Top K-pop Albums {Universe by EXO}

Released: December 2017

1. Universe 2. Universe (Chinese Version) 3. Been Through 4. Stay 5. Fall 6. Good Night 7. Stay 8. Universe (CD Version)

EXO kept their annual tradition for the fourth consecutive year and released a "winter special album" for the season. SM Entertainment started teasing the album some weeks before its release with short videos of the members working as baristas. I immediately became excited at the cafe concept because the warmth and relaxation associated with coffee is the perfect theme for a winter album and is a contrast to the typical snow concept! Soundwise, the entire work is smooth and soothing like a cup of coffee. Here are my top three songs from the EP "Universe".

1. Universe

"Universe" is heartwarming by both it's sound and aesthetic. It is a sentimental rock ballad with piano and guitar. The song begins softly, then gradually gains more momentum until the powerful chorus. "Universe" particularly shows the vocal prowess of Baekyun, Chen, and D.O. but also gave the rappers Chanyeol and Sehun a chance to sing. as there are no rap parts. Lyrically, "Universe" talks about suffering after a break-up but vowing to "search the universe" to find their lover again.

The theme of the music video is the making and enjoyment of coffee. In the beginning, EXO looks rather sad and listless. They are dressed in coffee-colored clothes and sing solemnly with earnest hearts. By the end, the young men are sitting together enjoying their caffeinated beverages. Each others company and the warm coffee seemed to put them in a positive mood.

2. Fall

"Fall" is another song that emphasizes vocals as EXO's strong point. Really, the entire album does, but "Fall" especially so. It is pop r&b with acoustic guitar in its composition and reminds me much of their 2013 song "Baby Don't Cry".

3. Been Through

My third favorite of this album, "Been Through" is a slow, synth-pop track. The song is built on a strong, simplistic bassline and the members sing in a way that is truly mesmerizing. The beat is very steady and unrelenting, which (I feel) reflects the steadfastness of the lyrics. "Been Through" is about staying strong and not giving up when faced with setbacks. It reads,"Snap out of it get up and brush it off. Pain is just a passing storm to me". The line that stood out the most to me was "You shine like the stars, you light up my heart". It is definitely a focal point of the song and seems to tie in with the universe theme.

Sources

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Top K-pop Albums {Love Yourself : Her by BTS}

Released: September 2017

1. Intro: Serendipity 2. DNA 3. Best Of Me 4. Dimple 5. Pied Piper 6. Skit: Billboard Music Awards Speech 7. MIC Drop 8. Go Go 9. Outro: Her 10. Sea (Hidden Track)

BTS dropped their much-anticipated album 'Love Yourself: Her', citing that it is the first part in a series. This marks BTS' first comeback since gaining recognition on a worldwide platform (at the BBMAs) and the beginning of the group's "second chapter" as "Beyond the Scene". The album wasted no time breaking records. Actually, before it was dropped 'Love Yourself: Her' reached 1,051,546 preorders making BTS the first K-pop group to reach more than one million pre-orders! Then, upon its actual release, it topped iTunes' world album chart in 73 countries! Here, I'll talk about my three favorite songs from this record-breaking album.

1. DNA

Taking a look at this year, we got to see three sides of BTS. They were shown as sentimentalists with "Spring Day", edgy youth in "Not Today" and now with "DNA" as charming hipsters. In this song, Bangtan sing about how fate connects two totally different people. In other words, opposites attract. DNA is quite different from other Bangtan tracks. It starts with a breezy whistle sequence (that remains throughout) and has an electronic break-down in the chorus.

The song gets really intense at times and has an intense music video that fulfills all your artistic desires: there are abstract art-like backdrops and colorful depictions of outer space. I like how the clothes and setting focus on primary colors (the hues often used to depict DNA). Everything about this (the beat, the fun colors, the members' energy) excites your senses.

2. Best Of Me

"Best of Me" is a collaboration song with the Chainsmokers. BTS met and befriended the Chainsmokers when they came to America for the Billboard Music Awards. When they announced this collab, I assumed that the American pop-duo would be included in the song, but they aren't. However, their presence is known and felt anyway because the track is formed with their trademark EDM sound.

The "Best of Me" is basically BTS' take on American pop and I feel that the song lived up to the hype surrounding it. I also feel that Bangtan taking on this genre is refreshing, and the sound especially suits Jimin's voice. Lyrically, the song is a proclamation of love to someone who is undeniably their better half. "You’re everything in this world to me...We shared something and you can’t make it nothing, I hope you don’t forget".

3. Go Go

Hip-hop songs often talk about getting tons of money and spending it. "Go Go" follows suit, however, it has an element of comedy. It's essentially a parody of our materialistic society. The song pokes fun at the way young people recklessly blow their money and foolishly live by the mantra "YOLO". "Dollar dollar, squandering it all in one day. Run, run, man I spend it like some party".

"Go Go" opens with a tropical xylophone sound, and keeps a fun bounce throughout. BTS promoted this song on music shows, and gave a comical performance!

Sources

Info: 1

Images: 1,2,3,4,5

Top K-pop Albums {Free Somebody by Luna}

Released: May 2016

1. Free Somebody 2. Breathe 3. Keep On Doin' 4. I Wish 5. Galaxy 6. My Medicine

Luna, the main vocalist of girl group f(x), made her solo debut with a mini-album of 6 songs. She went solo in the truest sense and, very commendably, carried this album completely by herself. No other artists are featured on the album. And what's more is, Luna wrote and composed two songs ('I Wish' and 'My Medicine' herself. 'Free Somebody' explores the electronic genre and has an overall theme of self-empowerment. It includes both upbeat dance songs and sentimental ballads for listeners of either preference. I'll only talk about my top three, but the entire album is definitely worth a listen!

1. Free Somebody

The title track of the album is a funky electro-house song that was co-composed by the American singer Jojo. It is full of electronic synths and keyboard chords which make it a perfect hybrid of modern and retro. 'Free Somebody' is about wanting to share someone's dreams with the world. The liberating lyrics are paired well with the fun dance beat and Luna's vocal charms.

In the music video, Luna meets a handsome stranger in the elevator which then triggers a series of psychedelic events. She is plunged to and from an animated world, enjoying herself and dancing all throughout. There are many curious things happening, which probably aren't meant to be understood. Either way, I like how the scenes of chromatic film and cartoon transition smoothly.

2. Keep On Doin'

Luna wants you to "keep on doin' what you do". She sings for you to "color yourself with your own color....in this black and white world". While encouraging you to be uniquely yourself, Luna dances to the beat of her own drum in a sense. 'Keep On Doin'' takes you to a party in outer space with its unusual sound. It opens with a warped, synthesized intro, then bounces into a slick beat. Later in the song, there is "rap" break that has f(x) written all over it. It's weird but also very daring and brilliant!

3. Galaxy

'Galaxy' has a Euro-pop influence and showcases the powerful vocals that we enjoy in f(x)'s music.  It has a more conventional sound than the previously mentioned dance tracks on the album. I love the path that the song takes, the climax and points of intensity.

Sources:

Wikipedia

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Top K-pop Albums {Pink Tape by f(x)}

Released: July 2013

Tracklist: 1. Rum Pum Pum Pum 2. Shadow 3. Pretty Girl 4. Kick 5. Signal 6. Step 7. Goodbye Summer 8. Airplane 9. Toy 10. No More 11. Snapshot 12. Ending Page

F(x) are known to take big musical risks. So much so, that they've pulled away from 'typical' K-pop and developed their own style. Their discography has a wide range of genres and 'Pink Tape', the group's 2nd full album, is no different. 'Pink Tape' is like lollipops and high heels- in other words, it has a balance of frivolousness and maturity. Any listener of f(x)'s music should keep an open mind! Their strange sound makes them barely mainstream or radio-friendly. However, someway,somehow these girls pull it off. My five favorites of this album are:

1. Rum Pum Pum Pum

The title track 'Rum Pum Pum Pum' reflects the noise of a beating heart. It's chaotic - layered with many hand drums and synths, but surprisingly, it doesn't leave your head spinning. The song builds up tension and breaks nicely into vocal harmonies. Normally, the lyrics of a love song portray falling in love as a pleasant experience. But f(x), just being f(x), make falling in love (painful?) and sudden. 'Ouch! Your head will hurt, you won't be able to sleep, you won't forget me easily, your true first love has appeared.'

If the song isn't quirky enough, the music video surely is. The girls keep an asymmetrical concept: different colored eyes, items and ideas with no correlation (floating flowers?) and even Amber's mismatching eyebrows. Genius.

2. Ending Page

'Ending Page' is the final track, and rightfully so, because it closes the album wonderfully. Somehow it surpassed some of the crazy, fun songs and became my second favorite. It's mid-tempo soft rock/electronic and is a tame contrast to the majority of 'Pink Tape'. There's no gimmicks or crazy synths, so the member's vocals are what make it shine.  

3. Pretty Girl

I love how catchy 'Pretty Girl' is. But the highlight for me, is the meaning of the song. It takes a jab at beauty standards and also gives the perspective of "that jealous girl in the corner." The lyrics seem to express some resentment towards the pretty girl. She rely's on her face, and has no real character. F(x) point out that if she was plain-looking, then she wouldn't be so special.

4. Shadow

'Shadow' opens with notes from an xylophone that reminds me of a music box. The girls sing with a little more force that a whisper. At first, I wished that f(x)'s vocals were better in this, but the lacking vocals were probably intended. Anything too strong would overpower the delicate instrumental.

As sweet and lovely as it sounds, the lyrics are creepy. The title 'Shadow' refers to a person who closely follows another. Shadow's lyrics are from the point of view of a girl stalking a boy that she likes and she deludes herself into thinking that they are dating. The fact that the song is sung in such a calm and innocent way makes it even more creepy. Once again, f(x) give us an atypical love song.

5. Toy

'Toy' is a high-energy song with child-like verses. The musical path is unexpected and makes no sense, but it comes together! In the song, f(x) bust out of his 'toy-box' per say. They break up with a controlling boyfriend and show him that they can live their life by themselves.

Sources

Images: 1,2,3,4

Top K-pop Albums {Crush by 2NE1}

Released: February 2014
Tracklist: 1. Crush  2. Come Back Home 3. Gotta Be You 4. If I Were You  5. Good To You 6. MTBD (CL Solo) 7. Happy 8. Scream 9. Baby I Miss You 10. Come Back Home (Unplugged) 

 

'Crush' is 2NE1's 2nd full album. The group's eclectic sound of r&b, reggae, electronic pop and hip-hop is displayed throughout. 2NE1 distanced themselves from other girl groups (once again) by showing sides of fierce independence and vulnerability, without forcing a concept.  I love almost every single song on this, which makes it one of my favorite K-pop albums! Of course, this is all my personal opinion. My top five songs from the album are:

1. Come Back Home

First off, 2NE1 has two versions of 'Come Back Home' on the album; the original and the unplugged version, which is my favorite. They're the same song, so I put them both as number one!

Now about the song. The lyrics describe a girl missing her boyfriend or husband. He left her and hasn't come back. The original throws us a variety of sounds - reggae and hip-hop elements, bass drops, trap and electro-pop. Interestingly, the sporadic-ness and bounciness of the sounds downplays the sensitivity of the lyrics and makes it a great jam! 

One the other hand, the unplugged version embraces the tear-jerking lyrics, making it officially a sad love song. With acoustic guitar, the member's vocals, especially Minzy's, are really displayed. Also, 'Come Back Home (Unplugged)' has a rap from CL that isn't in the original (for some reason, though it is in the music video). 

2. MTBD /Mental Breakdown (CL Solo)

2NE1's leader and rapper CL is by herself for this song. "Mental Breakdown' has an exotic flair and countless bass drops. It's quite different from her first solo "The Baddest Female", and she spits fire!

3. If I Were You

This is a ballad with crushing sentiment and is about a relationship that failed because of a emotional disconnect. It's one of those ballads that, instead of reaching a climax, it has intensity throughout. If you are a 2NE1 fan, you may find it reminiscent of their 2010 release 'It Hurts'.

4. Happy

In a sense, 2NE1 hide their pain behind a smile. The beat is jumpy, vibrant and well, happy, but the lyrics are anything but. It describes wishing the best for your ex, but being miserable yourself. I love the playfulness of 'Happy', though a tiny bit of something is missing. It's almost as if the song is begging for some reggae sounds. Despite that, 'Happy' is definitely an upgrade to the average pop song. 

5. Scream 

'Scream' is the Korean version of a Japanese single that they released in 2012. Though, I like both, this version is way better and is not in a awkward translation as one may expect. It's about a girl who just wants to dance at a party and have fun - and it's no surprise that this buzzing track is dance-pop.

Sources
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