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May Music Releases From Korea That You Might Have Overlooked
May has not been lacking in music releases from top K-pop acts. BIGBANG, INFINITE’s Kim Sung Kyu, KARA, Girl’s Day, and SHINee all came out with new music and gained worldwide attention. But there were also a lot of good songs coming out of Korea this past month that you may have missed (pardon the pun). Here are some of KultScene’s favorite, possibly overlooked, releases from Korea in May.
HISTORY’s “Beyond The History” album is one of our favorite things to be released in May, maybe this year. The title track “Might Just Die” and its music video are extremely sexy, but it’s Jang Yi Jeong’s solo rap track “1Century” that’s really worth taking a listen to. Jang wrote both songs, and his composing skills are something we’ll be watching, but it was his excellent rapping that is so shocking considering that he’s actually the group’s lead vocalist.
“Like” by CLC was introduced in May with pretty little fanfare, considering that the girl group debuted under one of Korea’s brightest entertainment agencies, Cube Entertainment. But just because there wasn’t a lot of attention doesn’t mean that we don’t love the bright, colorful song.
Zion.T’s “Eat” is a gentle R&B song about a man and his feelings, a comforting tune to help people find pleasure in the little things in life. It went to the top of many Korean music charts thanks to its melodious, warm nature.
Also on KultScene: Seventeen’s ’17 Carat’ Album Review
Solo singer IU released “Heart” with little warning, but it also became a hit. The song was featured in the drama “The Producers,” which the singer stars in.
Another boy band that made a K-pop comeback in May was UNIQ, with the song “Luv Again.” The R&B song’s a sweet tune for the summer months, with its acoustic instrumentals and harmonies. UNIQ is clearly a rookie group, but one that’s worth taking note of.
Coffee house band Urban Zakapa released a new mini album ”U/Z,” and two of our favorite songs of May are “Get” featuring Beenzino and “Two One Two.” With positive lyrics and inspiring music videos, Urban Zakapa really shone in the month of May.
A powerhouse music couple released songs for the soundtrack of the drama “Who Are You?: School 2015.” You cannot miss out on is Yoon Mi Rae’s “I’ll Listen To What You Have To Say” or Tiger JK’s “Reset” featuring Jinsil.
Clazziquai’s Horan is definitely not just alright with her first solo song “She’s Alright.” The song is about women who say that they are fine even when they’re not, something many women around the world can relate to. The funky song has traditional Korean influences and is a pleasure to listen to.
Also on KultScene: UNIQ ‘Luv Again’ Music Video & Song Review
“Trespass” is the debut title song released by Monsta X in May, but the powerful image is one that we hope the group keeps past their debut. The song is focused highly around rapper Jooheon, and we’re not complaining (although maybe a little bit).
Heejun Han’s “QnA” featured Girls’ Generation member Tiffany, but was a bit unloved. But the cute duet is upbeat and sure to put a smile on every listener’s lips.
Vocal quartet 2AM may have split up to different agencies, but member Lim Seulong released his first solo album in May and “Mood Swings” is definitely something to take a listen to. The song features Black Nut, and we’re obsessed.
Jung Joon Young switched over to the group concept, and JJY Band released its first song in May. “OMG” is a rock party song that we all need.
Seventeen debuted this month with sweet title track “Adore U,” a song that we’re obsessed with. It’s simple, sugary, and has amazing raps.
Two talented K-pop soloists came together in Eddy Kim’s “Coffee & Tea,” featuring Mamamoo’s Solar. The caffeine-focused song is another sweet tune, with bouncy acoustic sounds that we love.
April’s Best K-Pop B-Sides
Lately, K-pop has not stopped delivering for a second. And, as long as it stays this good, I’m going to continue this brand new KultScene series as long as I can. Missing out on great album tracks like this would be a total shame so if I can do anything to help, I’m there. I’m opening up the list to boys now too, though, as they in particular dominated the past month. Songs featured in this month’s Best K-Pop B-Sides list touch on graceful electronica, soaring disco, dirty rap, Latin guitars, and melancholic hip-pop.
UNiQ – Listen To Me
I can’t remember how I came across this track as I have never listened or even wanted to listen to UNiQ in the past, but I sure am glad that I did. Listen to Me, from the Korean/Chinese boy groups latest album EOEO, is one of a few truly great songs to come from boy groups last month.
Listen to Me plays like the fidgety dubstep K-pop track we have come to expect from so many rookies recently. It’s filled with elaborate wubs and whizzes, and builds to an expected big drop. But right at that moment, the song turns itself on its head. Instead of descending, it soars to an ecstatic beautiful chorus of sparkling disco and dance pop.
This lavish chorus contrasts perfectly against the electro beats. The chorus raises the rest of the song to another level and shows a level of craft beyond the rookie UNiQ supposedly is. What could have been another entry into the endless wasteland of forgotten brostep becomes something new to latch onto.
Also on KultScene: Best K-Pop Girl Group B-Sides Of 2015
BTS – Hold Me Tight
I’m dubbing April the month of “Boy Group Dubstep Tracks That Turned Out Better Than Expected.” You can use that catchy title yourself. BTS returned on the last day of the month with the brilliant I Need U, which came from an equally brilliant album, In The Mood For Love. Apart from I Need You the standout is probably the slightly more subdued Hold Me Tight.
At four and a half minutes long Hold Me Tight takes its time to fully reveal itself. When it does, we get is a melancholic piece of hip-pop showing off the qualities of BTS that we already know but in new ways. A twinkly piano melody slowly builds into soft beeping synths at the beginning, sounding more like a cute love song than what we actually get. To counter these tones, Rap Monster enters first with a more melodic rap than we are used to before powering in with his trademark angry sound. This rap sets out not only the musical range of the song but the lyrical too. One half is melancholic and lonely, the other is angry while still lonely; Rap Monster turns this into a beautiful yet bitter lament.
The album as a whole represents maturation for BTS. The group is stepping out the shadow of being the next B.A.P, another group with fierce hip-hop elements, and setting out its own style and sound.
Dal Shabet – Obsessed
Dal Shabet has had a hard time trying to crack the big time. The group has released several songs that have attempted to cause controversy along with songs that are simply amazing. None of them however, have done enough to gain the girl group much success. Dal Shabet better stay around though, so we can still get absolute gems like Obsessed.
Joker has been mostly overlooked for being trashy and uninteresting as a typical idol song, but if they had led with Obsessed Dal Shabet could have been elegant alt-dols. The song is a burst of electronica that belongs alongside the other 90s throwbacks that K-pop has given us recently.
The melty synths that pop in and out match exquisitely with the factory-like snares. The song has a polished purity to it that many K-pop songs may be missing. The vocals are also a pure delight. Subin’s wails at the chorus are a particular pleasure to the ears.
Bastarz – Sue Me
Like BTS, Block B have really been coming into their own lately. Her was one of the best songs of last year and subunit Bastarz’s new single Zero For Conduct is a smash.
That wasn’t the only good thing to come out of the new subunit though, as the album has some more interesting things within. For sheer weirdness Sue Me is the other highlight. Like Zero For Conduct, it’s a diss track at anyone who might get in the way of Block B (or Zico really). This one is dominated by P.O as he leads this track spinning vitriolic rhymes about how great he is. While this is a fairly standard hip-hop element, it’s what’s next that makes the song weird. The chorus with slow chants of “sue me” and auto-tuned vocals sound like a dub-reggae track. It is jarring yet makes more sense as the song goes on. This is a dirty track; its almost aware of the arrogance P.O and featured rapper Incredible are spitting. It also works as a song that understands hip-hop more than most idol songs do. Dub was a huge inspiration to the first rappers of the Bronx and putting in a song like this acknowledges hip-hop’s history as best you could. It gives weight to Zico (who helped write and produce) and P.O’s desire to be recognized as more than idols.
Also on KultScene: Best Music Video Fashion: April 2015 Releases
EXID – Thrilling
EXID’s excellent follow up to Up And Down, Ah Yeah was a confirmation that the girl group could build on what it did before and also comment on it. There was an EXID before Up And Down however, and it was just as good. The group’s best song, in fact, Every Night is from 2012 and it is with this song where we pick up on them now.
Just as Ah Yeah was a follow up to Up and Down, Thrilling is a kind of follow up to Every Night. The Latin guitars are immediately recognizable, the opening riffs themselves sound like they were lifted straight from the earlier song. It also uses beeping electronics alongside these to create a nice contrast. Thrilling is not a mere rerun in the same way that Ah Yeah is not either. It doesn’t go for a much bigger sound but changes elements enough to make it its own. The chorus in particular is striking for its commitment to the Latin sounds. Solji’s passionate voice fits so perfectly with the guitars and the kind of notes she has to hit here. I can’t say enough how much I like Soji’s voice, I hope she can get her due attention soon. She lifts the stripped back production to extravagant heights.
What was your favorite B-side of April? Did we miss your favorite? 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.