Summer K-pop Favorites

There are so many songs! I don't know what it was about July, but I just loved everything! That is one reason that I wrote the K-pop Rookies post because the list was getting really long and the month was only half over! It probably also has something to do with the fact that it is summer and summer songs are some of my favorite songs. We all know that I don't really like ballads, so, to me, the happiness of summer is better than the sadness of winter.

Even with a small post about rookies, this list got really long as we got closer to the posting date and it made me wonder what I could do to make it a more manageable sized post. This is a problem though because I picked all these songs because I like them and I think that other people should like them too! Not that people don't already like them, but I want them to be here because it's my post and I can do what I want. So I have created three categories: K-pop, soloists, and other, that way I can pretend that this long list is kind of organized in some way.



K-pop

Sistar - Touch My Body 

It's no secret that I am not the biggest fan of girl groups. I don't have anything against them, they just don't do it for me. I don't normally like the cute sounds of their songs or I feel that they are so overtly sexy that it makes me a little uncomfortable. I really enjoy this song though. It is a fun and upbeat summer song and even though they are wearing swim suits and short shorts, it is not filmed in a way that is "sexy" which I like. The little foot out twitch move is a little weird though, but kind of cute at the same time.

Hyuna - Red 

The first time I listened to this song I didn't really like it and I just brushed it off as another sexy Hyuna song. Then I decided to watch/listen to it again and I have come to really like it. I like the different sounds in the song from the softer versus that lead into the big dancey chorus. I also really liked the music video too because unlike "Ice Cream" and "Bubble Pop" it wasn't just Hyuna making sexy faces at the camera. There were sexy faces and a large banana in this video.....and twerking *sigh*..... but it looked like Hyuna was having fun and she looked cute. I could do with more videos like this from Hyuna.

LC9 - East of Eden 

LC9 has been MIA for quite some time and it actually worried me slightly because even though their debut was super crazy, they did put out this cover which I fell in love with. It turns out that Rasa went to the military and E.den went back to Canada. Yeah, I know their names! I don't know why though, it's one of those things that just happened without any explanation. That's what happened with EXO, I just knew their names one day, I blame Pinterest. This song is gorgeous though and I also like that the video is just them singing and rapping because we can focus on their talents and they have plenty of that. I would also be lying if I said that I didn't miss King's crazy afro/Mohawk hair style.

Topp Dogg - Peekaboo

I mentioned Topp Dogg last season with their song "Amadeus" which I have learned isn't actually called that, but just "Topp Dogg". Oops. I'm not sure why I like this song, like seriously I have no words. It's loud and a little obnoxious, but I like it. Topp Dogg is slowly growing on me (like a fungus) every comeback they have. I even have a member that I like, what is happening to me? The member who starts rapping at 1:42 is named Jenissi (yes, I even know his name). His rapping style is different from other people that I have heard, he raps slightly behind the beat and it's kind of cool. Keep doing your thing Topp Dogg. 

god - Saturday Night 

I guess god isn't technically K-pop.....right? But since they are a first generation idol group who made this special comeback, they go in the K-pop section. Everything about this song and video are wonderful. Wonderful! The song is catchy and cohesive and the video tells a story and you can see how much fun god is having to do something together. I don't know anything about god, that is way before my K-pop time, but I knew that there are older fans and probably young ones too who were peeing themselves when god said that they were going to do this.

Soloists

Yoo Seung Woo - Everyone Else but Me 

Yoo Seung Woo is probably on one of my favorite young soloists. I first heard him at the 2013 KCON and was like "who is this kid?" then he performed and I thought he was the most adorable thing that I had ever seen. Now, as I have gotten more into his music I know that a) yes he is as adorable as he appeared at the concert and b) this kid is crazy talented. I like his folksy pop sound and I think that if he and Roy Kim were to ever do a collaboration it would be one of the most magical things ever. Maypoles would spring out of the ground, flowers would spontaneously bloom, and small woodland creatures would just appear out of nowhere and it would be great.

John Park - U 

Please excuse me as I wipe the drool from my keyboard. This song is making me feel things; John Park's voice is the voice of a baritone angel and I want to listen to it forever. I'm not even sure what else to say, this is just something that you should experience. The video is also very dark and sinister and the way it is cut makes me think that this song is from a movie OST and these are movie highlights. There is also some heavy piano in the song and we all know how much I love a good piano in my music.

Zizo - Run 

This video is so fun. From start to finish it just makes you happy and you want to be there partying in that train with all of them. Unless, of course, you are bathroom guy, and then you want nothing to do with anything that is happening. This song just feels like summer though. That is the best way to explain it, it is a summer song and you want to go out and do things after, or during, while listening to it.

Parc Jae Jung - Ice Ice Baby 

I just discovered that this guy should have been in the July Rookies post. I had no idea that this was his debut video until I read the "Hot Debut" icon on his live performance. This song is very smooth and jazzy and I seriously had this going on repeat for an entire morning once, because that is how I roll. I listen to something until I get it out of my system; it normally resurfaces in an unknown future time (like right now as I write this) and I am not ashamed of that. This guy is also only 18 which makes his awesome levels go up because he is a little younger. It also makes him a little jail-batey though.......

Other

Nolza - Bubi Boom

Nolza is seriously on so many drugs, but it makes for awesome songs and videos! I don't follow them at all, the only time I listen to them is when I notice that they have put out a new song, but it makes for a nice surprise. I just assume that they are going to do something ridiculous every time that I see they have a video, and I haven't been disappointed. I especially liked the chorus of this song. It was the rough bass when they say "bubi boom" that does it for me. It gives the song a rawness that kind of juxtaposes the silliness of the video. I also really wanted to use the word "juxtapose", so there you go.

  ~ Alora