Whether you just finished a strenuous week of work or school, it’s time to unwind and enjoy the next couple of days of relaxation and no work. These fives songs will help you release your stress and frustrations from your busy week. So forget about the past and enjoy the present.
The forever mid-tier girl group Rainbow returned earlier today with the moody Black Swan. Rainbow has consistently failed to achieve in terms of sales despite nearly always putting out interesting music. From the beautiful collaborations with Japanese producer Daishi Dance on To Me and Sweet Dream to the perfect duo mini albums Rainbow Syndrome parts one and two, they have excelled in many different styles. For Black Swan Rainbow leave behind the cutesy image to adopt an edgy, sexy concept that fits them well.
They also sound like they have left behind recent trends in sounds too, as Black Swan sounds like it came from the 2008-2010 era of K-pop. The lowkey electro pop has been replaced by crashing synths recently so it’s refreshing to hear something different. Especially since this song is weirder than one listen might make it seem.
The lyrics are an interpretation of the story of Swan Lake, focusing on the Black Swan. It’s about a woman who doesn’t know who she is anymore. Like in Swan Lake, she is fearful of who she is or might become. She ultimately finds herself again with the help of someone to tell her it’s all a bad dream.
While this idea of what we can assume is a man saving her is derivative and sexist, the ending of the song is interesting. Instead of a happy ending it feels more like the woman is telling herself a lie in order to feel better and more assured in herself, which is something I’m sure that we’ve all done in times of hardship. It offers a story that K-pop doesn’t give us often, and that is immediately interesting.
Fromm has been on the Korean Indie scene since 2012 when she released a digital single album titled Wasn’t it Love. Since then, she has released a full-length album and two digital single albums. Fromm’s musical abilities and vocal strengths are present throughout her songs, showing different vocal tones on her songs. She sometimes even sounds similar to female Western singers, but aside from those brief instances, Fromm’s vocals are her own. She doesn’t sound like any one person.
Apart from Girls’ Generation, no girl group has been as consistently great as 4Minute this generation. Since their debut with Hot Issue, their popularity has gone up and down even when they went through changes with Brave Brothers over the last two years. They blossomed recently, garnering the biggest successes of their career and I expect them to continue this with their new single Crazy.
Crazy is the type of song that would seem stale and overdone in any other group’s hands. The trap beats and overloaded sound have become regular enough in K-Pop that they’re almost outdated, yet here they feel cataclysmic. The hype of the ‘Revamped’ teasers have been completely lived up to and have given us the best song of 2015 so far.
Judging by the comments of the music video on Youtube Crazy is the kind of song that Blackjacks think 2NE1 are masters of. Of course, they’re wrong. While it is most definitely YG-styled, 2NE1 as a group couldn’t pull off this song even if YG were to give them something so complex. The varied vocals and choreography would be too much and the already busy song would be filled with even more parts.
While the song itself sounds packed with too many components, it is structured perfectly to create something busy but measured. The verses are split into three different parts; a rap, Sohyun’s part, and Gayoon’s pre-chorus. This allows the song to be challenging yet not jarring for an audience. Each part is executed to perfection with even Sohyun and Jihyun getting more prominent, longer solos than usual, and also slaying them for once.
In particular, Gayoon’s pre-chorus works to bind the whole song together. It acts as a time for the whole song to slow down for a second and build up again. It does so quite slowly for a pop song but works so well in tandem with Gayoon’s vocal. Every second beat is skipped right before the chorus kicks in and creates the most satisfying transition you’ll ever hear in K-pop.
The song is brimming with trap snares, kick drums, sirens, synths and an alarmingly good horn loop in the chorus. That sounds like a lot on paper but thanks to the structure and perfect vocals everything comes together to create the perfect commercial club song. Lyrically, there’s nothing interesting going on but that doesn’t matter as this is a song to get crazy to and it achieves that without any doubt.
The video is standard dancing in a box stuff. It works with a song like this though because it’s all about going crazy and looking fierce. 4Minute do not fail at this. Their charisma feels genuine and jumps off the screen. The choreography is badass and the styling (apparently done by Gayoon) is cool. Also this marks the first time 4minute music video is not the Hyuna show. It’s always nice to see lesser members getting attention even if they are indeed lesser.
To cap off a perfect comeback, 4Minute’s dancing does not let them down. It looks like they went to their local club, took the moves of all the girls on the dance floor and turned them into highly choreographed moves ready for the stage. The girls dance with power and vigour, seemingly making it up as they go along. The dance perfectly matches up with the tone of the song.
4Minute have taken the most used and popular concept in pop music today and reinvigorated it in 3 minutes and 10 seconds. Everything sounds, looks and feels completely fresh when compared to similar K-pop songs. 4Minute have set the bar for 2015, I’m excited to see if anyone can match it.
What’s your opinion of Crazy? Leave your thoughts on 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.
CL’s debut american album has been hyped a lot since it was announced last year. With an anticipated early 2015 release, we just can’t help wondering which direction she will take and who she will collaborate with. 2NE1’s leader has been praised by American media on her versatility with not only her talents, but her ability to transform herself with her looks. Grimes, an experimental Canadian singer-songwriter and producer is a known fan of K-pop, and a recent picture that she uploaded to her Instagram account makes us wonder if they are just friends hanging out together or if Grimes will have a hand in producing CL’s album.
Moreover, Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am. has previously collaborated with 2NE1, with an alleged full album, and has featured CL and Park Bom in one of his songs, and has now enlisted CL to join him and Black Eyed Peas on their new album. CL will feature on their 20th anniversary album to be released later this year. Without a doubt, CL is in the right track with the aforementioned collaborators, but what CL needs is a producer like Grimes.
Grimes had already expressed admiration towards CL before. She posted on her Tumblr the music video for The Baddest Female with a caption, “CL is so cool.” Then when her American solo debut was announced, she couldn’t help but express her emotion via her Twitter. Even Lorde couldn’t resist and retweeted Claire’s (her real name) excitement.
In order for CL to achieve success in the American market she needs to come out with a very new and fresh sound that will set her apart from the current Pop artists that reign American Top 40. Yes, she has to have that commercial appeal in order to gain attention, but Grimes can give her that innovative sound that will make stand out. Grimes’ music is so different; she experiments with different sounds and genres that are not that far from what’s being produced in K-pop. She’s definitely not afraid of trying new things.
Take Grimes’ most recent track, Go, which was originally penned for Rihanna. This song is Claire’s attempt to go into the commercial route, but it still has that Grimes feel of her unique music. The song has dubstep, trap, synths, and other experimental sounds that she creates herself. Wh ilsire tat prong this is kh CL, snowlould seemingly showcase her beaueds ominstsd c tho Grimes pproducing some of your future music.
Grimes producing CL debut American album would be ideal. Not only producing her music but also giving creative direction. Did we forgot to mention that they are both Jeremy Scott’s besties? Her visuals are always stunning and have a very different a You’ll really enjoy seeing her visuals! Claire’s music can’t be put in one genre given that her music is very unique, making it the perfect sound match for CL. Both artists are chameleonic in their artistry. What these women could achieve together would be amazing; their personalities and talents combined will be like a match made in heaven.
Would you like to see CL and Grimes collaborate together?Let us know 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.
Gaeko and Yankie have collaborated with Beenzino and Babylon on the new track Cheers for Amoeba Culture’s NEWorkend project. The four artists worked together to give us life during theses cold winter months. Cheers will take you away to a tropical location to forget about the Winter blues.
The music that makes up Cheers automatically gives off a summer, laid back vibe. You can instantly feel the warmth of the sun and the air of summer nights. The instrumentals are all basic, but the way they are being played adds to the summertime feel. The electric guitar is used in a more subdued manor than in rock and punk songs. It sounds so subdued and calm with the amp turned up. The percussion, again, is pretty simple and basic. It keeps the beat going while adding in some wooden blocks that adds the beach vibe to the song. The exhaling (ahhh) throughout the song is not creepy nor distracting, instead it reminds listeners of the almost automatic reflex of exhaling with joy after quenching one’s thirst. There are trumpets that come in throughout the song, and clapping and a piano toward the end. They all continue to keep the summer feel and only add a little more instrumental thickness to the song.
Yankie starts the song off with a smooth flow that adds to the laid back vibe of the music. His verse sets the mood of the song perfectly, which is on the weekend everyone is ready to let loose and enjoy themselves. People are quite different from their work selves and their party selves. Yankie starts out the night, which includes meeting up with your friends at the club.
Beenzino then raps about what happens next in the second verse. In the club drinks are ordered and free flowing, and the lust that comes with the weekend party scene is at an all time high. Beenzino’s rap flow has a bit of punchiness to it, but nothing too extreme or intense to throw off the groove of the song. The tone of his voice gives off the feeling of having a good time and not caring if he breaks the law or not.
Gaeko’s rap is at a slower pace than Yankie and Beezino’s. He crisply articulates each English word with a little more punch than the Korean words. During Gaeko’s verse some of the instrumentals are cut out creating a shift in the song that breaks up the monotony of the music. The change is a cue that tells the listener that there is a slight interruption in the flow of the song, which then encourages the listener to pay more attention.
Babylon sings the chorus throughout the song and his vocals have a higher pitch and vocal tone. Although his tone is higher, his vocals are full and easy on the ears. Babylon’s vocal quality matches the overall vibe of summertime and having a good time. His falsetto oohs at the end of the song briefly show off his vocals abilities. The chorus clearly shows that he is capable of singing and singing well, but his oohs at the end tease listeners into wanting more music from Babylon.
Cheers not only displays the multiple talents of all of those involved with the song, but it gives listeners happiness and the feeling of being carefree and enjoying one’s self. Whether you listen to Cheers in the summer, the winter, or throughout the entire year, it will always make you feel great and let you escape to a warmer place with friends, fun, and drinks.
Do you like Cheers, do you feel like you’re taken away to a warm Summer’s night partying with your friends? Share your thoughts 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.
There’s a lot of really great music coming out of Korea nowadays and listening to every chart-topping song, let alone watching every music video, is near impossible. Here at KultScene, we’re going to try something new: Reviews written in the span of the entire music video, inspired by the idea of flash fiction. Once the video stops, the review comes to an end. These reviews aren’t in depth, and are essentially just first reactions, but it’s a good introduction to many of the songs that you’ll want to check out this week.
First things first, Hani from EXID is blatant media play since it’s actually Jinsil singing and Hani is just lip-synching. I like the lighting and Hani’s eyes really are mesmerizing so I guess it’s okay, but still kind of sad for Jinsil. The big-band beat and Mad Clown’s rap nicely go together to create a dramatic song that describes the craziness of the lyrics. As usual, Mad Clown doesn’t disappoint with his rap, but instead delivers every line in an aggressive, statement-like way.The lyrics of the song don’t really match the music video, other than showing their craziness, but it’s really beautifully filmed. Jinsil’s voice isn’t too cloying in comparison to Mad Clown’s intense raps, but instead her raspy voice sounds exactly like how a confused, lover should sound. The bleeping and blurring out curses is really amazing for mainstream Korean music, as if Mad Clown is protesting the clean-cut rapping that is prominent in Korea. Overall, I’m impressed.
We’re behind scene, and Eddy Kim takes a pause to look at a piano, sits down, and tells the person he’s talking to wait a minute. This piano medley is nice, like something you’d hear in a hotel lobby, and then Eddy Kim’s voice starts up to sing a sweet, powerful melody. The song is really interesting because it uses an orchestra rather than any electronic beats, which are popular nowadays. The singing into the phone while his girlfriend rides a bus is a really cute touch, showing how Eddy feels his love even though they’re apart. It doesn’t really sound like it, but Eddy Kim’s songs always makes me think of Michael Buble. Between the song looking good and Eddy Kim appearing as handsome as ever, My Love is a winner.
A steady beat mixed with classic piano introduces a song that’s like a pop ballad trying to grow up into a hip-hop track. Jonghyun’s acting and the music video are impressive, but these up-close facial shots are a jarring thanks to these jerky camera movements. He’s singing about being crazy, emphasized by the gas mask and being chained up, but it looks like it’s just an excuse to show off his ripped body. Iron’s speedy rap is a completely different sound from Jonghyun’s breathy falsettos and high notes, which is really a different sound than what I’m used to hear from SHINee, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. The song completely shows off Jonghyun’s best skills, dominating high notes, while the video shows off his body’s best aspects to entice any fan of SHINee to watch. A little bit over the top in general, though, with all of the special effects that aren’t limited to explosions and mechanical giant spiders. But Jonghyun’s a singer first and foremost, and this new style really matches his personality.
So here’s the Into The New World similarities, especially the girl that looks like ex-Girls’ Generation member Jessica. The athletic styled outfits, the retro-style sweet pop song is really like something that I’d expect to hear from late 2000’s K-pop girl groups, so I see why everyone’s comparing GFriend to Girls’ Generation. But while the images are similar, the dancing is really impressive. None of the vocalists stand-out particularly, but it’s likely that as GFriend releases more music several of their vocalists will stand out. An all around good song, even though it’s nothing that we’ve never seen before. The concept is cute, sweet, and totally needed in K-pop, which is becoming so overly sexualized that it’s losing the innocence that made songs like Gee and Tell Me viral hits in 2009.
I don’t know if this is supposed to be the response, but when I pressed “play” and heard Sight I wanted to close my eyes. The music video almost demands this, by hiding the two members of From The Airport amid shadows, star-like lights, and occasional bursts of light that essentially blind the camera. The song has a bit of a heavier bass beat than many of From The Airport’s songs, with an occasionally heavy handed rock sound as the backtrack to their heavily synthesized vocals. The profiles of the two members don’t distract from the sound of their song, but aren’t really supposed to be the point of this video. The song climaxes with From The Airport being completely dissolved by light, and then continues with mere music, highlighting not the singers but the sounds themselves.
Clubbing, two people see each other across the room, and then we wake up in a depressing, green and gray environment. A slightly misleading title? This video is really visually beautiful, I actually feel like it would do well as a magazine spread. Yonghwa’s side profile is really prevalent, and changes his overall style and feel as an actor.The cinematography is really the thing that makes or breaks this video, but it’s a little disappointing as a song overall. This is CNBLUE’s lead singer, who is a popular actor, Yonghwa simply… singing and acting? So what is new to this? Nothing. This could just as easily be a music video for a song from the soundtrack of a drama that Yonghwa is starring in. The song isn’t particularly memorable, although Yonghwa’s voice perfectly depicts the emotion described in the lyrics. It’s a heartfelt song, but if you’re a lead singer with such a distinct voice, just going the ballad route is a little bit boring.
Every season of the SBS’s survival audition program K-Pop Star has us on the edge of our seats. The hidden talent keeps coming up during every run of the show. This competition has given us a lot of artists that we now love, many of whom have had tremendous success in the Korean music industry like Lee Hi, Park Jimin, Akdong Musician, and, the show’s latest winner, Bernard Park. Season 4 so far has us discovering hidden gems with amazing vocals, unique timbres, and even some contestants that are very young but are singing better than professional singers out there. Yang Hyun Suk of YG Entertainment, Park Jin Young of JYP Entertainment, and singer-producer Yoo Hee Yeol will surely have a hard time this season to choose the next K-pop star. These five new faces are the new amazing talent that we need to watch for from K-Pop Star 4.
Jung Seunghwan became a hot topic not only in the show but in the music charts in Korea after his performance of Kim Jo Han’s I Want To Fall In Love.” His rendition topped various music charts in Korea. Jung managed to impress all three judges and was even promised by Yoo Hee Yeol himself to have a spot on his music show, Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook. His voice full of emotions, which is perfect for gayo (Korean popular music,) has made other competitors fear to go up against Jung Seunghwan, and has the viewers falling in love and supporting him. Keep an eye on the judges; Jung’s performances has one ending up in tears.
Lily M. is one of the youngest and most talented singers on K-Pop Star 4. She is a Korean-Australian actress-singer that has the judges falling in love with her every time she performs. Her unique raspy voice, falsettos, and her natural control over breathing while she sings has Park Jin Young amazed at what she can do at such a young age. Yang Hyun Suk has picked her as his favorite this season, and has stated many times how he wants to train her at YG Entertainment. Did we mention that Lily M. is only twelve years old? Imagine what she will be able to do when she’s older and after proper training! We just cannot wait for her to debut formally as a singer.
As soon as Lee Jin-Ah opened her mouth she had not only the judges and guest panelist amazed, but also all the shows viewers amazed. Her unique voice when she spoke had everyone wondering how her voice would change once she sang. To the surprise of everyone watching, her unique voice also translated to a unique vocal style, which everyone fell in love with. Yoo Hee Yeol even said during her first audition that her voice was like a fresh breathe of air. Not only did her voice impress everyone that witnessed her audition but her self-composed song also impressed everyone. Her songwriting skills so simple but accompanied by the keyboard and her music arrangement, Lee Jin Ah’s song made such an interesting combination that left everyone who listened to it wanting more. Park Jin Young himself couldn’t even seem to categorize her in any genre and said how she is a complete new genre of music that he has never heard of. The childish tone in Lee’s voice makes everyone rejoice and have a nostalgic reaction to her music.
27-year-old New Yorker, Grace Shin had previously auditioned for the show, but due to visa problems she wasn’t able to be part of the show. As a true comeback kid, Grace came back and auditioned again. She had previously managed to impress only Park Jin Young in her New York audition, but this time around she impressed all of the judges. Her vocal range is so high that even Yang Hyun Suk commented that her skills are better than those of many established recording artists. She was only criticized for not showing enough emotion during her first audition, but starting in the ranking auditions she proved the naysayers wrong by showing the judges that she can convey emotion with her features while she sings. Her powerful vocals will surely keep her in the competition and could lead to her taking one of the top spots.
Here’s an amazing rendition of 2PM’s Again & Again by Grace Shin and Lee Bong Yeon that had Park Jin Young, who wrote the song, amazed by their version.
Are you watching K-Pop Star 4? Which one is your favorite contestant? Let us know 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.
Even if twerking is still frowned upon by people in Korea and abroad, it hasn’t prevented K-pop artists from releasing songs suited for this type of dance. The perfect track to twerk to needs to have a hard and heavy beat — bonus points for a bass drop. And in an era where hip hop is beginning to adopt EDM music more and more (um, hello Diplo!), the repertoire extends. So in order to keep the list going, we came up with a second installment of best K-pop songs to twerk to.
When one thinks of twerking, the aggressive and hard motions are the first thing that comes to mind. But in order to get to that point, we need to start somewhere. f(x) is not a sexy or even hip hop group, but the beat on Rainbow gives way for some slower, cuter twerking.
via funnykpopdotcom
In order to segway into a sexier yet still slow paced twerk, Turn it Up is a good choice. For his duo project with GD, TOP flexed his way through the whole song with his signature deep, husky voice. This together with the jumpy beat created a great contrast that’s easy to follow.
via fywassup @ Tumblr
EXO is probably one of the most unthinkable groups to release a twerk-ready song, and yet, they released Two Moons in their first mini-album. The song is the only one in their discography with a strong hip hop influence, lead by the rapping of the members and SHINee’s Key. Two Moons is also jumpy, and the chant-like “hey’s” emphasize and set an explicit mark for twerking.
via Tumblr
WA$$UP were named “twerk dolls” since their debut, and while their first music video included a whole lot of booty shaking, there wasn’t much of twerking. Not only that, but music and vocals were a bit all over the place. That changed with their latest relase Shut Up U, which sounds like f(x)’s Rainbow with a dancehall spin. The difference in tempos in the track allow for differet twerking speeds.
by yellowgiant
MADTOWN debuted last year after a few teasers with a song written by the same guy who wrote EXO’s Growl. With that being said, it came as no surprise when the guy’s debut track YOLO had great groove and flow and a great beat to twerk to. The chorus gives way to a fast tempo, fun twerking opportunity complete with “YOLO” verses.
via Tumblr
Having built up momentum, Niliria is where the party really begins. G-Dragon and Missy Elliott’s different rap flows and the change in beats, like Shut Up U, lets the twerking go from slow to hard to deep to slow again throughout the whole song, potentially creating a Bohemian Rhapsody of twerk.
via hungryapp
What happens when you mix EDM with R&B and rapping? A GD and Taeyang song, of course. The ‘88 liners teamed up this year to release a club banger perfect for twerking, especially the hook. The tempo is fast, the beat hard, and it calls for the volume to be turned up.
via onehallyu
Continuing with YG Entertainment releases, Masta Wu came back last year with Come Here. Right off the bat and without a warning, the song opens with fast paced claps. Each of the guy’s verses have a more fluid flow than the hook. Other than twerking and booty clapping, there can’t be a better suited dance for this particular song.
via hungryapp
Continuing with the hip hop and EDM hybrids comes Superman by 2PM members Jun.K and Wooyoung. Yep, you read that right, not Taecyeon or Nichkhun, but the group’s vocalists. Like Go Crazy!, Superman is a fun song that makes you want to let loose. However, this song has that special beat and change in tempos and flows that make it the best canvas for a twerking masterpiece.
via Tumblr
What’s your favorite song for twerking, even if you don’t twerk per se? We’d love to hear your thoughts and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.
[Render: HaraYoung230603, ByMadHatter, Yourlonglostsister]
[Disclaimer: Some of the content below contains profanity.]
SoundCloud is a music platform that allows anyone to upload their music and share it with others. It’s a great platform to discover new artists and you can record music with your computer and upload it for all to hear. It’s also good for listening to well established artists too. BTS is, without a doubt, a very talented group. The majority, if not all, of the members have a hand in the writing of their songs, and some of them have even ventured into producing music. But before these seven talented guys became a huge success, they were writing and recording demos. Luckily for us, some of those have made it onto their SoundCloud. With a total of 21 tracks on the site, BTS gives fans a little bit of everything. Singing, rapping, singing and rapping, great beats, and catchy tunes. The following highlights a few tracks from BTS’ SoundCloud that you should listen to. If you’ve got a SoundCloud of your own that you’d like to improve awareness of, you can use a service such as upyourplays to do this and bring some more ears to your music.
Beautiful displays the rapping and singing skills that BTS as a group holds. The sound and music is light and enticing. The boys’ younger, more raw vocals truly showcase the base for their talent. The rapping isn’t too harsh, which parallels the soft vocals throughout the song.
Born Singer is another of the singing/rapping tracks on BTS’ SoundCloud. Similar to Beautiful, Born Singer, again, highlights the groups’ individual skills and skills as a cohesive group. The rapping is much more intense and hard hitting, whereas the singing is softer and more delicate.
The next song only showcases Rap Monster’s skills. But instead of highlighting his impressive rapping, Monterlude introduces fans to Rap Monster the vocalist. Now, he does not have the strongest vocals in the group, but the way he delivers the lyrics to Monterlude perfectly embodies the emotion of the song.
We have to give Suga some love, his solo rap track All I Do Is Win displays his quick rap with an attractive beat. The song may be short but it perfectly embodies Suga as a rapper. He is hard hitting, fierce, and confident in his delivery.
Similar to Suga’s solo is one of Rap Monster’s many solos on their SoundCloud, Rap Monster. The song personifies the young rapper. The beat is the first thing we hear and it immediately grabs you for the entirety of the song. Rap Monster’s delivery, at first, is steady and crisp. As the short solo continues, he quickly increases his words per beat for a portion of the song, which perfectly shows off his impressive rap skills.
Rap Monster, Suga, and Jin are the perfect combo to pull off this style of song. Jin’s soft vocals perfectly match the high pitched piano, while Rap Monster and Suga’s deep and raspy voices beautifully create contrast and add another layer to the already good song.
The beginning of Too Much is something completely different than what you might expect from someone who calls himself ‘Rap Monster.’ Sampling Drake’s song by the same name, the introduction immediately grabs you with the hollow piano and Rap Monster’s raw vocals at the chorus. He goes between his impressive singing and flawless rapping throughout the song. Too Much is a beautiful song that impressively showcases the leader’s multiple talents.
What are your favorite tracks from BTS’ SoundCloud? Share your thoughts 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.