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In April, solo artists, be it former or current hotshot idols, breakout rap stars, or rookie up-and-comers, ruled the singles roundup list. Unexpected collaborations and inventive solo releases generated much exciting and groundbreaking new tastes in the Kpop scene. The list is then completed with creative pop renditions from returning idol groups that you can count on. Let’s hear it for April’s best Kpop singles.
Oh Ye Ri + Jang Hyun Seung – This Is Love
Cube’s solo vocalist Oh Ye Ri who debuted in 2013 brings an original and quirky ditty that is nearly half sung and half spoken. This Is Love is a distinctive and playful track that makes you automatically want to bounce along to its fast tempo, rapid-fire lyrics, and groovy backbeat filled with funky bass guitar sounds.
Winner – Really Really
A rhythmic and hooky EDM-inspired tropical backbeat immediately captures your attention, which is further invigorated with an equally catchy melody. Add on Winner’s smooth vocals and statement-making raps, you’ve got a dance pop masterpiece in Really Really. The chorus is easily the most eargasmic part of the song.
Dreamcatcher – Good Night
Continuing the J-rock anime theme song vibe from their previous album, Good Night sounds close to a punk rock track with edgy guitar riffs and pounding drum beats backing strong vocals. The low-pitched rap and the sweet and subtle bridge sections provide unexpected yet balancing contrast to this whole head banging track.
Day6 – 장난 아닌데 (I’m Serious)
Unlike the title suggests, I’m Serious is a rather lighthearted alternative soft pop rock number full of playfulness and nonchalant spirits. As if telling a story of youth’s innocence, Day6’s cheerful and laid-back vocals feel rather refreshing from the usual intensity of their heavy rock belting songs.
Ten – 夢中夢 (몽중몽, Dream In A Dream)
NCT Ten’s Dream In A Dream is one of the most unique singles on the list. It embraces a whimsical blend of traditional Chinese instrument guzheng riffs often heard in Cpop with modern synths to create a beautiful tune and you can lose your mind in. The most alluring part is no doubt the instrumentals in full bloom, but Ten’s soft vocals adds the right embellishment at the right times to further enrich the whole song.
BLACK6IX – 제발 (Please)
This pick is for the long-time Kpop fans out there. Rookie group BLACK6IX’s airy and haunting vocals and their angst-filled raps are backed with sentimental piano notes and rhythmic beats to create a classic Kpop song, like something you’d hear from the early 2010 era. Besides the nostalgic factor, Please is simply a catchy track that anyone can hum along to after just a couple listens.
Ha:tfelt (Ye Eun) + Kim Bo Hyung + Suran – 크로스 컨트리 (Cross Country)
This soulful R&B ballad has a retro 80s vibe thanks to the underlying synthesizer reminiscent of Ye Eun’s Wonder Girls’ days. However, the overall composition and vibe of Cross Country is much more bluesy and melodic, conveying a sense of persistence when one’s lost. Ye Eun, Bo Hyung, and Suran’s unique timbre blend well together to add even more depth to the song.
EXID – 낮보다는 밤 (Night Rather Than Day)
Night Rather Than Day is a song fit to be performed at a fancy five-star restaurant owing to the jazz influences that play an important role in the song. However, EXID blends their stylish hip-hop flavor into the mix to spice things up. It’s a song that flashes the posh, ladylike side of EXID very well.
Teen Top – 재밌어 (Love Is)
Love Is is a dance pop track with hints of dubstep infused — a textbook example of Teen Top’s signature hooky melody meets club banging backbeats. Besides the memorable chorus, the soft piano ballad like bridge followed by high notes is easily the highlight of the song, putting more power into the track as the repeated phrase “love is gone away” echoes off.
Maktub + Lee Ye Joon – 너니까 (Because It’s You)
Because It’s You is a simple yet heartfelt acoustic piano ballad that’ll induce a wave of emotional reactions from anyone listening. The purity and warmth of the Voice Korea S2 breakout vocalist Lee Ye Joon will penetrate your heart and resonant in your ears for a long time to come.
Zico – She’s a Baby
Creative boy Zico is at it again with his one-of-a-kind singles. This time shedding his usual hip hop swag and rapper image in favor of a sweet and tender boy confessing love for his baby girl. She’s a Baby is a quiet yet downtempo R&B lullaby with ingenious changes in vocal tone, astonishing transitions in tempo, and full of expressiveness.
Jang Jane – 까르망 (Carmin)
One of the best lounge voices Jang Jane shows what she’s made of with an artistic jazz-influenced ballad number titled Carmin. The bouncy piano notes, peppy drum beats, light guitar strings, and Jane’s gliding silky vocals all work together to assemble a melody that’s so very chic, so very French.
Hyolyn + Changmo – Blue Moon
Diva vocalist Hyolyn is really branching out on her own. Since her last collaboration project that ventrued into EDM, she teams up with rapper Changmo to bring us an addictive house pop tune in Blue Moon, fit for a midsummer night’s rave party. Hyolyn’s sultry husky vocals and Changmo’s crisp rap make for great auditory harmony like the hot sun and the chill moon.
Kisum + Gilgubonggu – 잘자 (Sleep Tight)
Sleep Tight is a hip hop ballad fusion song about a passionate love that shows a softer and more feminine side of rapper Kisum. The verses, recited by Kisum, sound a bit more sentimental and angst-filled, while the chorus, sung by Gilgubonggu, turns the mood to be a bit more optimistic and determined, making for an interesting tug-of-war on your emotions.
Minzy – 니나노 (Ni Na No)
Ni Na No feels like a song that is freshly made in Bollywood with strong tribal elements. The fierce, dance-inducing beat filled with booming horns certainly gives that impression. Although the flatter melody doesn’t allow Minzy to show her full vocal potentials, Ni Na No is nonetheless a swag-filled power girl song that few in the industry can pull off as effortlessly as Minzy has.
Lee Hae Ri – Pattern
Ballad queen of Davichi Lee Hae Ri is flying solo this time. Pattern is yet another uber stylish track with funky yet soulful melody and chic vocals. The sophisticated sensibility shown in this number is rarely heard in mainstream Kpop and proves Lee Hae Ri’s calibre and taste as a true musician.
IU + G-Dragon – 팔레트 (Palette)
Palette is a quiet yet swanky pop ballad song full of heart and soul as IU sweetly expresses what it’s like to be 25 and to know yourself better. The lyrics of the song is the best part, being so relatable and real. Interestingly enough, GD’s rap section is written as an oppa sharing his experiences of life with IU, making for a wonderfully candid and thoughtful dialogue.
K.A.R.D – Rumor
Co-ed group K.A.R.D seems to always live on the cutting edge of the pop music scene with their addictive singles. The group returns this time with a trendy tropical house single filled with modern synths, stylish arrangement, and contemporary vocal delivery. Rumor makes for a perfect summer beach song to move your body to.
Seckskies – 슬픈 노래 (Sad Song)
First gen idols Seckskies rebrand themselves and successfully turns out an up-to-the-times house and hip hop based ballad gem in Sad Song. The lackadaisical hip hop vibe during the rap and bridge of the song is distinctively 2017 YG, but the vocal delivery and bouncy backbeat during the chorus bring nostalgia of the 90s. Together, they create a singular and captivating chemistry.
Boa – 봄비 (Spring Rain)
Boa’s crystal clear vocals shines through this beautiful urban R&B ballad and echoes in your ears like the spring downpour. Spring Rain‘s composition and arrangement are equal part dreamy and mod; its sentiment is equal part melancholic and heartwarming, leaving you a fresh scent that lingers long after the song is over.
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