In the 27th episode of of KultScene’s K-pop Unmuted, Stephen Knight, Joe Palmer, Tamar Herman, and Gabriel Wilder reflect on the best moments and songs out of Korea in 2017, and even give out some of their own unique awards.
Let us know what you think of K-pop in 2017’s latest and KultScene’s K-pop Unmuted 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.
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Between starting the year with a tour in North America and ending it as a mentor on the career-reboot show The Unit, 2017 was a busy year for Hyuna. With the disbandment of 4Minute in 2016, we might have thought that it would mean one less possibility to see her in the media. However, Hyuna surely made up for the absence of the group by promoting in a diversified range of activities, between solo projects and her work other Cube Entertainment artists, and it was a year filled with the best version of Hyuna the world has ever seen.
2017 was the year we got to see many of Hyuna’s previously unseen colors. Her star quality was evoked when she lent a hand in CLC’s transition of concept, plus she wrote the lyrics for their single “Hobgoblin” and styled the music video. She also took part in the trifecta Triple H, formed along with Pentagon’s Hui and E’Dawn. But it was in solo promotions that we saw the most interesting sides Hyuna showed this year — or, I dare to say, the best of her entire career.
While 4Minute always had a powerful concept, Hyuna’s sex appeal was too strong to be restricted to a role in a group (although, needless to say, she outshone the rest anyway). Noticing that, her agency branded her as an outrageous bombshell, which resulted in solo works mainly based in catchy electronic bops and sassy music videos. And, of course, the provocative duo Troublemaker, formed by her and former member of Highlight, formerly known as Beast, Jang Hyunseung (even if their comeback is long overdue).
The exploration of Hyuna’s image through an outrageous concept, like said before, made it less credible for me, to the point that I’ve always had a hard time liking Hyuna, because sometimes it seemed that she was trying too hard to look like a bad girl. And, while I believe that she holds enough sensuality and fierceness to make it unnecessary to bring out these attributes 24/7, I also believe that the most wrongful side effect of it was making us think she was a one-trick pony. She definitely isn’t. And her latest releases “Babe” and “Lip & Hip” prove just that.
Although it’s not exactly a ballad, “Babe” was the softest thing Hyuna has ever done, both sonically and aesthetically. The lyrics about living a love that makes her feel younger, together with the music video that shows her in light colored dresses and high school skirts, were definitely surprising. The Hyuna factor was still there: hip-shaking, dancing between boys, her unmistakable rapping. But it was definitely refreshing to see a slower paced song and a bit less party-hard image from her.
Conversely, “Lip & Hip” might seem at first like another typical Hyuna song, and sonically, it is. However, it’s the concept for the music video and her performances that has brought us the most interesting side in the “sexy Hyuna” videography. If in “Red,” “Bubble Pop,” “Roll Deep,” and “How’s This?” Hyuna was firming her image as a sex symbol, in “Lip & Hip,” she is mostly arousing us to think of sexuality (hers and ours too) in a more curious and playful approach. The song talks about a girl’s confidence towards her own body, and the visuals showcase two versions of Hyuna dealing with her puberty changes and exploring the possibilities of how she can look like.
The music video has tireless close ups of Hyuna’s body parts, but it’s different this time. We can see how “Lip & Hip” differs from her previous work if we compare, for example, her chest shootings in “Red” —obviously meant for the appreciation of third parties — and in “Lip & Hip,” where they seem more like the recording of a young girl discovering that her boobs are growing. It’s still provocative, but through a different perspective. It is relevant to say that showing cleavage is not well received in Korea, and by showing hers, Hyuna is not only defying Korean taboos, but also defying us to think of why a natural part of the female body is so sexualized. If you didn’t catch this, you’ve been successfully manipulated.
This video plays with your mind, going from Hyuna dealing with braces (symbolising teenage struggles) to the rapper doing a sexy dance with a bustier (symbolising her grown woman attitude) in a few seconds. Of course, the type of scene that catches the most attention is the last one, and it will make you think “Lip & Hip” is just about Hyuna being the Hyuna she’s always been. But make no mistake: this is her most unique and clever music video so far.
Overall, a good synthesis of “Lip & Hip’s” smart irony is the end, as Hyuna leaves home with torn pants that let you see her underwear, alluding to her previous sexy and daring figures in past releases. But, joke’s on you: she doesn’t appear internationally sexy or desirable, she’s just looking like a normal young girl, with glasses, a backpack, and a bear. After all, panties are just a piece of cloth made to cover a piece of skin, aren’t they?
Well, of course you don’t need to doubt your own sanity if you missed the point of the music video and only saw Hyuna’s body and sexy dancing. There is, indeed, a lot of intentional sexual content in “Lip & Hip,” both in the music video and in the performances she has done so far — but, that’s not all there is to it. And that’s where my complaint lies: Hyuna has always been sexy, but why is that the only concept we’ve seen of her so far? “Babe” and “Lip & Hip” have shown that she can be sexy while also exploring different nuances, and I just wished Cube hadn’t waited so long to show it. After all, Hyuna is more than just pretty lips and hips, but we don’t really see that a lot.
Now that we’ve seen different sides from Hyuna, I believe that there’s enough room for her to keep shining and doing amazing things. 2017 was the year that Hyuna showed that she has what it takes to last in this industry, and she definitely deserves to.
What was your favorite moment of Hyuna this year? 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.
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In the 22nd episode of of KultScene’s K-pop Unmuted, Stephen Knight, Alexis Hodoyan, and Tamar Herman discuss what it was like being backstage at KCON 2017 LA and New York, and how Produce 101 is shaping K-pop right now. We also discussed new music, including Henry Lau’s sentimental “That One,” Sunmi’s groundbreaking “Gashina,” and HyunA’s age-defying “Bebe.”
Let us know what you think of K-pop in July and KultScene’s K-pop Unmuted 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.
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The last week of August and first few days of September saw a lot of good new music from South Korea, both from new and old acts alike. Former 4Minute member HyunA made her return, boy band of the moment Wanna One released a new music video, and Produce 101 finalist Jeong Sewoon made his debut. Check out what we liked about some of their releases.
“Just U” by Jeong Sewoon (Released Aug. 31)
It feels like every day there’s some new music from a Produce 101 Season 2 alum, and the last day of August brought about Jeong Sewoon’s debut with his first EP and the single “Just U.” While I would have expected generic acoustic pop from Sewoon after what he seemed to lean towards during Produce, his debut single is a guitar-driven smooth R&B pop hybrid that doesn’t sound so out of the wheelhouse of what someone like Lee Seunggi would attempt. There’s some funk and electronica elements thrown in, and Sik-K adds a melodic rap break, turning “Just U” into the epitome of K-pop’s freewheeling nature. Jeong showed a lot of promise during the reality series and though he didn’t make it into the final lineup for Wanna One, this is a promising debut and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
I had completely given up on the trend before these last two weeks. Thanks to the work of the new gen girl and boy groups (Victon, DIA, and Pristin in particular) there’s been a resurgence of interesting tracks within the genre. The queen of K-pop brought the best though as she returned with “Babe” a song that uses the sound as her base and roams around it trying different things. Teaming back up with Shinsadong Tiger was Hyuna’s best decision in a long time. Alongside steel drum synths he packs the chorus with sawtooth synths to contrast the softness of the verses. “Babe” also represents Hyuna’s fight back against the haters. In her own version of IU’s “Twenty Three” she teases those who simultaneously drool over her and shame her. In a great reflexive moment in the music video she literally steps off stage during her routine seemingly fed up with it and walks off to a transcendent plane where maybe she can find some peace.
While the boy group of the moment, Wanna One, released a music video for their fan song “Wanna Be,” it was their performance of it on one of the music shows that grabbed my attention. It usually takes groups awhile before they release a song dedicated to their fans, but given their finite lifetime and the fact that they actually exist because of their fandom, it makes sense that they’d feature one on their first EP. “Wanna B” might be a gift for Wannables, their fandom, but this performance is a gem in itself. All of the members stepped up their aegyo game all the way up with this one, and for having such a hectic schedule, the members look like they’re having fun while performing. The song, for its part, is bubblegum pop gold and super infectious. I especially like the fact that all the main vocalists got their chance to shine at the chorus — especially Seungwoo. If you’re a Wannnable, it’s impossible not to fall deeper for these dorks with this rendition of “Wanna Be.”
—Alexis
What was your favorite K-pop release of the week? Let us know your picks and 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.
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When first asked to write something to get people excited about Hyuna’s upcoming North American tour, I thought “what’s the point in that? Who wouldn’t already be excited to see Hyuna?” It took me while to accept that some people may not be as excited as me. After that realised that it’s really just a good excuse to write about Hyuna, a woman whom I think to be a singular K-pop artist. Few idols had carved out such a successful solo career outside of their groups quite like her. Best of all, she did it with a confidence that few others can attest to. That’s only a tiny part of the reason you should go see her, though. Let’s take a look at some more and remember as well her great career.
“It’s all because I’m the best”
Has K-pop ever topped “Bubble Pop?” Probably not. Hyuna certainly hasn’t. That’s not to say her output since her debut has been weak, of course. “Bubble Pop” is just the greatest.
Her career after it has been sharpened with every release. She has seemingly found her sound in the bass heavy electro rap of “Roll Deep” and “How’s This?” Those songs are at best, growers. I came to enjoy them for purely dance reasons after a number of listens. Performed live they’ll bring the energy but her qualities lie elsewhere.
The song that started that sound for her, “Red,” is her best after “Bubble Pop.” The brash fun of Hyuna repeatedly saying her name and the obtuse lyrics make it the best Hyuna experience. The not-even-trying-to-be-cute “Ice Cream” is a more hypnotic song; its synths whipping around the beat with a refreshing elasticity. It also contains a vocal range that Hyuna is capable of, but uses less often these days. Although, she did on recent b-side “Morning Glory,” a breezy slow jam with wonderful details. There’s a diversity to Hyuna’s discography that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Songs like this and “Unripe Apple” and “Get Out of My House” show a more vulnerable side to the seemingly all powerful queen that Hyuna is. Her image does her a disservice, and there’s nowhere better than on stage to make this right.
Hyuna didn’t get to where she is now in her solo career purely thanks to her looks and music. She has something that few idols can match up to without help of choreography or strong vocals. When Hyuna is on stage, no matter who else is there, she owns it. Her stage presence runs through her whole performance, be it dancing or not. It’s thanks to a confidence she brings in being sexy. Sometimes we see sexy as just another concept in K-pop, something a group can try out to see if it sells. With Hyuna, it’s almost a lifestyle. Her performances and music are all based around it, and this shines through when it comes to being on stage. She really came into her own with the promotions of “Red.” It is, after all, a song about how great and sexy she is. Hyuna picks her moments, glaring down cameras or interacting lovingly with the audience. She holds off singing, or lip synching at times, to give herself a break, knowing that everyone watching understands that it’s not easy to continually sing while dancing. Breaking through the facade, we see someone who was born to be on a stage.
“There’s no meaning, They’re just dancing”
Listen to any Hyuna song and it’s obvious dance is going to be important. She is supreme, to say the least. There are few idols who carry such an ease of movement with moves like hers. Her every moment on stage is filled with clear enjoyment. A regular criticism has been that she has turned to sexy choreography too often now. Which is true, but it fails to look at her choreography as a whole. She has gotten sexier, but has simultaneously been getting more intense as well. Watch her perform the endless body rolls of “Roll Deep” and the incessant shaking of “How’s This?” and tell me that’s merely sexy.
This is really wishful thinking, but something we probably all thought about. The recent shake up at Cube Entertainment left her and Hyunseung without their flagship groups (4minute and Beast). But as many noticed, both Hyuna and Hyunseung are the only members remaining in the company. So a Trouble Maker comeback has to happen, right? That does seem likely given their success, yet we really are dreaming if we think they could appear on this tour. I want to dream for a moment, though, just to remember how great they were. Co-eds may be getting a revival now with K.A.R.D seemingly gathering buzz, but Trouble Maker are co-ed at its peak. Watching Hyuna and Hyunseung feels like you’re being told a story. They move together so closely and sensually that I can’t help but think it’s all real. Nothing would be more exciting than to see them once again burn up the stage. Also, it’s way more possible than my real dream for this tour, a Dazzling Red reunion.
“What’s wrong with going out late at night?”
Literally nothing, Hyuna, and there never will be. The best possible reason to see Hyuna is because it will be a party. Those who think she’s too trashy for their taste are missing out on a K-pop concert that won’t be like the rest. Catch her in these cities:
February 22: Vancouver @ Hard Rock Casino February 24: Toronto @ Danforth Music Hall February 26: Montreal @ L’Olympia de Montreal March 1: Chicago @ VIC Theatre March 3: New York @ The Town Hall March 6: Dallas @ Granada Theatre March 9: San Francisco @ Regency Ballroom March 10: Los Angeles @ The NOVO
Are you excited to see Hyuna in the US? 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/16009836_10208341069629284_800437328_o.jpg15191069Joe Palmerhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2017-01-17 06:10:162017-01-17 06:10:165 reasons to go to Hyuna’s North American tour
Looking like a schoolyard gang and Posh Spice cosplayers, 4minute return with yet another big track, “Hate”. Produced by Skrillex, it follows “Crazy” into chaotic banger territory but with a certain pristine quality. Again, unfounded comparisons between YG Entertainment artists are bouncing around due to the sound and look of the music video. As we will see, 4Minute and Skrillex bring a higher level of craft when it comes to run of the mill electro tracks.
Song
Calling this an electro song is a bit reductive. It is the centre of controlled chaos between genres vying for dominance. Where “Crazy” started at top speed, “Hate” allows consecutive parts to sound completely different. They lead to a huge chorus that does not let up once it comes out.
From Gayoon’s opening to Sohyun’s pre-chorus, each part of “Hate” that leads up to the chorus increases in tempo as they come. Gayoon’s beautiful intro threatens us with a ballad. The pain in her voice sets the song up though, as something that won’t take any prisoners. While not hateful there’s a defiance to her pain; she’s done with this man once and for all. The piano melody takes us slowly by the hand into “Hate,” not giving anything about the destination away. Right after, a beat is finally introduced with Hyuna rapping on top of it. Her usual snarl is restrained for the moment, she allows the build before going for the jugular. Jihyun continues with this beat but with added drum flairs, her voice perfectly balanced between singing and rapping to prime us for bigger moments without giving it away. This comes in the form of Sohyun’s electrifying pre-chorus. Skrillex introduces his well known dub over her shouts of “go, go, go.” The song and girls are fed up of playing nice, the hate is real. Like in “Crazy,” the increasing tempo of the beat and screams leads perfectly into a chorus that is at once predictable and surprising.
The chorus is predictable, given the nature of the song and the name of the producer. Surprising because the song’s build up at first masked it, and because of just how big it is. The horns explode with glee as Hyuna snarls in her familiar nasally voice “I hate you.” At first listen, these horns jar, using music rather than vocals as the hook is still relatively rare in K-pop. Despite their inherent conflicting sound they are shaped into a force by 4minute. It’s a sound to be angry to, to take action to.
Once it ends, “Hate” does not stick to what it knows. Jiyoon replaces Hyuna for the rap verse, similarly sounding as if she’s holding back. She knows she’ll get her chance in the chorus. The big change is the pre-chorus, which Gayoon takes and molds it into her own. Her banshee wail, a call for the hate filled chorus. The song always takes the time to got to quieter moments between those choruses. Mercifully giving us a break but more importantly creating contrast to sit the chorus on a pedestal. A throne to hate.
Music Video
The video does little to prop up the theme of the song with a story, it does have the distinction of being 4minute’s most beautiful video to date. Like the verse chorus relationship different sections of the video contrast with each other. Gayoon’s opening of restrictive mesh clothing, veils, and small frames shows a woman trapped in her hate filled relationship. Right after, Hyuna walks open deserts. The frame stays full as she walks amongst the dust. The expanse is just as scary, too open to the point of loneliness.
They do something similar with the styling too. Gayoon’s vengeful bride aesthetic and Jiyoon’s dominatrix look are total opposites, but work to tell the same story. Gayoon’s innocence, similar to the song, creeps up on you. Something that doesn’t seem hateful at first can quickly change. Jiyoon is the chorus then, an image of controlled hate.
Overall
Over the years, 4minute have changed their style time and again to showcase everything a girl group can be. Mostly focused on a heavier sound based in hip-hop and electro, and every time they executed it perfectly. This era of trap and dubstep influenced work suits them just right once again. “Hate” is a slow burn that tortures the soul of weak men. It cracks with dubstep flourishes and bites with mean raps. No other song has fit these type of sounds so well before.
4minute
4
What do you think of “Hate”? 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/4minute-hate-teaser-vid-1.jpg9001600Joe Palmerhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2016-02-02 15:16:502016-02-03 20:44:004minute ‘Hate’ Music Video & Song Review
Kisses and kissing aren’t always openly talked about in the K-pop music scene. But there are many songs about first kisses and kissing in general. They can be as innocent as a peck on the cheek or as steamy as a full on lip-to-lip, tongue-to-tongue contact. Sometimes these kissing songs aren’t as blatant as others, but one thing we know for sure is our K-pop idols love to sing about kissing.
Like many before her, Jeon Hyosung used her solo career as a way to show off her large, um, charms. Her solo venture turned out to be just as successful as bandmate Jieun’s but offered something completely different. Goodnight Kiss is an hypnotic trap lullaby for a boy whom Hyosung sings to goodnight. Yet she clearly doesn’t really want to go to sleep but to just kiss and kiss him. Updating fairytales and lullabies is popular these days and this song does a better job of it than most. The song comes off as a reworked lullaby to perfectly suit Hyosung’s sexy image. It starts off relatively innocent but becomes sexier with each part before finally hitting that trap drop. We forget about the lullaby element after a while as it becomes stranger and sexier. It all comes together to create something quite sophisticated and shows that given the right material Hyosun could become a soloist on par with Ga-In.
Dara’s Kiss is filled with ridiculous yet catchy engrish lyrics, yet there’s one line that I’ll occasionally find myself singing to in public; I just wanna kiss, I never wanna miss. Kiss is a fun and rather playful song whereas the music video, which features actor Lee Minho and if you look closely, Kim Woo Bin is also featured, is rather on the dramatic side; I guess that’s what happens when you feature actors in your music video, it suddenly turns into a short drama! Aside from the dramatic acting from both Dara and Lee Minho, the overall production was entertaining and to me, it felt like a commercial!
— Tam
If we talk about kisses, what’s better than a french kiss? Hyuna’s song French Kiss recounts a story at a scandalous party. Hyuna meets a guy and it;s like love at first sight, or maybe lust at first sight. Right then and there she wants to be only with him, alone. The chorus is very addicting and the part where Hyuna whispers “Let’s french kiss” sounds so seductive and sexy. It almost makes the listeners feel that you are the man she lusts over and she is whispering those words to them. The song has a great beat and it’s a great song to just dance let loose and make out.
— Alejandro
Rather than celebrating love, Super Junior‘s My Love, My Kiss, My Heart mourns it. The song is the classic tale of missing an ex lover post break up while reluctantly trying to move on. You know, when it still hurts. The boys lament the love lost, saying they will bury their love, kiss and heart through a heartfelt ballad.
X’s are for kisses, sings EXO in XOXO. The song is an adorable, upbeat, jazzy ode to the woman EXO loves, filled with sweet lines about dreaming of hugging and kissing the one you love. EXO’s vocals really shine in the song, with enough lines for EXO’s multitude of members to express their own individual vocal colors.
— Tamar
miss A’s Hush actually uses the word ‘kiss’ in the chorus. The ladies sing about their steamy wants and desires. And at the top of the list is kissing, which is a great way to get to know someone intimately. Hush takes things a few steps further than kissing, but the sexy ladies of miss A know what they want and clearly depict all of that in this song. Aside from the content of the song, Hush has an infectious chorus and sultry dance moves perfectly executed by the quartet.
— Tara
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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.
Song
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.
Music Video
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.
Dance
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.
Rating
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.
4Minute 'Crazy'
5
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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/088214.jpg8001280Joe Palmerhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2015-02-11 16:02:312015-02-11 16:48:074Minute’s ‘Crazy’ Music Video & Song Review
K-Pop is a musical genre that is as colorful as music can be. There are a lot of bright colors in music videos, K-Pop acts with color in their name, etc. Here are some of the most popular songs in Korea that have the color red in their name.
HyunA Red
You may know this song. It has over 16 million views on YouTube, and Hyuna’s Red made a lot of headlines for its sex-filled concept. Red reached number one on several music charts, and the music video stayed atop of China’s Yin Yue Tai V-Chart for four days. The rapid-fire rap, HyunA’s twerking, and electronic-EDM-hip-hop elements seems like a mess at first, but Red is an enthralling song, filled with red-related passion.
SMTOWN Red Sun
One of SMTOWN’s from 2006, multiple SM Entertainment artists including TVXQ, BoA, Kangta, The TRAX, Super Junior etc. lent their voices to the song. Some of the artists are no longer active or have since left the company (the three members of JYJ, ex-Super Junior members, The TRAX, Black Beat, CSJH The Grace,) but the song is still an upbeat summer song that will make you want to head to the beach and enjoy the sun. Fun fact: Pre-Girls’ Generation SM Entertainment had only less than ten active female singers.
Shinhwa Red Carpet
Shinhwa may be one of the longest running groups in K-Pop, which made its comeback in 2012 after a four year break. On that comeback album, The Return, Red Carpet stood out as a strong dance track. The song was written by member Minwoo (known as M,) and is a synth-dance mix up that emphasizes Shinhwa’s vocal line.
f(x) Red Light
One of the most experimental songs out of SM Entertainment in years is f(x)’s hit song Red Light. The song is an electronic house song with a rhythmic beat that is addictive. Red Light‘s promotional period was cut short due to member Sulli going on hiatus, but it still did well on multiple music charts, including reaching the top 5 on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 chart.
IU Red Shoes
A song meant to show the transition of IU from Korea’s little sister to a more mature singer, Red Shoes describes a woman trying to find her way. Red Shoes uses a big band sound, evoking swing and jazz music. It, and other songs from IU’s Modern Times album, won multiple awards and gained much acclaim in South Korea.
Heyne Red Lie
Not to be confused with Hyuna, Hyene is an up-and-coming solo singer. Her cute voice may be typecast to sickeningly sweet love songs, but Red Lie is anything but, with lyrics like “love please go away.” The song and cinematography of Red Lie are really unique and definitely worth listening to. Fun fact: There’s very little red in the video. Perhaps a shout out to red being the color of lies, as the title suggests.
Son Dambi Red Candle
Composed by SHINee’s Jonghyun, Son Dambi’s Red Candle is a sophisticated track that depicts celebrity life. The gentle intro into the song seduces the listener to the gentle Latin-fusion style that’s different than Son Dambi’s typical dance song. Dance is prevalent and the music video is absolutely beautiful with a black-and-white film noir feel to it.
Did we list all your favorite “red” songs? Look forward to the rest of this ROGYBIV series in coming weeks. 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_3431-0.jpg367550Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2014-11-20 13:21:202014-11-20 13:21:20The Colors Of K-Pop: Red
Once a week, KPOPme will post a list with all the latest music videos and singles released. We will aim to recompile every single song each week, but between the multitude of K-Pop groups and OSTs released weekly, sometimes we’ll miss something. Please let us know if we do! We aim to please.
Here are the release from the end of July and the first few days of August. Some of the biggest names (JYJ, HyunA) made comebacks, and some interesting debut songs (HA:TFELT, Red Velvet) were also released this week. Check them all out!
[Music Video]
JYJ Back Seat
Red Velvet Happiness
HA:TFELT (Yeeun) Ain’t Nobody
Clazziquai Project Madly
Sunny Hill Once In Summer
Tae Wan Good Morning feat. Vebal Jint
BESTie Hot Baby
4L Move
LC9 East Of Eden
HyunA Red
High4 A Little Close feat. Lim Kim
Sonnet Son Love Again
[Song]
Davichi It’s Okay, That’s Love [OST It’s Okay, That’s Love]
Bob Girls Oh My Boy (Summer Edit)
Sunny Days Half Of The World Are Men
What was your favorite song released this week? Be sure to share your thoughts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.
