NCT Dream - Go
The third MV from the NCT 2018 project was released earlier this week, this time put out by the sub-unit, NCT Dream. The Dream group is composed of the youngest members of the NCT family, with the youngest member being 14 years old at the time of debut in 2016. Up until now, they were well known for being the cute unit, counteracting the sexier NCT U and grungier NCT 127. “Go” threw that cute concept right out the window. NCT Dream comes more into alignment with the sounds we’ve heard from the other units, like “Boss” and “Cherry Bomb,” as “Go” relies more heavily on bass instrumentals and rap verses. As NCT Dream grows up, so does their music, and “Go” is an anthem of teenage rebellion and spirit. Gone are the bowl haircuts and in their place, we got slick choreo and a powerhouse chorus.
NCT 2018 will be releasing an album, NCT 2018: Empathy, on March 14th, 2018. Based on the past three MVs that were dropped, you can definitely say that my interest is peaked.
- Kerry
Heize - Jenga (Feat. Gaeko)
Ooh this song is full of bluesy goodness. Heize and Gaeko croon over a subdued jazz instrumental - upright bass, piano, snare, guitar...the song even includes a piano breakdown. The bluesy melody is the perfect choice for the song. Heize sings about knowing a love that fills your soul so completely, it becomes part of who you are. When the love fails, you crumble like jenga. Heize finishes the song with an utterly heartbreaking solution, singing, “So how about I build a fence around it, So it can stay as a monument” and as a result, even if the love comes back, she says, “My heart is hardening, it has lost its meaning.”
The MV depicts Heize balancing precariously on various leaning towers of items, in an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ like setting. This softer side of Heize is well worth checking out!
- Kerry
J-Hope - Airplane
The overarching purpose of J-Hope’s first mixtape, Hope World, is to show the world that he is more than his character in BTS. He explores production and flows that he would never have the opportunity to do with Bangtan and are theoretically more representative of his personal style. “Airplane,” the second song of his album to get an MV, exemplifies this. Sandwiched between a ringing xylophone melody, the track includes everything from reverberating synth, heavy bass, piano instrumental, to, of course, the sounds of a jet engine. The song is strangely ethereal due to a constant ambient instrumental underlying everything. In this way, "Daydream" and "Airplane" are similar. Both tracks are catchy, but have a dark edge, found in the lyrics in “Daydream” and the instrumental in “Airplane.”
The MV carries on some of the same themes from “Daydream,” featuring the solo rapper against a variety of backgrounds. While "Daydream" included a plethora of surreal imagery, “Airplane” is comparatively grounded (hah, like a plane). The MV is set mostly in an airport, with the rapper grooving interchangeably around a sweet Porsche, on top of a building, and in front of long horizontal screen, which was also seen in the “Daydream” MV. Although some fans expected a second MV full of choreography (he is the main dancer of BTS), both “Daydream” and “Airplane” focus on the visuals of the setting, the cinematography, the special effects and of course, the fashion of J-Hope. The story unfolds from these elements instead of from his dance, and honestly, this choice reveals a whole new side of the rapper that many people, myself included, never realized.
- Kerry
Mamamoo - Star, Wind, Flower, Sun
Mamamoo staged their comeback on March 8th with new EP, Yellow Flower. While the title track off the album, "Starry Night," is certifiably catchy (seriously, it topped real time charts shortly after dropping), “Star, Wind, Flower, Sun” caught my attention for its simple arrangement. Dropped the day before, on March 7th, the song beautifully shows off the group’s vocals without any fancy tricks or effects. The laid-back production of “Star, Wind, Flower, Sun” highlights the members’ naturally beautiful voices without making it seem like they're trying too hard. Not to mention, the close harmonies are exquisite.
“Starry Night” has great production and sound, but we really hear Mamamoo do what they do best in “Star, Wind, Flower, Sun” - sing.
- Kerry
Sandy - Teen Swag (Mixtape)
Sandy, a 16-year-old teen rapper born Ha Seonho (하선호), released a mixtape in January this year showcasing her development since her first introduction to the Korean rap scene through Show Me The Money 6. Her brief appearance on SMTM6 earned a nod from Jay Park and left an impression that was enough for her to sign to All I Know Music, a subsidiary of MYSTIC Entertainment (home to Giant Pink and Miryo). Her growing popularity from her audition videos also made her one of the highly anticipated contestants on School Rapper 2.
The MV for "Teen Swag” is a hilariously cheeky gem, following schoolgirl Sandy through classrooms and halls with a swaggy posse of misfits. Though she still has a long journey in terms of developing her rap skills, she definitely has the charisma, confidence, and understanding of flow that makes her a promising rookie.
- Julie
CIFIKA - PIETA
While still a relatively new artist, we sense CIFIKA is about to experience her biggest year of growth in the mainstream American music scene. At the beginning of this year, still high off her first EP Intelligentsia (2016), she released a collaborative single titled “MOMOM” with award-winning frontman of HYUKOH. Just earlier this week, she kicked off what will be the longest U.S. tour for a Korean artist, with 20 cities in the cross-country lineup. Her second EP Prism just dropped on March 8th, and she’s scheduled to perform next week at SXSW.
CIFIKA’s sound isn’t easy to describe, but it has an unquestionable gravitational pull. Her self-produced EP Prism has a great range of styles, maybe best described as electronic pop. But it's her warm and wide voice that anchors all the different tracks. In "PIETA", CIFIKA's sprawling vocals take us on a journey through a landscape of techno beats.
- Julie