It’s time once again for Kpopalypse roundup!  Let’s check out some more new releases!

Dreamcatcher – You And I

Let’s not kid ourselves about Dreamcatcher’s metal credentials.  With ultra-present vocals and electronic drums, lots of layered synth, and the guitars buried way back in the mix, Dreamcatcher in 2018 are a pop group in metal clothing.  Still, the song is there, so it really doesn’t matter all that much what this is played on.

Spectrum – Light It Up

It has that trop-house bit but it’s better than the usual song like this because it mostly is completely different.  Also one of the guys is wearing an “And Justice For All” Metallica T-shirt, which was my first heavy metal t-shirt when I was a teenager so points for that.

Favourite – Where Are You From?

It’s good to see Favourite at least get the production right this time, unfortunately this time they forgot the song.  Maybe next time they’ll get both things right.

Teen Top – Seoul Night

I wonder what it’s like to be in your late 20s and in a band called Teen Top.  I guess it’s like getting asked for ID repeatedly even after you make a special effort to grow your facial hair/show your cleavage.

Cross Gene – Touch It

Cross Gene try hard for 24/7 stan coverage status on Asian Junkie by basically copying KARD in every aspect except the girls, but I don’t think they realise that the girls are the only reason he’s into them.

Vinxen – How Do You Feel

Not much rhythm to speak of (even when the beat finally appears) but the moody bass guitar and lyrics make this song.  The vocals being just a little too loud in the mix is the only thing wrong with this.

Yong Jun Hyung – Go Away

Sometimes being released from a dungeon after many years just means that you’re out of touch with how there are now better keyboards out there than the Fender Rhodes.

Yoona & Lee Sang Soon – To You

Much like “When The Wind Blows“, this is a really good ballad, precisely because Yoona can’t actually sing at all and so has to move through this tune as carefully and with as little vocal wank as possible, giving the excellent instrumental lots of breathing room.

Baechigi – Identity

No video for this but the song is cool, here’s how to actually do a rap track folks.

Produce 48 – Pick Me

It’s not any better or worse than the awful original Korean version from when the original Produce 101 aired, because it’s basically the same.  A few keen-eyed racists might have strong opinions about the differences between the two versions but I don’t think anyone else will.

BONUS SONGS

Leebada – Crush On You

It’s that boring sound once again.  Korea, stop that.

Marmello – Moonlight

Marmello are very good at being attractive, and at playing their instruments.  They’re less good at having good songs.

Asol ft. Taeha – Nothing

You know your group is relevant when you get the whole “[Name] OF [GROUP]” treatment whenever you guest on some crappy Z-list rapper’s track even though you’re not even in the video.

Peter Han – Spring Swing

I’m pretty sure this guy has a vagina.  I know that’s not relevant to the song, but then maybe it is because this sounds like it was written by a vagina.

NCT 127 – Chain

Okay, NCT 127 just became k-pop’s Einsturzende Neubauten for a song.  Who saw that coming?

Vinxen – Sinking Down With You

Just in case you were worried that you slept on a really good rapper, don’t worry – he sucks most of the time just like all of them.

Ben – Love, Ing

This is fuck, ing shit.

Jay Moon – Fire

Not much fire to be had here with this sub-Akdong Musician crap.

Woodz – Pool

I guess he’s called that because this type of garbage rap isn’t out of the woodz yet.

Standing Egg – Small But Certain Happiness

I gave myself a small but certain happiness by vowing never to listen to this song again.

K.will – Will Be A Start

Let’s just accept that “Please, Don’t” was a one-off and stop listening to this dude forever.

Hi Cutie – 8th Grade Syndrome

Well it’s better than their debut.  Mind you so are the last 15 boring BTS songs, so that’s not saying much.

Sujin – Spring

Some people don’t like it when I use the word “faggot” but I dare you to listen to this all the way through without thinking “what is with these fucking jazz faggot fucks” at least once.  Slurs are sometimes straight-up useful when a shit song like this appears, and the more offended people become by them, the more useful they are.

Oman – Still

Speaking of which, this reminds me of those clickbaity “watch me, a hot girl, walk around town for ten hours in a tight top and get harassed by creepy dudes like 20 times or so” videos that were doing the rounds a while back, except that nobody gives a fuck about this person because the song is so boring that they’re half asleep by the time this person in the video has even approached anyone.

G.Sta – Time Is Up

The type of rap song that old-school fans bust a nut over but it’s really not all that great, it’s like the smooth bland filler song that your favourite rap group would put on the second half of the album after all the tracks you bought the album for were all done.

BONUS RANDOM VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Molla Molla

Avid Youtube video compilation maker (responsible for the excellent video versions of several Kpopalypse lists) and general elite caonima isaymyeolchigr has a ton of these “language posts” on his YouTube channel, dissecting many important common Korean phrases that appear in k-pop songs.  Eojireowo!

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That’s all for Kpopalypse roundup for this week – roundup shall return!