[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. 🏆

9. RED VELVET (레드벨벳) - BAD BOY

5. NCT U (엔시티 유) - BABY DON'T STOP

Fun fact: this was nearly an honourable mention.

...then I relistened to it and realised I was dancing in my chair like this.

[gif source]

I was legitimately surprised by "Baby Don't Stop" the first time I heard it - I didn't expect it to be this sexy. Like, they don't even TRY to hide it. It's "Whiplash" all over again! But this time with Ten's dancing skills added to the mix! Which, yeah, the dance to this song is absolutely incredible. That's no surprise. It might not be one of my personal favourites, but I can still appreciate it nonetheless!

The vocals are really interesting here too; a lot of the time they're either whispered or layered over each other in a way that gives the song a really nice sense of texture (if you know what I mean). I mean yeah, the lyrics are the definition of the Lenny face, but at least the vocal delivery matches it! As well as that, the final chorus builds up to a super satisfying conclusion. The way the percussion gets louder and there's extra vocal adlibs is honestly the perfect way to end it. It wraps everything up so nicely, and immediately made me want to listen to it again.

Also, singing Taeyong. Y e s.

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

...I just realised whilst writing this that there are quite a few songs on my year-end lists that I haven't fully covered yet.

BUT I'M NOT LEAVING THIS ONE OUT, BECAUSE OH MY GOD IT'S WAY BETTER THAN IT HAS ANY RIGHT TO BE.

3. GUGUDAN (구구단) - NOT THAT TYPE

I was sooooooo nervous for this comeback. Gugudan very much delivered earlier on in 2018 with "The Boots", but after losing a member, I was worried about how they'd recover. I was also worried about what type of song they'd release, because they're known for being very versatile when it comes to concepts.

...but what they DID end up releasing is an absolute monster of a song.

"Not That Type" made my jaw hit the floor and gave me legitimate chills the first time I heard it. Like, can we PLEASE just talk about the pre-choruses. THOSE DAMN PRE-CHORUSES. WOW. They've got an immense sense of power to them, and if you weren't paying attention by that point in the song, BY GOD, SEJEONG WILL GET YOUR ATTENTION WHEN THAT PRE-CHORUS KICKS IN. Don't even get me started on the mixture of brass and synths. It's just... ugh. 👌 Combined with the rapid-fire lyrics, it's pretty damn close to musical perfection to me. I really wish the entire song was like that, because it would've been my #1 if it was - and I say that with utmost confidence! The best part is, that same momentum never. Lets. Up. This song just keeps thundering on, with more and more extra components to keep it interesting without feeling overcrowded. The harmonies in that final bridge are stunning, too.

Moombahton isn't the most common thing in K-Pop, so to hear Gugudan put such a refreshing and commanding spin on it is amazing! However, the lyrics are pretty standard girl crush fare, and the dance is good but not great, so that's why it's only #3. But goddamn, if those two aspects had been any better... this could've been higher. But for the sheer power of this song alone, it gets to #3. THESE are the kinds of songs I love when it comes to girl crush concepts. They don't hold back in any way, shape or form. They're just... raw energy. And it's a sight to behold when they explode the way "Not My Type" does. Fucking bravo, Gugudan.

(Also, IF THEY DID A REPACKAGE ALBUM WITH THIS SAME CONCEPT I'D BE SO HAPPY. PLZ JELLYFISH. 🙏🙏🙏)

2. MAMAMOO (마마무) - EGOTISTIC (너나 해)

...I really do love it when lightning strikes twice.

Back when MAMAMOO released "Décalcomanie" in 2016, I thought 'that's it. They've officially peaked. They can't get any better than this.'

OH MAN, WAS I WRONG.

"Egotistic" is... essentially my dream MAMAMOO song. It's fiery, it's brash, it's supremely confident and sexy, but... it's still MAMAMOO. It's still got gorgeous vocals, a strong melody, some superb lyrics and A-grade rap sections. If you ask me, this is MAMAMOO's evolution (as cheesy as that sounds). This is the concept that really shows their musical maturity, and just how far they've come since they released "Mr. Ambiguous" all the way back in 2014.

Breakup songs can certainly start to blend together when it comes to their subject material, but honestly, "Egotistic" is so good that it doesn't even matter. It's got so much raw energy to it that any sense of being boring immediately flies out of the goddamn window. The lyrics aren't quite as hard-hitting as something like "Hann (Alone)", but the girls' performances and pure charisma certainly make up for it. The venom isn't quite in the lyrics themselves - it's in the vocal delivery.

Oh, there's also the fact that the video made me forget how to breathe. Every single member looks fucking glorious here. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to 1) let Hwasa have a fucking pet tiger and 2) have Solar learn how to pole dance. But whoever you are:

I LOVE YOU.

BUT I ALSO HATE YOU.

BECAUSE I FORGOT HOW TO FUNCTION FOR THREE AND HALF MINUTES UPON WATCHING THIS VIDEO FOR THE FIRST TIME.

SO THANKS, I GUESS.



But that begs the question: what the hell can beat lion tamer Hwasa and pole dancing Solar?

Oh, only the song that made me cry like an absolute baby when I heard it for the first time.

1. DREAMCATCHER (드림캐쳐) - WHAT

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

I'm going to try and give my thoughts on this one WITHOUT bringing up all of the ridiculous "controversy" surrounding Hyuna and E'Dawn. Apparently, being a human being is controversial these days...

I'll readily admit that while I wasn't the biggest fan of "365 Fresh" when I first heard it - mainly because it's a blatant rip-off of Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" - the song did grow on me over time. And that meant I was excited for a Triple H comeback, to see what they would change and what they'd improve upon. And "Retro Future" is... well, it's a comeback, alright. Just like "365 Fresh", it's an incredibly funky, catchy song (that samples the fucking "Cha Cha Slide", no less). The members suit this concept incredibly well, too! Hui's voice meshes beautifully with the song, E'Dawn comes across as super confident, and Hyuna is... being Hyuna. A.K.A she's being ridiculously sexy and looking effortless while doing so.
...E'Dawn, you lucky motherfucker.

It's zany, sexual and a little bit explicit in both the lyrics and presentation as a whole; something K-Pop DESPERATELY needs, if you ask me.

But... the song has problems. Major problems. "Retro Future" doesn't feel like it ever develops, or goes anywhere, for that matter. It's just the same, repetitive lines looped over and over again. I honestly feel like you could splice the song up and rearrange it, and it wouldn't make a difference. Repetitive songs like this are fundamental in pop, but every now and again it does rub me the wrong way. What really rubs me the wrong way, though, is that outtro. Whoever did the mixing for that outro did a GOD-AWFUL JOB. Which vocal line am I supposed to be listening to? The "get it on, get it on, get it on, get it on" lines or the "let's get funky, funky" ones?! Because I honestly can't tell. It's very slapdash and messy, and sticks out like a sore thumb when the rest of the song is so slick and polished (if a bit unoriginal).

The dance though? HOO BOI IT'S GOOD.

I don't know what it is with K-Pop dances this year, but so many of them have been taking me by surprise with how complex they actually are. I'm delighted to say this is another one of those dances! I do feel bad for Hui being the third wheel and all, but y'know what? That doesn't take away from the dance at all! All three members pull off this routine SUPER well, and considering "Retro Future" seems like it'd be a hard enough song to choreograph for, I'm ridiculously impressed by this choreo as a whole. It does help me forget about the song's weaknesses a little bit, and while it doesn't negate them completely, Triple H did a pretty good job for this comeback. Let's hope netizens actually let them stay together as a group instead of shitting all over their personal lives and demanding they "stay loyal". Ugh. 😣

But, on the topic of things that blew my expectations out of the water...

GUGUDAN SEMINA (구구단 세미나) - SEMINA (샘이나)

Alright, who the fuck decided to give a Gugudan subunit a song as funky as this?! 

...because I want them to be my new best friend. No joke.

For the record, I did like Gugudan OGUOGU's "Ice Chu" last year, even if it was ridiculously cutesy; Mina and Hyeyeon are both only 18, and that's still young enough to do a cutesy concept, I guess. It's pushing it, but it's alright if you ask me. They're still young. It's not like they're in their 20s and are still being forced to come across as teenagers (LOOKING AT YOU, J.Y. PARK. LET TWICE DO SOMETHING NEW FOR ONCE, DAMMIT). But something like this is... so much more unique, and exciting to boot.

As soon as this song started up, I got early MAMAMOO vibes. Then I knew it was gonna be good. And it is! It's fucking great!! Plus, Jellyfish have fixed their mistake of giving Sejeong far too many lines (like they did with "The Boots"); yes, this is only a subunit song, but even Sejeong herself has said before she doesn't want to overshadow the other members with her popularity. I'm glad to report that that doesn't happen here at all - in fact, Nayoung gets the most lines! Her vocals are stable as all get out, and with Sejeong's absolute beast of a voice and Mina's charismatic rapping, the girls suit the concept and vibe perfectly. It's a well-rounded, extremely capable subunit with a fantastic song - plus, the lyrics are confident and sassy without being overly petty. Just like Sejeong on that float.

What a fucking queen.

Then we've got the dance - it's not drastically complex or anything, but it's incredibly charming if you ask me!

For only a 3-person subunit, the girls themselves have a great deal of stage presence. The addition of the microphones actually helps that, too - it's one of the many charming aspects to this choreo. The routine itself is surprisingly sharp and energetic, too, and it's just one of those dances that just has me beaming from ear to ear when I watch it. It's charismatic and bubbly in all the right ways, and definitely gives these girls an edge.

Not gonna lie, SEMINA are one of the better subunits I've seen from a group, and if this is their benchmark, I can't wait to see what they get to do next!

Recently, there have been a few solo artists who have impressed me quite a bit; there aren't that many of them, but when they're good, they stand out from the crowd quite a bit. Chungha has been one of those since her debut, let's be honest. She already showed off her potential whilst she was in I.O.I., but as a soloist? She really does shine. So that always gives me small, yet eager hopes when she announces she's making a comeback. And I'll admit, tropical house is a biiiiiit predictable for her at this point, but "Love U" is still a pretty good song.

Aside from her surprisingly great range (seriously, she has to be at least a mezzo-soprano or something, right? Cause she has a GREAT upper register, at least to me), Chungha's vocals have always been very refreshing and soothing to listen to. She suits summery songs like this perfectly. And even if "Love U" is pretty by-the-numbers, it's certainly passable for a summer song. It's not quite on the same level as "Why Don't You Know" for me, and "Roller Coaster" still outshines it in terms of its lyrics, but it's alright.

Luckily, the dance is superb as always. It's Chungha! She wouldn't have the nickname of "Dancing Queen" if she couldn't pull off shit like this! Her chemistry with the backup dancers is surprisingly strong, and I find that Chungha's routines have a very good sense of visual appeal. They're majorly satisfying to watch, mainly because Chungha herself is such an excellent, skilled dancer.

Even if this comeback as a whole was slightly disappointing for me, I do feel like Chungha is starting to come into her own as an artist. Not every comeback can be perfect, for sure, but Chungha is going to be one of those people who just keeps getting better and better no matter what she releases.

(G)I-DLE ((여자)아이들)- HANN (한) (一) [ALONE]

Goddamn, do we need any more brackets in that title?

I think everyone realised earlier this year the staggering amount of potential (G)I-DLE have as a group. Yes, their name is shit, but these girls have the opportunity to be huge. And guess what? They're taking that opportunity, because "Hann" is FUCKING PHENOMENAL.

I'm always a fan of the darker concepts in K-Pop, but I did like "Latata" quite a lot. It was confident, yet unique, and a fantastically solid debut. But "Hann" takes literally everything (G)I-DLE did with "Latata" and improves on it tenfold. If you ask me, this vibe and concept suits them FAR more. The song itself has a great sense of progression; no two sections feel the same, yet they don't feel so distant from each other that the song itself doesn't work. It does. It's one of those songs that creeps up on you, becomes a major earworm, and doesn't leave your head for weeks. But you know what else is fantastic about this song? THE L Y R I C S.

I've swallowed the water, it's like I've cooled off
I want you to be ruined, don't hold on, it's the end

God fucking damn. CUBE, please let Soyeon write more songs. Because she's clearly amazing at it. Yes, this is very much a break up song, but it's so much more savage than that. These girls don't give a shit any more. They're done with whatever relationship they were in. They may as well be saying "bye, fuck you, nice knowing ya, I want to see you burn in hell". The entirety of the lyrics fit the instrumental's darker tone perfectly, and they impressed me way more than they probably should have. I love them.

Choreography-wise, it's not nearly as complex as "Latata", but we still have an extremely graceful routine here. The choruses are probably my favourite parts if I'm being honest; I'm a sucker for moves that directly follow the beat or rhythm of a song or its lyrics, so that was incredibly pleasing to watch. Although not gonna lie, Soojin's part in the second verse surprised me as well - the formations look suuuuuuper nice there. And on top of all of this, Shuhua gets a little solo section. They're finally getting her to do things! Yay! :D

After this comeback, I'm even more optimistic for what (G)I-DLE are going to get up to in the future. They're the new monster rookies in K-Pop, let's be real. They seem even more comfortable now than when they debuted with "Latata", and if they keep getting better and better like this, then we might have a new supergroup on our hands.

So that's all the songs I wanted to cover, but guess what? BONUS SONG TIME!

TIFANNY YOUNG - OVER MY SKIN [BONUS]

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. :,)