It’s the start of a new month, which means it’s time to see what I’ve been listening to over the past four weeks!
The past month has seen me revising for an upcoming exam, sure, but I’ve also been spending time with friends, whose music tastes have influenced what I’ve been listening to lately. This month has seen more Japanese tracks being added to my favourites, balancing out the excessive amount of K-Pop from last month. So, what tracks have I been liking this month?
1) VAV – Flower (You)
VAV (short for ‘Very Awesome Voice’) are seven member boy band from Korea. Flower (You) is a non-album single which has a slight reggae beat which is lovely to bop along to. The chorus is simple and therefore easy to sing along to. The vocals are simply so nice to listen to and this includes the rap, which aren’t aggressive but almost as gentle as the other vocals. The gentle vocals suit the lyrics which are about a breakup. The music video is full of pastel colours and flowers, with VAV’s hairstyles matching the pastel colour palette. It’s a cute song with a cute music video that is perfect for summer.
2) Moso Calibration – Chin Chin Pui Pui
A big difference between this song and VAV’s! Moso Calibration are a five member Japanese girl group who formed in 2013. They work alongside Yuyoyuppe who’s more known for writing and producing songs for the Japanese kawaii-metal band BABYMETAL and, just like BABYMETAL, Moso Calibration do not disappoint. Chin Chin Pui Pui is the girl’s first major single and was actually released in June 2016. It’s the opening track to their debut album, GREATEST HITS WORLD ∞ SELECTION and it’s definitely a good choice! It starts off being a relatively average J-Pop track with synths and cute vocals, but the instrumental, even here, is great. The pre-chorus’ simple but effective ‘whoa’s builds up to the chorus brilliantly and the instrumental here as a huge EDM-vibe to it. The music video is somewhat simple; it shows the girls dancing a rather easy- to-replicate choreography during the chorus and also shows them with robotic-like ‘arms’ during the verses. Again, it’s definitely one you need to listen to during the last month of summer!
3) Bang Yongguk – Yamazaki
Again, this song is totally different from the other two. Going back to Korea, we’re entering the realm of Hip Hop with Bang Yongguk (B.A.P) and his latest song Yamazaki. Yongguk’s deep voice suits the alcohol-themed song – Yamazaki referring to the Japanese whisky. This is referenced even more by Yongguk’s use of ‘arigato’ within the song and the references to taking shots every night. The instrumental is quite oriental-sounding with a typical hip-hop vibe during the choruses. It is somewhat dramatic, something that the music video captures perfectly. The music video is also somewhat grim in places – it’s been given a 19+ restricted certificate and involves animal deaths and blood splatters. It is a good song, though, so don’t let this put you off from checking it out.
4) Red Velvet – Red Flavour
What. A. Summer. Song. I know I’ve said that VAV and Moso Calibration came out with songs perfect for the summer season, but Red Velvet has definitely taken the crown for the summer K-Pop anthem for me this year. The lyrics are about falling in love with someone during the summer and the different ‘flavours’ that comes with it. It’s definitely a summer bop – the chorus is so catchy and it’s one where you want to either clap and/or shimmy along with. To compare it with a Wester sound, I imagine that it could settle in well with a Little Mix album to give off that girly, summery sound. Either way, it’s definitely one of my favourites this season.
5) CellChrome – Stand Up Now
Now, this is a little bit cheating. How? This song isn’t even out yet. However, the fact that I love Konbini Kareshi’s OP so much is definitely a sign. CellChrome are a four member rock band from Japan and the OP to one of this season’s anime is their debut single. Out the 23rd August, this is slightly cheating, but the the boy band sound that reminds me of a cross of One Direction and Busted is just perfect. They’re so cute as well and I’m looking forward to what else they bring out in the future – definitely a band to look out for!
This month’s honorable mentions go to WJSN’s Kiss Me, EXO’s Ko Ko Bop and Akdong Musician’s DINOSAUR so go a check those out as well!
That’s all for this month’s music post! What songs have you been loving this month? What do you think of the songs I’ve listed above? Let me know in the comment section below!
Until next time!
– Amelia xo
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