What I’ve Been Listening To – March 2017

I thought this would be a great way of sharing some music – sometimes Korean, sometimes Japanese – and I’m probably going to be doing this every month, so if you like your music and need some suggestions, keep an eye out for future posts! This month, I’ve been falling into the depths of K-Pop again and this list definitely reflects that! Anyway, let’s get started! (Of course, the list is in no particular order…~)

1. Yeah –BLANC7
   To kick things off, let’s start with quite a cool K-Pop debut. BLANC7 is a seven-member boy group from Jackpot Entertainment and Yeah is their debut track. There’s no surprise that this song has made my list for this month. The song is quite clearly based around EDM, a genre that I’m starting to explore more and more as time goes on. It has a catchy chorus which contrasts the mellow start quite well, but the mellow beginning is arguably represented by the ‘floaty’ electronic riffs that are used throughout the song which contrast with the heavier beats. The choreography is quite impressive to observe – the fancy footwork as well as the handstands in the middle of the song are both something that stands out to me. BLANC7 should be proud of this debut – it’s definitely one of the better debut songs I’ve heard in a while.
   
   
2. How Can I Say  – DAY6
   So, I loved this song but didn’t realise who sang it until researching whilst writing this post. For those who don’t know, DAY6 is a rock band formed by JYP Entertainment and they debuted in 2015. The members consist of Jae (guitar, vocals, rapper), Sungjin (guitar, vocals), Young K (bass, vocals, rapper), Wonpil (keyboard, vocals) and Dowoon (drums). How Can I Say is my introduction to DAY6 after a friend showed me it and – although this song itself is pretty mediocre – it’s piqued my interest in the band.  The song starts with the drums before quickly adding in, arguably, the heaviest guitars you’ll hear in this song. The synthesizer works really well with the guitars, however, adding that little bit of electronica that you’d expect from K-Pop. The song itself is definitely not the best, nor the most interesting, but it’s made the list simply because of the band – I do encourage you guys to search them up if you’re interested – try Congratulations if you prefer more acoustic songs.
3. Fingertip –GFRIEND
   Oh, boy, this song. From the very start of the MV, I was curious. A sci-fi feel with member Eunha chasing what appears to be a butterfly. Whilst this is going on, a soft piano is playing before it suddenly stops, the clock on the wall goes berserk and the electronic sounds that you’d expect from looking at the galaxy in the background kicks in. I love three things about this song. Firstly, the chorus. The chorus is incredibly catchy and I find myself singing ‘Tang tang tang fingertip’ quite a bit after hearing the song. Secondly, the choreography. It’s sexy without being too sexy. It has aspects of dancing that I’ve personally ever only seen boy groups do until now. The transitions between members are so creative and seamless. The footwork is great. I could go on. And, finally, the outfits. I love the outfits. The military jackets and black shorts work really well, especially with long black boots. I want that outfit. Please?
4. Dystopia –B.A.P
   So, this one isn’t a title track, which I’m disappointed with. B.A.P released their sixth single album, Rose, this month and Rose really isn’t worth the title of ‘single’ when Dystopia exists as a B-Side. Listening to Dystopia, I was immediately sent back to 2012 B.A.P. Remember Warrior? One Shot? Power? Dystopia follows these iconic tracks in having the ‘rock’ sound that made me fall in love with B.A.P when I first discovered them. If you want heavy guitars, forget DAY6, this is the song for you. The lyrics to the song are, of course, quite motivational and Yongguk’s rapping compliments the sound of the guitars so well, it’s ridiculous. The falsettos by Daehyun and Youngjae cannot go unnoticed either. This song sums up B.A.P remarkably well – it’s by far one of my favourite songs of theirs. If they keep this sound up, I’ll be a happy bunny. :’)
5. Whistle– BLACKPINK
   Although released in August last year, I’ve been listening to BLACKPINK an awful lot this month and I’m loving it. When they debuted, I didn’t really pay too much attention to them (mostly because I thought Boombayah was a bad song at the time) but listening to them now, I regret that I didn’t really give the girls a chance. If you liked 2NE1, you’re probably going to find BLACKPINK appealing. The songs I’ve listened to from these girls have all been great –Whistle is just my favourite from the lot. Stay is also a good track of theirs, especially if you like more romantic-sounding songs over the “rough and tough” songs like Whistle.

They’re just five of the songs and artists I’ve been listening to the most this month, but I can’t end this post without giving a shout out to some other songs and artists I’ve also been loving this month! Never Ever by Got7, Not Today by BTS (admittedly a lot of BTS’ discography, actually…) and Chase Me by Dreamcatcher are my honorary mentions this month!

Now that we’ve entered April, there’s a lot more comebacks and debuts to look forward to! I’m quite looking forward to Dreamcatcher’s comeback with Good Night, DAY6’s comeback with I’m Serious  and comebacks by EXID, TEEN TOP, 24K, PSY, Hyukoh, Yesung (Super Junior) and I’m eagerly anticipating the debut of BLACK6IX! Hopefully that will go well for them!~

What have you been listening to this month? Who’s comeback/debut are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below!

– Amelia xo