna - "Free Somebody"
Brown Eyed Girls - "Sixth Sense"
PSY - "Gangnam Style"
T-ara - "Roly-Poly"
Wonder Girls - "I Feel You"

TWICE - "T.T."
Nine Muses - "Figaro"
Block B - "HER"
Lim Kim - "Awoo"
Taeyang - "Eyes Nose Lips"
EXID - "Up & Down"
VIXX - "Chained Up"
Wings - "Hair Short"
Ga-In - "Bloom"
Troublemaker - "Now"

K.Will - "Please Don’t"
GD&TOP - "Knock Out"
Ailee - "I Will Show You"
Dal Shabet - "B.B.B. (Big Baby Baby)"
SUNMI - "Siren"
Evol - "Get Up"
Lee Hi - "Breathe"
Ladies' Code - "The Rain"
BTOB - "WOW"
Lip Service - "Yum Yum Yum"

(G)I-DLE - "HANN (Alone)"
Kim Sungkyu - "Kontrol"
Rania - "Dr. Feelgood"
HyoLyn - "SEE SEA"
PENTAGON - "Shine"
Park Ji Yoon - "Beep"
Taemin - "Drip Drop"
Crayon Pop - "Bar Bar Bar"
Lovelyz - "Ah-Choo"
Yubin - "Lady"

GLAM - "I Like That"
SNUPER - "Platonic Love"
MOMOLAND - "BBoom BBoom"
The Boyz - "Giddy Up"
SEVENTEEN - "Don't Wanna Cry"
Chung Ha - "Roller Coaster"
Fiestar - "Mirror"
HISTORY - "Psycho"
BOYFRIEND - "Janus"
April - "Oh! My Mistake"

AOA - "Miniskirt"
JYJ - "Back Seat"
Mr.Mr. - "Highway"
Girl's Day - "Expectation"
Seulgi, SinB, Chung Ha, So Yeon - "Wow Thing"
Park Bom - "You and I"
G-Dragon - "One of a Kind"
Jonghyun - "SHE IS"
CL - "Hello Bitches"
BTS - "Dope"

SF9 - "Now or Never"
Teen Top - "ah-ah"
ITZY - "DALLA DALLA"
I.O.I - "Very Very Very"
WINNER - "Really Really"
SISTAR - "Touch My Body"
Secret - "Madonna"
A Pink - "I'm So Sick"
Infinite H. and Zion T. - "Without U"

GFriend - "Rough"
Rainbow - "Black Swan"
Beast - "Good Luck"
ToppDogg - "Annie"
DAY6 - "I Wait"
Cross Gene - "La-di Da-di"
Tiny-G - "Miss You"
Lee Hyori - "Bad Girls"
U-Kiss - "Stop Girl"
SunnyHill - "The Grasshopper Song"
fromis9 - "Love Bomb"

Honourable mentions:
iKON - "Killing Me"
Crush, Zico - "Cereal"
SPICA - "Russian Roulette"
gugudan - "Chococo"
Stray Kids - "Miroh"
AKMU - "200%"
Stellar - "Sting" / "Vibrato"
WJSN - "Secret"
MINO - "Fiance"
Younha - "The Real Reason We Broke Up"
Bestie - "Love Options"
NCT Dream - "We Young"

Youtube playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP-ajiMFDEG4CC17dHl2qrmT2s3D6bV0P
Spotify (missing a few): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Z9csNSzcZnHBxMwdNWICf?si=f8kEFBE_TvigzDSoKHb2dw

that's a great list, it's really been a fantastic decade for kpop (this year excepted). looking forward to digging into the picks i'm not familiar with

thanks, had a lot of fun compiling it and rediscovering songs I hadn't listened to in years...

Yeah I struggled to find any tracks from 2019 I liked enough to include - thank god for "Dalla Dalla"! Big contrast with 2018, the strongest year since Kpop's 2011-2014 peak and well represented in my list.

great list that, thanks!