Straight away, the bright tones and slight lilt this song has stand out to me. It's strangely bouncy, and it's continuing the trend of airy melodies MAMAMOO have been experimenting with recently. This actually kinda reminds me of "Rude Boy" from Yellow Flower, but that's not a bad thing at all! That was actually one of my favourite songs off of Yellow Flower. Plus, the members really get to show off their vocals skills here, which is another treat considering the talent the members have!

It's one thing to listen to this song, but if you look up the English lyrics to any song on this album, LET IT BE THIS ONE. If you listen closely enough, you might find that things sound a little... creepy. The music box, the echoing, the whispering... it's got somewhat of an eerie vibe, for sure. But the song sounds so bright that the lyrics can't possibly be anything too weird, right?

I was alone when I fell asleep
But someone is standing in the room 

NOPE. THEY'RE CREEPY AS HELL. AND I LOVE IT.

Why do I keep looking behind me? For some reason
It feels like someone is watching me

Moonbyul has actually said that the experience detailed in this song is something that happened to her! And I'll admit, anything to do with nightmares, sleep paralysis, or whatever it may be is something I've always been immensely interested in - it's one of the reasons I like Dreamcatcher so much. 

2 - EGOTISTIC (너나 해) [TITLE TRACK!]

The rest of this mini album is made up of songs that have been previously released or heard somehow, and I don't mind that at all - anything to put less work on the girls!  K-Pop idols are overworked as it is, we don't need to make that worse. 😡 "Rainy Season" is one of those slow, jazzy ballads that fits into the middle of the album quite well. I'll admit - I'm the last person to normally like ballads and slow songs. But this is surprisingly relaxing and mellow, while still being quite enjoyable! This is one of those songs that, as the title suggests, you really need to listen to while the rain is pouring down outside for it to fully click. It's a great way to listen to it, I'd recommend. 👌

This stripped-back sort of sound is a nice change of pace for MAMAMOO, especially considering how bright and bombastic they have the tendency to be (we'll get to that later). Not gonna lie, this song would probably fit in perfectly with the rest of "Yellow Flower" - but the difference between this song and that mini album as a whole is that "Rainy Day" has a little more complexity in its backing track and layered vocals, instead of being just pure laid-back spring goodness. It's more sorrowful and complex than that, just like the emotions the girls are feeling - and the lyrics in "Rainy Day" are goddamn gorgeous to boot.

I need an umbrella
Half-hearted consolation won't make me feel better

I can't see the light in front of my eyes
The days where I devoted my everything willingly
Disappear without meaning

*sighs*

...where do I start with this song?

This is the first time I've ever flat-out HATED a MAMAMOO song.

Y'know who this reminds me of? GFRIEND. And you know why that makes me so angry and upset? Because all of GFRIEND's songs sound the same to me. They're overly cutesy schoolgirl anthems which I have absolutely no interest in.

SO WHY THE FUCK ARE MAMAMOO SINGING ONE??????????

I don't care if this is for some mobile game; MAMAMOO have done CFs before and they've gone excellently! Look at "Woo Hoo", look at freaking "Girl Crush"!! Both fantastic songs that were for CFs!!! This is just... grating. And annoying. And I deleted it from my phone as soon as I listened to it. Yeah. I hate it that much. The only part of the song I actually like is Moonbyul's rap, since it sounds like a completely different song altogether... but it does sound awfully disjointed.

As for the lyrics... they're... alright, I suppose? They're wistful, and reflecting on a past relationship.

I tried to erase you
Who I missed so much that it hurt

But... girl... guy... whoever is singing this... if things didn't work out, just move on and try not to reflect on the past too much. Use the experience to make you a better person, yes, but don't dwell on it. It's easier said than done, but it's better than writing an overly upbeat grating pop song about it, right?! ...oh, wait. 😶

If "Red Moon" didn't have "Sky! Sky!" in it, it would've been a fantastic album. One of my favourites of the year, hands down. Nearly flawless. But NOOOOO, this had to come along and ruin it for me. Not only that, but they placed it after "Rainy Season"? Really?! YOU PUT A SONG LIKE THIS AFTER A HEARTFELT BREAKUP BALLAD?!? It sticks out like the worst sore thumb I've ever seen - think Spongebob's thumb from that one episode where he gets the splinter. YEAH. IT'S THAT BAD IN MY EYES. 

If you like it, then great, more power to you. For me, this is just... bottom-of-the-barrel stuff. Sorry. 😩

5 - SLEEP IN THE CAR (자미라도 차지)

If MAMAMOO wanted this album to stay on my good side after "Sky! Sky"...then they certainly did it with this. I'm not kidding, as soon as I started listening to this and heard Solar's overly-enthusiastic rapping - no joke - I literally screamed "IT'S ANOTHER JOKE SONG, THANK FUCK!!"

I love "1cm (Taller Than You)" AND "Aze Gag", but... this takes the cake. Holy shit. MAMAMOO's comedy knows no bounds. But the best part is, like "1cm (Taller Than You)", the beat behind the silly lyrics is actually pretty damn good. AND THIS SONG'S BEAT GOES HARD AS FUCK. Like. SERIOUSLY. It's way more epic than it has any right to be, especially in the intro.

And those silly lyrics? Oh, yeah. They're silly alright.

Honestly, I feel the girls' pain. I'm one of those people who can't sleep in a car for SHIT. Or any moving vehicle, for that matter. So Moonbyul, CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY THAT YOU CAN SLEEP IN THE CAR. There's a reason the others are on your ass about it...

In the grand scheme of things, this is a biiiiiiiit out of place on the album, I'll admit. But... it's MAMAMOO. We should kinda come to expect a joke song every now and again with them. It's actually why I didn't like "Yellow Flower" as a whole so much; MAMAMOO look great doing the more solemn concept, yes, but I love them because they're so much goddamn fun. And THIS reminded me of that. I laughed the entire way through, and I missed that with "Yellow Flower" - I missed that one stupid song that made me laugh until my sides hurt.

I learned every single word of "1cm (Taller Than You)", I learned every single word of "Aze Gag"... you bet your ass I'm going to learn every word of this, too. Because it is my duty as a MOOMOO. ✌

6 - SELFISH (FT. SEULGI (슬기) OF RED VELVET) [MOONBYUL (문별) SOLO]

Unfortunately, when this song came out, I didn't have time to listen to it since I was right in the middle of exams. But now that it's on "Red Moon", I can give it a listen - and I like it quite a bit! I particularly love how the beginning sounds like something you'd hear in an Animal Crossing grocery store, if you know what I mean. 😉

One of the first things that stood out to me, though, was the use of autotune on Moonbyul's voice. That was... a little disappointing. She probably doesn't need it, let's be real. But to be fair, it does contribute to the overall vibe of the song pretty well! It just felt a little bit out of place, but you do get used to it after a few listens. I also feel like Seulgi is putting on a little bit of a cutesy voice, but again, that's something that you get used to after a bit.

The lyrics themselves are actually pretty damn cool! They're very "IDGAF", and inspiring to boot.

On top of that, you've got the adorable examples of Engrish like Seulgi's "I wanna be Selfiiiiiii-sh" and "Sometime being selfish", as well as Moonbyul's amazing "FISHIE FISHIE YA" in the second verse. That just makes this song happier, if you ask me - they definitely didn't intend it like that, but it's kinda adorable and adds to the upbeat mood!

It's songs like this that can be a very big breath of fresh air when you need them the most, and that's exactly what "Selfish" manages to be! It's upbeat, peppy and relaxing without being annoying. This is something would actually sound great while you're lounging next to a pool... I'll need to try that if I get the chance. 😊


And that's that! That's the entirety of the mini album. Overall - a pretty damn solid release from MAMAMOO, yet again! (Apart from "Sky! Sky!", of course. But let's not talk about that song. It doesn't exist anymore. Shh.)

This is definitely something I'll be listening to for a bit, and that I'll revisit in the future; I'm going on holiday next week, and this is the perfect summery album to accompany that. 😁
ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
Midsummer Night Dream (여름밤의 꿈)
Egotistic (너나 해)
Rainy Season (장마)
Sky! Sky! (하늘하늘 [청순])
Sleep in the Car (잠이라도 차지)

SELFISH (ft. Seulgi)

COVER IMAGE BACKGROUND: Designed by Kjpargeter / Freepik
MAMAMOO "RED MOON" TRANSPARENT LOGO: Made by TsukinoFleur on Deviantart
MAMAMOO PNG IMAGES: Made by OneAndOnlyYuu on Deviantart

Can we even call this a music video? I feel like this may as well be a short film, cause godDAMN this is one gorgeous MV.

It's like if somebody decided to condense Kill Bill into a three-and-a-half minute rollercoaster - only in this case we're talking about the actual film Kill Bill... not the Wild West-esque concept Brown Eyed Girls did a few years back. (Although to be quite honest that song was, and still is, a HUGE bop. Miryo's rap is fucking phenomenal.) Being honest, this MV is the Russian spy movie Jennifer Lawrence wished she had been in with Red Sparrow. I'm serious. That film sucked in comparison to this.

To get back onto the main point, this concept couldn't have been a nicer change of pace for Taeyeon. She wasn't kidding when she said this would be different. The song is jazzy as all hell, and even though she isn't promoting it on music shows, the MV more than makes up for that! We get to see a sassier side of Taeyeon (that poor guy in the elevator had no clue what was coming), and there's even some messaging and symbolism about the music industry if you dig deep enough. It's surprisingly multi-layered and of a very high quality, and it really was a damn nice surprise. SM may be a piece of shit, but at least they give their artists great comebacks. 👏

I have four words to describe my reaction to this MV:

BLACKPINK FUCKED ME UP.

And here I thought Taeyeon's MV was heavy on the symbolism! Not only is this video colourful as all fuck and positively gorgeous to look at (which is certainly helped by the girls themselves cause they're all stUNNING), there's so much here to analyse!! The tumblr theorist in me literally had a fucking heart attack when I saw Jisoo's section with the paparazzi in the second verse. THAT SHIT IS BEGGING TO BE ANALYSED AND GIVEN MEANING.

I'm not even going to begin describing all of the images BLACKPINK present us with in this video - there's a loooooot. Maybe I'll make a post breaking it down sometime. (That'd be fun, actually.) But this was the video that reeeeally got me thinking:

MOMOLAND (모모랜드) - BBOOM BBOOM (뿜뿜)/BAAM

...yeah, I really couldn't pick between these two, so I just decided to lump them together.

Let's take "Bboom Bboom" first. This MV is honestly so refreshingly unique, especially for a girl group who normally has a cutesy concept. Everyone and their mother has talked about the song and video, so I'll keep this brief: I don't know who decided to centre this MV around informercials, but it was a style choice I'm certainly happy with. On top of that, the colours just straight up pop out at you, far more than they do in other MVs if you ask me. I'll admit, there are certain scenes - especially at the start - that look kinda like a drug trip, but that's beyond the point when the rest of the video is so smooth, and especially when it flows together so well.

AND. Yes, there's an 'and' here. MOMOLAND (*cough* YEONWOO *cough*) even manage to mix in some darker, more sexy sections - while they're not broadcasting themselves as fitness instructors or trying to convince you to buy some fictional product (that we would all totally buy if it was real, let's be honest). While this sort of thing... probably wouldn't work if it were any other group, MOMOLAND are quirky enough to pull it off! And they manage to do so WITHOUT seeming like total idiots. That shit's hard to do. 👏

So we go from BLACKPINK with their bright colours and symbolism, and MOMOLAND with their drug trips in video form, to... this. Which is starkly simplistic in contrast. But that's exactly why it's so damn good.

This video got released on my birthday and I couldn't have asked for a better fucking present. Not only is the song surprisingly sexy and classy, the accompanying video perfectly matches that same vibe! Not only that, the whole idea of walking around a really busy city at nighttime is a huge guilty pleasure of mine (maybe because I've grown up in the countryside), so that immediately got this video on my good side. But then we also had Amber and Luna bREAKING IT THE FUCK DOWN.

This is one of those videos - similarly to Seohyun and Yuri's secret - where I desperately wish we had gotten a choreography video to accompany it, cause I want to learn that dance please. To be fair, the original video itself IS mostly pretty good in terms of showing the choreography (due to its simplicity), but hopefully the upcoming SM Station concert will give us a nice, clear, full-length fancam? I can hope. 😢 But overall, this is definitely a case of minimalism done right, and the classy style suited Amber and Luna as a duo surprisingly well. I'm impressed. 👏👏👏

Y'know what I love? Throwbacks. AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO A THROWBACK.

Goddamn it, EXID have got to be one of the most stylish K-Pop groups out there for me. Every single comeback, their sense of style, concept and even fashion is just... top notch! With no faults! Even when they release a song that I maybe didn't like as much, like "Night Rather Than Day", the styling is still so goddamn pleasing to look at. And for "Lady"? They reeeeally went all in with the 90s concept. 

I mentioned before that I love it when groups are so fully absorbed in their concept, with my example being Dreamcatcher. This is another fantastic example of that. The song is boppy as all hell, the dance is fun as fuck yet exhausting (and reminiscent of the 90s, for sure), the outfits are cheesy yet the girls still manage to look fly as fuck wearing 'em, and the video is just the cherry on top of that Backstreet Boys-inspired sundae. I feel like this video doesn't even need a VHS filter over it to create that nostalgic effect; it'd still look just as authentic and legit without it. 

Sure, this isn't another "DDD", and that's always going to disappoint me in some way other another (That was legitimately one of my favourite songs of last year, talk about fucking nailing a comeback...) But y'know what? EXID decided to just have fun with this, and I'm all for it - especially when the MV looks the way it does. 😁

And that's that! That's all I had planned for the midyear lists - although I do have a lot of other post ideas coming soon, so watch this space. 😉 Plus we've got a great string of comebacks coming up, so... July is looking good!

This was another one of those songs that I actually didn't like at first, but then seeing the dance made me absolutely love it! Leave it to Ms. Dancing Queen Kim Chungha to have such a tight choreography like this. I actually learned just the chorus of this dance in the middle of exams (since I didn't have time to learn the whole thing) just so I knew how to do that badass hand gesture.

You know the one. The one where it looks like you're breaking your wrists (and elbows).

It's... not painful at all, actually. Not once you learn how to do it. 😊

Every now and again I'll come across a dance that I love, not because of how complicated it is, but because of how graceful and elegant it is. It happened last year with Melody Day's "Kiss on the Lips" - and this year it seems to have happened with MAMAMOO. I mean, I adore these girls as it is - I've had them as one of my bias groups since they debuted. But this is definitely one of their more simple, yet at the same time extremely elegant routines. While "Starry Night" itself as a song hasn't stuck with me as much as I thought it would have, the choreography is reeeeeally nice to watch. When MAMAMOO themselves are actually doing the dance, and not being lovable idiots in the dance practice, that is.

There's something about all the tiny little details and hand movements that makes the choreography really eye-catching, if you ask me. MAMAMOO isn't really a group to do concepts like this, but this sort of dance actually suits them incredibly well! They get to show off their more 'sensual' and mature side, if you will, which - considering how sassy or bubbly they can normally be - is such a refreshing change of pace.


Also jesus fucking christ Hwasa you are going to kill me someday.

DREAMCATCHER (드림캐쳐) - YOU AND I

I don't really feel like I should have to explain myself too much on this one, but I'll try to anyway. 'Cause fuck it. I like getting to talk about Dreamcatcher.

Dreamcatcher are one of those groups who live and breathe their concept. I don't know if there are very many groups out there who could pull off a horror concept as well as they have - well, with the exception of Ladies' Code. Hate You was, and a still is, fantastic. But what I mean when I say that Dreamcatcher live and breathe it is that they not only have the horror-inspired MVs and outfits, but their stage presence and ESPECIALLY their choreography are just perfect in terms of the overall horror theme. I mean, just look at this shit:

The movements are stilted, and Sua gets dragged about the floor like something you'd see in a case of demonic possession. It's creepy in the best fucking way. And yes, it may not be as complex as some of Dreamcatcher's other choreographies - this routine seems like a breeze compared to something like "Chase Me" - but what this routine lacks in pure energy, it makes up for in the finer details. The hand positions, the positioning of the members... it all comes together extremely well, and makes most of this look pretty effortless for them.

Plus, they use cute lil scarves! 😀 Props in K-Pop are kinda a secret love of mine, and in this dance alone, we've got fancy scarves AND Dami being a magician? Sign me the fuck up, please and thanks.

I'll be honest, both of BLACKPINK's choreographies this time around just about knocked my socks off. I've loved them until now, but this comeback really seems to be where they've got everything perfect. But after going back and watching both dance practices again, "DDU DU DDU DU" verrrrrrry narrowly beats out "Forever Young" for me in terms of choreography.

While BLACKPINK's choreographies until now have been pretty high-energy, they haven't been too... detailed. Or overly hard. And I am by no means saying that the girls can't carry their choreographies - they sure as hell fucking can. But the routines they've been given haven't given them a proper chance to shine, if you ask me. Maybe that was intentional? I don't know. Papa YG can be weird when he wants to be. But what I do know is that none of those routines have had the same level of detail and precision that "DDU DU DDU DU"'s choreo has, and precision like this is something I absolutely adore.

Just like the song shows that BLACKPINK aren't here to fuck around, neither does the choreo. All 4 of the girls know they look like badass bitches - or boss bitches, in Jennie's case - while doing it. And you don't need facial expressions to show that off - that's shown off in the way they do the routine itself! They're all really fluent, their actions are sharp, and I don't think they missed a single beat. And honestly, I know I called her out already but Jisoo's improvement is fucking phenomenal. That girl should be so goddamn proud of herself for how far she's come. 👏👏👏

And this part right here? HOLY WOW THIS IS IMPRESSIVE. This sort of staggered/layered choreography is so fucking hard to nail, and yet here are BLACKPINK looking like they've been doing this shit since they were born. If any of their future comebacks can be as good as this, if not better... we're in for one hell of a ride. 😃

As someone who wasn't expecting a lot from this subunit, and as someone who's never been overly amazed by PRISTIN's dances as an entire group: HOW THE ABSOLUTE FUCK IS THIS CHOREOGRAPHY SO GOOD.

If you had told me when I listened to this song for the first time that the choreography would be this tight?! I wouldn't have believed you for shit! These little hand movements in the chorus are *FUCKING RAZOR SHARP*. It's news to me that PRISTIN can dance this well, even if it is just a subunit. These sorts of dance steps are steps that a lot of other people would probably look incredibly awkward doing - it'd probably just look like they're a beached fish flapping their arms about (myself included). And yet, here are PRISTIN V doing 'em like it's nothing. How the fuck.

On top of all that, this dance shows off my fucking FAVOURITE thing about PRISTIN - EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS' CHARMS.

There's a very specific tactic used in this dance - the use of levels. But not in the way it's normally done - this routine doesn't just shove a member to the front of the choreo, and get the cameraman to focus in on their face to let us forget the other members exist for a second or two. After watching it a few times, I noticed that it's much more complex than that. It helps each member stand out as they sing or rap their lines, yes, but it has so much extra room to let them show off their personality a bit. This is what all K-Pop choreographies should strive to achieve, if you ask me! This is exactly what I mean when I talk about each member having their own charms in a K-Pop group - each member should each stand out in their own way, but all of them should then come together as a whole to make a well-rounded, capable group. And that's exactly what PRISTIN V manages to do, both in terms of "Get It" as a song, and in terms of the choreography.

PRISTIN, can I have my fucking wig back now? 'Cause y'all snatched it. And I want it back. Thanks.

...d-do I even need to explain why this is here? IT'S TEN. IN A DANCE. THAT SHOULD BE EXPLANATION ENOUGH.

The great thing is, while Ten always manages to steal the show in any choreography he's in for me, that doesn't mean Taeyong can't pull his weight - cause he does! Excellently, too! Ten is the more precise, knife-sharp dancer while Taeyong is relaxed and smooth without making it look like he doesn't care. That's the best part of this dance for me, to be honest - the way Ten and Taeyong work off of one another as a duo. Whoever decided these two needed to be their own subunit SERIOUSLY needs a raise. 🙌

I mean, just LOOK at this shit! You'd think they were connected at the hip or something... The chemistry in this routine alone between Ten and Taeyong is so fucking impressive, and it's something that you can't really rehearse. It all comes naturally - you either have it or you don't. And it just so happens that both of them definitely have it, and the choreography to "Baby Don't Stop" manages to bring that shared skill into the spotlight. I'm so fucking glad it did, too.

...hoo boi. This is not a song I thought I'd ever include on a list of my favourites. Welp, here goes nothing:

Mm. "What Is Love?" indeed. 'Cause this routine has me questioning everything in my goddamn life.

Okay, hear me out. This is... bar none, my most hated song of the year so far. I'm so sick and tired of TWICE's overly-cutesy styling - most of the members are either in their late teenage years, or are full-fledged adults - and repetitive songs. "Heart Shaker" and "What Is Love?" are so similar that it's honestly kinda lazy. Also, am I the only one who finds this song's lyrics insanely fucking creepy? Here's J.Y. Park, a man in his 40s, writing a song for teenage/young adult girls about never having been in love before. AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO FINDS THAT RIDICULOUSLY FUCKING CREEPY?!

And yet... the choreography to this song is way fucking better than it has any right to be. Seriously.

This reeeeeeally shows off how well-trained the girls of TWICE actually are. They never step out of line. Not once. I'm pretty sure the words "out of sync" aren't in their vocabularies. This little of flurry moves in the second verse, in particular, is RIDICULOUSLY STINKING GOOD. How do they manage to do so many moves in such quick succession? ...well, I mean, I know the answer for Momo is because she's a fucking dance goddess, but that's the thing: since TWICE's dances aren't normally anything too complex - or interesting, for that matter - I normally just end up watching Momo and nobody else. But for "What is Love?" I had a hard time actually figuring out who to watch!

On top of all this, the girls' training really comes through in their formations & formation switches. They may as well be cheerleaders at this point, cause they sure are good at being in line with one another.

...maybe that's why they did Cheer Up? Well even if it is, that song deserves to diE SLOWLY IN A DUMPSTER FIRE.

Anyway.

My favourite part of the dance itself is probably this little section of footwork towards the end - I haven't given a go at learning it myself just yet, but it looks really fun yet complex at the same time! And the way the girls themselves bob up and down makes everything really playful and fun to watch. It's kinda the pinnacle of a dance that... somehow managed to completely surpass all of my expectations. Which, going into watching this dance practice for the first time, I didn't even HAVE any expectations. So yeah. That's when you know it's good.

Now, if we could just get a better song to go with it... someday we'll get another song that's as good as Knock Knock. Someday. I can hope, at least. 😩

I know they're not who I'm supposed to be talking about here, but let me talk about SEVETEEN for a second. My favourite song of theirs is, by FAR, "Very Nice". It's a fucking energy drink in song form. The brass elements, the members' performances, and the choreography all come together to create a song that's essentially a musical happy pill. The choreography, in particular, is my favourite - all of the members are so in sync with one another, but it's got this huge sense of bombast to it that just makes you want to try and imitate it even if you've never seen it in your life before.

Take everything I just said, and read it again - but apply it to Pentagon's "Shine". 'Cause guess what? This song is another "Very Nice" for me, albeit a lot sweeter and heartfelt, and less hormone-fuelled. ESPECIALLY WITH THE DANCE.

↑↑↑ This lil move right here? Every time that first chorus starts up. EVERY. FUCKING. TIME. I cannot help but do this dance. Sitting down, standing up, lying down - doesn't matter. I STILL DO IT. That is the sign of an addictive, well-done dance. It should serve to work alongside the song itself and make it even better, instead of just acting as something that's there for the sake of being there. And just like SEVENTEEN, Pentagon have the right amount of energy and charisma to carry it from start to finish! They all look so goddamn happy to be there, dancing their lil hearts out. If you don't believe me on that, just look at their faces! They're so smiley!! And that just adds to the genuine feel the song already has! It's one of the sweeter love songs in K-Pop this year for me, and the energy Pentagon bring to the dance themselves just makes all of that even more lovable and memorable.

Like, look at this shit, man. That's just fucking adorable. Just like this song. And its lyrics. And the video. And just... yeah. Everything about this comeback is upbeat, high-energy and lovable. I haven't liked a Pentagon song this much since "Critical Beauty", and I'm so, so freaking glad to see these boys are going on a more unique path again when it comes to their music and concepts.

This probably went on for waaay too long, but y'know what? I don't mind. It's why I made this blog in the first place... I've got to get all these thoughts out somewhere. 😉

Red Velvet are, for me, one of those groups I am CONSTANTLY close to stanning. Every time they come back, and with every new song they release, they keep getting better and better in my eyes. And to be honest, I feel like they called this repackage 'The Perfect Red Velvet' for a reason, because this is honestly my favourite song and concept of theirs to date. Yes, I loved "Peek-A-Boo", and I loved "Russian Roulette" as well, funnily enough. But "Bad Boy" is just on a level of its own.

-

I've always been more of a fan of girl crush concepts in K-Pop rather than cutesy ones, so I was immediately into this as soon as I heard it! I did see a few people saying that the members couldn't really pull it off, but I couldn't disagree more. They all seemed so confident in the live stages, and with a song like this, I don't blame 'em. I would be too. And that English version they revealed at KCON NY?! FUCKIN PERFECTION.

Also, she may be my bias, so I'm a little biased. (Duh.) But Seulgi was born for this concept. That is all.

CLC have always been a group I see undeniable potential in. Every single member has so much goddamn talent and charm, and they certainly did find their niche after a while... I just wasn't a fan of the bubblegum pop (even though I did like "Pepe" quite a lot). Then "Hobgoblin" happened. AND I LOVED IT. They were basically a mini 4minute! Which does make sense, since Hyuna had a big part in the production and styling. Unfortunately though, not everyone else seemed to agree, or... necessarily like it. So CLC went back to a more "au-naturale", ballad style, with "Where Are You?" sounding like something that'd be played at a school dance while all the couples make out in the middle of the dance floor. So yeah. I found it a bit disappointing.

But THEN, "Black Dress" happened. And hoooooolyyyyyyyy shit. I am back on board with being a Cheshire again. I was really nervous for CLC when I heard they were going back to a more badass concept, because I wanted it to be good. But it wasn't good. It was fucking great. So now we're here! And I really do hope CLC continues this with type of concept for a while; it really does suit them to a T. I am more than okay with Yeeun and Sorn continuing to slay me with their existences. Let's make that a thing please.

So it may be the only boy group song on my list, but HOLY MOTHER OF FUCK THIS SONG IS AMAZING.

Ever since Hit the Stage (which we dESPERATELY NEED A SECOND SEASON OF), Ten's been my bias in NCT. And I've always been a fan of Taeyong's voice when it comes to his rapping (let alone his singing!! which he sounds so good doing!!!). So this was already going to be a good enough song. But then someone in SM decided to make it (strangely enough) really sexual, but also really catchy. AND IT WORKS. 

I've seen/heard a loooot of people, including some of my friends, comparing this song with NCT's "Whiplash" in terms of the lyrics (heh, I wonder why). But this just... outclasses it in every damn way. I don't think I can remember another time I fell in love with a K-Pop song this fast. This is Bond film-level classy. Yes, the lyrics are pretty raunchy, but that doesn't take away from the crazy addictive song itself, as well as the pure and utter charisma Ten and Taeyong have as a subunit. Like. bOIS. YOU TWO NEED TO CHILL OUT BEFORE YOU KILL US ALL WITH YOUR GODDAMN WHISPERING. THANKS.

HYO (효) [HYOYEON (효연)] FT. UMMET OZCAN - SOBER (ENGLISH VER.)

The English and Korean versions of this song give off completely different vibes. I don't know how, but they do. The Korean version, based on what I've heard, is much more wistful and solemn; it's more like G-Dragon's "Crooked" - it's an upbeat song with some fairly sad lyrics. The English version? It's full of confidence and recklessness, with Hyoyeon fully admitting that she only loves the person she's with when she's sober; when she's drunk, she couldn't give a shit. All she wants to do is party. And when I compare the two... the English is just so much better. That sort of carefree tone isn't something seen very often in party songs like this, and it's a really refreshing thing! Confidence is always nice. Plus, I feel like the vocals in the English version are mixed way better, especially coming up to the end? They just sound a lot clearer and less distorted than the Korean version.

I'm also INCREDIBLY impressed by Hyoyeon's vocals and pronunciation. The fact that she's struggled with English pronunciation for so long, and yet here she is doing a full English version of one of her songs?! That's beyond admirable, and deserving of an awful lot of respect. And it helps that the song is great too! Outside of K-Pop, I've always been a huge EDM fan, so this is right up my alley. It certainly didn't blow me away as much as, say, Amber and Luna's "Wave" two years ago, but nothing's ever blown me away like that since. So this is pretty damn good. Well done, Hyoyeon. Or, Hyo. Whatever your new stage name is now. You're still awesome.

Be warned: we're getting into bias group territory. 

*inhales*

Seriously. If you aren't listening to Dreamcatcher by now, what the actual fuck are you doing?! Every single song they've come out with sounds like a badass anime opening, the styling and concept they go with is heavily horror-inspired, their choreographies are complex yet beautiful, their music videos all have an overarching story... I could go on and on. But between the two songs Dreamcatcher have released this year so far - "Full Moon" (the song for their 1st anniversary) and this? "You and I" won out. Purely for the adrenaline.

I mean yeah, "Full Moon" was pretty awesome. (Of course it is, it's Dreamcatcher.) But it didn't have the same sort of cinematic feel and bombast that "You and I" has. It's a pity they're wrapping up the little story they've had going on in their videos, but I think this was a pretty damn good way to end the arc. Even if the video did leave me a little confused. But that's the fun of it all, I guess. 😃 Long story short, they haven't disappointed me yet. I was worried they wouldn't be able to keep up the rock/horror concept when they debuted, but over a year later, I'm not worried at all anymore. I'm just in love with it all.

Also, Dami is a certified magician.

LOOK AT THIS SHIT MAN. THAT'S JUST PLAIN AWESOME. SHE AIN'T EVEN MY BIAS. 

(I made the gif, by the way. Just in case anyone thinks I stole it. I didn't. I'd feel horrible if I did.)

Hoo boi, we're back into bias group territory and oHHHHHH SWEET JESUS THIS MIGHT BE MY SONG OF THE YEAR.

BLACKPINK. IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME. These girls went and released a song - and a mini album, actually - that shows off the potential I've seen in them since the day they debuted. The comparisons between BLACKPINK and 2NE1 really are valid, and this song shows off why - BLACKPINK mean business. They're not just some wannabe girl group that are going to disappear overnight - they really are going to shake things up. And hell, if this song's placing on the Billboard Hot 100 doesn't show that, what will? Not only is this my favourite concept for BLACKPINK so far, it's by FAR my favourite song of theirs. Until now, I've liked their stuff an awful lot - enough for me to stan them fully. But I've never quite loved it like I have with "DDU DU DDU DU". I'd say "PLAYING WITH FIRE" is the closest they got.

The minute this song started up, I actually shed a tear. No joke. I started crying. I was so fucking proud of how far these girls have come, and now they're really starting to find their groove in K-Pop. (If Papa YG would actually let them release shit now and again to keep the momentum going, that would be nice.) The improvement is insane - ESPECIALLY with Jisoo, cause holy fuck she's improved in the dance department - and even then, they were already impressive as hell when they did debut! "DDU DU DDU DU" is extremely catchy and addictive (from my experience, anyway), the dance is pretty sharp and clean, the lyrics are slightly generic but interesting enough to keep my attention, and the viDEO. OHMYGODTHEVIDEO. I'll talk about this in another post I have planned, but... I've been addicted to it. For many reasons. Not just to fangirl over how beautiful they are & be the pansexual nerd I am. That's not why at alllllll.

TAEYEON (태연) - SOMETHING NEW

This... was not what I expected from Taeyeon. But I love it. I feel like this is the sort of concept only someone with her experience could pull off as effortlessly as this. For the record, I've loved most of her solo efforts so far. Girls' Generation were the reason I got into K-Pop in the first place, and Taeyeon has never been one to disappoint when she does go solo - "I" was great, "Why" was (and still is) a summer bop, and "Fine" and ESPECIALLY "I Got Love" were so damn impressive. There's still a part of me that desperately wishes Taeyeon would release a full solo version of "Devil's Cry", but I know that's never going to happen. But so long as we get something like this every now and again? I'm alright with that, actually.

This song is kinda similar to "Baby Don't Stop" in terms of its Bond film-esque vibe, but it's just so goddamn funky. I'm 110% certain this song has the best bassline in K-Pop in 2018. Fight me. And yet there's so many other elements to this that make it amazing - the intro with the multitracked vocals gave me chills the first time I heard it, not gonna lie. Even the fact that Taeyeon isn't trying to do anything overly impressive vocal-wise is a nice change. She's one of K-Pop's top power vocalists, for sure, but it's nice to just put the brakes on that every now and again - to try "Something New", if you will. 😉 All of these different little elements and quirks come together to give us this, and considering how samey the rest of the K-Pop industry can often feel, it's... extremely refreshing to say the least.

MOMOLAND (모모랜드) - BAAM

Yeah, I'm picking BAAM over Bboom Bboom. I'm a rebel, I know.

But yeah, even though this song has just come out, it's already a standout for me. IT'S THE SECOND COMING OF 2012 T-ARA AND I LOVE IT. It's just as funky and upbeat! Not to mention, the dance is addictive as fuck with all the shuffling. Now I know a lot of people are going to whine about MOMOLAND not really changing things up too much from Bboom Bboom, but if you had a song that was as successful as BB was, I bet you wouldn't change much either! If it's not broke, don't fix it. Plain and simple. It's another EXID scenario, and I think MOMOLAND are doing pretty damn well for themselves.

There's something about this song that's so much more addictive for me than with BB. Maybe it's the synth line, maybe it's the reduced amount of repetition in the choruses, maybe it's because Nancy's green hair is blinding me and obscuring my judgement. Who knows. It's probably the saxophone line, let's be real - that shit is fuuuuuunky. If MOMOLAND are good at upbeat, catchy dance songs with a catchy hook and a good sax line, then I say we keep them on that path! It's clearly working out well for them, and I really do hope they just continue to flourish from here on out. They've got the success, they've got the catchiness and charm - and they've got some damn solid music to boot.

They've also got memes. Lots of them. To the person who decided to have the dance to Dame Tu Cosita as part of this choreoraphy: YOU ARE MY HERO.




Welp, I guess that's that! At least now it can be known that I'm girl group trash. :,)