Best of Korean Music from January 2011!!
And this is, of course, just my personal opinion, so don’t get your knickers in a twist if you don’t see your favorite group or song. And over all I say that Infinite’s “BTD” is my number 1 favorite of all the debuts/comebacks!
Dance/Pop Groups:
- Coming in at Number 1 is rookie group Infinite who came back in January with a 2nd mini-album Evolution. They are currently promoting “BTD (Before the Dawn)” and “Hysterie.” “BTD” is definitely addicting as is their debut song. I don’t know how I missed these guys when they debuted in 2010 with First Invasion on which “Come Back Again” helped them skyrocket to popularity. They are also produced by Woolim which was founded by Epik High. These guys can really sing and their dancing is powerful. And you can find both of their mini-albums on iTunes.
http://youtu.be/JvNUilVWFDs - My pick for number 2 is MBLAQ. They came back this January with “Stay” and it’s ridiculous “Sparkle, sparkle” dance and “Cry” – two really good songs. And boy have the boys grown up even more! I hardly recognized MIR and GO. Their full album BLAQ Style is actually available on iTunes – how exciting!
- I actually am not a huge Secret fan. I did not really like “Magic” or “Madonna” so I was shocked to actually like their comeback song “Shy Boy,” which harks back to American Swing music. I must say I don’t really like the “baby bird” dance or some of their other moves, but I thoroughly enjoy the song.
http://youtu.be/QN6KVm5cRWw - Piggy Dolls make a very strong debut with “Trend”. It’s nice to see a group that isn’t made of tiny sex symbols, but more real girls with great, powerful voices. I guess, kind of like YG’s group Mama.
http://youtu.be/18JjScS_k8w - Orange Caramel, a subgroup of the popular After School, is known for their upbeat, cute music. While I can’t stand their overly cuteness (i.e. “A~ing”), I really do love the ballad they came back with off of their 2nd mini-album. I’ve seen it called “Still” and “Yet” and “Not Yet” so I don’t know what the official English translation is. But it is a really nice ballad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c3qJZW8zLo - I don’t know if I’ve actually listened to Sistar’s earlier music, but I do find their newest comeback song “How Dare You” quite addicting even though I don’t really care for the more licentious dancing. You can’t find their most recent mini-album on iTunes, but you can find their first single.
http://youtu.be/DQ1hvB_L30o - T-ARA. I am actually not a huge fan of theirs, though I do like several of their members. They are currently promoting the digital single “Why Are You Being Like This.” I did not like their last single “YaYaYa,” but find myself really liking this song.
http://youtu.be/Dg7moi2EkRY - I haven’t listened to Dae Guk Nam Ah’s (Boss) music before, but find myself liking the debut digital single of their subgroup Popsicle, “I’ll Love You Until it Snows in Summer.” It’s a cute pop song. I shall definitely check out more of DGNA’s music in the future.
Teen Top made their comeback in January as well with “Supa Love.” Not a huge fan of the song, per se, but must say that I do love the dance! So they get an honorable mention just for the dance. I had heard of this group, but this is actually the first song I actually heard when I watched Music Core on DramaFever.
Dal★Shabet made their debut with “Supa Dupa Diva.” With the exception of an addictive chorus, I really can’t say that I like this song. So they get an honorable mention for the chorus, but that’s about it.
Also worth mentioning is Han Groo’s “Witch Girl.” I am not sure how I feel about this song yet, but it wasn’t too bad.
Rock/Dance Group
- DBSK “Keep Your Head Down” – not quite sure what to label this as DBSK is more of a dance group, but this song definitely has a heavy rock vibe strumming through it. Max and U-Know do a fantastic job, but you can’t help but wish JYJ would rejoin DBSK and be 5 members strong again. Their album with this song is available from iTunes.
http://youtu.be/mm490aUEAZ8
Solo Artists/Ballad Artists/Other
- Joo made a comeback after two years with “Nappeun Namja” (Bad Guy) and what an awesome comeback it is! I am not sure if I actually have heard any of her music before, but I definitely want to hear more after listening to this song!
http://youtu.be/sP8JR7jyEA8 - Park Jung Min from SS501 has debuted as a solo artist with “Not Alone”! Um, love the song though you can’t hear the “not” half the time. I am also shocked at how much weight he has lost. Kinda scary. It’s a good comeback and I like the video as well.
http://youtu.be/V05AtNRBS0Q - Beige makes a comeback with “I Can’t Drink” – a heart-rendering ballad. I absolutely love this song!
- Navi’s “Well Done” doesn’t really classify as a ballad as it has a faster tempo, but she is a solo artist with a great voice and she can really belt the song quite well.
http://youtu.be/_Zh6CdbWHME - I wasn’t quite sure if I liked Gavy NJ’s “A Cup of Latte” when I first heard it, but the song has definitely grown on me and I do like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOSpSzRpkfI - Can’s “Gieok” (Memory) is a great song as well. I remember seeing the two on Star Golden Bell and I never realized they were actually singers and their are quite good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5sDFc8UOt0
Asian Addicts Anonymous 