Repeats of the Week - September 22, 2017
- waekpop
- Sep 22, 2017
- 4 min read
SiK-K, pH-1, Jay Park – iffy (prod by GroovyRoom)
H1GHR MUSIC's GroovyRoom, Sik-K, pH-1, and Jay Park have teamed up with Dingo Freestyle, a sub-channel of South Korea's most popular YouTube channel, Dingo Music, for a new single titled "iffy."
GroovyRoom has been nonstop this summer, seeming to have a hand in all the hottest hits coming out of the H1GHR family. "iffy" has a fresh sound - a simple set of beats alongside a chill synth rhythm. The MV is the aesthetic aftermath of a wild night. SiK-K doesn't disappoint with his verses, while pH-1 really blew us away with his second verse (switching up his flow at least five times!). Jay Park makes his cameo in the unexpected form of his face on a paper bag for the third verse.
With some of H1GHR's top players, "iffy" definitely made it on our summer wind down playlist. But now we're dying to see what other collabs we can expect from the label.
- Julie
DAY6 – I Loved You
Back in December 2016, DAY6 announced they'd release two new songs on the sixth of every month. The title song for September, "I Loved You," is the song to start fall we didn't know we needed. The song is of a love gone wrong. The vocalists do a great job of conveying their sorrow. The chorus is especially powerful as the members take turns singing, "I want to hate you, but I can't so I hate you even."
The MV isn't quite as sad as the song. It feels like a high school K-drama mashed into four minutes, but without feeling rushed. You get a little bit of romance and are left wanting more.
With only three more months of releases, we're pretty sure we'll have DAY6 withdrawals in January. But 2017 has been the year of incredible song releases from the K-pop/K-rock crossover group.
- Laura
NOVADOX – In My Sight
You probably haven't heard of NOVADOX... but you really need to. NOVADOX is a Korean rock/metal band that debuted in March with their first EP, escapism. The band is made up of five incredibly talented guys: Vin, J-One, Alan, AZ, and Yoon Kim. They all have a part in the creation of their music from songwriting to composing to producing.
Earlier this month, the band released their newest single, "In My Sight." If you're a fan of the American alt-rock scene, their sound will be familiar – a bit of Three Days Grace mixed with 30 Seconds to Mars. Not a combo we'd hate. The MV is simple – just NOVADOX rocking out in the studio.That's exactly what it should. When you have a good rock/metal song, you don't need a flashy MV.
Korea isn't well-known for its rock bands, but we hope we'll hear more material from NOVADOX in the future.
- Laura
BTS – DNA
On September 18th, BTS came back with new song, "DNA" and boy, were we not ready for it.
We're excited about this song not only because the track is incredibly infectious, but because the choreography is on point. There is no shortage of energy in this dance, which was largely choreographed by longtime BigHit performance director, Son Sungdeuk. One of my absolute favorite elements was the inclusion of dance moves from some of their other songs. It's like a treasure hunt for ARMY to discover.
The MV is also a trippy ride, full of color explosions, mind-bending edits, and Gucci fashion. As the MV is breaking K-pop records left and right, it's definitely worth a watch.
Stay tuned for a more extensive performance review of their comeback stage.
Our lovely Laura gave us a full album review of BTS's Love Yourself: Her. If you want to delve into her thoughts on the production and background of each song, I suggest checking that out.
- Kerry
Jinbo – Just You and Me (feat. Jay Park)
It's the week of covers! Jinbo and Jay Park released a remake of "Just You and Me," originally sung by Kim Hyun Sik in 1986. The MV is uncluttered and shot with a grainy lens, giving off that 35 mm vibe. It's just Jay and Jinbo singing and playing piano, respectively, all the while clad in snazzy white suits. They are backed by a quintet of female musicians.
The 2017 cover stripped down the instrumental of the original, replacing the plunky piano and guitar with a robust horn and strings backing track. Also responsible for the arrangement of the remake, Jinbo sings the chorus of the cover version in a sweet falsetto. Jay Park sings all of the verses in the song in his typical silky-smooth manner. We're getting serious lounge singer vibes from this song. Besides, who can resist a man decked out in a white suit?
- Kerry
IU – Autumn Morning
IU is a digital queen. I have heard this phrase tossed around over and over the last week and gosh darn it, if it isn't true. IU surprised her fans this week with a special release of a cover of the 1991 folk song "Autumn Morning," originally released by singer Yang Hee-eun and guitarist Lee Byung-Woo. And judging by the fact that she achieved an all-kill on the Melon charts (against BTS, no less), I can definitively say that, yes, she is, in fact, a digital queen.
In a behind the scenes video filmed with guitarist Sungha Jung, IU says, "The thing about doing a remake version (of "Autumn Morning") is that while it's really enjoyable and fun, you get really worried at the same time, because the perfect answer is right in front of you." I think she succeeded not only in honoring Yang Hee-eun and Lee Byung-Woo's song, but also creating her own perfect version of the song itself.
- Kerry