Welcome to Kpop Crash Course, the series where I attempt to learn more about the global phenomenon of Korean pop music by looking at its most iconic hits! These songs are determined from the video 100 LEGENDARY K-POP SONGS (READ DESCRIPTION) by the channel hele. I'm going to look at all 100 songs in the video and see what I like and don't like. Why am I analyzing the contents of a random YouTube video? Because I searched "most famous kpop songs" and hit a random video. I figured that the most iconic songs from the genre would be a good place to start to try to get to know it. There are 100 songs in the video, so I broke down my analyses into four parts. In Part 1, I looked at songs #1-25 in the video, and in Part 2, I looked at songs #26-50. Today, we're looking at songs #51-75, and these songs cover a time period from 2015 to 2016, although our first song is from 2014. This is when a lot of the most prominent names in Kpop today first started out, including Blackpink, Twice, and BTS. Artists who were popular before (that I looked at in Parts One and Two), like EXO, BIGBANG, f(x), Miss A, and the Wonder Girls also had successful singles around this time. I've had a lot of fun doing this series in the past and discovered a bunch of songs I instantly liked. Let's hope I do the same again!
1. “Up & Down” by EXID (2014)
I'm really not feeling this one. I think it's annoying. Positives are that the swinging sax part is nice. If a pop song features a saxophone, I'm probably going to like it in some capacity. I also really like the "don't you know, don't you know" part in the chorus. However, everything else is annoying. I hate the part after the chorus where it goes, "wi arae, wi, wi, arae" (which is Korean for "up and down") and then it does these pitch-shifted vocals which I don't like at all. The girls' voices are also annoying in some parts. This song is catchy, but it's annoying. Not a good song to start out with for this. Although EXID's label is called Banana Culture, which is hilarious and pretty awesome. 2.5/10
2. “4 Walls” by f(x) (2015)
"4 Walls" is the title track of the fourth and final album from the girl group f(x). And wow, I dig this! I'm a big fan of this production. I'm not sure how to describe it but it sounds like something that you'd hear in some trendy boutique in the mall. Wikipedia says the song is musically a hybrid of tropical house, UK garage, and deep house. Whatever it is, I'm into it. I feel like a good way to describe this song would be "mysterious." It sounds like the girls are inviting us into their world. I also really like the rap verse from group member Amber. She has a deeper, more androgynous voice than most of her contemporaries and she really adds a lot to the song. This is a dreamy, slinky, irresistible song that I can definitely see myself coming back to. 9.5/10
3. “Ah-Choo” by Lovelyz (2015)
I don't like making fun of the names of the groups in here, but I often find myself doing so. "Lovelyz" is a pretty dumb name, sounding like the name of some 2000s doll brand, like a competitor to Bratz. This song is cute, though. I like how, at least in the video, it starts out sounding like Wii music, but it turns out to be a bait-and-switch. I really love the disco-style bass in the song, and I also think the girls are surprisingly good singers. There's also a key change! I said it in the first two posts, but I will always get some delight from a key change. It doesn't even have to be a good one, I just like key changes. 8/10
4. “Bang Bang Bang” by BIGBANG (2015)
So, we've looked at previous BIGBANG songs, like "Lies" and "Fantastic Baby," and they've been fine. However, I really wasn't liking this one. The beat is really annoying and some of the guys' vocals are really nasally. When the guys say "bang bang bang," they seem to be doing it in the goofiest tone of voice possible. Then towards the end, the beat and style shifts. I definitely preferred this section of the song, as it seemed more party-ready and unique. This song was annoying for most of it, but that tonal shift did improve it for me. 3.5/10
5. “Call Me Baby” by EXO (2015)
I've looked at other EXO songs, namely "Overdose" and "Growl," and they've been pretty good, but I've been waiting to hear a song from EXO song that I really, truly loved. And well, we've found that song. I love this. It has a 90s style to it that suits the boys really well. The song was produced by Teddy Riley, who is credited with creating the style of new jack swing and has worked with names like Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre. I can definitely feel those influences coming into this song. The boys also do a really nice job with the singing, and the rap verse fits with the song's throwback-cool vibe. Everything about this just works for me perfectly. Even the high-pitched repetition of "baby," which would annoy me in any other song, manages to work. I hope EXO has more songs like this in their discography, because this is amazing. 10/10
6. “Chained Up” by VIXX (2015)
I feel like I've heard the name "VIXX" maybe once or twice in passing, but I've never heard of any of their songs. And my first impression is pretty positive! I like this a lot! Something that really stands out to me for this song is the rapping. The group has two rappers, named Ravi and Hongbin, and I'm not yet able to tell which one is which, but they're both great. I like the low, almost husky voices they have. The chorus is pretty strong and the boys have powerful voices. I like the heavy, hard-hitting style of this song. I'm not sure if it's an all-time favorite, but it's really good. 9/10
7. “Crazy” by 4minute (2015)
I've actually heard more from Hyuna's solo work than I have from her work with her group, 4minute. Honestly, this song is pretty obnoxious and its style isn't working for me. I definitely like the singing parts more than the rapping. The rapped/spoken parts of this song are grating to me and I don't like them, especially on the chorus. The looped saxophone is cool, but the rest of the production is clattery and too loud. The singing parts are good though, I like those. I just hate everything else. 3/10
8. “Dope” by BTS (2015)
It's time for us to talk about who is, by far, the biggest kpop group in the world. They're the best-selling artist in South Korean history, they've collaborated with famous Western artists like Nicki Minaj, Sia, and Halsey, they've sold out the Rose Bowl Stadium, and they are the youngest recipents of the Order of Cultural Merit in South Korea. BTS are a true worldwide cultural phenomenon. Even my English teacher is a fan! "Dope" was their first video to reach 100 million views on YouTube, and...it's fine. I'm discovering that saxophones are a really big thing in kpop around this time, as this is the third song I've talked about today to feature the instrument. This song has a very abrasive style and I kind of like it, but I know BTS have better songs. I already have gotten quite a few plays from their Halsey collaboration, "Boy With Luv," and the "art film" for their song "Black Swan" is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. As for "Dope," I like how it seems to cram different, unique sections in its four-minute runtime, with my personal favorite part being the falsetto crooning towards the end. I think Jungkook and Jimin, two of the band's vocalists, sing here, and they do a nice job. 7.5/10
9. “Heart Attack” by AOA (2015)
This song just sounds like summer. It has an almost disco-like energy to it and it's pretty cute. There are parts where it sounds like there are guys in the background providing acapella beats. I don't know how else to describe it, but it reminds me of Pitch Perfect and it makes me happy. The instrumental is really good. I can't tell if this is the case for the actual song or just the video, but there are parts where it's just the instrumental, and it's really enjoyable. The girls also sound pretty cute. There's still this one girl who sounds like she's doing a bad Britney Spears impression, and I don't know if the label's making her do a cutesy baby voice, but if they are, they should stop because it's kind of annoying. The song's still a bop, her Britney baby voice doesn't take away from that. Also side note: the music video is cute! They play school girls on the lacrosse team and it's so bright and fun. 8.5/10
10. “Hero” by Monsta X (2015)
The opening for this song is really grating and clattery, but it gets better. This is yet another song with a prominent saxophone loop, and I think this is the best yet. The production for this song is overall really fun. They literally put the Mario power-up noise in this beat, and it's amazing! I like how the production always seems to be changing. In the second chorus, there are some electric guitars, which are nice. I also like the chorus and the outro where they sing, "I can be your hero, I can be your man." The rappers are also really aggressive and I like the second rap verse, where one of the group's rappers (Jooheon, I think) does a much faster flow than most of the other kpop rappers I've heard. Also, apparently there are multiple music videos and I watched the "Rooftop" version, as it was the first to pop up. It's a cool video. The boys dance on a rooftop. There are drones. Was this actually filmed with a drone? That would be awesome. I'm giving this a 9/10 because they put the Mario power-up noise in the beat.
11. “Hurt Locker” by 9Muses (2015)
I'm a little weirded out by how this song is seemingly named after a movie about the Iraq War, when it's not about that. From what I can tell, it seems to be about a bad relationship. It's one of my favorite kinds of songs, where the music is really happy but the lyrics are sad. The production is really bright and the girls are pretty good singers. It has a very catchy chorus. I don't have much to say about this one, but it's good, I like it. 8/10
12. “I” by Taeyeon ft. Verbal Jint (2015)
Taeyeon is a member of the group Girls' Generation and this song is from her debut solo EP. Honestly, barring the off-the-wall genius of "I Got A Boy," I like this more than any Girls' Generation song I've heard. Taeyeon has a beautiful, mature voice and she sounds strong and free here. The melodies are gorgeous and Taeyeon sounds gorgeous singing them. This song is a nice detour from the typical hyperactive electronic/hip-hop influenced songs we've mostly looked at. This song is a transcendent piece of pop rock, similar to bands like The Script and Coldplay in style. I also really like the rap contributions from Verbal Jint. It doesn't seem like they tacked him on just to sell more records (as is often the case in Western music), but it seems like he was added to give this song a different perspective. I've been looking up translations of the songs on the website Color Coded Lyrics (and also using them to tell what members are singing what parts in each song. It's very helpful!), and this song seems to be about appreciating life after going through hard times I really appreciate this message, in addition to just plain loving how it sounds. This really resonates with me. 10/10
13. “I Feel You” by Wonder Girls (2015)
I talked about three Wonder Girls songs in Part One, but didn't talk about them in Part Two. After that Wonder Girls drought, they're back for Part Three! And this is by far my favorite song from them yet. I've spoken a lot about how I love pop music from the 80s and I especially love modern songs that sound like they're from the 80s. This song really captures everything that made the 80s such a spectacular decade for music. It has the tight grooves, the flashy synths, and the bouncy percussion that made artists like Madonna so huge in that decade. The other Wonder Girls songs I've covered have been mediocre to pretty good, but this is awesome. I'm actually going to give 2 10/10s in a row, because 80s-sounding songs will always be like crack to me.
14. “Just Right” by GOT7 (2015)
GOT7 are another group from the JYP label, which also features artists like Wonder Girls and Twice. This song is fine except for one element. The garbled chipmunk voice in the beat in the verses is really annoying! Chipmunk voices are almost always annoying to me, I'm sorry. If we were to get rid of that, we'd get a pretty solid song. Other than the damn chipmunk noise, what stands out to me in the beat is the acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar really gives the song a more laid back, chill atmosphere. The chorus is also catchy, and I like the "ooh"'s after it. This song is fine, but would be a lot better without the chipmunk noise. 6.5/10
15. “Only You” by Miss A (2015)
Miss A is another group from JYP, one that I have really loved listening to so far! "Hush" is one of my favorite songs I've discovered from doing this, and everything else has been pretty solid as well. This song is probably my least favorite I've heard from them, but it's still a 7.5/10. Just like the last song, the chorus is infinitely better than the verses. This is another song with a saxophone (I think), but the sax doesn't really sound like a sax. It has more in common with the famous "eee-rrr" from "The Box" by Roddy Ricch. The sax is pretty annoying here, sadly. The chorus is cute, though. It does feel like Miss A are doing a more cutesy style with this song, which is disappointing as I loved the edge they brought to songs like "Hush" and "Bad Girl Good Girl." Kpop has so many girl groups with cutesy concepts, and the mature concepts really made them stand out. "Only You" isn't terrible, in fact, I really like a lot of it, but I prefer the other songs I've heard from Miss A.
16. “Roll Deep” by Hyuna ft. Jung Il-hoon (2015)
In English, this song's official name is "Roll Deep," but it's also known as "Because I'm The Best" or my personal favorite "Cause I'm God Girl." I don't know why that's so amusing to me. As for the song, I don't like this and think it's annoying. I have this theory that my parents are really biased against any female rappers. I mean, they don't like any rap music (except my mom seems to really like "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore for some reason), but if a girl raps, they will complain within five seconds of hearing it that it is the worst song ever recorded. Now, I like my fair share of female rappers (Nicki is messy but I like her when she tries, Cardi's pretty fun every now and then, I like Lizzo if she counts, and I'm of the belief that Rihanna should rap a lot more than she does), but after listening to this, I begin to see where they're coming from. This sounds like a really bad Iggy Azalea song from 2015 or 2016. Hyuna's voice on this song is very high-pitched and her inflections are annoying. The feature from BTOB's Jung Il-Hoon is also unremarkable. I'm just not a fan of this. While I want to applaud the fierce, badass attitude of this song, I can't help but find it annoying. 1.5/10
17. “Blood Sweat & Tears” by BTS (2016)
And we're back to BTS! I like this a lot more than "Dope," as I feel like its atmospheric style is more unique to BTS. I think this is more in-line with what they usually do. I really like the airy synth tones and chilling atmosphere of this song. I'm also impressed with the group's vocal range. The rappers have distinctive, deep voices (I found myself pretty fond of Suga's first verse in particular), but they also had the high range covered. Either Jin or Jimin, according to this video, really impressed me with their higher-than-the-heavens falsetto. I'm a big fan of the melisma on the chorus as well. This song is just nice to listen to and I'm a fan. Side note: There was once this girl on my bus who was talking all about how much she loved BTS. When my brother asked her why she liked them, she said, and I quote, "Because they're SEXY!" Honestly, that's pretty funny but also disappointing. Don't be so shallow, like the music for the music, not for the physical appearance of the people making it. 9.5/10
18. “Boombayah” by Blackpink (2016)
Yay! It's time to talk about Blackpink! Blackpink are a girl group who debuted on the label YG Entertainment in 2016 with "Boombayah." The group's members are named Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. They are the most followed girl group on Spotify, were the first kpop girl group to perform at Coachella, are the highest-charting female kpop act on Billboard, and are set to feature on Lady Gaga's new album. I've already mentioned it before, but I got into them right around the time I got into Twice (around last spring), and I'm a big fan of them. I just love the badass style and fun personalities of these girls. The group's vocalists, Jisoo and Rosé, both have really interesting timbres to their voices, Jennie has so much attitude, and Lisa is an incredible dancer. Lisa is my bias (my favorite member) because I always seem to like her parts in songs best. That's certainly the case for "Boombayah." I love when she raps, "Middle fingers up, FU, pay me, 90s baby, I pump up the jam!" Her parts are fun to rap along to. I also really like Rosé's part before the drop. This wouldn't be in my top 5 favorite Blackpink songs (In descending order, that would be "Playing With Fire," "Don't Know What To Do," "Kill This Love," "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du," and "As If It's Your Last"), but it's a great introduction to the girls. 9/10
19. “Cheer Up” by Twice (2016)
But as much as I love Blackpink, Twice are my favorite kpop group, no contest. With Blackpink, it's like, I love their music and their attitudes, but I'm so much more attached to Twice. When I came back to this blog after a year, the first post I made was actually about their Feel Special EP (link here). I definitely prefer their later, more mature material like "Fancy" and "Breakthrough," but songs like "Cheer Up," their first big song, still have their charms. This song became a pretty big meme in the kpop-sphere because of the adorable way Sana says "shy shy shy" in it. I think the "shy shy shy" meme is a part of its success, yes, but I think it also became successful for how optimistic it is. The way Jihyo sings "cheer up, baby, cheer up, baby" in the chorus just puts a smile on my face. I like the song a lot (I always forget about the "be a man, a real man" part but I really like that section), but what I really love is its music video, where they portray characters from movies. They'd do this concept again with "What Is Love," but I think I prefer the "Cheer Up" video, honestly. I particularly like Mina's scenes. She pays homage to a Japanese film called Love Letter and wears a Sailor Moon-style outfit and just looks absolutely gorgeous. I also like Momo (my bias of the group)'s scenes where she pays homage to action movies like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil and looks fierce and badass. 9.5/10
20. “Fire” by BTS (2016)
This is the third and last BTS song we're going to be looking at, but that's only for today. Part Four will have more BTS. Comparing this song to the other BTS songs I've listened to for this, this song definitely has more in common with "Dope" than "Blood Sweat & Tears." In fact, Fuse said that it felt like an upgraded version of "Dope." I would agree with that statement. Both songs have an in-your-face, bombastic style. However, "Fire" is more explosive (which makes sense, it is called "Fire" after all) and ultimately more memorable for me. I really like the buildup to the drop, and the rappers all have hard-hitting flows that fit the song's aggressive nature. I particularly like RM's eccentric inflections during his verse. I still think I prefer the more atmospheric style of "Blood Sweat & Tears," but that BTS are able to pull off both airy and bombastic styles really shows their versatility. 8.5/10
21. “Hate” by 4minute (2016)
In another example of kpop stars working with Western artists and producers, this song was produced by Skrillex. It's not hard to see his influence, as the song features a lot of his signature production elements. I don't like the drop of this song. It's too loud and abrasive for my liking, and the girls yelling "I hate you! I don't need you!" just sounds more whiny and juvenile to me. There's also this one noise in the drop that sounds like a cow mooing. I'm not sure why that's there. Everything else is fine, though! The verses are nice. The girls are good singers and the melody is good. I just hate the drop. I guess I'm not a fan of the typical Skrillex style (Wikipedia's telling me it's called brostep). I like the songs he did with Justin Bieber, "Where Are U Now" and "Sorry." Maybe I'd like this song more if it had more in common with those. 5/10
22. “Monster” by EXO (2016)
I've been liking the songs I've heard from EXO quite a lot. While this song isn't "Call Me Baby" Part Two like I hoped, it's still pretty good. It reminds me a lot of their song "Overdose." It's a dark and brooding yet danceable song about being a "bad boy" in love. The bridge of this song particularly stands out. It's more subdued, with even some violins in the background and two of the band's vocalists, Baekhyun and Chen, providing particularly nice vocals. I feel like more than anything, I always seem to be enthralled by incredible vocalists, and if a singer does an especially noteworthy high note, long note, or vocal run, that's what I'm most likely to comment on. I'm guessing it's because I can't sing, but I wish I could, so I'm impressed by people who can sing really well. EXO's vocalists have been consistently great, so that makes the group stand out for me. 9/10
23. “Oh Nana” by KARD (2016)
This is interesting: we've finally got a coed group here! KARD consists of two boys, J.Seph and BM, and two girls, Somin and Jiwoo. This song has a tropical style reminiscent of what was popular in Western pop in 2016, being similar to what Drake and Justin Bieber were doing around this time. The summery, almost reggaeton style is upbeat and makes a good use of the members' talents. The girls' singing sounds good and the boys do a nice job with the rapping. Honestly, it's just a breath of fresh air to see a coed kpop group. I feel like mixed-gender groups seem to be a rarity, not just in kpop but in all of music. I can't think of any other ones off the top of my head. There are groups like Paramore where there's only one woman, but I don't know any groups where there are an equal number of men and women. I think it would be interesting to see more coed groups. 8.5/10
24. “Rough” by GFriend (2016)
I think I've heard of GFriend before, but I've never heard anything from them. This song, "Rough," is the title track of their Snowflake EP. Remember, in kpop, the "title track" is just the lead single for the EP or album, it doesn't have to have the same name as the project. I'm sure it makes sense in South Korea but I'm a dumb American so it confuses me and I don't like it. As for the song, this genuinely surprised me. It's fitting that the EP is called Snowflake, as this song does almost sound wintry in its production. It has a nice usage of strings. There's also a guitar solo, which I didn't expect but I loved! The lyrics are actually pretty sweet when you look at a translated version, with my favorite line being "I will hold your hand in this cruel world." That's just nice, the sentiment of wanting to protect somebody in the hellscape that is our planet. Although the "holding hands" part will have to wait...we are in a global pandemic, after all. 9.5/10
25. “Someone Like You” by Dal Shabet (2016)
And we're ending with more 80s-style music, hell yes. With its driving bass, upbeat drum machines, sharp synths, and sparkling falsetto vocals, this almost sounds like a Korean Carly Rae Jepsen song. I really love the vast majority of what I've heard from Carly Rae (post-"Call Me Maybe," at least), so this is a huge compliment. Another comparison I'm making is that the bass in this song reminds me of "Black Magic" by Little Mix, one of my personal favorite songs from them. Apparently, this song is off of Dal Shabet's ninth EP, Naturalness, which means they have a lot more songs. If they have more Carly Rae Jepsen-esque songs in there, I should check them out. The only thing keeping me from giving this a 10/10 is the chipmunk voice in the opening. I could go without that, but other than that, this is a jam. 9.5/10
Those are our songs for Kpop Crash Course Part Three, and I feel like it was a mixed bag. The good stuff is some of the best I've heard in kpop, but the bad stuff is some of the worst. Although I didn't love every song here, I did find some songs I'll be listening to for a long time. Let's look at the favorites first. Here's every song I gave a 9/10 or higher:
10/10:
-"Call Me Baby" by EXO
-"I" by Taeyeon ft. Verbal Jint
-"I Feel You" by Wonder Girls
9.5/10
-"4 Walls" by f(x)
-"Blood Sweat & Tears" by BTS
-"Cheer Up" by Twice
-"Rough" by GFriend
-"Someone Like You" by Dal Shabet
9/10
-"Chained Up" by VIXX
-"Hero" by Monsta X
-"Boombayah" by Blackpink
-"Monster" by EXO
And least favorites, every song I gave a 5/10 or lower:
-"Up & Down" by EXID (2.5/10)
-"Bang Bang Bang" by BIGBANG (3.5/10)
-"Crazy" by 4minute (3/10)
-"Roll Deep" by Hyuna (1.5/10)
-"Hate" by 4minute (5/10) (I kind of feel bad that 3 of my 5 least favorites from this round are either by 4minute or by a member of 4minute, with Hyuna. But I have to be honest, those songs just don't work for me.)
As I did for Part Two, I'm going to find the average for the songs in Part Three. I'm not sure what purpose this serves other than to assess how good the 2015-2016 era was for kpop, I guess. Anyways, the average is 7.7! That means that this 2015-2016 kpop was better than the 2007-2011 era from Part One (average 6.9) and a tad better than the 2012-2014 era from Part Two (average 7.6). Will Part Four continue our upward spiral? We'll continue talking about big names like BTS, Blackpink, and Twice, and we'll also get to know group's I've heard a lot about but never listened to, like Red Velvet, Mamamoo, and Seventeen. I think Kpop Crash Course Part Four will be out in two weeks. I have something fun I want to do next week that's almost completely unrelated. I'll see you then.
Stellar
No comments:
Post a Comment