Weekly K-pop faves: April 3-9
Every week, the KultScene team writes up mini reviews of our favorite new K-pop releases from the past week. This time, we enjoyed music courtesy of NCT’s Ten, YG Entertainment’s revamped WINNER, and up-and-coming idol band DAY6.
”Dream In A Dream” by Ten (NCT) (Released April
East meets west in Ten’s solo debut under SM Station, and it’s one of the most interesting songs SM has released this year. I’ve said for a while now that K-pop needs to focus a bit more on the “K” aspect, and this song does that perfectly. The hazy, instrumental-heavy sound of “Dream In a Dream” draws on both traditional Asian music styles and rhythmic contemporary dance beats to create a hypnotic effect. Altogether, the sound provides a glorious, ambient backdrop to the beautifully choreographed video. (Seriously, watch the MV.) The–all English!– singing is minimal, but it does poise Ten as a singer, which is very different from how we’ve seen him in the past: when he debuted in NCT U last year, Thai member Ten was positioned as a rapper. After that, he appeared on the dance competition show Hit The Stage. But now with “Dream In A Dream” it seems like the company wants all eyes focused on this talented performer.
–Tamar
”Fool” by WINNER (Released April 4th)
WINNER’s comeback accomplished nothing short of demolishing expectations. One of two singles off of Fate Number For, “Fool” sees the newly-established 4-piece lineup do what they do best — emotive music that demonstrates their artistry and versatility as idols and musicians. The rappers’ delicate singing voices complement the already sweet-toned vocal Jinwoo and stronger-voiced Seungyoon in a way that feels complete and harmonious even after losing a member last year. With complex instrumentalism and beautiful vocals, the group has shown strong potential to maintain relevance even after a tumultuous first few years in and out of the spotlight. I am looking forward to more from them this year, provided YG can pull through with the releases.
Also on Kultscene: Monsta X’s ‘Beautiful’ song & music video review
–Kushal
“I’m Serious” by DAY6 (Released April 6)
DAY6 returned a few days ago with their monthly Every Day6 album, containing title track “I’m Serious” as well as “Say Wow”. Despite its title, this single is one of the most playful and fun tracks DAY6 has ever come up with. Following a string of angsty heartbreak songs, this song and its adorable accompanying music video felt like a breath of fresh air. It’s lovely to watch the boys having fun performing this song as well, especially since they decided to go for another round of music broadcasts after last month’s “How Can I Say” performances. This fourth comeback in the year marks a pivotal turning point for DAY6 however, who created a big stir last week because of their flawless performance on the semi-final of K-pop Star 6. It was a homecoming for member Jae, who was on the first season of the audition program and he truly demonstrated how he had grown as an artist since then. They followed this feat with their first appearance on Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook, which caused their songs to bounce back onto music charts and Naver searches. It’s about time Korea started awakening to DAY6’s insane talent so I’m really happy for them and excited to see where this new popularity will take them.
–Anna
What do you think of our takes on these songs? Let us know what your favorite song of the week was in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
