little asia's
top 5 K-Pop
songs of 2018
2018 was the year for K-Pop, especially overseas for BTS' legendary success - speaking at the United Nations to their win at the American Music Awards, BlackPink's collaboration with Dua Lipa and Red Velvet Wendy's duet with John Legend.
Another year of success for K-Pop, and continuing with the high quality of music and choreographies that came out this year.
Here are little asia's favourite tracks from 2018's K-Pop stars.
1. Good Evening - SHINee
Hallyu veterans SHINee had their first release after the passing of their member Kim Jonghyun. In 2017, Kim Jonghyun’s suicide shook the world and left an imprint on the world of Korean pop. This comeback signified the 10-year old’s group will to continue, despite the grief they had went through. ‘Good Evening’ was the lead single from their three-part album release. Beautifully crafted choreography, with the use of props will catch your eye. With a slower melody in comparison to previous powerful tracks from SHINee like ‘Lucifer’ or ‘Dream Girl,’ the hint of upbeat tones meshed with the soft electronic pop and of course, powerful vocals makes for a catchy song. You will find yourself smiling, feeling pride for this group that have grieved for over a year while still pushing to go forward - feeling an undeniable heart ache, as you notice a missing member. A bittersweet song, with multiple meanings.
2. Tempo - EXO
Wow, EXO’s comeback after a year and a half was worth the wait. With the inclusion of Lay; how could you not enjoy this? A mix of hip-hop and pop, the listener is carried on a journey throughout the song. From Chen’s velvet voice leading you into the song, Chanyeol’s flawless deep rap - this song will be stuck in your head for awhile. Different ranges from Baekhyun, Xiumin, D.O and Suho bring vibrance to the song, making it impossible for you to avoid singing ‘Don’t mess up my tempo!’
3. 20 SOMETHING - Jeong Sewoon
Despite not making it into the ‘Nation’s Boy Group,’ AKA WannaOne a little over a year and a half ago - Jeong Sewoon is doing just fine. His song ’20 SOMETHING’ came out in July, and the summer vibes are definitely there. Wide shots of the outdoor locations, with beautiful scenic pictures set the mood for his acoustic slow song about his personal struggles about reaching towards his goals and dreams. A relateable song about the anxieties of getting older. This soft song will remind you that you’re not alone and you can look forward to tomorrow to begin again.
4. Bbi Bbi - IU
After IU’s album ‘Palette’ came out last year - everyone was waiting for what she would come out with next! And she did not disappoint. In October, she came back with Bbi Bbi which is an upbeat song but unlike a typical K-Pop song. Classic IU, putting her classic indie pop twists (IU’s Twenty-three) into her songs. A chill and relaxing vibe, her soothing voice will have your head bobbing along to the music. You couldn't ask for anything more from the legendary IU.
5. FAKE LOVE - BTS
BTS’ Fake Love. Need I say more? Similar in production value to ‘Blood, Sweat, Tears’ the quality was a m a z i n g. Cinematography and the aesthetic of each scene with every member was memorable, and impactful alongside their strong vocals and rap. The rap-line and vocal-line outdid themselves, starting off with V and Jungkook’s alluring voices into Jimin’s pre-chorus with the backdrop of emotional and beautifully filmed, scenes - you’ll find that you’ll be staying on the music video for the entire five minutes.
RM, Suga and J-Hope bring intense and heavy rap intertwining with the vocals from Jin and Jungkook. A song about the realization that love cannot always match expectations, and to move past it - you may or may not relate, and even if you don’t it’s easy to catch onto the emotions of the song.
But hey, don’t worry if you catch yourself singing ‘Fake love’ even if you may not understand the lyrics, we all did.
Photo Courtesy: 뉴스인스타 (NewsInStar) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons (top left), @K_POP_Amber [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons(top right)