April In Music

In April a lot of my expectations were fulfilled! Winner and IU made their comebacks, former I.O.I Chungha had her solo debut and Taeyeon dropped her first repackaged album. All of this and more!

1. Winner - Really Really

Korean

Released: April 4th

Winner returns as a quartet in "Fate Number For" with two new singles: Really Really and Fool. Both tracks, penned by group member Seungyoon, are both of good quality and a timely boost for the group after having lost a member. However, Really Really is what gained my attention the most because of its compelling beat and confident charisma. In the lyrics, Winner cooly confesses their feeling to a girl, hoping to gain her affections without being too pushy. This is backed by a mild tropical house beat and a musical-esque music video filmed by the famous American director Dave Meyers.
Review: Song - 3.5/5  MV - 3/5

2. Ten - Dream In A Dream

English

Released: April 6th

NCT member Ten makes his unofficial solo debut through SM's music project 'SM Station'. 'Dream In A Dream' is an ethereal song that is heavily influenced by Oriental art and tradition. Ten sings in English, and while there are very few lyrics, listeners are kept entertained with the sounds of Asian instruments, echoes, and synths. The music video expands on the artistry: Ten, who is known to specialize in dance, showcases his skills through elegant choreography. Overall, even if one does not like the song like I do, the artistry is hard not to appreciate!

Review: Song - 5/5  MV - 5/5

3. Meng Jia - Candy

Mandarin

Released: April 6th

'Candy (糖果)' marks Meng Jia's (孟佳) third song and strive to brand herself as a soloist. Unlike her two previous singles, Candy has a playful energy and features a barrage of sounds: marching band drums, lips smacking and xylophone notes. This style was achieved by the composer, Shinsadong Tiger (a famous k-pop producer) and LE (of k-pop girl group EXID). Here is the lyrics video, colorful and vibrant. By now, I think they would've have released a real music video already if they had planned to.

Review: Song - 3/5  MV - 3/5

4. Luhan - On Call

Mandarin

Released: April 19th

The "King of C-pop" tries his hand at contemporary R&B with added electronic elements. Luhan, whose voice is particularly smooth, effortlessly delivers without the auto-tune he used in 2016.  As always, his music video is very visually appealing and complementary to the song. Its scenes show a world in between reality and fantasy. There are visuals of an infinite flow of mail: letters that never get opened.

Review: Song - 5/5  MV - 4.5/5

5. Kim Chungha -Week

Korean

Released: April 20th

After competing in Mnet's trainee survival program, "Produce 101", Kim Chungha earned a spot in the girl-group I.O.I and has made a name for herself. Now that that I.O.I have disbanded, Chungha has started to follow her own path as a soloist. I believe she will do well because she is a good singer and a great dancer. 'Week' is a slow-rolling r&b ballad that expresses loneliness. It is only a pre-release single so I'm curious as to what is coming next.

Review: Song - 3/5  MV - 4/5

6. K.A.R.D. - Rumor

Korean

Released: April 24th

K-pop's one and only co-ed idol group debuted with 'Oh Na Na', followed-up with 'Don't Recall' and have now completed their trilogy pre-debut project with 'Rumor'. Up until now, K.A.R.D's songs have been narrating a story. First, a boy and girl begin a relationship, then the guy messes up and the couple breaks up, and in 'Rumor', the couple is hearing rumors about each other and are regretting their break-up. It has an obvious Latin influence and is not far in genre from their previous two songs. In the future, I hope to see them try a new genre, now that the trilogy is over.

Review: Song - 3/5  MV - 2/5

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Images: 1,2,3,4,5,6