The best releases from Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai artists! View the Substack version of this piece here! Things to Know First
The Top Twenty #1: aespa, “Supernova”: An explosive electro-pop number that is both nostalgic and personalized; it utilizes an eighties sample while adding new lyrics that convey aespa’s trademark confidence and character. #2: Bodyslam & Jeff Satur, “Scar”: A wailing rock ballad that “both agonizes and marvels over how permanent a trace of past love can remain on one’s psyche...” Read more here! #3: COME, “LOSE”: One of those perfect pop songs for both its finished product and its individual components. #4: D.O., “About Time”: A stunning piano ballad that ties together themes and phrases from the songs that precede it on the album; a thoughtful song in both words and sound. #5: DPR IAN, “SAINT”: A classic example of how this remarkable artist transports listeners into a new world with immersive and free-form listening experiences. #6: IVE, “Accendio”: With alluring and in-control vocals, a well-done blend of drums and synths, and an original title choice, “Accendio” perfectly captures IVE’s essence and appeal. Inspired by “accendium,” a term that refers to lighting a flame, IVE have coined a new term that sounds like a magical, spark-generating spell. The spell-casting theme is literal in the corresponding music video and metaphorical in terms of the song’s mystical aura and the group’s charm; “Accendio” is a classically IVE song that sums up their fictional story at the same time as it accurately frames their real image.
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A ranking and review of the top 50! View the Substack version of this piece, which includes links to all of these videos, here! Check out No. 50 - 26 here!
#25: from20, “Demon” Besides being just plain catchy, “Demon” is commendable for the ways it makes clear from20 has increased his performance maturity and charisma. His Michael-Jackson-style moves come across as less of an imitation now, and there is an increased naturalness in his facial expressions and character transformations. Between steamy scenes complete with rapidly-flickering lights are mesmerizing moments when a silhouette of from20 dances by himself, rocking a cowboy getup. Other twists are mythological, as from20 sprouts black angel wings and falls from the sky as a meteor does. In under three minutes, from20 somehow plays three kinds of outlaws! A cowboy, an Icarus-type character, and a modern rockstar each manage to find a place in from20’s world that feels suitable. “Demon” is a testament to how much more sure of himself and of his distinguishable filmmaking style (the video is self-directed) from20 is now. #24: YENA, “Good Morning” YENA’s video character is a leather-clad, pink-pigtail-sporting, sword-wielding fighter who seems just as prepared to fight as she is to throw a dance party! “Good Morning” alternates between action shots and performance ones, between black-and-white and in-color scenes, and between comic-book-esque moments and ones that bring to mind a live-action TV show. YENA beams while singing about living in the moment and wishing people “Good morning,” but her sword skills and edgy outfit choices bring her sweet, innocent image into question! YENA always plays an entertaining enigma in her videos, and “Good Morning” is no exception. #23: SEOLA, “Without U” SEOLA addresses the concept of loneliness in novel ways. She appears miserable when alone but all smiles when with a companion - who is actually just another version of herself! Her newfound confidence is further made evident through clever details, like the video’s widened screen after she becomes her own best friend. Her world expands as she realizes that her only truly lifelong companion is herself, so she might as well be kind to herself! The only main character in “Without U” is her, whether sitting in a circle of otherwise-empty chairs or thinking about getting older when staring at a birthday cake that has dynamite instead of candles. “Without U” shows how much one’s world can grow after reframing independence as a high-risk but high-reward way to live. Miyuu talks about how her favorite things, including nature and traveling, endlessly inspire her. みゆうさんは、自然や旅行など、自分の好きなものがいかに彼女に無限のインスピレーションを与えているかを語ります。 Photo credit: Instagram For those who have not heard your music before, how would you describe it to them? How would you finish the sentence “Miyuu is ___” or “Miyuu’s music is ___”?
あな たの音楽をまだ聴いたことがない人に、どのように説明しますか?「ミユウ は___で す」または「ミユウの音楽は___です」という文章をどう締めくくり ますか? “Miyuu is a traveler and singer-songwriter.” My music is inspired by the beauty of nature and universal [concepts]. For me, singing is how to let out my emotions. When I see the beautiful ocean or meet local people from other countries, I want to write songs, and then the feelings [from those travels] come back to me. 「Miyuuは、旅するシンガーソングライター」だと説明したいです。ほとんどのオ リジナル楽曲が自然の美しさや、普遍的なものについて歌っています。私にとっ て、歌うことは、感情を吐き出すことです。美しい海を見たり、旅先でローカルの 人たちに会ったりすると、とても曲を書きたくなります。そうしてできた曲を聴く と、その時の感情をいつでも蘇らせることができます。 Please describe your newest single, “Summer in love”! 最新シングル「Summer in love」について教えてください! This song was a big challenge for me. Most of my songs are made with acoustic guitars, but "Summer in love" is an electronic dance tune. It has a distinctive beat and melody. This time, I asked producer Soma Genda to create something I have never sung before. It was a little difficult to sing rhythmically, but it was a great experience. Also, my younger sister appeared in the music video. This is the first time I have worked with her. She has a great career in her own right, so I think this song is even better thanks to her. この楽曲は私にとって大きなチャレンジでした。たいていの楽曲はアコースティッ クギターで作っているので、”オーガニック”や”アコースティック”なものが多いで すが、”Summer in love”は、エレクトロニックなダンスチューンです。特徴的なビー トやメロディが入っています。今回、プロデューサーのSoma Gendaさんには、今ま で私が歌ったことのないような打ち込みの楽曲制作を依頼しました。リズミカルに 歌うことが少し難しかったけれど、とてもいい経験になりました。そして、MVに は実妹の白間美瑠に出演してもらいました。彼女と作品作りするのは今回が初めて です。彼女自身に素晴らしいキャリアがあるので、彼女のおかげで、この楽曲がよ り良いものになったと思います。 A ranking and review of the top 50! View the Substack version of this piece, which includes links to all of these videos, here! Note: Because these lists have been in the works for weeks, and because they are meant to focus on the best of the first half of the year only, anything released after June was not eligible. Also, some of these reviews will sound familiar because they were already published as part of previous write-ups.
#50: AB6IX, “GRAB ME” In a previous era’s music video, “LOSER,” the members of AB6IX ran through a tunnel with a dead end, symbolizing a sliver of hope but also an air of fatalism. In the “GRAB ME” music video, the members do something even better than break through that dead end: They learn how to dance in the rain, rather than continue waiting for the storm to pass or for the dead end to magically disappear. “GRAB ME” furthers AB6IX’s ongoing, motivational story about keeping the faith and seeing journeys as being worth the roadblocks. Read more about the corresponding album here! #49: TEN, “Nightwalker” TEN’s character is the stuff of movie villains. He plays a scientist by day who is a puppeteer by night, using his hypnotizing power over others for no reason other than the fun of it. His desire to exert power with no greater ambitions is what causes curiosity in many movie villains, and he capitalizes on that attention with physical transformations. He makes the most of outfit, makeup, and hair changes to continually evolve, keeping suspense and curiosity high until the very end. Read more about the corresponding album here! #48: aespa, “Supernova” “Supernova” throws longtime aespa fans for several loops. First of all, the members flex different superpowers than their signature ones, implying this video is detached from their long-running storyline. Second of all, some scenes appear to play out in reverse, like when KARINA flies up off the roof of a car. Other eyebrow-raising scenes involve the camera flipping the entire scene over and the members popping out of a setting in the blink of an eye. They are gone like the wind, although the memory of their presence - eye-popping outfits, their knowing smiles while flexing their powers, lights bouncing off of them as if they are reflective material for literal stars - is made to last! Read more about the corresponding album here! Tomggg describes each song on his new album, the surprisingly deep meaning behind the title, recent music tastes, and more! Tomgggがニューアルバムの各曲について解説、タイトルに込められた意外な深い意味、最近の音楽の趣味などについて語ります! Photo courtesy of Tomggg How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before? How would you finish the sentence “Tomggg is ___” or “Tomggg’s music is ___”?
あなたの音楽をまだ聴いたことがない人のために、どのように説明しますか?「Tomggg は ___」または「Tomggg の音楽は ___ です」という文章をどう締めくくりますか? “Tomggg is a Japanese music producer who works [with] the theme of fun music. He specializes in cute tones and melodies, bouncy beats, thick bass, and detailed rhythms that give a different impression every time you listen.” Tomgggは楽しくなる音楽をテーマに活動し、かわいい音色やメロディ、跳ねるビートを得 意とし、太いベースや細かいリズムなど聴くたびに印象が変わる日本の音楽プロデュー サーです。 Why did you choose to go by the name “Tomggg”? なぜ「Tomggg」という名前を選んだのですか? The name is a combination of “Tom” and “ggg.” One day, a classmate called me by the nickname “Tom.” It sounded completely different from my real name, but I liked it, because it was like having a different personality. The “ggg” part comes from the onomatopoeia depicted in Japanese manga. When a character is lifting something heavy or putting a lot of effort into it, it is depicted like “gugguggu.” In other words, “Tom [is] putting his strength into it.” I never thought that the name I used to create my social media account would become [my stage name]. Tomgggは[Tom+ggg]という構造なんです。ある日クラスメイトにTomというニックネーム で呼ばれました。本名と全く異なる響きだし、私に理由はわかりませんが、違う人格が出 来たみたいで気に入りました。[ggg]の部分は、日本の漫画で描かれるオノマトペから来て います。登場人物が重いものを持ち上げたり、力を込めたりするときに「ぐぐぐ..」と描 かれます。つまり力を込めているTomがTomgggという名前です。SNSのアカウントをつく るための名前がアーティスト名になるなんて思わなかったです。 DJ Sparrow talks about making his underrated new project, BLUE, and what’s next for him! Photo courtesy of DJ Sparrow For those who have not heard your music before, how would you describe it to them? How would you finish the sentence “DJ Sparrow is ___” or “DJ Sparrow’s music is ___”?
I would like to express that my music is strong on the outside but sad and tender on the inside. My music has sharp and strong drumming but tends to have a minor chord tone or melody. How did you choose your stage name? My stage name [is from] practicing dancing with my friends when I was in high school. My friends were like, “What nickname do you want to use? Oh? You look like a sparrow!” What career would you be pursuing today if it could not be music-related? I can't think of what other jobs I would do. Because I got hurt while [dancing], I started DJing. When I was DJing [with other artists’ music] and saw people excited, I wondered what it would be like to listen to my [own] songs and see people being moved and excited, so I [started producing] music. Links to all the latest podcast episodes and articles! The “Best of 2024 So Far” Lists
Keep an eye on your inbox throughout the rest of July to find out my rankings and reviews of the best music videos, albums, songs, and more of the year so far! Always-Updating Pages Worth Bookmarking Key release dates: comebacks, TV premieres, awards shows, and more! Tour/live event info Content sorted by artist Interviews and press event recaps The Latest 17 Carat K-Pop Podcast Episodes Grizzly explains why he took a break from Instagram, what his latest songs are about, the future of the “Flower Shop” series, and more! Photo courtesy of EGO GROUP For those who have not heard your music before, how would you describe it to them? How would you finish the sentence “Grizzly is ____” or “Grizzly’s music is ____”?
“Grizzly is colorful.” How did you choose your stage name, and did you consider any other stage names first? I’ve loved bears since I was a child, so when I was thinking about what to choose for my stage name, I decided it would be great to use something related to my favorite animal. Among bear names like “Grizzly,” “Polar Bear,” and “Panda,” I chose “Grizzly”! I could have been performing as “Polar Bear” now! Please describe your new single, “Gorgeous”! This song is dedicated to everyone who wants to feel gorgeous. It expresses the dizzying emotions of someone who has suddenly fallen in love. The narrator describes meeting “you” as a great fortune and portrays that moment with affection. A ranking and review of the best new releases from Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai artists! #20: ENJIN, Inception
Inception is J-pop but filled with K-pop title-track staples: ad-libs, melodic layers, suspenseful pre-choruses leading into earworm choruses, and turns for the dramatic that aren’t overkill. “Major” proves to be the right choice for a focus track, and the Latin-pop sound vibes with the fiery, red-filled music video. The hot streak continues with bouncy and brassy numbers like “Dreamland” and “Superb Love.” While the songs tend to stick to pop formulas, making the surprises only last for so long during the album-listening experience, ENJIN do make the most of them, putting an attention-grabbing opener at the beginning of each track. Inception is a colorful collection of J-pop songs that K-pop fans will love! #19: YUKI, SLITS Like the slit on the side of a dress or skirt, this album exposes YUKI’s bare feelings. They first spill out of her through a series of dynamic synth-pop jams: “Now Here,” “Amayadori,” and “Ryusei slits.” They reach a culmination of sorts in the live-band-ready ode to individuality that is “Hello, it’s me.” The second half takes a heavier turn, with slower songs and rawer vocals. However, the second half stays just as full instrumentally as the first, and the energy is brought back up for the grand finale, “Kazeninare.” SLITS bookends its serious chapters with uplifting and engaging first and final ones, a smart way to maintain listeners’ interest and to satisfy with a full-circle story. #18: PRETZELLE, “Cry More Baby” “WE’RE BACK,” reads a newspaper headline in the “CRY MORE BABY” music video, just one of the many ways the now-trio makes this single an overt re-introduction. Over a catchy Jersey club beat and while dripping with contempt for their exes, the group stresses their resolve to not waste emotional energy on those who fail to see their worth: “I wish you find true love / But it won’t be better than what we had.” They know that their exes will miss them and take pleasure in letting that be the case: “Go ahead and cry to death / She’s got nothing on me.” They reassert their “no going back” stance with visual cues, including graffiti that says “MOVE ON” and the presence of three identical cars. PRETZELLE are on the same page in terms of self-esteem and personal goals, hence the presence of identical cars in the video, but they also imply a new sense of autonomy within their group, hence the fact they each get a different driver’s seat. “Cry More Baby” puts PRETZELLE’s new attitude on full display. #17: LISA, “Rockstar” |
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