Maybe the album doesn't live up to your standards, but individual tunes do. Genre-mashing, funk, throwbacks, songs with interpolations of timeless rap novelties were what the public wanted. All the songs are here in a convenient Grooveshark playlist for you. Enjoy and comment!
With half of the year over and another half to go, the music has been just coming and coming and coming and...well you get the idea! Some of it good, some bad, some meh and some very exceptional. While a lot of American artists seem to be giving us the run-around with their music (a certain artist whose name begins a B and ends with a Eyonce?), other countries have been keeping their music flowing (sometimes overflowing) that I can't keep up with releases. I usually do a best of list, but since it's only the middle of year, I decided to go with some of my favourites rather than the ones that I think are the best, which can wait until December.
Girl's Day-Expectation
Girl's Day shed their quirky, side-splitting antics for a more mature concept and did not disappoint with this highly infectious dance-pop slice of heaven. It's already my most played song of the year and second most played of all time (damn you BoA for releasing "Only One.")
Nine Muses-Dolls
The classy nine get paired with Sweetune for this equally classy, jazz-inspired record. If you aren't tapping your toes to the beat, you seem to be missing a soul (or just don't like K-Pop).
Ellie Goulding-You,My Everything
This song is everything that is right with Ellie Goulding. "You, My Everything" is just Ellie's husky yet dreamy vocals over Jim Eliot's drum and bass inspired production. Just how I like her.
Girl's Generation-I Got a Boy
The hate for this song was warranted. I commend SM for breaking the Americanized cookie-cutter mold for K-Pop songs by mixing and mashing five or so songs together and transforming the divine nine into aegeyo hip-hop queens. #bowdown.
2AM Club-Black Liquor
The band laments their late night escapades over a minimalist beat fit for a The Weeknd record. If I told you that I have never cried listening to this record, I would be telling you a lie.
Rudimental-Hell Could Freeze (feat. Angel Haze)
Rudimental is a extremely versatile and "Hell Could Freeze" has to be one of their best. New York raptress Angel Haze talks about a failed relationship that she is willing to try again
Jessie Ware-Imagine It Was Us
Her solo foray into the 90s house trend that has become so popular within the past year, Jessie blesses us with her consistently sultry vocals while serving some "Queen of The Night" realness in the music video.
Supercell-The Bravery
J-Pop as I remember it from when I used to watch Anime as an awkward pre-adolesent/teen. Full of energy, heavy on the rock and a soaring inspiring chorus with so whoas and yeahs added for good measure. The five minute length is a turn off though.
Kate Nash-OHMYGOD!
Kate Nash starts this punk-pop tune languid then hits us with a stir-crazy chorus that was made for the summer and for pop radio. Too bad she's independent now.
Kanye West-Bound 2
The Kanye West that everybody was waiting for to come back. Though the lyrics are a bit iffy, it still captures perfectly who Kanye was before his "808"days.
T-ARA N4-Countryside Life
THE BEST K-POP OF 2013 SO FAR!!! Only T-ARA would have the balls to have their sub-unit come out with a netizen diss song, incorporate the real Harlem shake in the video and update Richard Simmons's ridiculous exercises. Why U Hatin'?
After hearing that T-ARA N4 were on a trip to America to promote themselves to the Western world. I was excited. But when I heard that it was to meet up with Chris Brown (yes, THAT Chris Brown)I have to admit I was skeptical, but still stoked nonetheless. T-ARA are still feeling some strong backlash after the big bullying scandal with former member Hwayoung early last year. They decided to continue with promotions and released their hit-or-miss single "Sexy Love," which received a tepid response and is one of the groups worst selling singles. Then they decided to flock to Japan to promote themselves there, which is typical of Korean superstars as a kind of repentance for their alleged (or actual) scandalous deeds. Now we are here with their Korean sub-unit, made up of members Areum, Jiyeon, Eunjung and Hyomin "Countryside Life" is one of the more stronger K-Pop songs to come out this year and the bullying incident has really put a hurting on their sales in the digital field. All the "Why you hatings" in the world can't fix that. Now, from the information I gathered, the girls were only supposed to be in the States for a few days, meet Brown (since he was "friends" with T-ARA's newest recruit Dani) and come back to finish promoting "Countryside Life". But more articles about the girls staying in LA, having a meet and greet, recording an English version of "Countryside Life" with Brown, meeting Ray J and Wiz Khalifa made me uneasy. I have the feeling that Core Contents Media, the label T-ARA is signed to, was using this as some type of media ploy for the girls to garner interest in them back home in Korea, rather than an honest attempt for the girls to expand their international fanbase.
The fact that they chose Brown of all people was a horrible idea on CCM's part. I mean, I would have rather they send the girls to the United Kingdom to meet up with someone respectable in the industry and in their own genre of music. Just because their styling and concept says urban, T-ARA are known because of the dance-pop/electropop songs like "Bo Peep" and "Lovey Dovey". Or CCM could have reached out to PSY and set up a meeting with Scooter Braun (God forbid) and promote themselves that way. Put Justin Bieber's "talent" and star power to good use other than to whine about how he's doing good for a 19 year old pop singer.
Brown is a bad media magnet. Everyone is still sore about the Rihanna incident almost four years later and he keeps getting himself into trouble with the law, getting into fights. Now neitizens just have more ammo to fire at the girls. Then there is the pool party performance.
I have been watching their promotions since they stared and I know that the girls can do much better than what that video showed, but I don't blame them at all. CCM literally threw them under the bus with that one, saying they were unaware that the concert was going to be a festival style affair. Aren't you supposed to get all of that information before you agree to do a show? That's like you signing a contract blindfolded! Anything for publicity I guess. There are other concerns about the situations I want to address, but we will come to that bridge if something surfaces later on. Maybe when the girls stand with Breezy at the BET Awards at the end of June. He better have them preform with him.
Now enjoy the girls and their "Countryside Life" music video.
T-ARA hasn't had a lot of success since the whole bullying incident went down . Their promotions really suffered, tearing neitzens apart and "Sexy Love" was essentially a flop. Now after doing some exile time in Japan, T-ARA is back, well four of them are. T-ARA N4 is comprised of members Jiyeon, Eunjung, Hyomin, and Areum and I guess this is a way of testing the Korean market before the rest of the group makes a comeback. The girls have premiered their debut single "Countryside Life", produced by Double SideKick (NS Yoon G's "If You Love Me, SISTAR's "Loving U"). Are the girls and LOEN Entertainment going in the right direction with this one?
Overall, I was satisfied with the song.The intro is pretty weak, but as it goes along, it gets stronger and more enjoyable. Enjung really gives the song the kick with her pre-chorus and I'm wondering about the random rapper and why he wasn't credited. However, the other members get overshadowed by Double SideKick's awesome production, which sounds like a blend of Edward Maya's "Stereo Love" and G-Dragon's "Crayon". The kicker in this song is the "why you hatin'" part, which should have pro-T-ARA neitzens singing along and antis gritting their teeth in frustration. Final Grade:B-
(There are two videos for this song: a dance version (the dance looks like taebo) and a drama version, which was directed by the same guy who did "Gangnam Style")
