Repeats of the Week - December 29, 2017
- waekpop
- Dec 29, 2017
- 2 min read
Dean - Instagram
I’m hesitant to call this a response to Twice’s “Likey,” but Dean’s latest song, “Instagram,” is a direct contradiction to the innocent sweetness of “Likey.” The R&B singer sings about getting trapped in the social media black hole. With lyrics like ‘I’m sinking right now, inside a square ocean,’ Dean touches upon the loneliness that a connection to millions of people can create.
We all strive to create a perfect, projected image of ourselves on Instagram. We do all know, however, that each post is somewhat fabricated because a life cannot be perfectly captured in one image. As Dean sings, we still envy others’ lives and worry about others’ perception of us, despite subconsciously knowing we all feel the same way. He hits upon a lot of relevant points in this song - ‘I'm useless, posting these pictures, but no one knows my hidden feelings behind them.’ By vocalizing what a lot of people feel, but cannot articulate, it’s no wonder this song achieved an All-Kill.
-Kerry
EXO - Universe
I’ll be the first to admit that EXO has to do a lot to win me over. Something about “Universe” did it for me. Maybe I was in the right mood, maybe it was the kinda strange concept (space barista? Boyfriend baristas? What’s happening here?) or maybe I was possessed by the holiday spirits. Either way, I kept returning to this song because of the gorgeous vocals. Something about the hushed delivery of the verses cut straight to my cold heart.
Even though the song itself is quite melancholy, I was warmed by the boys’ beautiful voices and aesthetic palette of the MV. Good job, EXO.
-Kerry
Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl
On December 27, JYP Entertainment announced that Miss A will officially disband. The 4-member group consisted of Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy. While this news didn’t come as a surprise to most, especially with the group’s focus on solo activities in recent years, it was still a bittersweet ending to one of the most iconic girl groups.
Looking back, their discography is packed full of badass girl anthems and unapologetically confident pop songs. Here’s a throwback to their debut single, “Bad Girl, Good Girl.”
-Julie
Yaeji - Raingurl
Yaeji, a Korean-American artist operating out of New York, is one of the freshest voices in the indie house scene. Her second EP dropped in November, and it’s been in constant rotation since. Her smooth, hypnotic compositions blend hip-hop and house while fluidly switching between English and Korean lyrics. She also often leans on Korean’s natural lyricism for aesthetic value.
I particularly love the sense of awkwardness throughout, from her mumble-rap to the video’s visual style, a rarity in music culture today. If you want to check out more, I recommend her videos for “last breath” and “Drink I’m Sippin On."
-Alan