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.
Is there anything worse than discovering a song and then realizing that it has not received the love and support it deserves? In short, yes, but for the purpose of this article, no, there is nothing worse than that discovery. Below is a short, and by no means complete, list of overlooked K-Pop singles by female artists. Theses ladies, in most respects, get shafted quite a bit and we wanted to shed light on a few hidden gems of the K-Pop music scene.
HELLOVENUS’ What Are You Doing Today? was released in December 2012. Even though it is a fun song that may not be everyone’s style, the peppy, synth-dominant music will grab your attention during your first listen. But, the girls’ vocals will either pull you in more or make you turn and run the other way. Make sure to give the song a chance! The song perfectly embodies the phrase, “bubblegum pop;” the sweet, innocent vocals are prominent throughout the chorus. Leading up to the chorus, the girls only give listeners a small fraction of the sweetness they are about to unload.
About two-thirds of the way through, the song starts to get repetitive. But there is a saving grace, the rapping. In a song like this rap verses are not expected. The rapping is perfectly placed. It breaks up the monotony of the song and adds rock guitar to the instrumental. HELLOVENUS’ What Are You Doing Today? is a fun song that should be in everyone’s music library.
From the opening musical and vocal notes, it’s clear that Domino Game and Kiss&Cry are different from the mainstream female K-Pop acts. There’s something familiar about the style of Domino Game, yet one cannot put a finger upon what it is. The music utilizes horns on top of a pop, ballroom dancing-style beat. This creates a sound that is current, but not widely used in K-Pop.
The ladies’ vocals sound great together and individually. But together they create a force of power that rings through the speakers. Domino Game is a song that does not sound like any other K-Pop song. The use of the horns, the guitar, and ballroom dancing-style music helps make the song stand out. It’s so unfortunate that the group has disbanded.
There is a lot going on music-wise and in the music video, but somehow it all works. If you just listen to Talk To My Face you will notice there are a lot of sound effects and layers of music throughout the song. Although there is a lot musically, the vocals are never compromised. Even when watching the music video, which also has a lot going on, the vocals and dancing are still the highlight of the video.
Talk To My Face is a song that will make you get up and dance. You simply can’t sit still while listening to this song. The music video adds to the song, but the song is also capable of standing on its own. The music video has a fun video concept, a lot of bright colors, and a fun dance. When Talk To My Face first came out, I was surprised and impressed. The vocals are not overly sweet, but they aren’t fierce either. They fit the group’s image for this particular song and create a pleasant listening experience.
Who is 퍼펄즈 (Purfles) you may ask? To be honest, we’re not really sure here at KultScene. They just appeared out of no where and debuted with this amazing song. 1,2,3 showcases these talented ladies’ vocals as well as gives K-Pop fans, and music fans in general, a strong dance track.
From the opening acapella notes to the strong club beat, 1,2,3 is a diamond in the rough of constant releases of K-Pop songs. These ladies are fierce and show it through their powerful vocals and their dancing in the music video. 1,2,3 is a song that will be on repeat.
Mamamoo is one of the most underrated girl groups to come out of K-Pop. Although their debut was only this year (2014), they deserve much more recognition and popularity, hopefully in time.
Don’t Be Happy was a pre-debut release single and is actually different than the album version (Bumkey has a more prominent role on the album version). Don’t Be Happy showcases the ladies’ soulful and powerful vocals. Mamamoo’s style is different than other K-Pop groups and songs currently out. Swing and jazz are major influences,which add to the refreshing style of the quartet. I really cannot say enough about Mamamoo or Don’t Be Happy. And once you listen to the song and hear their amazing vocals, you will understand why.
There are many female K-Pop singles that have been overlooked throughout the years. What are some that you enjoy? 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.
This Let’s Discover is a true one in that I will focus on rookie group Mamamoo. I’m not sure how many people have heard of this girl group, but I want to give them the spotlight. Personally, I didn’t discover them until a few weeks after their debut, and I decided to see what their music video was like. I am so happy that I stumbled upon this group. These four ladies have an immense amount of talent and I look forward to watching their career blossom.
Mamamoo consists of four girls: Solar, Moon Byul, Whee In, and Hwa Sa. They debuted in June with Mr. Ambiguous. The song has strong jazz and swing elements to it, which is the perfect style for their sultry vocals. I did not hear anything about Mamamoo leading up to their debut, or even after their debut. Nevertheless, Mr. Ambiguous is a great debut song.
(Top, L-R) Whee In, Hwa Sa (Bottom, L-R) Solar, Moon Byul
As I mentioned above, the jazz and swing elements in the song make it stand out among other K-Pop songs. The song sticks to traditional instruments and does not heavily rely on machine-made sounds. It is not overly produced and, to me, it gives off a crisp feeling, because of the different sound from the mainstream K-Pop songs out now.
Aside from the refreshing sound, the music video for Mr. Ambiguous boasts appearances by well-known celebrities. Wheesung, K.Will, Lee Jonghyun (CNBLUE), Bumkey, and Baek Ji Young, among others, all make appearances in the music video. Even if these girls do not have a strong commercial following (yet), they are certainly given love by some of the big names in the business.
From the music video, it’s clear to see that these four ladies are talented individuals who shine as a unit as well. The style theme they chose for their debut sticks to the older sound of their song. They wear fitted, yet modest dresses, sensible heels and just the right amount of makeup to act as an accessory rather than a separate character. Their hairstyles and colors are also simple and do not take away from their vocals, which was the right decision for this debut. With voices like these, the outfits, hair, makeup, and accessories should accent their vocals, not overpower or overshadow.
Mr. Ambiguous was a perfect debut song for Mamamoo. And the fact that part of Mamamoo’s choreography incorporates fake mustaches was enough for me to like them. Their mini album Hello contains six songs all of which stick to the older, jazz, and swing sounds.
As I listen to the mini I picture myself in a lounge enjoying a cocktail while Mamamoo perform their songs flawlessly on stage. Their songs transport me to an era before I was born, but one that I long to experience.
Aside from a kick-ass mini album, I literally just found out today that Mamamoo sings a song from the OST of my favorite drama at the moment. Love Lane appears in the drama Marriage, Not Dating, and when I fist heard it played in an episode, I immediately paused the episode to look up the song. I was excited to see that it was Mamamoo, and not in the least surprised based on the vocals in the song.
I hope Mamamoo gains the love and support they deserve. I’m interested to see if their future comeback will stick to the jazz and swing-themed music or branch out into other genres. Quite frankly, with the vocal ability of these four ladies, they could probably pull off any genre. Only time will tell.
What do you guys think about rookie group Mamamoo? Do they have what it takes to thrive in the constantly-changing K-Pop genre, or will they thrive in other ways? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.
