15 Favorite Title Tracks Of 2016

It dawned on me as I was making this list just how many good songs were released this year. I never had the thought that 2016 would be such a good year musically as the year was passing, however in hindsight I can definitely say there's been many great releases. Additionally I did notice that compared to my "K-pop 2015" playlist there are many more tracks on this years', which also tells me that 2016 did deliver in that aspect. Like last year I'm going to make a separate post for title tracks and b-sides, just because it would be too difficult to cram the two into one ranking, as well as expanding the list to 15 tracks instead of 10. I listen to way too much music, basically. Let's go!


Red Velvet - Russian Roulette

Funnily enough I wasn't much into the song at all when I first listened to it, but after hearing it a few times I couldn't get it out of my head. I love the electronica-infused bubblegum-pop sound and the chorus is incredibly infectious.

NCT U - Without You

Every once in a while a song comes along that at first listen has an impact big enough for you to feel your life slightly changing. That was what happened with this track as it from the beginning made me feel something completely new and different, truly feeling every note deep inside my heart.

Produce 101 - In The Same Place

Out of all the songs B1A4's Jinyoung has produced for girl groups this year (and you will see many more, I promise) this one is my absolute favorite. It's sweet and feminine but at the same time mature, heartfelt and absolutely stunning.

Luna - Free Somebody

When a group member goes solo you always wonder what direction they will go musically, and boy am I happy that Luna didn't go down the ballad route but instead chose to show off her vocals in this dance track. Such a good song.

Taeyeon - Why

I didn't exactly love this at first either but after a while it did become my favorite song of the summer, with it's EDM-influences and dance-friendly sound. It's a new genre for Taeyeon and she pulls it off just as flawlessly as one would expect.

Block B - Toy

Another song that might have flown slightly under the radar this year is Block B's "Toy", and it almost did to me too had I not heard it live at Kcon. It's a really chill track with great rapping (as one would expect), great lyrics and heartfelt vocals sung to a beautiful melody.

BTS - Blood, Sweat & Tears

You wouldn't expect a BTS song not to be here, right? It's almost as if everything they touch turn to gold, which was proven once again with their comeback this past October. It does have a different sound from their past work but they pull it off amazingly.

I.O.I - Whatta Man

I know that this song was sampled and thus isn't exactly a new, original song, but the arrangement of "Whatta Man" did kind of blow me out of the water. The power, attitude and fierceness is real with this track and I love every bit of it.

GFriend - Rough

It was difficult to chose between this song and "Navillera" as both were great tracks, but I think that at first listen I liked "Rough" a tiny bit better. It's a song that's very "GFriend-esque" but showcased a slightly more mature sound to round up their successful schoolgirl trilogy.

B.A.P - Skydive

"Skydive" provided me with the kind of content I've been wanting to see from B.A.P since like 2013, and that's not an exaggeration. I absolutely love the song and its raw power and force, with great rapping, vocals and a chorus that gets to me every listen.

EXO - Monster

Here as well I found it hard to pick between "Monster" and their other fantastic title track "Lucky One". However this one came out on top due to it being slightly more powerful, with a chorus that hits so hard it's impossible to forget.

Monsta X - Fighter

With Monsta X I once again had to choose between the two great title tracks they've released this year, but as much as I loved "All In" as a comeback I actually liked and listened to "Fighter" more, at least when looking at my top hits of 2016 on Spotify.

WJSN - Secret

This comeback did kind of come out of nowhere in the sense that I didn't expect it to be of such high quality. The title "Secret" isn't groundbreaking or without flaw but it still stuck on me and I have been listening to it countless times since it came out.

Boa & Beenzino - No Matter What

SM's "Station" project did provide some great material throughout 2016, but my absolute favorite has to be this electro-pop track by BoA and Beenzino. It has a very fresh and modern sound that I could definitely see being popular even in the US and Europe.

Dal Shabet - Someone Like U

Last but not least we have arguably the most underappreciated jam of 2016; Dal Shabet's "Someone Like U". It's a great 80's influenced pop track with a catchy melody and vocals. I do wish they would've gained some more fame with it because the song is that awesome.

Honorable mentions:

GFriend - Navillera

EXO - Lucky one
Taemin - Drip Drop
K.A.R.D - Oh NaNa

I.O.I - Very very very

Day6 - Letting go

Berry Good - Don't believe 

SHINee - Tell me what to do

BTS - Fire
Monsta X - All In

My KCON Paris 2016 Experience

One of the better events that has come out of the K-pop realm the last five years or so is KCON, a music festival and convention about everything and anything Korean. For the first years it took place only in the US but it has later expanded to other Asian countries like Japan and most recently also Abu Dhabi. It was therefore really surprising that suddenly a KCON in Paris was announced, and with probably one of the best line-ups of groups as well (that and the coming one in LA). My two french friends (whom I met in Korea) and I quickly decided we had to go, and we managed to buy standing tickets to the show, and although it felt like a long wait at the time suddenly it was time for me to fly to France and witness I.O.I, Block B, f(x), F.T Island, BTS and SHINee live in person.

Twins Or Not Twins? That's The Question

When I first got into K-pop, I couldn't tell anyone apart. Asians all look the same, right? Actually they don't look alike at all but for someone with little exposure to East Asia I honestly thought everyone looked very similar. Nowadays I can separate people almost instantly, but back in the day there were always those members of a group that I literally couldn't tell apart.

The examples below may seem ridiculous now, but at the time they were perfectly justified. I guess it shows how much I've grown used to these kind of features as well.

PART 1 - The Reasonable 

SNSD's Yuri and Yoona


Well, they are part of the infamous SNSD triplets (along with Seohyun), so I guess this isn't the strangest one.

Kara's Gyuri and former member Jiyoung


There's something about they way that they both don't look entirely Korean, if you know what I mean, that makes them similar. So far not too weird.


Infinite's L and Woohyun


They both had dark hair and similar haircuts when I got into Infinite, so don't look at me like that for comparing these two!

Secret's Sunhwa and Jieun


Big eyes, similar hairstyles, fair skin..., I mean the similarities just go on and on.

Block B's Jaehyo and B-Bomb


Anyone who says these two don't look alike is simply lying to themselves. To this day I still see some resemblance of one in the other.

B1A4's Jinyoung and Gongchan


They're both pretty boys so of course I would get them mixed up!

A Pink's Bomi and Chorong


Back when Chorong still had her chubby cheeks they could totally pass as sisters, or cousins, or distant relatives.

PART 2 - The Unreasonable

4Minute's Sohyun and Jihyun


These two look absolutely nothing alike whatsoever. I'm still confused as to how I used to think they looked similar.

SHINee's Taemin and Key


Again, no idea how I could get them mixed up. Key and Taemin literally look like they come from two separate universes.

BTS' J-Hope and Suga


Sure, they're both totally adorable but in completely different ways. The only similarity they actually had at their debut was the black hair color. Nothing else.

Got7's JB and Jr


One of them oozes masculinity and the other takes the prettiest pictures ever. Doesn't sound too similar, does it?

f(x)'s Luna and Sulli


Apart from the fact that they're both gorgeous, Luna and Sulli really don't share any facial features.

SNSD's Tiffany and former member Jessica


Again, how could I even think in the slightest bit that these two looked alike? I don't get it.

So now the question is: who did you think looked alike at first sight?

A 2014 Year-end Festival Review - KBS Gayo Daechukje

Last year, the KBS Gayo was a huge disappointment both for me and many others. It was just dreary and boring and never really went anywhere, and I know that this broadcasting company in particular has had a reputation for being just that for a very long time. After the SBS one however, I thought to myself that it really couldn't be more boring than that one, so I guess I hoped the show held on the 26th would bring some more energy.

Song of the Week - #21

Block B - HER


I honestly don't know why I can't seem to get into Block B as much as I would want to. They release good, solid songs and videos, are great performers and have entertaining personalities. Still, there's just something not connecting between us, but I guess it's like that between people you meet in everyday life as well. Their new track HER is such a jam. Perfect for summer, it's fun, energetic and just the right amount of cute.

The Strangest of Names - Fanclubs

JYP's latest heartthrob boy group GOT7 recently announced their official fanclub name via a YouTube video, and it's horrible. However, it doesn't really surprise me because in general, most fanclub names are quite questionable. As I eagerly await the reveal of EXO's (and poor f(x)) fanclub name, I thought it would be interesting to go through some of the more odd ones out there. And believe me, there's a lot of them.

Beautiful B-Sides Part 3: Hidden Treasures From The Boy Group Island

Well friends, we have finally made it. This is sadly the third and final part of my "Beautiful B-Sides" segment, and we have arrived at the last stop on our journey. I've been really looking forward to this particular part, since most of my favorite groups are male and I have a better knowledge of their music. Not to say I follow every single boy group out there, but I do actively follow at least 5. I do fear this post is going to be even longer than the previous one, but I am not sorry and neither will you be after reading it.

Beautiful B-Sides Part 1: When the Title Track Fails

Being someone who consumes a lot of music and listens to a lot of albums, I often come across songs that I cry over not being promoted as title tracks. Seriously, there are so many good b-sides. Therefore I wanted to share with you some of my favorites, while I weep silently over the wasted potential.

The Strangest of Names - Idols

Welcome to part 2 of my "Strangest Names" series- The Idol Name Edition.
Having stage names in Kpop is not something uncommon, in fact most idols have stage names. Some are just other Korean names or English names, but then there are those who fit into neither of those categories.

The Different Positions In A Kpop Group - The Leader

When I first got into Kpop there were many things that struck out as odd to me, and one of them was that each member in a group had a certain position, a responsibility assigned to them. This was not something I had much experience with, because when I don't listen to Kpop, I listen to rock music. I really like bands, and bandmembers have their positions because they play different instruments, but I didn't think it worked quite the same way with non-instrumental groups. However, when you think about it you realize that it's not so strange for them to also have different positions after all.

For a non-Kpop fan, it seems as if they all do the same things, you know? They all dance, sing (or rap), wear similar clothes and look similar in makeup and hair. But, you'll soon discover that there's more than what meets the eye. 

Best Of Kpop 2013 - Music Videos

Part of the reason that makes kpop so great are the fantastic music videos that accompany many of the songs. These are my top 10 mv's that were released in 2013, of those that I have seen (in no particular order).