I have really loved writing this Kpop Crash Course series. It's been a great way for me to explore new music, as well as a way for me to learn about the impact that Korean pop music and culture has had on the world. With that being said, I can't wait to move on to new things with my blog. I want the satisfaction of finishing a project, and this is how we'll do it.
To refresh: In this series, I have been looking at 100 iconic kpop songs in an effort to learn about the genre of kpop by analyzing its most legendary tracks. The song selection is taken from this video: 100 LEGENDARY K-POP SONGS (READ DESCRIPTION) by the channel hele. This same channel has another video with even more legendary kpop songs that I will probably look at during the summer. I listened to and commented on every song, rating them all from 1 to 10. At the end of each post, I list my favorites and least favorites from each selection. This is Part 4, so we will be looking at the 75th to 100th song featured in the linked video. This should be obvious, but these are merely one girl's opinions. If I say I don't like a song you love, don't send me death threats, and if I like a song you hate, don't call me a tasteless idiot. I'll respect yours if you respect mine. Also, I would absolutely recommend you read the first three parts of Kpop Crash Course first, as I reference them a lot.
This song is by Chanyeol from the group EXO, and the female singer Punch. In South Korea, one of the most popular types of TV is the k-drama, which is exactly what it sounds like, a Korean-language drama series. A big part of the k-drama is the original soundtrack, or OST, which is a song or album created specifically for a series. This song, "Stay With Me," was created for the k-drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. As for the song itself, it's funny because I keep comparing it to Chanyeol's work with his group. Whereas the EXO songs I know are very aggressive and upbeat, like "Overdose" and "Call Me Baby," this song is a tender ballad. Both Chanyeol and Punch have very delicate voices and a lot of chemistry in their performance. Chanyeol also demonstrates versatility by singing and rapping. The melody is pretty and almost reminds me of the melody in "Heaven" by Bryan Adams, an 80s song I grew up listening to. I'm the type of person who usually prefers upbeat songs to ballads, so I would probably choose to listen to one of the EXO songs over this, but it's still really beautiful for what it is. 8.5/10
2. “The 7th Sense” by NCT U (2016)
There's a lot to unpack when it comes to NCT, a kpop group that prides itself on having an unlimited number of members. At this point, it only has 21 members, which are split into sub-units based in various cities. NCT U was the first sub-unit, and it consists of six members, although one of them (Taeil) does not appear on "The 7th Sense," their debut single. This song has a very bassy, minimal hip-hop style that wouldn't sound out of place with American hip-hop. The repetition of "open your eyes" is what mostly stands out to me. Another thing that stood out is how one of the rappers (Mark) said "it's a long-ass ride," which struck me because I haven't really heard much cursing in kpop. Weird. This song is fine, but I'm more interested by the NCT's "unlimited members" concept than I am by this song. "The 7th Sense" gets a 7/10. I didn't plan that out, I swear!
3. “Toy” by Block B (2016)
Fun fact: Block B were created for something called "Creating Korea's Eminem Project." I don't know why I find that amusing, especially since this song doesn't sound like any Eminem song I've heard. There's rapping, but the style doesn't particularly remind me of Slim Shady at all. Oddly enough, the artist it really reminds me of is Charlie Puth, and I'm not even sure why that is. I'm also getting Chainsmokers vibes from some of the production at the end. This song is nothing to get terribly mad at, it's just boring to me. Although the lyric "Now you know all you need is me, I'm your toy" just sounds childish instead of romantic to me. 5/10
4. “TT” by Twice (2016)
If you've read any of the other Kpop Crash Courses, then you'd know that Twice are my favorite kpop group. Twice and Blackpink are the only two I've really gone deep into, but I just feel so much more attached to Twice. "TT" was one of the first of their songs to catch my attention because of how well it shows their cute, upbeat personality. This is basically the ideal Twice song. Most of their material is a sonic sugar rush, and this song certainly is that. It's about falling in love, with the "TT" referring to an emoticon used to represent crying. The part that sticks out to me is how Jihyo, the group's leader, sings "Tell me that you'll be my baby" in the sweetest, most earnest tone. I also really love the music video, as it shows the girls in a haunted house, playing dress-up in Halloween costumes. I love how each of the members' costumes shows off their personalities. Personally, my favorite is Tzuyu's gorgeous vampire dress, although I really loved all of their cosplays. This song, video, and group just make me happy. 10/10
5. “Very Very Very” by I.O.I. (2016)
Speaking of Twice, one of the group's members, Jeongyeon, actually revealed "Very Very Very" was supposed to be a Twice song. She said the group had already started rehearsing it, but at some point, the higher-ups decided that "TT" was a better fit for Twice. I absolutely think this was the right decision. "Very Very Very" is in a weird position where I could see it as a Twice song, but if it was, it would certainly be my least favorite single from them. It's almost too hyperactive, too cutesy. It's also extremely repetitive, whereas most Twice singles have more developed choruses. There are redeeming qualities to it, as I particularly like Nayoung's faster rap flow. But as a whole, I just don't like this. It's annoying to me. 2.5/10
6. “You’re the Best” by Mamamoo (2016)
I've heard many good things about the group Mamamoo. I've heard that they're particularly powerful vocalists who openly support LGBTQ+ rights, and one of them (Hwasa) even appeared on a remix of "Physical" by Dua Lipa, which is one of my favorite songs in recent memory. I do think the group name of "Mamamoo" is kind of stupid-sounding, but based off of what I know, I feel like I could totally get into these girls. And this is a great first impression! It has a very retro R&B style. I absolutely love the horns and the little bass lick that plays during the final line of the chorus. The girls also deliver powerhouse vocals. I've said it before, I'm always going to be a fan of impressive singers (I mean, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato are two of my favorite celebrities for this reason, among many other reasons), and the girls of Mamamoo certainly stand out in that regard. I love the retro style of this song and although I'm only going to listen to one of their songs for my project, I can't wait to hear more from them. 9/10
7. “Chase Me” by Dreamcatcher (2017)
For some reason, just from looking at the name, I thought Dreamcatcher were gonna be a boy band, but they're actually a girl group. As for the song, I'm quite impressed. It blends your standard girl-group Kpop sound with the explosive guitars and drums from J-rock. Granted, I don't really know anything about J-rock, but from the snippets of what I've heard, it sounds like this song, except this song is in Korean, not Japanese. It almost sounds like an anime opening, which is awesome. I've been drawn to a lot of the kpop songs with rock elements, so I like this. The girls are also pretty good. I especially like Dami's more soft-spoken rapping. This is interesting, in a good way. 9/10
8. “DNA” by BTS (2017)
Surprisingly, we're only covering four BTS songs throughout this series. I looked at "Dope," "Blood Sweat & Tears," and "Fire" last time, now we have "DNA." I think this is one of their most famous songs, and I think it was the first one I heard from them. They performed it at the American Music Awards in 2017, and I watched their performance, but didn't really think too much of it. Relistening to it now, there's a lot to like about it. I like the acoustic guitars and the whistling that opens the track. I think this song is a good cross between their more explosive songs like "Dope" and "Fire," as it has a strong rhythmic section, but it also has the chilled-out atmosphere I loved in "Blood Sweat & Tears." The boys also sound really good. After listening to four different BTS songs, I've decided that Jimin is my bias from the group. What can I say, I like my dudes who sing high. 9/10
9. “Don’t Wanna Cry” by Seventeen (2017)
This sounds like the Chainsmokers. The production just sounds like something the Chainsmokers would do. All we need is the Chainsmoker guy and some random female vocalist singing lazily about being millennials in love! I kid, the Chainsmokers have some good songs. The production on this song is pretty good. I like the synths on the drop. The guys of Seventeen (which is a huge misnomer, as there are only thirteen members) all sound solid. Much better than the Chainsmoker guy, that's for damn sure. Also, the main lyric of this song, when translated, is "I have a lot of tears, but I don't wanna cry." Story of my life, everyone. 8/10
10. “Energetic” by Wanna One (2017)
I love how the members of this group all have traditional Korean names, like Sungwoon, Minhyun, and Jinyoung, and then there's Daniel. The song "Energetic" is, for lack of a better term, a total banger. This production is absolutely amazing. It has that 90s-house-style piano that just makes me happy whenever I hear it. I love how the song goes from a piano ballad style to a more electropop chorus. I was grooving in my seat while listening. The title of the song is very accurate, as this song has a great energy to dance to. The chorus is quite catchy as well. The guys are also pretty good. Whoever did the high notes at the end (Jaehwan?) really did a nice job with them. What can I say, I like my dudes who sing high! 9.5/10
11. “Gashina” by Sunmi (2017)
Sunmi was a former member of the Wonder Girls, but this is her as a solo artist. I'm very conflicted on this song. On one hand, I really like a lot of it. Sunmi has a nice voice, a lot huskier and deeper than kpop girls usually are. I also like most of the production. The weird pan-flute-y synths in the beginning were unique and I liked them. On the other hand, I straight-up hate the drop. It's certainly memorable, but the tone of it is just grating. This song reminds me a lot of Jennie from Blackpink's solo single, "Solo," but I like that song a lot more. (Probably because I'm biased towards Blackpink, but let's just ignore that.) This song was so close to being amazing, but the drop is just annoying. 6.5/10
12. “Hobgoblin” by CLC (2017)
So, this song was written by Hyuna...yeah. If you've read the other Kpop Crash Courses, then you'd know that I'm not too big on her. She has a fierce attitude and I actually really liked her work with Beast's Hyunseung on "Trouble Maker," but I just don't like anything else I've heard from her, either as a solo artist or with 4minute. Most of the problems I had with the other Hyuna songs are true for "Hobgoblin," as I find this song grating and irritating. The vocals are very nasally and the trap production is too aggressive and wonky for my tastes. The melody is also pretty annoying to me. If you like it, that's great. It's just not for me. 1.5/10
13. “I Wait” by Day6 (2017)
Alright, this one I'm excited for. Day6 are actually a Korean rock band, and considering what I literally just said ("I've been drawn to a lot of the kpop songs with rock elements"), I'm expecting to love this. And I'm not disappointed! This is awesome. This instrumental is almost like something Fall Out Boy would do (I think this song would make a great mashup with "Sugar We're Going Down," to be specific), which is absolutely a compliment. There's also this weird, quirky video game synth in the chorus that gives the song character. I also really love the interplay between the guys' vocals. This is a great first impression, and I'd love to dig deeper into Day6's discography. 9.5/10
14. “Palette” by IU ft. G-Dragon (2017)
IU is one of the few truly solo singers we've covered in this series. I think it's fascinating how kpop seems to be so group-centric. I think the only other solo artists who have never been a part of a group are PSY and Ailee. However, the lack of a group hasn't hindered her success at all, as her song "Good Day" was named Billboard's #1 greatest kpop song of the decade. She also writes her own music, which is cool. The lyrics of this song have a great message about loving yourself, and the details are very personal to IU. She even says "Rather than long hair, I definitely prefer a short bob/Nonetheless, I was still pretty when I sang 'Good Day.'" It has a very wholesome message about loving yourself throughout all the changes in your life. G-Dragon from BIGBANG also provides a verse with a similar theme about how people change. I also really like the atmospheric production and IU's delicate falsetto. This song has a really uplifting message about self-reflection, so I think I'm going to give it a 10/10.
15. “Really Really” by Winner (2017)
I'd say the fact that this group is called "Winner" is a little too ambitious and self-centered, but then again, B.A.P. stands for "Best Awesome Perfect," which is even more self-centered, but their song "One Shot" is easily one of my favorite songs I've discovered from doing this. This song is extremely of its time. It has the same tropical house style that was huge around this time, and if you were to throw it in the same playlist as songs like "Despacito," "Shape of You," and "Something Just Like This," it would fit in perfectly. This song is really honestly kind of making me miss 2017. At the time, I didn't enjoy 2017, but now that things have gotten so much worse (um, hello, global pandemic!), I kind of miss it. As a song, "Really Really" is okay. I'm not huge on the way they sing the title, as their voices almost sound goofy to me, but I don't really have anything against it. It's mostly just giving me 2017 nostalgia that I didn't even know I had. 7/10
16. “Red Flavor” by Red Velvet (2017)
I always think of Red Velvet in the same way I think of My Chemical Romance. You see, many fans like to describe Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and MCR as the "emo trinity," and while I was obsessed with the former two, I never took the chance to get into MCR other than listening to The Black Parade once (it was really good from what I remember). Similarly, Blackpink, Twice, and Red Velvet are the three biggest kpop girl groups, and while I wholeheartedly love Blackpink and Twice, I haven't gotten into Red Velvet quite yet. I do like their song "Psycho" quite a lot, and I'm intrigued by how they have both fun bops and sultry, mature songs under their belt. And my first thoughts are that "Red Flavor" is the perfect summer song. It has such a strong, percussive rhythm and a bright, energetic style. This song really shows a sassy, fun side of Red Velvet and they all sound really solid here. Color me impressed. Also fun fact: you know how I said "Good Day" by IU was Billboard's pick for the greatest kpop song of the decade? Well, "Red Flavor" was #2 on that list. You could do worse. 9.5/10
17. “Wee Woo” by Pristin (2017)
Just from looking at the title, all I can think of is this:
I'm of the opinion that any opportunity to make a SpongeBob reference should always be taken. "Wee Woo" was Pristin's debut single, and for me, it's a mixed bag. I like the production, with a great disco guitar part and catchy hooks. However, I don't like the girls' voices as much. They're very high-pitched and nasally. It also doesn't seem like there's much to distinguish Pristin from other girl groups. I could see this as a Twice song, but not a particularly good one. Still, it gets points for giving me the opportunity to make a SpongeBob joke. 5.5/10
18. “Bad Boy” by Red Velvet (2018)
Red Velvet is known for having a dual concept inspired by their name. The "red" half of their discography is more fun pop/electronic, whereas the "velvet" half is R&B-inspired, with elements from funk, hip-hop, and jazz. "Red Flavor" is part of the "red" concept and "Bad Boy" is part of the "velvet" concept. I like the dual-concept premise as it gives them more of a chance to show versatility. "Bad Boy" is very sultry and wears its R&B/hip-hop influences on its sleeve. The chorus is also quietly catchy and the "ooh ooh"s are fun and playful. The girls also give strong vocal performances. I still think my favorite Red Velvet song is "Psycho," but I like both "Red Flavor" and "Bad Boy" a lot and I hope to look up more of their stuff. 9.5/10
19. “Bboom Bboom” by Momoland (2018)
Okay, this one I actually do know. I know nothing about Momoland as a group, but this song is on my playlist because I heard snippets of it and thought it sounded like a bop. It's been on my playlist for a hot minute, meaning that I like it quite a bit. "Bboom Bboom" by Momoland is not anything deep or profound, it's just cute and catchy. Sometimes I just need a cute, catchy song. The "give it to you, nanananana" chorus is an earworm, and the sax line is also really catchy. The song did amass controversy after the Russian girl group Serebro accused Momoland('s producers) of ripping off their song "Mi Mi Mi." And it turns out that they've been accused of copying a bunch more songs, as compiled by this video. Hell, it supposedly "ripped off" "DNA" by BTS and "TT" by Twice, two songs we already looked at today! The "hit it, hit it" also reminds me of "Sweetener" by Ariana Grande, even though this song came out several months before "Sweetener." My point is that this song is not very original. I still like to bop to it, however. 9/10
20. “Ddu-du Ddu-du” by Blackpink (2018)
Time to talk about Blackpink again! This song in particular is currently the most viewed YouTube video by a kpop group, sitting pretty at 1.1 billion views as I write this. Despite the fact that I can never seem to properly write out the title of this song, I still love it. I think this song is the best representative of who Blackpink is as a group. It has trap and EDM influences and the girls all are fierce here. Lisa and Jennie's rapping has so much attitude and Jisoo and Rosé both get chances for their unique voices to shine. The production is also insane. In her verse, Jennie says "When the bass drops, it's another banger." Then at the end, the bass drops and it's crazy, proving Jennie's words to be true. Of the slim number of songs Blackpink has released (seriously, they've been out since 2016 and only have around 15 songs), this is one of my favorites. Not my absolute favorite (for my money, "Playing With Fire" is their best song), but I still get lots of plays out of it. I'm just waiting on bated breath for Blackpink to put out new music. Their Lady Gaga collaboration, "Sour Candy," will be out on May 29th, and it's gonna be a bop, but I want more! 10/10
21. “I’m So Sick” by Apink (2018)
This song marks a shift for Apink from a cutesy concept to a mature one. It is to Apink what "Fancy" was to Twice, in that regard. Coincidentally, this song was produced by the South Korean production duo Black Eyed Pilseung, who produced "Fancy," as well as a bunch of other Twice songs. The production of "I'm So Sick" is its strongest asset. I love the twinkling synths and catchy vocal loops. It also has a strong hook and the girls sound mature and in control. I like my cutesy kpop songs (see "Bboom Bboom" and "TT" for evidence of this), but I like when girl groups demonstrate maturity even more. The only other song I know from Apink is "No No No," which is representative of their cutesy style, but this is so much better. 9.5/10
22. “La Vie En Rose” by IZ*ONE (2018)
With most of these later girl groups, I've heard of them, but never listened to them. That's certainly the case for IZ*ONE. This was their debut single, and I'm really into this. The production is fantastic, being delicate when it needs to be and powerful when it needs to be. I really like the drop, which is centered around a low-key string instrumental (I think the instrument is called the koto, but I'm not 100%). The beat to it also sounds like the beat in "New Rules" by Dua Lipa. I'm also impressed by the girls' vocals, especially the one really high note just casually in the melody before the chorus. I don't really have much else to say, I just like it. 9/10
23. “Latata” by (G)I-DLE (2018)
Like IZ*ONE, (G)I-DLE are another group I've heard of, but never listened to other than hearing snippets of this song. Just from hearing those snippets, this song made a lasting impression in my head. The production is very similar in style to Major Lazer's "Lean On," and it's pretty catchy. I also love the sampled "I love you!" repeated throughout. I don't really care for the rap in this song, because I just think her voice is kind of annoying, but I like everything else about it. One of the girls kind of sounds like Jisoo from Blackpink. Also: the group released an official English version of "Latata" the day I wrote this (May 15), due to their signing with Republic Records (a big American label which currently houses artists like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande). I didn't listen to the English version because I didn't know it existed until two minutes ago. 8.5/10
24. “Love Scenario” by IKON (2018)
There's one thing that really stands out to me about this: COWBELL! I've gotten to play cowbell for a few songs in my pep band career (mainly "Low Rider"), so I tend to get joy from songs with cowbells. Other than that, this song almost sounds unfinished to me. It's trying to go for a mellow vibe, and I get that, but it feels like it needs one more element to put it over the top. It's just overall kind of boring for me, although I do like how they pronounce "scenario." I normally pronounce it "sen-AIR-ee-oh" but they say "SEEN-uh REE-oh." That's kind of funny. 6/10
25. “Shine” by Pentagon (2018)
This is the very last song I'm going to look at for this...until I make a "Kpop Crash Course 2.0," whenever that happens. This song was okay at first, but it got better as I progressed through it. The bridge on this song is one of the best I've heard in kpop. I like Yuto's deeper rapping voice and how the group chants "love you, love you, love you" in unison. Then one of them (either Jinho or Kino, I think) holds out an impressive note and it stops. Then the track explodes back into action. This song is overall okay, but the bridge bumped it up a few points. I'm always a sucker for a good bridge. 9/10
And with that, we've officially looked at 100 of the most iconic kpop songs of all time. The average for the songs in this part is 7.9/10, which is the highest average yet for all of these. I felt like I only found one new song that was instantly a 10/10 for me (the other two 10/10s were songs I already liked beforehand), but overall, this is a consistently good bunch of songs, as there were only two I really didn't care for. Most importantly, I got to hear artists like Mamamoo, Red Velvet, and Day6, who I can't wait to deep-dive into. Let's quickly recap my top favorites:
10/10:
-"TT" by Twice
-"Palette" by IU ft. G-Dragon
-"Ddu-du Ddu-du" by Blackpink
9.5/10:
-"Energetic" by Wanna One
-"I Wait" by Day6
-"Red Flavor" by Red Velvet
-"Bad Boy" by Red Velvet
-"I'm So Sick" by Apink
9/10:
-"You're The Best" by Mamamoo
-"Chase Me" by Dreamcatcher
-"DNA" by BTS
-"Bboom Bboom" by Momoland
-"La Vie En Rose" by IZ*ONE
-"Shine" by Pentagon
And now, least favorites, I guess. Here's every song that got a 5/10 or lower:
-"Toy" by Block B (5/10)
-"Very Very Very" by I.O.I. (2.5/10)
-"Hobgoblin" by CLC (1.5/10)
Man, that's all I had getting a 5/10 or lower? One of which wasn't even that bad!
Next week, I'm going to write a formal epilogue for Kpop Crash Course, in which I'm going to order my favorite songs I discovered from this series, as well as a few other lists. I'll see you then!
Stellar
Time to talk about Blackpink again! This song in particular is currently the most viewed YouTube video by a kpop group, sitting pretty at 1.1 billion views as I write this. Despite the fact that I can never seem to properly write out the title of this song, I still love it. I think this song is the best representative of who Blackpink is as a group. It has trap and EDM influences and the girls all are fierce here. Lisa and Jennie's rapping has so much attitude and Jisoo and Rosé both get chances for their unique voices to shine. The production is also insane. In her verse, Jennie says "When the bass drops, it's another banger." Then at the end, the bass drops and it's crazy, proving Jennie's words to be true. Of the slim number of songs Blackpink has released (seriously, they've been out since 2016 and only have around 15 songs), this is one of my favorites. Not my absolute favorite (for my money, "Playing With Fire" is their best song), but I still get lots of plays out of it. I'm just waiting on bated breath for Blackpink to put out new music. Their Lady Gaga collaboration, "Sour Candy," will be out on May 29th, and it's gonna be a bop, but I want more! 10/10
21. “I’m So Sick” by Apink (2018)
This song marks a shift for Apink from a cutesy concept to a mature one. It is to Apink what "Fancy" was to Twice, in that regard. Coincidentally, this song was produced by the South Korean production duo Black Eyed Pilseung, who produced "Fancy," as well as a bunch of other Twice songs. The production of "I'm So Sick" is its strongest asset. I love the twinkling synths and catchy vocal loops. It also has a strong hook and the girls sound mature and in control. I like my cutesy kpop songs (see "Bboom Bboom" and "TT" for evidence of this), but I like when girl groups demonstrate maturity even more. The only other song I know from Apink is "No No No," which is representative of their cutesy style, but this is so much better. 9.5/10
22. “La Vie En Rose” by IZ*ONE (2018)
With most of these later girl groups, I've heard of them, but never listened to them. That's certainly the case for IZ*ONE. This was their debut single, and I'm really into this. The production is fantastic, being delicate when it needs to be and powerful when it needs to be. I really like the drop, which is centered around a low-key string instrumental (I think the instrument is called the koto, but I'm not 100%). The beat to it also sounds like the beat in "New Rules" by Dua Lipa. I'm also impressed by the girls' vocals, especially the one really high note just casually in the melody before the chorus. I don't really have much else to say, I just like it. 9/10
23. “Latata” by (G)I-DLE (2018)
Like IZ*ONE, (G)I-DLE are another group I've heard of, but never listened to other than hearing snippets of this song. Just from hearing those snippets, this song made a lasting impression in my head. The production is very similar in style to Major Lazer's "Lean On," and it's pretty catchy. I also love the sampled "I love you!" repeated throughout. I don't really care for the rap in this song, because I just think her voice is kind of annoying, but I like everything else about it. One of the girls kind of sounds like Jisoo from Blackpink. Also: the group released an official English version of "Latata" the day I wrote this (May 15), due to their signing with Republic Records (a big American label which currently houses artists like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande). I didn't listen to the English version because I didn't know it existed until two minutes ago. 8.5/10
24. “Love Scenario” by IKON (2018)
There's one thing that really stands out to me about this: COWBELL! I've gotten to play cowbell for a few songs in my pep band career (mainly "Low Rider"), so I tend to get joy from songs with cowbells. Other than that, this song almost sounds unfinished to me. It's trying to go for a mellow vibe, and I get that, but it feels like it needs one more element to put it over the top. It's just overall kind of boring for me, although I do like how they pronounce "scenario." I normally pronounce it "sen-AIR-ee-oh" but they say "SEEN-uh REE-oh." That's kind of funny. 6/10
25. “Shine” by Pentagon (2018)
This is the very last song I'm going to look at for this...until I make a "Kpop Crash Course 2.0," whenever that happens. This song was okay at first, but it got better as I progressed through it. The bridge on this song is one of the best I've heard in kpop. I like Yuto's deeper rapping voice and how the group chants "love you, love you, love you" in unison. Then one of them (either Jinho or Kino, I think) holds out an impressive note and it stops. Then the track explodes back into action. This song is overall okay, but the bridge bumped it up a few points. I'm always a sucker for a good bridge. 9/10
And with that, we've officially looked at 100 of the most iconic kpop songs of all time. The average for the songs in this part is 7.9/10, which is the highest average yet for all of these. I felt like I only found one new song that was instantly a 10/10 for me (the other two 10/10s were songs I already liked beforehand), but overall, this is a consistently good bunch of songs, as there were only two I really didn't care for. Most importantly, I got to hear artists like Mamamoo, Red Velvet, and Day6, who I can't wait to deep-dive into. Let's quickly recap my top favorites:
10/10:
-"TT" by Twice
-"Palette" by IU ft. G-Dragon
-"Ddu-du Ddu-du" by Blackpink
9.5/10:
-"Energetic" by Wanna One
-"I Wait" by Day6
-"Red Flavor" by Red Velvet
-"Bad Boy" by Red Velvet
-"I'm So Sick" by Apink
9/10:
-"You're The Best" by Mamamoo
-"Chase Me" by Dreamcatcher
-"DNA" by BTS
-"Bboom Bboom" by Momoland
-"La Vie En Rose" by IZ*ONE
-"Shine" by Pentagon
And now, least favorites, I guess. Here's every song that got a 5/10 or lower:
-"Toy" by Block B (5/10)
-"Very Very Very" by I.O.I. (2.5/10)
-"Hobgoblin" by CLC (1.5/10)
Man, that's all I had getting a 5/10 or lower? One of which wasn't even that bad!
Next week, I'm going to write a formal epilogue for Kpop Crash Course, in which I'm going to order my favorite songs I discovered from this series, as well as a few other lists. I'll see you then!
Stellar
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