Weekly K-Pop Faves May 29-June 4- Luna, EXID, Baby Kara
Each week, our writer’s introduce some of their favorite songs out of Korea released during the past week. This week, KultScene writer’s liked songs by f(x)’s Luna, EXID, and former Baby Kara members, Chaewon of April and Yoon Chaekyung.
“Free Somebody” by Luna (May 30)
From the SM Entertainment stable, f(x)’s powerhouse vocalist Luna comes of age in spectacular fashion with her impressive solo debut, “Free Somebody.” The song is a sparkling, 1990s techno dance track featuring positive and inspiring lyrics that encourage listeners to embrace life in Technicolor and to chase one’s dreams in a bold and fearless way. This cheerfully optimistic message is successfully hammered home via a striking, 1960s pop art influenced music video, which inventively incorporates scenes of Luna and her male love interest as cartoon characters. “Free Somebody” boasts some stunning cinematography, coupled with unconventional filming techniques, as it documents Luna’s sensual awakening after meeting her ideal man in an elevator. She radiates an air of classy confidence and stylish sex appeal throughout the video, which appears effortless and believable. “Free Somebody” already has me looking forward excitedly to another solo release from Luna, of the same calibre.
–Eve
The news of this mini-reunion by two of Baby Kara’s members delighted many fans of the reality competition and their release at the start of the month certainly did not disappoint. This track is a reflective ballad for the most part but ventures slightly into R&B territory towards the middle of the song with its jazzy rhythm, which certainly livened up the whole track. Personally, I was surprised by the improvement in the vocals of Chaekyung, who was on the recently concluded competition “Produce 101.” Her experiences on the show definitely helped her to grow as a singer and she has made remarkable progress from her time on “Kara Project.” Chaewon on the other hand has been blossoming increasingly with every new release from April, so I’m glad that both singers got a chance to show off their beautiful harmony through this song. Chaekyung needs her debut as soon as possible, and I’m definitely excited about the future of these DSP artists.
–Anna
EXID are the queens of making use of their member’s talents. Lines can be distributed to any member at any time in a song and they’ll make it work. Hyelin and Solji pack the choruses with power, Hani takes the verses with her just as good but sexier voice, and Junghwa and LE fit around them adding much needed character to a song. “L.I.E” is helped greatly by this as musically it doesn’t work quite as well. It has wonderful parts though especially the tropical verses. The video is great as well, with their usual extensive use of symbolism and references to The Grand Budapest Hotel.
What song was your favorite of the week? 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.