Top 10 Songs of 2015 - Title Tracks

Guys, this was so hard. Putting together this list was nearly impossible, and I honestly cannot understand how I managed to narrow it down to a top 10 last year. I have to say that 2015 has been pretty good in terms of music, and thus this ranking of my favorite songs took some time to put together. Like with the post for favorite albums I have added some restrictions here as well, because otherwise it would be too hard. For example I have split this ranking into two categories; title tracks and b-sides, as well as limiting it to Korean songs only (meaning no Japanese songs by Korean artists), and in doing so this has become a bit easier, but still very difficult. Nonetheless, here you have the first part of this series; my favorite songs of 2015, title track edition!

Song of the Week #50

Song Mino - Fear (Ft. Taeyang) on Show Me The Money 4



As you may or may not know (most probably the former), Winner's very own Mino was a contestant on the fourth season of Show Me The Money. I did not follow the show because it's messy and embarrassing, so it was by accident I came across this performance from the semi-finals. "Fear" is one of the best song's I've heard all year, period. This is rap done right, as it's both emotionally evoking and incredibly heartfelt, and Minho pours his heart out in this performance. This has been on repeat ever since I heard it. Amazing. 

A 2014 Year-end Festival Review - SBS Gayo Daejun

The 3 year-end shows hosted by KBS, MBC and SBS respectively are one of the big highlights of the year. While I think they used to be heaps better in the past (could be because K-Pop had a quite different approach back then though) I still enjoy them immensely. I get to see a ton of my favorite acts all together in one show, they get to perform remixes of their tracks, show of some special dance moves or even do collaborations with other idols. It's literally a fangirl's dream come true. Well, at least mine.

I didn't get to watch any of the shows live because I didn't have access to a computer or high speed internet, but that meant I could engage in a festival marathon instead and that's not too shabby either. Last year I was kind of disappointed with all three of them, as they all had some downsides and issues. A reoccurring problem is sound, which seems to always falter, as well as camera work and generally boring stages. The MBC one was probably my favorite though, with SBS coming second. This time I haven't had time to build up any expectations, and with all the drama that's happened this year I wondered how these festivals would turn out.

Of Sub-units and Solos Pt. 2

If your favorite group isn't announcing an upcoming debut of a sub-unit, and let's face it, they are, it's highly likely that they will announce an solo debut instead. Recently there has been a flooding of new solists, from Taemin, Secret and T-Ara to the forever underrated Zhoumi getting his own album. Due to this I though I might take a look at some of Kpop's more memorable solo acts as of yet.

[I know this post is way overdue, since the first part was posted way back in March, but better late than never I suppose!]

Midyear Check-Up - Top 5 Albums

Sunmi - Full Moon 

For her first album ever, Sunmi brings out the big guns and shows everyone just what she's capable of as a solo artist. There's a variety of sounds and styles, yet it all blends perfectly together thanks to Sunmi's clear vocals which seem to have improved immensely since her Wonder Girls days. 

Favorite Songs: "If That Was You", "Who Am I"

BTS - Skool Luv Affair

One of the major strengths of this relatively new group lies within the brilliant composing. Their songs have interesting lyrics and talk about topics listeners feel familiar with, and therefore manages to reach out to that teenage demographic. It also helps that they have actual rappers that know what they're doing, because it helps giving the group a genuine hip-hop sound that other groups trying the same concept wish they had. 

Favorite Songs: "Boy In Luv", "Tomorrow", "Spinebreaker"

Taeyang - Rise

The main dancer, vocalist and ab-flasher of Big Bang made a majestic return as a solo artist after several years of hiatus this June. I'm generally not a fan of that typical "YG" sound, as is the reason why I don't really like any of their acts, but this album really won me over. Taeyang gets to showcase his vocal skills in both up- och down-tempo tracks and present catchy melodies and great lyrics.

Favorite Song: "1AM", "This Ain't It", "Love You To Death"

After School - Dress To Kill

This group's first full Japanese album sets the bar for K-Pop idols overseas releases really far up. Although I have enjoyed their Korean material too, this album is by far my favorite of theirs and by far my favorite on this list. Every single song on this album is worth listening to, and how often does that happen that you can listen to an entire album without skipping one or two songs? That's how good this album is. 

Favorite Songs: "Triangle", "Crazy Driver", "Heaven", "Spotlight"

Beast - Good Luck

Beast continues to be amazing in the music department with their 6th mini album, and proves once again that they're one of the more skilled groups in the industry. There are plenty of different sounds to choose from on this album, but all of them share that specific color that only Beast has. All of the members are put to good use, and member Junhyung sure has a bright future as a composer and producer, if not for Beast than for other acts too. 

Favorite Songs: "Good Luck", "Dance With U", "Sad Movie"

What are your favorite albums of the first half of 2014?

Taeyang Is Back In The Most Glorious Way Possible With "Rise"

When I first got into Kpop, the YG groups were the ones that I was introduced to. It's not that strange at all because they are very popular internationally, especially in the western world, so Big Bang and 2ne1 were certainly at the top of my playlist at that time. As of right now though, I'm really not a YG person in any way. I mean, I like the acts and their music and I'm really excited about Winner's upcoming debut, but I just can't get into any of them. This being said, I have listened very little to any of Taeyang's previous solo material except the classics "I Need a Girl" and "Wedding dress". However, I liked the title track a lot for his new album so I thought I'd give it a try, and boy was I pleasantly surprised.

Best Of Kpop 2013 - The Hair Edition

Oh, kpop. I don't know how you keep finding new ways to make your idols' hair look stranger and crazier as time goes by. Just when you think you've seen it all, something new comes along and you find yourself sitting with your jaw all the way down on the floor.

However, there are also those people who just look good in just about anything, and that itself is a victory. In this post, I'm going to name some of my favorite hairstyles of the year, but also some of the worst.

Best Of Kpop 2013 - Choreographies

One of my absolute favorite aspects of the kpop world is the dances. I always look forward to seeing what kind of moves my bias groups will put out, and I find myself constantly discovering new routines that blow my mind!

Best Of Kpop 2013 - Gayo Daejuns

The absolute highlight of the year has to be the year-end fesitivals broadcast by the three largest television companies SBS, MBC and KBS. This year was my second time watching the Gayos and I was able to semi stream the first two ones but the MBC is broadcast on New Year's eve and unfortunately I wasn't home at the time.
As a whole I must say I'm a bit disappointed with all three of them, because neither really impressed me all too much. Obviously there were some great performances but overall it was a step down from last year. I've heard it said so many times how much better the Gayos used to be back in the day, for example 2008 which is usually named the best year. I, however have not experienced that myself so all I can compare to are the ones last year.