Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Alright, catching up on the week in K-pop, there’s been a few songs that probably would get longer write-ups if I wasn’t lazy as hell, which is a good thing.
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n.SSign – “Funk Jam”
Feels less like a jam and more like a carol or something.
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HELLO GLOOM – “MAMACITA”
I mean, considering what is selling millions, this definitely deserves more than nine albums sold. It’s fun.
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Super Junior D&E – “GGB”
It’s a bit ironic that this title was controversial, as the song itself is anything but. It’s safe and pleasant enough for fans to rally around if they want.
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AMPERS&ONE – “Broken Heart”
Yeah, I still don’t get the appeal of stuff like this.
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RESCENE – “UhUh”
The production here is great, loved how it felt sticky and dynamic throughout. They’re a more effective hook away from glory for me, and are definitely a group to watch moving forward. That said, I’m seeing LOONA/ODD EYE CIRCLE comps, and while the vibe may be similar, the topline stuff just isn’t comparable yet. YET.
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BoA – “Emptiness”
The choreo is great and the concept is neat, but it’s certainly not one of her best maturer musical efforts. The rap seemed way out of place for the vibe the song was going for, and while she maybe would’ve been criticized if she leaned into the Afrobeats aspect more, it also would’ve been a better song.
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Candy Shop – “Good Girl”
A subtle track with a nice rhythm to it that’s undercut by a repetitive chorus that ends up more grating than addictive on replays. Probably more worryingly is that it’s not a debut that really grabs attention.
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UNIS – “SUPERWOMAN”
Whether you love or hate tracks like (G)I-DLE’s “SUPER LADY”, I feel like it should be law that pop songs titled like that should at least have that kind of ambitious verve to it. You cannot do a song called “SUPERWOMAN” and then try to cruise along with a ‘just vibes’ kind of track that doesn’t have much of a hook. A survival show debut, so I guess it’s fine since the audience is already there, but still.
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TAN – “HYPERTONIC”
Okay, this is upsetting. I thought it was just the music video making it sound muffled and almost echo-y at times, but it’s the same on Spotify, so it just seems like a shit mix or something. That sucks because while there’s still a good electro-pop type song in there, I think the audio issues prevents it from reaching the levels it could. I can’t unhear it. Hoping for a remix at some point, honestly.
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J-Hope (BTS) (Feat. Gaeko & Yoon Mi Rae) – “NEURON”
Simple, funky, old-school hip-hop track that features a talented trio, which helps elevate an otherwise just solid sound. Not much else to say, really.
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ARTMS‘ pre-release will get a longer look soon (hopefully).
