I mean 2018 has been a drag and then some. It feels like it's gone on for far longer than it actually has. But that gap between Halloween and Christmas was... particularly short this year, for some reason? (Maybe it's because I had a great November. I don't know.)
But with Christmas, obviously, comes Christmas music! And while there are a good few Christmas songs within K-Pop - and probably a lot more that I haven't heard, let's be honest - I wanted to talk about a few here! There aren't a lot this time around since I'm only talking about 6 songs, some of which actually came out this year. I figured now would be a good time to cover them and mention some of my favourites as well! 🎄🎅
LADIES' CODE (레이디스 코드) - THE LAST HOLIDAY
You could probably guess from my taste in K-Pop that I love unique groups and artists, and Ladies' Code are that and then some! Their vocals are some of my favourite in the genre to be honest, and I love how great they all sound together. So when I heard they were releasing a Christmas song, I got majorly excited! Their last comeback "The Rain" was fantastic, and Ashley and Sojung's solo efforts this year really surprised me! (Now I'm just waiting on Zuny's. 😊)
So what about "The Last Holiday"? A common trend with Christmas songs is that they can be very samey and forgettable, but there's a very warm type of charm to this that stands out for me! As always, the girls sound stunning and the song compliments them perfectly. (Sojung's voice in particular is just... ugh. It's so perfect. 👌 She's got this gorgeous tone that I fall in love with every time I hear it... it's why she's my bias honestly. Can I just... marry her voice, please??? Thanks.)
But I think it's the key change in the chorus that really does it for me? It never sounds out of place or jarring; it just sounds like a nice, natural progression that gives the song a great bit of build and momentum. It also helps that the bells and twinkly, plucky synths in the instrumental sound just as gorgeous. It's a very atmospheric Christmas song, which is fitting for Ladies' Code considering how stylish their comebacks often are.
The lyrics are pretty standard for a Christmas song; it's a love song, talking about the memories they have with their partner and how happy they make them. Which, considering how cold it can be at this time of year, some warm & cosy lyrics like this are perfect if you ask me! They're very sweet and charming, I like them a lot.
When the white snowflakes fall
I have such a happy memory
I feel the same things from back then
All in all, I'm really happy the girls decided to come back with a Christmas song like this - it means I get to put it in my playlist and listen to it every Christmas! Which, I'll definitely be doing that with "The Last Holiday". Everything just combines together to make a really sweet, fun song that's already become one of my favourites. Nice job, Ladies' Code!
f(x) (에프엑스) - WISH LIST (12시 25분)
Even though I didn't know what to expect when I listened to it for the first time, it's f(x). They're always going to end up blowing me away somehow. And yeah, they did! It's a lovely change of pace from the stereotypical stuff, as the girls ended up putting their own spin on a Christmas song. I'm not entirely sure if they produced it or not, but it's got this LDN Noise sound to it that f(x) were born to have. It's very modern and refreshing, and even though these types of dance songs tend to be hit and miss for me, this is absolutely a hit.
The bright melody and sleigh bells in the instrumental of "Wish List" make it a really ear-catching song, and it all meshes really well with the girls' vocals. I wasn't sure if they would particularly fit this vibe, since their vocals can be so powerful and commanding, but all four of them sound great here! They retain their trademark power in some places, but in others they're very subdued and delicate. (Ironically enough, I feel like Sulli would have really fit a song like this... but oh well.)
Lyrically, this song's got one of my favourite traits of a Christmas song - child-like wonder. I LOVE those kinds of Christmas songs that are full of expectation and excitement for either Christmas itself, or the return of someone you care about, since that just sums up the holiday perfectly for me. And this song has it is in spades. There's some really heartwarming lines that stole my heart the minute I read the translation, and f(x) pull it off incredibly well.
Nice presents fill up red Rudolph's sleigh
Did he get my wish list?
It's only filled with you, I think it'll come true
Basically, I love this song to bits and it's become a major Christmas staple for me. It was one of the first Christmas songs I listened to this year (we'll get to the very first one later, trust me), and I have a funny feeling that'll continue to be the case in the future as well - it's great!
TWICE (트와이스) - THE BEST THING I EVER DID (올해 제일 잘한 일)
Ah, TWICE. The group I can never seem to make my mind up with. Sometimes I love their comebacks, sometimes I think they're awful and I never want to listen to them again. Normally, I like TWICE's more upbeat, confident comebacks - "YES or YES" was a great example that I'll be covering in the winter comeback review. 😉 But when I heard they were doing a repackage for Christmas... not gonna lie, I was immediately reminded of "Heart Shaker", and my expectations dropped to rock bottom. I've never liked that song, so I didn't expect this to be good either.
...but I guess I was wrong, wasn't I? "The Best Thing I Ever Did" is one of the more relaxing songs TWICE have led with; hell, I think it might be their calmest title track yet. And that's definitely not a bad thing! A bit of change never hurt anybody, and since love songs are a given at this time of year, I was alright with having TWICE release one for Christmas (so long as I didn't find it grating or annoying like I often tend to do with JYP's songs).
And jeez, I've ended up loving this song. "The Best Thing I Ever Did" has got this sense of beauty to it that's very hard to describe for me; I think it might be the instrumental, honestly. It's very minimalistic and relaxing, but not in a low-effort way. There's plenty of twinkly piano keys and bells to really let you know it's a Christmas song.
And not gonna lie, I adore how the girls sound here. This is an easy song for them to sing, but they all sound fantastic nonetheless. There's something about how effortless the vocals are for them that just sells it, and makes the song that much better. It actually accentuates the lyrics, too, since they're about the kind of puppy love that's often associated with Christmas time. (These lyrics actually remind me of Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath the Tree", which is another one of my favourite Christmas songs... is that why I like this so much? 😂) Their delivery is perfect for the content of the song itself, and everything comes together like a neatly-wrapped present with a bow on top. 🎁
I used to feel lonely and empty
But December is no longer lonely
The best thing I ever did was that I met you
All in all, this definitely turned out better than I expected. I hope TWICE continue taking this direction in the future, since the "YES or YES" era has been very kind to them, in my opinion. Long may it last!
GIRLS' GENERATION-TTS (소녀시대-태티서) - DEAR SANTA
Just to quickly mention - I was kinda hoping that Tiffany would take this sort of direction with "Peppermint" this year, and I was planning on covering that song on this list, but... I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I don't know what sort of direction she's trying to take with her music, but I don't like it. It doesn't suit her at all. But that's alright, because I can just go back and listen to this instead!
And that's without mentioning that "Dear Santa" has got two versions - one in Korean AND one in English. Which, considering Seohyun wrote the lyrics to both versions, is massively impressive! I know that Girls' Generation are probably more well-versed with English than most groups due to how long they've been active, but it's still amazing to me either way.
But no matter how many times I listen to both, I find myself returning to the Korean version time and time again. The lyrics are just so much sweeter and a bit more original than the English... plus, Seohyun's "하얀 눈이 내려와" at the end never fails to make me cry for some reason. I think it's because of how she sings it in the live performances, honestly. 😅
My heart is full
White snow is falling
[It's a] dream-like Christmas time
I couldn't make this post without mentioning "Dear Santa", and getting to back and listen to it again is something I'll always enjoy. It's just a fun, delightful song!
But speaking of Girls' Generation... there was another former member who released a Christmas song this year. And I actually find it to be enjoyable! (Sorry, Tiffany. 😐)
JESSICA (제시카) - ONE MORE CHRISTMAS
I've never actually got to talk about any of her solo releases here on this blog, but I'll say this much - Jessica was one of the two women who got me into K-Pop (the other being HyunA, actually). I remember seeing the video for Girls' Generation's "Oh!" for the first time, and immediately loving the girl with the curly blonde hair (who I thought was Sunny for waaaaay too long). So to see her have a solo career even after being apparently kicked out makes me insanely happy. She's got one of my favourite voices in the industry, no joke!
Jess actually hasn't released anything new since Summer Storm last year, so when she announced this I was SO damn excited to hear it. And she absolutely sticks the landing! It's another one of those fun Christmas songs, full of upbeat instruments (including some killer horns) and a peppy vibe. It certainly sounds like Jessica had a lot of fun recording it, anyway! She might be known as an ice princess, but I think she's more of a Christmas princess here. 😊
Lyrics-wise, it's another lovey-dovey carol of sorts. Like I said, that's to be expected at this point. But I think it's the upbeat vibe of it that really sells "One More Christmas" for me? It's very carefree and enjoyable, and certainly more energetic than I expected it to be! So yeah, the lyrics are standard fare, but the rest of the song is so good that it elevates them and makes them quite enjoyable.
Give me one more Christmas, baby
Under the falling snowflakes
This night is like a gift
I'm honestly really grateful that this turned out so well, especially since I wanted it to be good. I'm glad to see Jess is getting some proper treatment, and this is definitely going to become another Christmas staple for me!
I've already talked about some of my favourite Christmas songs as well as some new ones, but... I wanted to leave my absolute favourite until last.
WENDY (웬디), MOON JUNGJAE (문정재), NILE LEE (나일이) - HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
There are a handful of Christmas songs that everyone and their mother seems to have done a cover of, and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is certainly one of them - Judy Garland really created a little bit of history when she sang that song for the first time. Like seriously, who hasn't covered this? Michael Bublé's done it, Sam Smith's done it... even some other greats like Bing Crosby and Whitney Houston have as well. But I really do mean it when I say that THIS is my favourite version - and it's not just because I'm biased towards K-Pop artists. I say this as a music lover in general - this is my favourite version of this song by a country mile.
...where do I even start with this? Jungjae's piano is gorgeous, Nile's strings that come in once the song picks up are sweeping and lively, and... Wendy. Wendy, Wendy, Wendy. I feel like she's someone that I don't appreciate enough. But y'know what, I'm going to appreciate her NOW, because she fucking deserves it here. Her vocals in this cover are absolutely stunning. This is my favourite vocal performance of hers if I'm being honest - it's so well controlled and performed that it's breathtaking.
This is the sort of song that I'd be able to listen to forever. It's so well put-together that I just never seem to tire of it! I said earlier that f(x)'s "Wish List" was one of the first Christmas songs I listened to this year... "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" was the first. SM Station really is a goddamn treasure, because it keeps giving us high-quality stuff like this. I really, really hope Wendy does something like this again in the future, because she's got so much untapped potential with this jazzy/classical style that I'd love to see her explore. 👏👏👏
•••••
I guess that's it for my Christmas playlist! Regardless of what you celebrate (or what you don't, for that matter), I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. 🎄❄️
ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
