I Likes The Music

BTS "Run"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:03:00 +0000

Initially, I was a casual BTS fan. There songs flucuated between meh ("No More Dream", "N.O", "Boy In Luv") and OMG THIS IS MY SHIT! ("Bulletproof Part II", "Danger", "Just One More Day"). 2015 converted me into a full fledged ARMY.
Their comeback single "I Need U" played on all the right emotions and the sad, death fueled video just took it over the top. "Dope" once again showcased the groups out of this world dancing skills and took the skeleton of Flo Rida's "GDFR" and made oh so much better. Their newst "Run" is in the vein of "I Need U" but with more melodrama heaped on top. Jungkook and my bias Jimin voices blend so well on the chorus to the point I thought it was one person singing. Check the music video below.

Aly and AJ/78Violet "Boy" (Studio Version)

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:00:00 +0000

Christmas came a little bit early for 78Violet/Aly and AJ fans!
We finally have the ever elusive studio version of "Boy", the missing track from the duo's leaked "Hothouse" project. The song was showcased during a Billboard Tastemakers performance and left us longing for more. Backed by lush electronic piano and strings, this and "Crawl" go together as the best songs on the project. This again begs the question, why was the album not released?!!!

Dynamic Duo "Jam"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 17:56:00 +0000

The throwback theme in Korean music this year is prevalent this year. Gaeko definitely gave us one of the best with "Cheers" and it has carried over with partner Gaeko in "Jam".

There's a lot to like about this song. Both artitst really shined on their track and seemed right at home on the beat. I enjoyed the video's comedic feel. Gaeko, Choiza and all their fellow rapper singer friends (spotted Crush, Yankie and a few others) dressed like bugs turning up. I mean, that Big Bang Bae Bae/Fantastic Baby parody was on point too.

EXID "Hot Pink"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 17:42:00 +0000

EXID have made their second comeback of the year in a hot way.
Seemingly unstoppable after the late success of "Up and Down", Hani and co. haven't changed up the formula: Hani and LE lead, Junghwa gets her own time to shine and Solji and Hyerin do their vocal thing on the bridge all over a funky, horn filled instrumental courtesy of Shinsadong Tiger. It's still enjoyable and it's better than "Ah Yeah" (also a bop ) but still lacking the it factor "Up and Down" has. Video is a clusterfuck of sexual innuendo and oh look black people as props! Not like we got any of that this year from OnePunch or BESTIE's "Excuse Me" live stages but whatever. Whenever I see the pink oil/gas stuff it reminds me of this to be honest:

AOA "Heart Attack"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 01:58:00 +0000

AOA's transformation from flops to mid-tier girl group last year also meant a decline in their musical output. "Miniskirt" was ok (still don't see why it was so popular), but I long for the days when FNC gave us that tacky angel/half angel concept, spawning "Elvis" and "Moya" (their first REAL hit btw).

"Heart Attack" is an uptempo, europop inspired number produced by Brave Brothers (who else?). Compared to the boring porn chat room music that was "Miniskirt", I'm all over it. Breezy Ibizan piano riff, fizzy synths and Choa's high pitched vocals...

It's still not as memorable as their flop era bops, but it's enough to get me through an hour at the gym. FNC chose a sporty chic lacrosse concept this time with main focus on members ChoA and Mina in the M/V, going from bland and poorly outfitted to glam and still poorly outfitted (oh and cheaters too). At least all of them aren't fighting over him, Or it could be meta, showing how they were losing before they sexed up their image and now they're winning. #wheresYoukyungdoe? #freeYoukyung

Kara "Cupid"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Wed, 27 May 2015 02:21:00 +0000

I know I'm not the only one who secretly wishes that DSP somehow snatch back up Nicole and Jiyeon and give us more timeless tunes."Mamma Mia" was not love at first listen like the bulk of Kara's pre-Youngji catalogue, but it grew on me eventually...
The girls are still boycotting Sweetune and give us the e.one (I don't know ha) produced "Cupid".A step up from "Mamma Mia" (that chorus and choice of English was not popping) and Youngji puts herself to good use as a Seungyeon body double/spoken word raptress, but Gyuri steals the show vocally (high note puts Minah's to shame) while Hara snatches visually (but that was a given). Practicing for that solo debut I see? It's better live as you may have saw in their Dream Concert performance this past weekend. If not you can watch that after the jump.

Savannah Outen "Boys"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Wed, 27 May 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Savannah Outen is an extremely talented singer who's been making music for the better half of ten years. I stumbled upon her back in college and semi-stanned her for about a year until I started stanning British artists. While her catalog is sprinkled with a number of semi-precious pop gems ("Running For My Life", "If You Only Knew", she just hasn't made anything that would get the mainstream media talking (aside from her preteen bop "Goodbyes" back in '08).
The good sis seems to be pining for that success now with her new song "Boys". Showcasing her evocative pipes, Savannah belts about how the boys make the girls goo goo gah gah over them over militant drums that wouldn't be uncharacteristic in a OneRepublic song. Is this a response to Britney Spears's "Pretty Girls"? No. Is it a good pop song? Yes. Will it be her big mainstream break?

Jay Park "Mommae"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Fri, 22 May 2015 01:46:00 +0000

At this point, I have no idea what Jay Park is doing with with his life musically. Last year, I was lamenting the fact that we didn't get his second LP until September. Now the guy is dropping a new song or music video every two weeks!!! Is he prepping a mixtape? EP? Album? Either way, I'm not complaining.
"Mommae" (translation: "Body") has to be Jay's most blush-inducing video to date. The song itself is pretty catchy, especially that chorus over that ~~DJ Mustard~~ Gray beat. Jay holds a major party (or maybe the afterparty after the more tame "NaNa" M/V), surrounds himself and his AOMG labelmates in pretty girls (reference) who twerk right out of their clothes, alcohol and sushi. Jay is shirtless and dancing, not at the same time, so that's a plus...

SHINee "View"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Fri, 22 May 2015 01:28:00 +0000

SHINee's back (in Korea). While we didn't have a comeback from the fivesome last year, they were still hard at work with other things, like Taemin's one man tribute to Michael Jackson and their Japanese promotions.
"View" is a breezy, 90s inspired house track produced by SM's new go-to Western producer The Stereotypes. It's a great wind through your hair while your driving your convertible to the beach tune.
In the video, SHINee is kidnapped by models who party all night with the boys! Oh and there's some Ian Eastwood choreography bits in their too. That pretty much sums it up. Also, now that Jonghyun has lost all that weight, I am no longer torn between him and Minho as my biases. It also doesn't help that ManHo decided to dye his hair blonde and expose his arms!!! He's one sex scandal away from taking Seungri's #2 K-Pop bias spot.

I'm onto you Minho...

I'm not a fan of the (blue) contacts though. The only ones in SHINee who can pull those off effectively are Key and Onew so please no more blue contacts.
*Bonus MahHo's Fancam*

Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea "Pretty Girls"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Mon, 18 May 2015 00:32:00 +0000

Britney Spears is just too damn likeable stay mad at. We have long forgotten the ~~will.i.stop.making.music~~ mess that was 2013's "Britney Jean" and her decision to stay in Vegas instead of trekking around the world against her will to lip-sync to yesteryear. However, the "Hold It Against Me" singer is staging a comeback: a slow and steady comeback, but a comeback nevertheless, in the form of the Iggy Azalea co-headlining tune "Pretty Girls".

On the surface,"Pretty Girls" doesn't sound like what a Britney Spears lead single should sound like. While "Work Bitch" was somewhat disappointing, her robotically commanding the listener to work in order to reach the promise land of luxury and relaxation still got a rise out of you. "Pretty Girls" on the other hand is what we expected from Iggy's next lead single with the DJ Mustard tribute band, The Invisible Men and a virtually unknown foreign pop girl to take the hook (or maybe enlist the help of Gwen Stefani since she clearly influences this somehow) while Iggy Iggs flaunts how curvaceous and jaw-droppingly gorgeous she is.Britney sounds like Britney...which I guess is ok since last time Britney sounded like Myah Marie sounding like Britney Spears. Moving on!
The video is another story and gives the song that boost to take it from mundane to gym playlist bop. Again, Iggy is inspired by the cinema ("Earth Girls Are Easy" teas) while her and Britney traverse the town in their Jeep and look just so PRETTAY!!! The cringe-worthy dialogue, Brit-Brit's facial expressions and the 20 seconds of dancing make it rewatchable more than any of these other music videos. And this gif>>>life itself

BoA "Kiss My Lips"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Sun, 17 May 2015 23:16:00 +0000

BoA is back!!! While the queen of Asian music hasn't given the public a proper Korean comeback since "Only One" back in 2012, she's still been consistent with her output in her three year "break" including her 8th Japanese LP "Who's Back" and her one off singles "Disturbance" and the strut worthy anthem"Action".
The singer's title track this time around, "Kiss My Lips" is little traveled territory, with BoA opting for something a bit more grown sexy and feminine over the usual upbeat dance pop and midtempos that litter her back catalog. The transformation is also in her imaging for the song, where she shakes off the sweats and sneaker for elegant floor length dresses and skirts!!! And of course it isn't a complete BoA comeback without life-changing choreography (which can be seen in her comeback stage on Music Core)!!!

Nathan Sykes "More Than You'll Ever Know"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 18:40:00 +0000

Nathan Sykes: soul man...

Nathan Sykes, better known as the most vocally talented member of the former chart-topping boy band, The Wanted has finally graced us with some solo music. "More Than You'll Ever Know" sees the 22 year old taking the soulful pop approach a la John Newman rather than appealing to the UK's appetite for 90s inspired dance music or even the popular dance-pop that made him and his bandmates famous. A welcome change, yes, but will it give him a hit?

Deorro & Chris Brown "Five More Hours"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 02:11:00 +0000

If you were wondering the next time Chris Brown would be making his way back to the dancefloor now that he's gone full urban, you got your answer.
C Breezy teams up with Deorro for a vocal edit of his club hit "Five Hours". Power 106 premiered the song last night ~~(tagged and in LQ much to our chargin).~~ This is the second time the song has been done with a vocalist, the first being wih DyCy under "Five Hours (Don't Hold Me Back)" but with Brown on the track, it looks like he wants to grab those worldwide charts.

Conor Maynard "Talking About"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 17:15:00 +0000

Conor has jumped on the 90s house revival.
It's been roughly two years since Conor Maynard released the first taste of his second studio album "R U Crazy" and then he did (seemingly) nothing after that. We knew he was hard at work on the album but we got nothing but empty promises. Then BAM! A week long rollout leading us to a new single.
"Talking About" could have went in many different directions but trend hopping was one I didn't see coming. Does it pay off. Yes. Conor sounds amazing on the bouncy club friendly beat that's been the toast of the town in Europe since late 2012.

Scarlett Johansson Is Making Pop Music, Releases Retro Tinged Single "Candy"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 02:37:00 +0000

"Black Widow" actress Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to the music scene. I still jam to her and Pete Yorn's indie diamond-in-the-rough "The Realtor" though I was never compelled to listen to the album in full. Now ScarJo is fronting an all-girl 'super pop' band called The Singles and delivering, serving and catering alt/dance with the first single "Candy".

Produced by TV on the radio's Dave Sitek and soon to be in rotation at your local H&M/Forever 21/Urban Outfitters, "Candy" mixes the indie influences that Miss Scarlett has been doing since she got bit by the music bug, Haim's 80s lyrical savoir faire and Robyn's infectious basslines. Lemme go find a download and bop to this while I'm on my self-imposed K-Pop exile...

I've Given Up K-Pop For Lent

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 01:01:00 +0000

Hello out there to my one or two avid readers of this blog and visitors who keep checking the Troye Sivan and Connor Maynard posts repeatedly (lol). But in all seriousness, Lent season is upon us and every year, I've tried to give up something and I have failed miserably at it within the first hours of doing so. But this year it's gonna be different!!! I am making a more than conscious effort by giving up one my biggest loves and one of the reasons this blog is ~~(barely)~~ active: K-Pop!

I will give periodic updates about my progress and do a big post about this experience in April (went Lent ends). Personally, I know this is gonna be difficult. With so many people making comebacks within this last week and through the month of March, I'm gonna be bawling my eyes out. And my exercise regimen is definitely gonna suffer because around 89% of the songs on my workout playlist are K-Pop songs. But as the wise prophet Lee Chae Rin once said

#prayforme

4Minute "Crazy"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 03:26:00 +0000

Who knew that 4Minute had so much swag?
"Crazy" marks the first time since I got into K-Pop that 4Minute did a hip-hop concept. 4Minute is known for their electropop jams like the forever flaw-free "Volume Up", "Hot Issue" and "What's Your Name" so a major change in their concept was a gamble that paid off thrice. "Crazy" sounds like a fiercer version of HyunA's solo track "Red" right down to the Middle Eastern sounding breakdown. This one of the few times where the entire concept is on point: the song, the clothes, the dancing. Everything was ON. POINT. However, Jihyun, the "leader" got the short end of the stick. Though she did get a longer part and a lot more screen time than the past 4 comebacks combined, they still made her look like a basic bitch compared to the rest of the members. To be honest, they are better off dropping her or allowing her to do something else.

Calvin Harris Shafts HAIM With Low Budget For "Pray To God" Video

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 02:57:00 +0000

While Calvin's latest collaboration with Ellie Goulding is sorta kinda flopping here in America and someone at Columbia sniffing crack decided to release "Open Wide" to rhythmic radio, he's already started promoting one of the better cuts from "Motion" elsewhere.
"Pray To God" featuring rock goddesses Haim, is already charting quite nicely in Oceania and will act as the sixth overall single. To an extent, it's a poor man's "Sweet Nothing" but it still sounds great, with Calvin still keeping the sister's signature sound still intact over seas of synth and vogue worthy drops.
While the song snatches almost every collaboration track Harris has done so far, the video does not. Though will will more than likely become a top ten hit in every major music market, ~~Calvin~~ Columbia Records decided to give Haim enough money to rent a green screen, a bunny and a few circus animals and said "make a video". I commend the band for being able to make the best of a bad situation by delivering "American Horror Story: Coven" (especially Este with that smoky eye and unbothered facial expression)...

It still doesn't excuse the fact that the video looks cheap, but Big Sean's collab got to shoot on location, looking like a "Fast and The Furious" movie.

Ed Sheeran and Rudimental "Bloodstream"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 02:23:00 +0000

Ed Sheeran is headed to the dancefloor!
The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter has debuted a new version of his "X" cut, "Bloodstream" with richer drum and bass centric production thanks to feature artists and co-writers Rudimental. The song is about Sheeran's first experience with MDMA (esctacy, Molly) and will act as the fourth single from "X". I love this new version a lot more than original and I'm sure this will give Ed another top ten hit. The video definitely needs to have Ed front and center tripping on E...

1Punch Serve 90s Realness and Cultural Appropriation on "Turn Me Back"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 03:03:00 +0000

Remember last January when Rain came back with "LA Song" and there was that big uproar about him appropriating and oversexualizing that one black woman by making her big like three times her size? A year later, we bring you something a bit more concrete ala newbie rap duo 1Punch.
The two made up of members One and Punch (Samuel) seem to be using a retro/nostalgia gimmick as their debut song, "Turn Me Back" mixes and mashes the hip-hop and dance music stylings found prevalent in the early 90s. Surprisingly, this was handled by notorious reuse and recycle producers Brave Brothers, so I guess they can actually make a song that doesn't sound like "Alone" or "Miniskirt" 2.0. The duos image is also borrows heavily from hip-hop 90s culture, looking like the Korean version of Kriss Kross with the oversized clothes, dreadlocks bananas and Timbaland boots. There's also the random black guy in the suit to make them look street credible (LMFAO at that one to be honest). While I personally enjoyed both the song and its visual component, in the grand scheme of things, I see this rubbing people the wrong way.

Nine Muses Come Back With Some "Drama"...

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 19:55:00 +0000

The divine nine are now divine eight with the departure of Sera, Eunji and Lee Sem and the addition of Nasty Nasty's Sojin and trainee Keumjo. They also become the latest K-Pop group to ditch flawless production collective Sweetune in favour of the guy who produced some song on their Prima Donna LP (I couldn't find his name so...)

While it does have some elements of the that is characteristically Nine Muses: a strong Erin rap, a sub-par Sungah rap (sorry Sungah lovers), underrated kween Hyemi parts and a chorus as catchy as an STD, there are a few things that Star Empire should have done just a little different...
1.There is a lot of Kyungri. Seriously. I mean Kyungri is pretty, don't get me wrong, but if your a new fan of the group (or a fan who has yet to learn all of their names), having one member front and center for more than 50% of the video is a turn-off (for some).

2.Attempting to make nugu Keumjo the vocal center. Arguably, Sera was the voice of the Dolls during her tenure, but rather than slowly transitioning Keumjo into the next main vocal, they give her a large portion of the lines and expect the fans to eat the cake. Vocally, she sounds almost identical to Sera, she kinda even looks like her to be honest, but there's only one Sera and Keumjo is not ha .

3.Production is missing something and song ends too abruptly. Past Muses singles like Dolls, News, Figaro and Ticket all had an instantaneous ~~likability~~ ear grabbing, life changing element about them that continue to stand the test of time. This is definitely in part because of Sweetune, who knew what did and didn't work for the group. While I do understand why they decided not to work with Sweetune this time, there's the old saying: if it ain't broken don't fix it. I'd rather have a bombastic bop with replay value that I can add to my best of list at the end of the year, rather than a ok song that I get tired of after a week.

It's doing decently on the real time charts, so hopefully it does give them their first top 20 hit AND hopefully we get another year of multiple comebacks AND Sweetune comes back and gives them a true wig-snatching title track. #justiceforsweetune

My Most Anticipated Albums of 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 03:19:00 +0000

With each new year comes the hopes that our favourite artists will be dropping new music to add to our ever-growing collections. 2014's output was a bit on the light side with few major acts releasing anything and the newer acts failing to deliver anything to keep us actively checking for them. So here's to 2015. My most anticipated albums of the year are as follows:

1.AdeleI need Adele to drop "25" this year for a number of reasons: 1.)It's been 4 years since "21" slayed the world so it's that time 2.)She's the only one who could pose a threat to a certain artist during the 2016 Grammys and prevent said artist doing a sweep with such basic material (you know who you are). 3.)Since she's in a happy relationship and has a baby, I want to know how (and if) her sound has changed to reflect that.

2.Rae MorrisHer feature on Clean Bandit's album had me entranced and her single, "Closer" is a ethereal bop to say the least. Whether she places on the Sound of 2015 list or not, I am already looking forward to what she has to offer in terms of an LP.

3.Florence + The MachineThe same as Adele, "Ceremonials" dropped in 2011 and with Florence and co. set to play both Coachella and The Govenor's Ball in the spring, there has to be new material making its way to us before then.

4.Gwen Stefani"Baby Don't Lie" was an underrated bop. "Spark The Fire" was utter trash (I still love you though). I'm hoping that both Skateboard P and Gwen get it together and give us some real "Hollaback" worthy jams. And please don't forget to tap Tony Kanal for some midtempos.

5.Giogio MoroderI honestly had no idea who this guy was (or his influence) before his feature on Daft Punk's Grammy-winning "Random Access Memories". Now that he has names like Britney Spears,Kylie Minogue and Charli XCX attached to his upcoming record, I'm all ears!

6.Kendrick Lamar
The "Control" rapper has been hard at work on the follow-up to his critically lauded "Good Kid, Madd City" record and with songs like "No Flex Zone", "Tuesday" and "Hot Nigga" littering the charts, we need an injection of substance on the charts. Or drop another "Control" and scalp them all bald.

7.Mark Ronson Though he's been producing hits for the last few years, Mark Ronson hasn't released a collection his own material since 2010's "Record Collection" under the Business Intl monkier. Now that he's breaking streaming records and snatching #1s, "Uptown Special" better deliver.

8.Marina and The DiamondsThe singer seems to have a affinity to froot nowadays. From what we've heard so far, the Primadonna girl is looking to bridge the gap between her "Family Jewels" days and her "Electra Heart" character with this new one. And her singles are actually appearing on US iTunes so it's definitely anticipated.

9.Ellie GouldingRiding high on her own merit via soundtrack appearances galore and some assistance from Scottish hitmaker Calvin Harris, it's been a fairly cushy ride since she dropped Halcyon and its re-release, but with 2015 comes new a new Ellie LP. Hopefully, one track will be a rebuttal about Ed Sheeran's claims in the Taylor Swift-esque "Don't".

10.Madeon He claims he's been hard at work on an album. We have a title to said album. We have not one, but two (great) singles from said album. If he's trolling us again, I will no longer be a fan.

11.The KnocksIt has been actually confirmed they have a legit deal with Columbia Records and they have assured us that their debut album is coming this year. At least they tided us over with solid releases like "Classic" and "The One". But 2015 is not the year for singles...

12.SoakThe Scottish 17 year old with the soaring vocals and androgynous look has an established. With her debut due, a little exposure in the right places could turn songs like "B A Nobody" into the next "Let Her Go" or "Take Me To Church".

13.Corinne Bailey Rae It goes without saying that the world could always use a new Corinne Bailey Rae record. especially since it's been five years since she dropped album 2 "The Sea". It's in the mixing process as we speak (type, whatever) and I expect it no less than mid-Spring.

14.Nicola Roberts
It was reported last year that Roc Nation affiliate Fred was working on the porcelain princesses second solo effort. I guess she's been a bit preoccupied being a philanthropist, writing for her more successful yet less talented bandmates, and being #flawless, but it's time for you to drop something, even if it's just a one off single.

15.Chance The Rapper Touring, living with James Blake, and all around being an awesome individual, Chancellor Bennet's "Surf" project won't be the anticipated debut LP we've been awaiting since 2013's "Acid Rap" mixtape, but with contributions from J. Cole, Francis and The Lights and Frank Ocean, more awesomeness can only ensue.

16.Rihanna Ok Rihanna, we get it. You can go a year (or two) without releasing an album. Just please give us something this year! Whether it be that soundtrack from your animated film or #R8 I beg of you! I don't know how much more of this we can take without your ratchet anthems and pop crossover gems.

Ellie Goulding "Love Me Like You Do"

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 02:02:00 +0000

And those soundtrack coinTs continue to roll in! Ellie Goulding has been tapped to be on the soundtrack for the upcoming "Fifty Shades of Grey" film and her contribution "Love Me Like You Do" is here.
"Love Me Like You Do" is the most straightforward pop song that Miss Goulding has done in my humble opinion. There are traces of Ellie's ethereal style in the track, with that harp sounding thing, but for the most part, a drum pattern and some spacy synths do the bulk of the work. From the content of the story, I was expecting a bit more "mature" so to speak, but since The Weeknd already kinda covered that with "Earned It", I guess this is acceptable.

Hello Venus "Wiggle Wiggle" (Single, Dance Practice and Music Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 01:24:00 +0000

After EXID's "Up and Down" became the big viral hit of 2014, I made it a vow to follow more lower tier girl groups since now my bias group Girls Day are in the upper echelons nowadays. And look who's having a comeback at the top of 2015...
The last Hello Venus songs I listened to was something about inviting a guy over for tea and I didn't bother with their "Sticky Sticky" because obvious reasons #dirtyjoke. And because Brave Brothers can't go one song without recycling some element or another in their songs, the synth stabs sound like the eh eh eh's in SunMi's "Full Moon". That aside, this is actually a jam, even with the slight tempo change during the chorus and that wailing! Their debut live stage however was a hot mess! I can't get down with those high pitch vocals. Check the dance video out too!

The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Kristopher Jones) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 03:20:00 +0000

If you became a K-Pop fan in 2014 or already seasoned member, you may feel that you came in at the worst possible time. This year was filled with a number of scandals, tragedies and lawsuits that shook the very core of the industry. Most of the releases this year were also pretty weak compared to the genre exploring, risk-taking bops that dropped. Of course, 2014 was not a total disappointment in the K-Pop world and here are 20 songs that prove that:

20.Red Velvet-Happiness

Sounds like a leftover from"Pink Tape" with the sugary sweetness of early SNSD.

19.Nicole-Mama

Those dance classes in the States really paid off didn't they?

18.Girls Day-Something

This is now their signature song...awkward leg bounce included.

17.Jay Park-NaNa (feat. AOMG & Loco)

The true K-Pop summer bop without the awkward twerking and cheap beach set...

16.GOT7-A

Why does it take JYP so long to get it right between releases?

15.Ladies Code-So Wonderful

R.I.P Eun B and RiSe. A retro bop for the ages...

14.Ailee-Singing Got Better

The best, non-soundtrack related ballad of the entire year...

13.TROY-Green Light

First thing that comes to mind is John Legend an Andre 3000. Second thing is John Legend and Andre 3000.

12.VIXX-Eternity

A slice of mid 2000's (SM style) K-Pop brought to modern day.

11.HyunA-Red

She got all of this from a monkey's butt is red?

10.HyoSung-Good Night Kiss

Hyosung mixed Janet Jackson whisper vocals, some crunk n'b production, interpolated Soulja Boy's "Kiss Me Thru The Phone" and added a trap breakdown and the edges of all the other solo girls were gone.

09.TVXQ-Off Road

Both "Something" and "Spellbound" were exceptional tracks, but"Off Road" remains superior to both. It could have slayed music shows as a companion track with either one of them and just picture a M/V with a rain soaked Yuhno and Changmin dancing...a literal wet dream.

08.Lovelyz-Candy Jelly Love

K-Pop is missing a J-Pop inspired group complete with an innocent school girl concept (we don't believe the malicious rumours about that one member) and rainbow vomit inducing production that almost rivaled another top ten entry.

07.BTS-Danger

BTS proves that they're still the male rookie group to beat with the urban bop with its slick choreo. It almost makes me forgive them for the woman beating crap they pulled in the "Boy In Luv" video. Almost..

06.Kiss&Cry-Domino Game
*see best of 2014 list*

05.2NE1-Gotta Be You

"Gotta Be You" is 2NE1 at it's best: Bom singing at the top of her uterus during the chorus, the baddest female and soon-to-be US superstar CL rapping #flawlessly and Dara and Minzy being delegated the pre-chorus section on a electropop track. The good old days before "Falling In Love" happened...

04.AKMU-200%

The hard, gritty YG image was all but challenged thanks to a pair of siblings who won a TV show released an album of alternative pop jams with their original faces intact. Point 1 for L-O-V-E.

03.Taeyang-1AM

*see Best of 2014 List*

02.A Pink-Mr.Chu

As annoyingly cute, camp and plasticky"Mr. Chu" is, it's one of the two reasons why people are drawn into the vast world of K-Pop. Don't act like you were impressed when you saw the "Gee" video for the first time.

01.Soyu & Junggigo-Some (feat. Lil Boy)

SISTAR's Soyu finally broke from the shadow of vocalist Hyolin this year with her collaboration this lovely co-ed track. The gentle vocal to and fro between her and the deep voiced Junggigo won them numerous show awards, topped the charts for two weeks and sold over 2 million copies from the time it was released in February. Too bad all the collab tracks her Sistar bandmate couldn't do the same. Now it's Bora's turn...

Best K-Pop 2014 by Kristopher Jones on Grooveshark