New Music Picks: August 2020

Of course, I can’t do a separate post about every single song that comes out each month (and often I don’t know enough about the artist to properly speak to their abilities, past activities or repertoire yet), so here is a collection of some of my favourite finds from this month.

LUCY – Jogging

PSA: I have found my new favourite band! LUCY are a group that were formed after participating on the JTBC survival show ‘Superband’ which is the show that Sammy/Woosung from The Rose and Benji from B.I.G went on (if it didn’t completely pass everyone by). LUCY placed second in the show (with Hoppipolla placing first) and were later signed to Mystic Story. ‘Jogging’ is their second single after their debut track ‘Flowering‘, but comes from their first mini album ‘PANORAMA’. ‘Jogging’ is a seriously fun and light-hearted summer song that will get you up on your feet and dancing. I have high hopes for this band, not least because they have a violinist!!! (I played the violin as a child so have a deep respect for strings). I also am on the verge of watching this survival show in retrospect so I can check out all the arrangements. This is my top pick for the month!

1TEAM – ULLAELI KKOLAELI (얼레리꼴레리)

I actually did know 1TEAM before the release of this song but I haven’t really had the opportunity to check them out – but since they’ve released a song with a seriously interesting title, I thought I would give it a watch. ULLAELI KKOLAELI is the kind of ridiculous fun that I’ve been missing in KPop in recent times – the ‘we know how to have fun and we don’t take ourselves too seriously’ vibe is something that appeals to me as a fan of Block B who embraced that kind of energy, and gives me N.Flying feels from their ‘The Real’ or ‘Hot Potato’ days. The MV is no different in vibe and every component exudes joy. By the way, ULLAELI KKOLAELI in Korean is a childhood playground song that is used to tease each other, equivalent to the English rhyme, ” ____ and _____ sitting in the tree, K – I – S – S -I – N – G”.

Peakboy – Diet (feat. Wheein from MAMAMOO)

Why do I still know next to nothing about Peakboy and why is he singing a song that speaks straight to my heart? His anthem for self-love low-key makes my heart explode. The lyrics ‘You don’t need to diet’ are just ringing through my ears, and the whole concept is just so adorable and will definitely appeal to female fans around the world. His R&B vocal tone is both soothing and heart-melting and his rap parts add dynamism to the track. Of course, the main reason I initially clicked on this MV was because of Wheein who, as ever, fills the song with her soulful melody. I love this chilled R&B track and Peakboy’s voice, and I also really like variety in the EP that this track comes from (‘LOOP’) – I just wish I knew more about HIM as an individual beyond his famous friendships.

THAMA – LAND (feat. nafla)

I won’t lie, I mostly checked this out because I saw nafla’s name and I’m so glad that I did because I’ve fallen in love with THAMA’s smooth vocals. This song is the kind of chill summery R&B vibe that I prefer to listen to during this season and the sound reminds me of the likes of ELO, OVAN and JUNE (interestingly he featured on JUNE’s latest EP). The guitar riff, strong bass undertones and calypso percussion (are those claves that I hear?) keeps this song lilting along in a light and vibrant mood and nafla’s rap provides some contrast and texture to the sound with his raw tone. I’ve just looked a little further into THAMA and found that he’s signed to Amoeba Culture (Dynamic Duo’s label) and I’ve also just discovered that he participated in writing a number of the tracks on the latest EXO-SC album (1 Billion Views) so I guess I have a lot to thank him for. Time for me to delve into the back catalogue.

nov (노브) – 부재중 (feat. Crush)

Again, another track that piques my interest because of who is featuring in the video. Crush is one of my favourite R&B solo singers, so already my expectations were high, and I was certainly not disappointed. This is one of my favourite female solo releases of this month. nov’s voice holds a soulful element that blends in with her light tone to create the perfect accompaniment to this jazzy slower tempo R&B track. Not only this but her vocals match so well with Crush’s, who holds similar soothing qualities in his voice. They both present a soft side to their singing in this track to create a perfect sound for a summer’s evening. I also love that Crush actually appears in the MV. Most times featured artists don’t appear in the video and seeing him here adds a certain extra something.

Byulzzi (별찌) – BBIBBO BBIBBO (삐뽀삐뽀)

Byulzzi JUST debuted with this track and I think I already love them. This trot girl group are the exact kind of pop-trot infusion that I love, complete with stylised vocal inflections. They bring a fun, whimsical attitude to this track and create an upbeat sound perfect to dance along to. It’s quite a wise time to bring out a trot girl group with the spotlight on the new faces of trot this year, so I’m very much looking forward to hearing more of the quality sound and experiencing that Byulzzi energy moving forwards

HEDY(해디) – You were really not good (너 정말 별로였어)

HEDY is a solo artist under SOM Entertainment, and ‘You were really not good’ marks her second single since her debut in 2019 with ‘Rolling Stone‘. This song packs more punch compared to her debut track which was a low-tempo jazz-style song – this song gives me an Adele female power vocal vibe with the heavy drum beat running through the back. Her vocals are strong and have a lot of body and are quite reminiscent of Ailee (unsurprising since she collaborated with Ailee on ‘I Will Show You‘ [the contestant wearing a beret] and ‘Heaven‘ during the TV show ‘Fantastic Duo’). I think she is worth keeping an eye on.

Khundi Panda – Home (집) (With. Hippy was Gipsy)

Well – what can I say. This is a truly incredible, well-crafted rap track, complete with Tom Misch-esque alternative guitars. Khundi Panda’s unique rap tone paints a contrasting picture against the dreamy backdrop of the instrumentals, whilst Hippy was Gipsy (interesting name?) bring their soulful R&B vocals to compliment the low-tempo track. The architecture of the track is so impressive, with the faster paced rhythms of the rap sequences bringing across a certain musicality to the overall sound. This kind of hip-hop is my kind of sound. I love it when artists play around with different genres, merging styles together to create new masterpieces. I think Khundi Panda is going to be one to pay attention to in the hip-hop world.

ENOi – W.A.Y (Where Are You)

I had heard pretty much nothing about this group before seeing them pop up on my YouTube recommendations and I’m glad that I clicked on the video. ‘W.A.Y’ is their latest single, coming from their second special album. This song is an immensely edgy, high-energy track that, rather than following down the dark concept like a lot of boy groups, has a much brighter feel with underlying drum and bass components. This dance sub-genre explodes into its full form in the dance break, which is an unexpected addition to the arrangement. I’m thoroughly impressed with this release, their choreography and MV and will definitely take some time to explore their previous releases!

SURL (설) – Don’t Say No (feat. 박재범 Jay Park)

My surprise find for this month. This indie band have done something I did not know was possible – they managed to get Jay Park…. to rap…. on an indie track. This mellow indie-alternative sound provides an exciting sound upon which vocalist Hoseung’s unique sound can shine through, but also with which Jay’s smooth R&B tone can intertwine with. Jay’s rap bridge is completely unexpected and brings a whole different mood to the song, with the guitars and beat taking on an entirely new sound, but this adds an exciting variation to the track. This way that the differing styles merge is so pleasing to the ear and results in an inspiring creation. I also love that Jay actually took the time to be in the video considering how busy he has been of late, but that’s just exactly the kind of person that he is – supporting rising musicians. SURL are certainly on my radar now.

NeD – Twinkle

This is my first time hearing of this artist and I’m so pleasantly surprised! ‘Twinkle’ has a familiar R&B-infused pop sound, with unique samba qualities. But NeD’s soft vocals create a comforting ambience amongst the mid-tempo dance groove. This is an easy listening, summer track at its finest. NeD is still quite new on the scene so there isn’t a lot of information about him out there. He is a solo artist under record label MERCY, making his debut in 2019 with ballad track ‘You are the four season (사계절이 전부 너이길)‘. From what I can tell from previous tracks, his gentle R&B tone is really well suited to both light, breezy R&B groove sounds, as well as ballad songs. Definitely worth looking out for.

SOLE (쏠) – 음음 (Mm Mm) (Prod. Cosmic Boy)

Another talent from Dynamic Duo’s label Amoeba Culture, it seems like Dynamic Duo have a special ability to find some of the most idyllic voices on the Korean R&B scene. SOLE’s chilled track ‘Mm Mm’, another song with the indie-alternative guitar sound in its instrumental, provides us with a dreamy ambience and a catchy melody. SOLE’s vocal ability injects an airy feel into this positive sounding song and it feels like a complete breath of fresh air. I did actually know of SOLE prior to this track because of her previous appearance on Jooyoung’s track ‘First’, but I hadn’t taken the time to look into her other tracks – though I certainly will now.

Swan (수안) – Call This Love

This last day of August is my first encounter with relatively new arrival to the Korean music scene, Swan. She made her debut in 2019 and, it would appear, has been working hard over the past year to release as much content as possible. Her stable and soothing vocals bring a wealth of emotions to this low-tempo jazzy solo track, whilst she tells her tale with her effortless sound. Her vocals remind me of some of the main vocalists in female idol groups of this age and her sound would match really well on OST’s so I hope that she is able to draw more attention to her content through further exposure.