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May is a whole lot more quiet compared to the explosive array of pop ditties and group comebacks from the previous couple of months. As a result, we’re seeing a number of solid ballad and R&B slow jams emerge on top amidst your usual hip hop heavy-hitters and electro club bangers. Without further ado, let’s meet the top singles of May in the order they were released.
Triple H – 365 Fresh
Hyuna’s new group, cleverly coined as Triple H to reflect the trio’s shared initials, brings us a hot and exciting track in 365 Fresh. There is a definite 90’s old school vibe here with flavorful synths, groovy horns, and funky guitar riffs. This fun number allows for the trio to bring forward lots of personality and their individual colors to shine.
Joy – 너를 기다리는 법 (Waiting for You)
Red Velvet’s Joy shows off her feminine and sweet charms in this mid-tempo ballad that happens to be a perfect fit as the OST track of drama The Liar and His Lover. Waiting for You conveys a sense of caution, of uncertainty, but above all, of optimism regarding falling in love. Joy’s crystal clear vocals strike a chord in the listener’s heart with every note.
Yong Jun Hyung + Heize – 그대로일까 (Wonder If)
Wonder If is a trap influenced hip hop track that mixes in electro synth elements to make it sound a bit more pop than pure hip hop. It’s got an incredibly hooky composition from the beginning to the end that’s easy to follow along. Heize’s soft and haunting vocal especially stands out as a smartly placed bridge to help break up the flow and add flavor to the song.
Lovelyz – 지금, 우리 (Now, We)
Everything about Now, We is dreamy and whimsical — from the sparkling synths, to the girls’ sugary vocal deliveries. The chorus of Now, We is particularly catchy as the girls sings out their innocence and youthfulness against the well-mixed EDM backtrack that is reminiscent of Japanese techno.
Sojung – 우린 왜 이별 하는 걸까? (Better Than Me)
Better Than Me is a deep, emotional number brought to life through Ladies’ Code Sojung’s husky and soulful voice. It has a simple piano-based composition that starts quiet and sorrowful, but crescendos into a sonorous plea during the later half, and completely engulfs your ear, your heart, and your senses.
Han Dong Geun – 미치고 싶다 (Crazy)
Crazy is a classic R&B slow jam ballad, the kind you’d hear from the 90s, perfectly marrying the soulfulness of Western music with the emotional delivery of Asian pop songs. Aside from its beautiful composition and ability to invoke nostalgia, Han Dong Geun’s clean and sonorous vocals gives Crazy a resonance that can’t be ignored, like echoes from the top of a mountain, full of openness.
Primeboi + Kyungri – 머리감을때만 (Only When I’m Washing My Hair)
Hip producer Primeboi teams up with Kyungri from Nine Muses to manufacture a slinky hip hop R&B tune bound to get your attention. For one, the rhythmic beats and simple yet catchy melody is easy on the ears. But the most standout part of the song is indeed Kyungri’s sultry voice, fully expressing the isolation and pensive mood of the song.
Psy – New Face
New Face has the usual catchiness you’d expect from Psy, featuring powerful brass instruments. As always, Psy delivers some indelible mantras here, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself chanting along after some time. I particularly like the bridge between the verses and the chorus, as it sounds like something straight out of a folk song. New Face gives us a new face in the world of Kpop that can seem overly homogenous at times.
BewhY – Dejavu
As you’d expect from skilled rapper BewhY, he completely owns the mantra of Dejavu, a dramatic hip hop track with trap elements and a marching beat that’s bound to get you bopping your head immediately. Of course I expected BewhY to have superb dictions and flawless flow during his raps, but I was pleasantly surprised at his smooth vocal parts peppered throughout the song as well, making the whole track even more impactful.
Twice – Signal
Signal, as you can expect from Twice’s title tracks, has been manufactured solely to stick in your mind with repeated phrases and uplifting rhythm. This song makes use of distorted electronic sounds for the majority of its melody, as though the girls are talking in a indecipherable alien language to signal to their crush of their love for him. On first listen, it doesn’t instantly lure you in like TT or Knock Knock did, but as you listen to it over and over again, you’ll find it just as catchy and memorable.
Im Chang Jung – 그대 내게 말하길 (You Tell Me)
You Tell Me is a sophisticated and emotional ballad OST blending contemporary R&B backbeats with retro and folksy trot elements reminiscent of Korean songs from the Japanese colonization era of the early 1900s. As a result, You Tell Me is a unique listening experience, as it embodies the feeling of suppressed emotions, of immense yearning, and of helpless pleadings.
Seventeen – 울고 싶지 않아 (Don’t Wanna Cry)
Dabbling in the deep house genre, Seventeen never seems to run out of tricks up their sleeves. Don’t Wanna Cry masterfully mixes airy vocals, haunting ballad elements, and distorted synths to create a modern and stylish tune that squarely falls at the center of today’s trendy pop music scene.
iKON – 벌떼 (B-Day)
B-Day is the full embodiment and epitome of iKON’s unique music attitude — tough hip hop meets clamorous EDM. This club banger is instantly ear-catching, with pounding beats, anthem-like chants, bluesy vocals, and the whole nine-yards of party-mode iKON swagger.
Dumbfoundead + Jessi – Send Me To War
What happens when you put two hip hop superpowers together? Well, you get an extremely addicting tune in Send Me To War that is nothing short of auditory feast and thought-provoking messages. Jessi’s vocal delivery is strong and full of soul as usual, and will easily put you into a trance mode that can only be turned off during the angst-filled rap sections.
Yezi – 아낙수나문 (Anck Su Namum)
One of the most distinguishing and special songs on the list is Anck Su Namum because of its tribal influences and meaningful connections to Egyptian queen Anck Su Namum. Yezi’s creativity is in full bloom here mixing her signature fierce rap and hip hop beats with mysterious tribal synths and monotonous chants that’ll be unforgettable even after just one listen.
Highlight – Calling You
Highlight brings an easy listening melodic pop song in Calling You where each member’s voice truly has a spot to shine through. Besides the hooky melody, the lyrics of the track is particularly good, wittily talking about not getting over old lovers and drunk dialing them.
Sistar – Lonely
Mega girl group Sistar’s last team project before disbandment, Lonely, is indeed a sentimental pop ballad number that plucks your heartstrings. Against the winding acoustic guitar strings and soft finger snap beats, the girls’ husky and airy vocals expertly convey the sad feelings of separation and uncertainty about the future.
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