Board Thread:Off-Topic/@comment-29512888-20190721125103

Awwwwwwww f f f ff f f f f  f f I'm so late on this and I'm also about th finish the January-June list damn let's make it before it's too late!

Introduction
Sadly, June hasn't been very exciting for K-Pop, as most of the songs seemed to lack potential or simply be completely uninteresting. However, for our luck, I have still managed to find 9 songs to recommend. Let's start!

Honorable Mentions (none of them have available translations)
This doesn't count because it's just a cover of the song from the live-action Aladdin remake with the same title, but Siyeon still kills it so I'll leave it here in case anyone is interested. I really really REALLY wanted to throw this in the actual list, especially with the refined beat that improves 1000 times over the original, but the lyrics still have creepily possessive implications so I can only relegate this to "guilty pleasure" status. After Texas Karaoke, another rockabilly band decided to make their own attempt at winning my heart over, and they've quite succeeded in that in spite of the song not being as good. Some sparse retro production helps this song jump over the line. In the meanwhile, this other retro song goes even harder thanks to some hot surf guitar. Thank goodness trot is still here to provide quality while every other group falls apart!

5. Lana - Take The Wheel
Well... I definitely didn't expect a Russian girl to debut in the K-Pop industry. Not that I complain about it (unlike all those racist "fans"), especially when the music is this good. Russian pop music has been invaded by a trend that consist of recreating 80's synthpop, and Lana's producers have thought well of exporting this sound to the declining music market of South Korea, crafting an anthemic retro bop that rises hugely above the flood of mediocrity we've been getting since May. With such good results, we should definitely convince South Korean labels to hire more Russian musicians... or maybe I should leave K-Pop altogether and move to Russia instead, so that R-pop will become a thing one day!

4. WJSN - Boogie Up
UUUUUGGGGHHHHHHH STOP TEASING ME WITH SUMMER COMEBACKS I NEED TO FOCUS ON MY EXAMS UGUHEFGRRIKGIBVUIBIIBR!!!!!! Sorry, I had to. Anyway, now that Sistar have gone, someone has to deliver the traditional summer comeback for them, and labelmates WJSN succeed with Boogie Up which hooks the listener with an amazing beat drop that turns the entire day upside down, along with some repetitions of the title that add a really nice touch to the work. Unfortunately, I can't blast this bop too much at the moment, school is calling me!

3. Tae Jin Ah - Like You Honey
After showering Hong Jin Young with praise, it's time to move on to her male counterpart, another veteran trot singer called Tae Jin Ah. He's been in the K-Pop industry since the late 90's and now he's gloriously come back with Like You Honey, which follows the typical rules of trot - bouncy rhythm, catchy melodies, retro flare with horns and guitars, etc - while still sounding fresh and interesting. Then again, the quality this month has been pretty low, so it didn't take much to be fresh and interesting. Ok, maybe I'm whining a bit too much, so remember that this song is cool and you should check it out!

2. N.Flying - Songbird
One of the greatest rock bands of South Korea, N.Flying return to the Japanese market with an amazing power ballad called Songbird. The narrative is about the end of a relationships where both parts have to take separate roads for the benefit of the couple but still suffer because of the whole situation, and the emotion is pulled off flawlessly by the main vocalist Seunghyub and his great high notes. Of course, the music accompanies everything, starting with a slow piano intro and then building up to reach a transcendent chorus where all the epicness is unleashed like a huge dragon. However, as great as it is, it managed to be beaten by one song, which is...

1. IZ - Hello
After an already great debut, rookie band IZ amps their potential up to 11 with a brilliant follow up called Hello. The song has pretty much the same characteristics as Songbird, as it also starts with a piano intro that leads to a rocking chorus, but it's higher because of one reason: the lyrics. The story here is also about a couple parting ways, except that the guy is framed as the cataclysm for the breakup with his unacceptable behavior. Technically, that should lead to a terrible song, but IZ avoid this mistake by letting the listener know the guy feels guilty of what he's done, while begging his girl for forgiveness. Add one hell of a charismatic performance and you got the winner of the month, without a doubt.

Recommendations
I usually don't like this kind of acoustic ballad in K-Pop, but BOL4 usually do it pretty well thanks to a nice emotional execution. A truly underrated debut from 2018. Then again, that year was pretty good so you're forgiven if you've missed this song. And here's another one. And another one! Not only is this an acoustic guitar ballad, but it's also a B-side track AND an album ballad! It's amazing how many rare things this song can be at once! And now we officially wrap this episode up with Infinite, to celebrate their anniversary! 