Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Deep Cuts is back again.
You’re welcome.
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N.Flying – “Anyway”
N.Flying has been a surprising revelation to me this year. Obviously the band aspect has appeal, but the way they’ve always managed to weave in their hip-hop aspects seamlessly has managed to make them a consistent pleasure.
“Anyway” continues this trend, with the simple guitar and drum instrumental laying a danceable foundation that for the most part sounds like Western boy band pop-rock, but like … the catchy and fun ones. Again though, the thing that sets them apart is the rapid-fire rapping that perfectly flows organically within the song, even if it is relied upon less here.
The chorus tops off the summery sound, with the memorable “oh love me, oh love me” and “trust me oh trust me” refrains that are pleasantly bouncy. “Anyway” is definitely something we’ve heard many times before in the West, but N.Flying themselves helped make it a noteworthy b-side nevertheless.
Dreamcatcher – “Mayday”
“Mayday” is an upbeat rock song with a harder edge that hearkens back to their debut with “Chase Me“. The heavy metal guitars and energetic drums keep pushing things forward, but the background piano/keyboard and synths are what made the sound standout.
The chorus in particular was stellar with its “mayday mayday” refrain delivered impressively and taking the energy off the effort up to a peak. Thankfully, they just didn’t leave it as a hook and it’s a rich chorus that goes at a breakneck pace. Even the pre-chorus exclamation of “remember me, remember me” ends up as a memorable moment.
The bridge is the only time when the song calms things down a bit, but that’s just to give the listener time to breathe before launching right back into the deep end. “Mayday” is a playful song overall, and while the comparison is lazy, it’s definitely true that this fits right in with an anime OST. This is one that you’d love to see Dreamcatcher perform live backed by a band in the future.
SHINee – “Chemistry”
SHINee have been so consistent year after year in terms of churning out quality music. While I think many got into them because of their poppier hook songs earlier in their career, I definitely think they’ve peaked musically in the last few years or so as they’ve matured, and they’ve become one of my favorites over that time.
“Chemistry” is an example why, as it’s bouncy and trendy, with not a whole lot new happening in this dancehall track. However, SHINee help separate it from the back thanks to their vocals that power an exhilarating chorus. If instead of a lazy instrumental breakdown, every song of this type had as fleshed out as a chorus with a catchy refrain, I doubt we’d see as many complaints about it.
It’s title track quality in the end, as there’s a rhythm and flow to it all that turns what could be a throwaway retread effort in the hands of a different group into an addictive and eminently danceable hit.
SHINee – “Who Waits For Love”
Low-key bitter at SHINee for this, as I keep wanting to put five different artists in this feature for the sake of diversity and they were the ones that ruined it this time. “Who Waits For Love” represents another trendy sound for SHINee, as they go with a moombahton core sound this time. Somehow though, instead of making it feel like something we don’t want anymore, this is another song that could’ve easily fit as a title track. The atmosphere is dramatic and intense, which helps everything work as it builds despite the tempo being on the low side for the most part.
The chorus is what shines especially bright, with an explosion of vocals and the instrumental picking up the pace and complexity. Of particular note is the impressive centerpiece “who waits for love, who waits for love” refrain that’s nicely drawn out, and it’s appropriately bold and pained. “Who Waits For Love” goes down as a refreshing take on a familiar sound.
MRSHLL – “Come Over”
Considering what he represents, MRSHLL‘s relative lack of international support is honestly puzzling to me. Even more so when he has efforts like “Come Over“, which is powered by standout synths that are paired with a consistent beat and occasional pounding drums.
It takes the step into being hit-worthy with the explosive “won’t you come over” refrain that really propels the song to much-appreciated new heights and secures its appeal to the listener. I also like his voice, and it’s not that I know much about technical singing, but whenever I hear him singing I know it’s MRSHLL since he’s quite distinct. All of this helped make “Come Over” a surprisingly addicting earworm that I couldn’t get out of my head for a good while.
