Music and more Music.
Matthew. 21. (Aspiring?) Writer. "Music Lover". Asian Pop Fanatic. FuckYeahRihanna Admin. This is what I waste my time with.
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BEAST / 이럴 줄 알았어
Quite enamored with BEAST’s new single “I Knew It”, which is just the right mix of mellow rock, hip-hop, and warm soul for the cold winter months. These boys continue to step up their vocal game. I was extremely impressed by how good they sounded on their Fiction & Fact album last year, and this new track only further showcases their growth.
So we’re now on to part 4 of my 2011 K-Pop singles. The ones that were REALLY amazing, but just not amazing enough to make the the Top 10.
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20. Dal★Shabet / Shakalaka
Candy coated rugrat Pop from E-Tribe (Gee, U-Go-Girl) which feels like all the toy pieces are constantly being thrown against the wall. A variety of wacky and unexpected sounds ensue - from the jingly 808 beats that make up the core of the production, to the smaller details, like the hand-claps in the chorus, or the fatter synths which emerge in the second verse. Even those ever-so sexual “uhhh“‘s during the post-chorus break become a part of the music. There’s no telling where the singers end and the production begins.
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19. e.via & Mini / Mirro of My Soul
K-Pop’s roots in 90’s Hip-Hop and R&B are no more apparent than on “Mirro of My Soul” - a funky (and bluesy, and lazy) singer-rapper collaboration between soul songstress Mini and critical darling e.via. Famed for her lightning quick skills on the mic, here e.via slows it down to a pace the rest of us can follow, though she loses none of her trademark cool in the process.
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18. LeeSsang / You’re The Answer To A Guy Like Me (feat. Harim)
The sung-rap collaboration from a male perspective - between long-standing Hip-Hop duo LeeSsang and soul man Harim.
Foreign rap is often hard to get into as an outsider, if only because the crux of most hip-hop is the lyrics themselves. Without that vital piece of information it becomes a challenge. Emcees Garie and Gil, however, flow nice enough to where understanding the lyrics isn’t so much of an issue - the meaning pours out of their delivery, and is tirelessly and lovingly apparent in every bit of their inflection. The way this makes me feel - the beautiful, overwhelming sadness, but with glimmers of nostalgia - transcends language (as does all good music, it should be said). Harim’s note just past the 2 minute mark - a simple, extended ‘oh’ - sums up meaning more than words ever could.
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17. 2NE1 / LONELY
Few do pop pyrotechnics quite like 2NE1, but “LONELY”, at least in style, was a welcome breath in between the relentless pace of club behemoths like “I Am The Best” and “Can’t Nobody”. In content, though, it was just as weighty, if not more so.
“Baby I’m sorry, even when I’m with you, I’m Lonely”
Now there’s a devastating thought. The idea that even in a relationship you could be lonely. That sometimes love isn’t enough, and that true loneliness comes from within. Depressing, actually.
Only 2NE1 could have pulled this off, or, at least, are the only ones ballsy enough to release a guitar driven ballad as a first single. Unexpected and brilliant. A major moment for this group.
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16. BEAST / Fiction
A thing of beauty in that the production alone could probably make you weep even before any of the vocalists open their mouths, though once they do it’s all but over for anyone still trying to hold on. This again excels where most of the best of K-Pop does - seamlessly blending rap and sung bits and getting the most emotion out of both.
Also - if the Orchestral Version of the song isn’t the prettiest gosh darn thing I’ve ever heard, then I don’t know what is.
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15. Rainbow / TO ME
A song that’s breathtaking beauty is only outmatched by its astonishing power. Constantly winding and unwinding - the piano groove just fluttering round and round in circles endlessly as the vocals rise and fall. The glamorous strings ducking and weaving in between the chorus’ verbal punches - those “EH! OH! EH! OH!” bits, punctuated by the endlessly saucy “COME COME COME COME TO ME” is enough to lay the listener out flat (is it any coincidence they’re in a boxing ring in the video?) More hard / soft contrast as the song goes on - the gorgeous, billowy middle 8 followed by Woori’s blazing rap break.
It leaves you no room to breathe, but by the end you’re so in awe of the gorgeous swirl of beauty that you can’t wait to do it all over again.
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14. CHI-CHI / Longer
Another one of those ‘if it were in English by an American or European artist everyone would love it’ types.
Inherently catchy with its title wave of a chorus, though I also can’t help but feel how dangerous and sexy this sounds, especially in the verses (this, of course, contrasted with the fairies in a winter wonderland image of the above single cover - oh K-Pop, never change). These girls aren’t from any of the major companies, only helping to heighten the sense of trashiness that makes this such a fun, summery romp.
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13. Girls’ Generation / THE GREAT ESCAPE
In a perfect world all songs would be as seamless and joyful as this - and it would be GRAND.
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12. BIG BANG / TONIGHT
As Maddie puts so perfectly in her yearly K-Pop roundup, “TONIGHT” is the sound of the biggest band in the world. It’s spaceship pop - forget earth, once that beat hits liftoff at the 16 second mark you’re on Mars. All parties sound confident and have perfect handle over the various controls. You’re in safe hands - and even if you’re not exploring the outer reaches of space, it’s high-flying all the way.
Also, how fucking gorgeous are the lyrics? Taeyang, during the first line of the chorus:
“I look for you, oh-eh-oh, below the moonlight that illuminates me”
The view from Mars is beautiful, isn’t it?
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11. Kahi / Come Back, You Bastard
Ladies,
Gentleman,
Calvin Harris,
World,
THIS is how to put an instrumental break in a Pop song.
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HyunA × Hyunseung / Trouble Maker
On the strength of the other 4minute girls who NEVER get any attention I shouldn’t even be saying this - but HyunA needs some more screen time. ‘Trouble Maker’ feels more like Hyunseung featuring Hyuna, rather than a proper collaboration between the two.
Regardless, this is a smooth track and both parties sound real nice. I’m glad HyunA is back rapping again, because that’s where she really shines. That, and lifting her rear end in the air, and she certainly does quite a bit of that too. The video is standard K-Pop fodder but I like the outdoor scenes very much.
Getting back to 4minute for a minute though - these girls need to come back STRONG in 2012. They’ve been one of my favorite K-Pop acts since they debuted, but 2011 was not their year. Whack albums, whack singles, flopping all over themselves in Japan, and HyunA continuing to hog all the glory for herself. Jihyun should have cut a bitch long ago. She’s supposed to be the leader!! That would be like Kelly in the DC days getting solos over Beyonce. Someone fly the Dark Lord of Houston aka Matthew Knowles over to Korea. He’ll get these girls in check and have half the nation’s idols weave thrashing and breaking copyright laws in no time.
