Oh man, am I happy this song got the love it deserved through Queendom.

As I said in my review earlier this year, "Put It Straight" is a broken, pragmatic ballad that really tugs at the heart strings in a way I can't quite describe. The atmosphere and sense of tension is off the charts here, and I'll reiterate the statement I made in my review - if this is the sort of shit Soyeon can come up with when she's nearly on her own in terms of writing and production, she is a goddamn force of nature. 

"Silent Night" is by far my favourite song on Dreamcatcher's Raid of Dream, and I think you know why at this point. It's experimental with its psytrance touches, just like many of Dreamcatcher's b-sides tend to be, but those choruses carry so much weight and a smothering atmosphere that drew me in from the very first listen. It's very much a song about a tortured soul, which I find Dreamcatcher to be fucking amazing at conveying - "Trap" from Alone in the City is a similarly themed song, and it also happens to be one of my absolute Dreamcatcher songs period. But after this year, I can confidently add "Silent Night" to those ranks as well, because this is great!

Sometimes you hear a song and you're just taken aback by how beautiful it is. That's the experience I had listening to "Hush" for the first time. The fact that "You Don't Know Me" - which was, in my opinion, an unstructured, sloppy mess with tons of wasted potential - was chosen as the promoted b-side over "Hush" will forever mystify me. 

"Hush" is goddamn gorgeous, with its very organic-sounding synths, stunning harmonies and mythical yet calming vibe. It's like a more stripped back Oh My Girl song, yet one that really packs a punch by the end of its runtime. This song is goddamn idyllic, and I really hope Everglow make more music like this in the future. 

Remember how I said in my albums list that we'd be seeing CLC on my b-sides list too? Here they are! And they're packing heat. 

"Like It" is an absolute banger. There's no other way to describe it, it's just a monumentally powerful song. And yet, the lyrics give it so much nuance and elevate a great song into a damn near flawless one. But, in the end, it's the instrumental and vocal performances that really sell "Like It" for me. It exudes this staggering confidence and swagger in every beat, and it is goddamn impossible for me to avoid getting sucked in by the time that final drop hits. And when it hits, it hits like a fucking TRUCK. This is the sequel and sonic evolution to "Black Dress" I never knew I needed, but I'm SO glad it exists. This is straight-up title track material!

When I reviewed Kill This Love, I certainly did not expect this song to be the black sheep of the album. But when I turned to the internet, everyone and their mother was singing the praises of "Kick It", for some reason. Now, don't get me wrong, "Kick It" is a perfectly fine song, and I'm not here to drag it through the mud. But... really? We're going to just forget about "Hope Not" in favour of it?

It doesn't deserve that fate at all, because "Hope Not" is the most sincere and downright stunning song in BLACKPINK's discography. Lydia Paek really fucking knows what she's doing, and it shows. The girls' performances are tear-jerking at certain points, the muted electric guitar and echoey backing vocals give off a wonderfully melancholic vibe, and the lyrics are the single biggest gut punch in a song this year for me.

Chances are you haven't listened to this yet - change that. Now. "Hope Not" deserves so, so much better.

...to think this was going to be my b-side of the year for a while. Oh, how the times have changed.

If that doesn't tell you how good 2019 has been musically, I don't know what will, because "My star" SLAPS. HARD. I never in a million years expected Cosmic Sound to give MAMAMOO a song as raucous, powerful and purely charismatic as this one, but by god, did they do it. The bassline and trap snares immediately indicate a much, much more heavy sound than what we're used to for the girls, and yet they make it seem like they do this shit in their sleep. Hands down one of MAMAMOO's best songs to date!

...and yes, I still find the lyrics to be kinda creepy. Let me have my little yandere-inspired headcanon, okay?

I think it's safe to say that 2019 was a year full of surprises, and HOLY FUCK, EXO.

Just... what? When? How? Whaaaa? WHERE DID THIS COME FROM YOU WONDERFUL MEN.

I don't normally listen to EXO's albums in full, but after my... very strong opinions on the title track, let's say, I sat down to listen to Obsession in full. And "Trouble" just about knocked my fucking jaw out of its joint. Every single element of this song is sleek, slick, smooth, and just downright fucking sexy. It's dirty, and it's not afraid to admit it. 

And, of course, tHOSE VOCALS. 

CHEN. JONGDAE. WH A T.

And not even just Chen, this is one of my new favourite EXO songs based on the members' performances alone. "Trouble" is a fucking ten tonne weight of power and sexiness, and it's one I'm very happy to have experienced. PLEASE LET THIS BE THE THEME OF THE REPACKAGE TITLE TRACK OH GOD.

Oh boy, now we're getting to the point in the list where I just start feverishly gushing. And if "Trouble" didn't make that clear enough, "Love Foolish" sure as hell will.

I admittedly had no idea what to expect going into this, but ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhsweetbabyjesus. 

THIS is what TWICE should be doing forever from now on, because "Love Foolish" has such a level of precision and poise - yet also a level of style - that is unprecedented for a TWICE song, in my opinion. The dark, yet glittery synths, the vocal samples, the girls' emotionally varying performances, the stilted melody, Chaeyoung's hushed yet really damn sexy and charismatic hook, MOMO RAPPING.

MOMO. 

RAPPING. 

IN 2019.

That guarantees "Love Foolish" a spot on the list alone, but... this song is fucking outstanding. I really hope this isn't a once in a blue moon occurrence for TWICE, because this is one of the best damn songs they've done. I'm still stunned by it on every listen.

Have you ever heard a song that's so unique and distinctive, you sit there in stunned silence when you try to process it for the first time? And then, upon repeated listens, you realise it's everything you've ever wanted?

Yeah. That's "LP".

Never did I ever think Red Velvet could make a fusion of elevator music and the soundtrack to a 1960s shopping channel work, but HOLY FUCK THEY DID IT. "LP" has so much charm and personality that I would be here all day if I genuinely listed everything I love about the song. It's a modern vintage marvel. So, all I'll say is this:

Don't think that The Reve Festival: Day 1 stops with "Sunny Side Up!" - just like "Hope Not", this song gets overshadowed a LOT. Don't let that be the case. "LP" is too fucking incredible to be forgotten, and you deserve to listen to a song as wonderful as this one.

My #1 b-side this year, though... it really does continue that theme of surprises that 2019 has had going for it, for better or for (much) worse. Even though I thought "LP" was going to be my #1 for the majority of the year, sometimes, you find a song that's just... flawless. One that really leaves you emotionally wrecked, but in the best way possible. 

Yeah, I'm lucky enough to be able to say that that happened this year.

And it's thanks to ATEEZ.

I'm not even going to describe "Utopia" to you. If you haven't heard it already - fuck, even if you have - just... listen to it. Experience it for yourself. 

You'll come out the other side with tears in your eyes and a warm feeling in your heart, I promise you.

"Utopia" is a fucking masterpiece, and one of my new favourite K-Pop songs of all time. And that's all that needs to be said about it. It explains itself. Seriously, experience it if you haven't already. You won't regret it.

•••••

I think this was the first album I covered on this blog this year, but my god, is it still one of the best. Between "No" being such a landmark era for CLC, and the phenomenal b-sides (one of which you'll see later if you read my b-sides list, just saying), this was a comeback to remember. And while I ultimately think "No" is CLC's weakest title track this year, that doesn't mean this comeback as a whole wasn't great. Because it was! And still is. That full album next year is getting more tantalising by the day, especially if it's going to be as good as No.1. More of this, please, CLC!

SURPRISE! I LISTENED TO A BOY GROUP FOR ONCE!

And guess what? "One to All" is one of the best albums of this year, hands fucking down. To say I've fallen head over heels in love with ATEEZ is putting it incredibly lightly; I have been sleeping on these guys for way too long, and now I am absolutely reveling in how good of a group they really are. "One to All" is just the pinnacle of it all - if you haven't listened to this album yet, GO DO IT NOW. Don't let the seemingly drastic change in title track and concept fool you, this is ATEEZ's best album to date. I can only hope they keep producing music to this quality in the future, because holy fuck I'm in for the ride.

Is this cheating? Maybe. I don't care. Not when you've got a group like Red Velvet, who are damn well known for having some of the best music in K-Pop right now - and "Finale" is no exception to that rule. The Reve Festival series has been one I've thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, and "Finale" just encompasses everything wonderful about it. The variety in musical styles and genres in this album is something to be marveled at, and really solidifies Red Velvet's place as one of the best acts in the industry.

Even if this album in particular has been marred by events that really shouldn't have happened at all... it's still beautiful and amazingly enjoyable all the same. 

Let's hope we get plenty of OT5 "Pyscho" performances someday. And let's hope that Wendy's recovery is as smooth and easy as possible for her. I know I do. 💙

Ah, "White Wind". Not only are you my favourite MAMAMOO album to date, but you were at my #1 spot on this list for the vast majority of the year. Now, just because it's at my #2 position doesn't mean the album is bad. If you make that assumption, I will actually physically force you to sit and listen to this album, because MAMAMOO didn't come to fuck around. This is, like I said, my favourite album of theirs to date - it's an absolute beauty from start to finish. There isn't a single song here I dislike. Hell, any MAMAMOO album with two Cosmic Sound tracks is a win in my book! "White Wind" is absolutely brilliant, and really makes me so damn proud of the girls themselves. They really have come so far since their debut.

But, in the end, it did get beaten to the #1 spot, even though I was sure of what that #1 would be. And yet, 2019 had a few surprises up its sleeve I wasn't expecting... and the biggest of those surprises was my #1 album this year.

This is, by far, one of the best K-Pop albums I've heard to date. Like, holy shit, TWICE, I knew you guys were changing your concept, but to pull it off in this way? That was NOT something I predicted. I thought they'd gradually lean into a mature, polished sound after the hints of it on "Fancy You", but... no. "Feel Special" goes all in on that sound, it calls it its bitch, and it hangs it above the fireplace like a trophy.

Guys. This album is a fucking masterpiece. Not a single song here is badly produced, or out of place, or even boring. From the moment it starts up, it's a delight to listen to - and to think there's so much variety contained with 6 songs blows my mind. I can't wait to gush about it in a full review.

Bravo, TWICE. Fucking bravo.

•••••

It's rare for me to like a side track more than the title track. When it does happen, I'm grateful for it nonetheless, but it's incredibly rare.

Guess what? IT JUST HAPPENED.

"Like It" is not only title track material for CLC, it's... honestly just as good as "NO". I like it even more than "NO", personally! "Like It" has got a huge sense of presence, and that's mostly thanks to the commanding bass and brass elements that are scattered throughout the instrumental. That little whistle melody is also incredibly addictive, and it just adds a cherry on top to what is one of my new favourite CLC songs. This is one of those songs that had my jaw on the fucking floor from start to finish, honestly. It never once falls into the trap of feeling overcrowded or messy, either - the choruses feel just right, and all of the instruments and elements of the instrumental work together perfectly. It's a real knockout for me.

The lyrics are nothing to gloss over here either! They're again very confident and kinda sexy, yet full of this sense of curiosity at the same time? They're very commanding, which is only fitting considering how powerful the song itself is. I like them a lot! (No pun intended.)

My greed is ample, [I'm curious about] this emotion
You're one and the same - tell me, be honest
[...]
If you want me, don't stop

Blessed, indeed. This is fucking great! Those choruses go way harder than they have any right to, let's be honest. Every move matches the song's energy and momentum beat for beat, and I really don't think I could ask for much more here. A fantastic song, some good lyrics, and a great dance? I'm very much happy with that.

I hope CLC come back with a song like "Like It" in the future, 'cause if they do, I'm there day one. This is one of the best side tracks I've heard in a while! 👏👏👏

5. I NEED U

To close out the album, we have "I Need U" - an uptempo dance track that's completely in English! That surprised me, honestly. Of all the groups to do an all-English track, I didn't expect it to be CLC; I mean, yeah, Sorn speaks English pretty damn well, but I wasn't sure if the other members would be comfortable with it. Yet here we are!

And hey, the song's not half bad either. It's full of some bouncy synths and guitar melodies that sound pretty good when combined together. I do feel like the choruses are missing a slight bit of punch, but that gets fixed within the song's closing moments thanks to some additional brass elements and adlibs. It's quite funky, which I like! There's a great sense of energy and catchiness throughout, and the song itself is a lot of fun.

The lyrics are pretty standard love song faire, albeit with some nice details thrown in here and there. They're pretty repetitive honestly, but that works in the song's favour. It's not meant to be overly complex or deep - it's just a good time. And I'm alright with that!


I feel like "I Need U" was honestly a great way to wrap up the album! It's a nice closer, for sure. And hey, when the album is as good as this, I was almost disappointed to see it end. "No.1" really managed to surprise me in more ways than one, and it has me excited to see what CLC will do from here on out. It can only be up from here, surely. My fingers are crossed for them - they were successful this time around, and I hope it continues! So long as we keep getting some good mini albums (or even a full album) like this, I can't wait to see where their success takes them.


ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
Show
Breakdown
Like It
I Need U

COVER IMAGE SOURCES:
CLC PNGs: PufffyCake on deviantArt
Background: mycutegraphics.com
No.1 and CLC 8TH MINI ALBUM logo PNGs: MissCatieVIPBekah on deviantArt

[This is a two-part review - part 1 can be found here!]

There were a LOT of songs and comebacks that I did full album reviews for, and this just so happens to be one of them! I wish there wasn't so much overlap, but hey, it happens. Regardless, "RBB (Really Bad Boy)" is still a damn solid track from Red Velvet, and capped off a pretty fantastic 2018 for them! I discussed the song in a good amount of detail over in my review, though, so that's all I'll say about it for this post. It still holds up!

K/DA - POP/STARS

Viral phenomena are always an interesting thing to look at. They get released in some form or another, they blow up, they're the talk of the town for a bit, and then they fade off into obscurity. Most of the time. I say most of the time because that hasn't happened with K/DA's "POP/STARS" at all - what started as an assumed marketing ploy by Riot Entertainment to promote League of Legends has almost turned into a cultural icon for the internet since its release in early November. I still see fanart of Ahri, Kai'Sa, Evelyn and ESPECIALLY Akali on every damn corner of the internet. So why on earth has it stuck around for this long?

Oh, I don't know, maybe because iT'S INFERNALLY CATCHY.

And it's also just a fantastic song in general!

"POP/STARS" is an EDM-inspired pop song with a lot of distorted synths and snappy percussion behind it. It definitely feels like a lot of production, time and effort went into it - and that's especially clear by who Riot chose to voice each member of the group. You've got Jaira Burns as Kai'Sa, a budding singer who's had a little bit of fame in the past through some commercials - this boosted her popularity a fair deal from what I've seen. Then there's Madison Beer as Evelyn, who blew up on YouTube overnight and got signed to a major record label thanks to Justin Bieber. Then you've got Ahri and Akali, who are voiced by, oh, I dunno, FREAKIN SOYEON AND MIYEON FROM (G)I-DLE. Yeah. that piqued my interest straight away.

And these four girls manage to have some pretty great chemistry throughout the song itself (even if Kai'Sa gets barely any attention). It's one hell of a potent lineup, and hey, it's drawn a huge amount of attention onto each artist! That's often a pretty damn good thing. But yeah, the song is addictive as sin. It even managed to top the Billboard World Songs chart. THAT'S how much it blew up. And for good reason! Strong melodies, great vocal performances from each of the girls and a chorus that's like a fucking magnet in your brain once you hear it - it sticks and never leaves your brain ever again. The lyrics aren't anything special, they're pretty normal pop song fodder - but in this case, the song is just so much raw fun that they don't need to be complex. It's an entertaining ride from start to finish.

You'll like whatever you see
[I'm on an] inaccessible level
I'm sure you want a fight with me

With any good K-Pop song comes a good dance to match it. And Riot even went all in in that department too!

CLC (씨엘씨) - NO

IT'S 👏 ABOUT 👏 FUCKING 👏 TIME 👏.

CLC comebacks are ALWAYS something I get excited about. And I didn't think it was possible for them to top "Black Dress", to be honest - that song really delivered on my expectations. But "No"? THEY JUST WENT AND RELEASED ANOTHER CONTENDER FOR MY YEAR-END LIST. First Chungha, now this? Dear lord, 2019 did NOT come to fuck around.

Soyeon needs to write and produce songs more, because if this is what we're going to get when she does that? I certainly won't be complaining. "No" immediately struck me as absolute gold for a number of reasons - the bouncy synths, the girls' powerful vocal delivery and the sheer tour de force that is this song's momentum just combine to make one huge banger. It literally sounds like something you'd hear on a runway. This is the kind of song you listen to when you want to be in boss bitch mode.

The spoken adlibs do nothing but further the sass, and if you ask me, they're by FAR the best part of the song. ESPECIALLY Yeeun's little spoken breakdown towards the end. All she needs is a thick bassline and a little bit of restraint in her vocal tone to absolutely blow me away. And if that's not enough? The lyrics are Girls' Generation Oh!GG "Lil' Touch" levels of big dick energy. LIKE. FOR REAL. The entire moral of the story here is 'if you don't adore me and the way I carry myself, then fuck you, go find somebody else that fits your (obviously low) standards'.

HOLY SHIT. SOYEON'S A FUCKIN SAVAGE.

This is CLC's era, y'all. They've finally found their image, they've found their stride, and now they're breaking into a full-on sprint. And you know what else they've found? THEIR FIRST WIN. 🏆

[This is a two part review - part 2 can be found here!]

For the entirety of 2018, I have LEGITIMATELY thought nobody would be able to take Weki Meki's crown for dance of the year. But... oh good lord IZ*ONE DID IT Y'ALL.

This? THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF FANTASTIC. Let me make one thing abundantly clear: this is one of the most intense, yet sharpest and cleanest choreographies I've seen. And I'm not even talking about just K-Pop choreographies! I'm talking choreographies in general!! This is THAT good!!!

The positions are gorgeous, the girls themselves are all beautifully in-sync with one another, they've got the right amount of intensity and sharpness to their moves, they NEVER slip up... this is insane. I honestly don't know what else I can say. I can't physically describe it without fangirling any harder. Please, watch this absolute masterpiece of a choreography if you haven't already.



Okay, I know this entry has been going on way longer than it should. But... before I move on, I'm going to address the elephant in the room with regards to this song.

If you've been on any sort of K-Pop website or forum since around the beginning of November, you'll probably know that "La Vie En Rose" was not written for IZ*ONE - it was written, and hugely intended for, CLC. It was going to be the title track to a repackaged "Black Dress". So "La Vie En Rose" comes out, people listen to it... and then people start to remember how the CLC members posted pictures of themselves with roses (alongside other hints at a comeback):


...yeah. Shit got messy REAL fast. However, we do actually have a short snippet of CLC's demo:

TIFFANY YOUNG - TEACH YOU