K-pop (2015)

I lowered my expectations for idol rappers after Zico but Rapmon knows where it's at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XAxf8aFtL4

AND ALSO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXnz56LwXg

Weirdly reminds me of Amber's song in parts but this is obviously the original

wowwww that rap monster track. i've never heard a beat/song that sounds quite like this before -- am i missing something obvious? something tenably original out of an idol rapper (korean rap in general, really) would really be something!

oh lol, it's off a mixtape and rapmon just used a major lazer instrumental (really weird that they'd make a video for that?). kind of more interesting that way, though, given it's such a substantive meditation on authenticity in korea(n rap). giving them each a couple listens, i honestly think he uses the beat so much better than pharrell/ML do -- that hook is just perfect, and the lyrics are far more interesting than the original's drug wordplay (great as that is here). had this beat come out of korea this song would be a full-blown revolution but even as a mixtape jack it's gonna change things.

It's great right? His agency originally picked the much less interesting Awakening as the single so my expectations weren't high. "Do You" made me check out the mixtape (it's track 2). Sadly most of the tracks have more traditional/dated instrumentals and flows, though... Though I kinda like Drop which sounds like one of Bangtan's Cypher tracks.

He's also a feature on MFBTY's album... and has a track with Warren G out.

soy, I don't live there anymore. This was fall 2012 to xmas 2013. I did it while doing some freelance work for publications here. It was the kind of 'free' year others spend travelling before settling down, and I wanted to spend learning a different language in Asia. The intensive program is very good - to pat myself on my back I did quite well, while some other western students found it too grammar intensive and hard. Anyway the Yonsei style worked for me but some of the other unis offer courses perhaps with a slightly different focus. There should be plenty of non-full time alternatives, also at the unis, if you want to have a go.

Though on the topic of Rapmon's mixtape, there's also "Joke", the track after "Do You", which has that hitchhiker sound:

https://youtu.be/UWI9aTAZen8?t=15m27s

At 15:27 in case the timestamp doesn't work

I'm glad I can watch these routines without having to sit through the plot again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlnQvUEGzwg

lmao

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXtIEzgcFwo

Preferred to title track... also Zion.T has a similar sad/lurching song out outta nowhere "Zero Gravity" https://youtu.be/P6smRvfNDL4

updating my sad-christmas playlist as I type this

Laboum's mini is quite good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=771a_-0NlUY&list=PL6zGSUU4Cv9cmFq4no9TOi_Zlj83OmckG&index=3

Saving a space for when the Sugar Sugar video comes out... but all three tracks are pleasant

Whoops didn't think that would post as a video. You'll want to go to the first track in the playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tna90t2je-4

Woah they have a budget! The teasers for the MV made it seem like they were gonna go the charmingly low-budget route.

EXO's album is out. Liking the third track ("What if...") and the last track ("Beautiful") so far. "Hurt" and "El Dorado" are pretty strong too.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS2NlIc8M7S0aAFm76Ub_nB89luQ0C3hs

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS2NlIc8M7S1A4BqZ925Fsf4cWOM5gvRB

Title track "Call Me Baby" sounds better in Chinese

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3q2KXABpq0&index=10&list=PLS2NlIc8M7S1A4BqZ925Fsf4cWOM5gvRB

halfway through it right now. definitely the retrenchment that "call me baby" suggested -- these songs are way more conservative than any of their previous material -- but it has its moments. i'll agree that "what if" is a highlight, and for some reason i find myself liking "call me" way more than i first thought i would. still hoping there's something as weird as "love love love" or "wolf" on here, but guessing that won't be the case.

"playboy" pretty sick, as well -- the persistent falsetto backing lines are a really nice touch.

*yes* to the breakdown in "hurt"

breakdown in "lady luck," as well

man, why do i keep coming back to "call me baby?" :B

haven't been here for a bit but yeah so this new EXO album is sooo good. and the new Miss A mini is sooo disappointing.

It's not very adventurous but it is a solid recap of their vocalists' strengths.

EXO-M (sans Luhan) sound better than expected though the Mandarin lyrics are reportedly as terrible as always.

"Playboy" was written by Jonghyun!

I keep wondering why "EXODUS" isn't the title track.

I mean, Call Me Baby is a stronger song, but EXODUS is the title of their album and has a hella sticky chorus.

The tracklisting is really good on this album.

"El Dorado" and "Playboy" moving up the ranks.

the new Miss A single has nothing to do with why i'm here for k-pop -- it's super conservative, almost stale-sounding as a production -- but the melodies are just so strong that it keeps reeling me back. very 2007/2008 chorus with a 2009 verse, but the topline seals it.

N.Sonic's "Black Out" is decent for a hook song... I know I mentioned it before but here it is again with an MV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO2yiJzSqYU

And here's the MV for Zion.T's "Zero Gravity" which is his strongest song in a while:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6smRvfNDL4

LE doing eeerrything on the new Exid album

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBrGuKeW8AAiwFK.jpg

http://cache.clien.net/cs2/data/file/park/20150403232614_6BpTHwxr_exid6.jpg

Indeed, indeed

Okay, so I've made a sort of effort to try to keep up here but Spotify is terrible for hunting this stuff unless you're familiar with the crews / labels / bands / language.

I'm going to pass off K-Pop but the list is live and collaborative if anyone is willing to pick up the mantle? Here's where she be:

Rolling K-Pop 2015 Thread Spotify Playlist

Lee Moonsae gently nudging you to get off your computer/phone and clean your room:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=210&v=smVvQVCtka4

The first track on his new album ("New Direction") is excellent as well.

EXID's mini album preview is out, sounds amazing so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bznhU0vPVk

Ten tracks - including Up&Down and Every Night! - makes it p. much a regular album, am excite.

There's also Bastarz (Block B's P.O. with B-Bomb and U-Kwon thrown in for "service")'s mini album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjWURdzzqs0

Doesn't compare with EXID, but might (surprisingly) be the strongest of all the Block B solo things so far. (but #justiceforparkkyung)

new snsd :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b09U0KLv6I4

Sounds like a BoA B-side... which is another way of saying it sounds like something could have come out in 2011.

I always get the feeling when I watch SNSD's Japanese PVs that the videos were edited frame by frame to make their arms thinner.

I actually like the b-side "Girls" tho https://youtu.be/58PhZhzX55I

i really liked the sound of "ah yeah" from the teaser video. the original album preview that had a female voice (LE's?) doing the whisper part was more to my liking, i hope that's in the final version...but either way, it seems like they're going to hit it out of the park on the charts. looking forward to them cementing their status, since between their two power vocalists, hani's...presence, and LE's composition skills (plus the best rap voice in k-pop) they're definitely a stronger team than any household girl group in a long time.

not able to watch/hear the new SNSD but from what i've read i'm pretty sure i won't care for it. a jaoanese comeback is a japanese comeback, though -- never counts in my book, and if one winds up being good it's just a nice bonus.

SNSD are being outclassed by groups you've never heard of:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=17&v=LsnlHYn12K4

(Not in dance skills, obviously.)

"Pocket Girls" are so obviously trying to be the next Badkidz it's not even funny, but this song is genuinely pretty catchy. Apparently it was written by the "Gwiyomi Player" guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUGQ7Tz4os0

If only he was less detailed and obsessive... as-is I think JYP could have passed on the booty craze and no one would've cried over it

Anyway I think this is a nominee for Rolling Worst of 2015

haven't heard yet, but that's a shame. with the momentum Miss A has right now, it would've been nice to have a mini-JYPE renaissance this year. it'd be sad to see the label go after all this time.

speaking of Miss A, though, "Only You" is doing unreal numbers here. most #1 hits on Instiz seldom have more than points in the high 100s at any given moment. 200s, sometimes. Miss A has been well over 300 with this track ever since it came out. (in comparison, "Call Me Baby" by the mighty EXO -- despite all its success on youtube and the music shows -- has been hovering in the 130s pretty much since release, on the same day as Miss A.)

now that i mention its youtube numbers, though, this reminds me that their video is pretty pervy (Miss A looking hot in their apartment and around town is fine, but to do it all through the perspective of a peeping tom/stalker is pretty dicey) and from what i understand this JYP music video is just JYP ogling asses in the gym. i know JYPE's songs and videos are all really c. 2007, but...

but damn, EXO. nearly 20 million official youtube views in a week. (and millions more across different live uploads, CD rips, etc) i wonder how this compares to the typical youtube arc of a 1D or primetime Bieber video.

The song itself isn't bad, it's the lyrics the awkwardness of JYP's detailed personality combined with his topic (in otherwords the lyrics) that makes the song bad. Plus JYP's in a mentor role to teenagers so you don't want to see him acting like a teenage horndog.

I've been enjoying Miss A's Only You a lot, it's well-done in an understated way.