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This Week in K-Pop

New Releases May 6-12

By Kristina TinglerPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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A lot of really exciting things happened this past week in the k-pop world. A lot of really amazing music was released and I think it's time we take a moment to appreciate it.

May 6

  • V—"Singularity"

Let's just talk about BTS for a second and how their comeback "teasers" are actually entrances to music videos. This trailer is for their new album "Love Yourself: Tear" (expected release May 18). It features a solo track from V and interesting dance images. I'm pretty sure ARMYs are going to have fun analyzing what everything actually means with the on-going storyline in BTS' music videos.

May 8

  • Teen Top—"Seoul Night"

I have been a fan of Teen Top for a long time, so I was personally very excited about this. It is true to their usual EDM-infused dance track. The video is colorful, vibrant with just a hint of nostalgia. And they never fail to impress with the choreography and incredible footwork. It's a bit bittersweet without former member L. Joe as part of the group, but they're still killing it.

This is a soothing, bubbly song perfect for rolling the windows down and driving around on a warm summer weekend. Leebada's voice is so beautiful and wonderfully unique. K-Pop solo artists are definitely underrated.

This was a highly-anticipated debut for boy group Spectrum. I've been seeing them when I browse through K-Entertainment news, but seeing a music video and debut is awesome. The song is infectious with synth-beats. There is a lot of talent for such a young group of guys. The video is performance heavy, with impressive dancing and synchronization (thank you INFINITE and third gen. k-pop for normalizing this!). Check it out and give these rookies a lot of love as their step further into their dreams. Their official debut was May 10.

The track has a very mysterious EDM beat that would sound familiar to those that enjoy pop dance tracks. It follows the trend but it doesn't sound like every other song. CROSS GENE definitely make their voices stand out, individually and together in harmonies. The video has a plot embedded with beautiful, vibrant natural images. It's very pleasing to watch as well as listen to.

Another solo K-Artist that deserves a lot of love. The song is emotional and the video matches. It's very K-Drama-esque as well, pulling at the heartstrings, showing a montage of love had and love lost. It's artistic and beautiful.

May 9

I have a soft spot for upbeat, dance-y songs that are about breakups or something much darker than the light feeling of the song. Junhyung's "Go Away" is that. The images in the video are aesthetic but all represent how being stuck in an unhappy relationship can be draining, but having to take care of yourself as a single person would be easier. It's always nice to have HIGHLIGHT/former B2ST songs and solo tracks.

Another debut! VINXEN came in third place in High School Rapper 2, a Korean hip-hop survival show. He's full of talent, between his music and his lyrics. He has an America-music vibe, so I think he'll do well internationally as his career progresses.

If you like John Mayer, especially old John Mayer, Peter Han is someone you will definitely enjoy. The guitar, his voice, the video—it's all the soothing sounds you'll enjoy. He's incredibly talented. Another K-Soloist that deserves a lot of love.

May 10

BTOB is probably in my top 10 favorite K-Pop groups of all time. They're far too talented to exist, but make up for it by their ridiculously funny "meme" behavior. Eukwang and Changsub are the funniest and most outrageous of the group but have voices of angels. The video flashes between a sweet montage of a couple and the two men singing in the studio, but I had a hard time watching because I was too busy losing myself in the music. It's such a relaxing beat with voices that soothe even the darkest of souls.

Probably one of the most iconic solo K-Artists, K.Will always seems to deliver great music. This track gave me some major Michael Buble vibes and I was there for it. The video is a sweet story of a man who isn't the most conventionally handsome guy in the world (but totally adorable) falling in love with a gorgeous woman. Spoiler alert: she loves him too. K.Will's voice always fits any love story, be it beautifully sweet like this one or incredibly heartbreaking (and laced with LGBT themes like Please Don't). You'll definitely enjoy "My Star."

If you're looking for a sad song about a love lost, this is the song for you. His voice, the video, the story—it all pulls at the heart like a classic love-lost song. It's emotional and instrumentally intense. It's a great listen. I won't spoil the video, but I can promise that you'll understand it even if you don't know a lick of Korean.

  • Dreamcatcher—"You And I"

This is the comeback of the week. I think I listened to this song the most this week (yes, even over my Teen Top babes). It starts off sounding like a sweet, bubblegum pop song but turns out to be gloriously close to a drama or anime opening. The video matches the mysterious, almost creepy sound of the video. Their outfits are amazing too. And don't get me started on the choreography. This is an incredible comeback and nothing will convince me otherwise!

May 11

A wonderful indie, chill track with a video that is rich in images that any hipster would enjoy. It gives me a vibe of moving on from an ended relationship with nostalgia and the memories of the good times. It's peaceful, it's chill, and it's beautiful to watch and listen to.

Standing Egg is an acoustic indie band that deserves a lot of love. The video is simple enough to follow, but I was lost in the music, the harmonies, the sweet emotion pouring from it. I'm a sucker for a good acoustic group or artist and Standing Egg was a discovery I was thrilled to make. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.

  • Marmellow—"Moonlight"

The track was released March 9, 2018 as a digital single but the video dropped on May 11. But let's take a moment and appreciate this all-girl band. Aside from all four of them being insanely beautiful, the music is really nice. It has a soft rock vibe with just a touch of indie that definitely shines though in the video.

May 12

  • WOODZ—"Pool"

This is a solo track for UNIQ's Seungyoun, whose solo stage name was formally Luizy. This is a great summer song with a soft R&B/Pop blend. The video is a gorgeous summer aesthetic as well. It's a lovely song with synth woven in that adds to the voice and melody.

There are other tracks and videos that dropped this week from all across the K-Entertainment spectrum. I left a few out here, but I know I missed a lot more. There is so much great music released every day in Korea; it's hard to keep up.

Keep listening and I'll see you next week with more Korean music.

song reviews
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About the Creator

Kristina Tingler

Kristina works, writes, and sleeps, but never in the same order.

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