11 Must Listen K-Pop Songs: PART I

Is your summer playlist lifeless and dry? Are you tired of the same old K-Pop songs? Here's your solution! The thing about K-Pop is that the best songs are always hidden in the album. Sure, title tracks can be good, but the album is where you find the hidden gems, and trust me when I say the search is worth it. Here's a couple of gems I unearthed. 


1. Te Amo - U-KISS
Te Amo is perfect for summer what with it's signature U-KISS electronic sound with some saxophone to mix it up, producing a club-worthy summer song. The beginning of the song may sound strange and dubious at first, but since the song is scattered with several hooks, climatic bass drops, and an addictive chorus, it's easily overlooked. And if the shake-your-hips beat doesn't move you, the lyrics are sure to melt the hearts of KissMes worldwide. Plus, brownie points for the Spanish phrases.

Location I think of when I listen to this song: Bonfire party on an exotic beach and/or on a fancy yacht.

2. Green Light - G.NA feat. Jay Park
Green Light, though different in melody, has the same musical appeal as her hit song Banana due to its creative and funky beat. That same beat also complements the entire arrangement of the song combined with an awesome prechorus hook. Though, unlike other songs that feature rappers, Green Light is creative in the sense that Jay Park doesn't just appear, rap, and -POOF! - go away; rather, he is featured throughout the whole entire song. The song is a conversation between Jay, rapping to G.NA, and G.NA , singing to Jay: the perfect song for those hardcore shippers. 

Location I think of when I listen to this song: Dancing on a stoop in New York with one of those retro boomboxes.


3. Beautiful Stranger - F(x)
What do you get when you take Luna's powerhouse voice, Krystal's sweet, on-pitch vocals, and Amber's epic raps? You get Beautiful Stranger! It's nice to see F(x) take a different route with their music in this song; instead of their trademark, what I believe to be, somewhere along the lines of electro-pop songs. It possess a completely different feel from Electric Shock that literally shocks you with it's synth-heavy beats. My favorite part has to be the beginning, because the beat starts off soft until it gradually ascends into Amber's rap, delivered as always with confidence and power. It's a perfect showcase of this trio's talents. However; the most impressive part of this song was the depth of the lyrics, which is rare in SM songs. If you read the comments [in this video], I love the perspective of these fangirls/boys. They all perceive the Beautiful Stranger, not as a lover, rather as a description of the love they have for their favorite idols. It's definitely worth checking out. 

Location I think of when I listen to this song: A whimsical yet modernized version of a magical forest.


4. Mr. Johnny - Miss A
If I had one word to describe Miss A it would be FIERCE. They exude it and the best part is that their music reflects that, as well as their unique style towards music. Mr. Johnny is a perfect example of this. Since I'm no music analysis expert I'll throw technical descriptions out the window.It's a catchy, high tempo song combined with attitude, funky beats, a really awesome intro, and an an epic Jia rap - all in English might I add -  or in other words, classic Miss A.

Location I think of when I listen to this song: A spy movie 

5. Ego - Big Bang
My expectations of Big Bang always run high ever since their 2011 song Tonight (my first Big Bang song). As a VIP, it took me completely by surprise that they had a Japanese album! The thought never occurred to me, but I suppose it's my fault for assuming that they would just translate their old hits into Japanese. They recently released the Korean version of Ego onto their new Special Edition Still Alive album.
  
As for the song itself it's a mid-tempo song with some guitar plucking sounds with what I believe to be synthetic drums making it one of their more mellow songs, but it was delivered perfectly. The highlight of the song is the pre-chorus and the chorus with it's addictive hooks sung by GD, while Seungri, Daesung, and Taeyang complement the arrangement with their smooth vocals. But wait! Where's the rap? Trick question! There is none! So does this mean.... yes, TOP actually sung in this song and it works! He and GD add a good contrast to the others' vocals, but I think the X-factor in this song was GD's voice: it's a one-of-a-kind voice that I don't think can be defined. It's his voice that adds an edge to the song, and as always Big Bang pulls it off seamlessly. 

Location I think of when I listen to this song: Oddly, some loft in California...I think it's because I've been thinking a lot about California lately. 

Please Note that it's hard finding the Korean version of this song without any audio changes, so I put the Japanese version instead.


-A
~Part II coming soon!~


*All credits including pictures and videos belong to their rightful owners*