#holup!

[yena-nd]

[weltraumimport]

HOLUP!

[spinnin-burnice]

[blingspired]

BOBBY - HOLUP! (3)

[blingspired]

BOBBY - HOLUP! (2)

[blingspired]

BOBBY - HOLUP! (1)

[jayp0rk]

[aesthetic-kpop]

20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2016 (Part 1)

Read: Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Without further ado, here are (in my humble opinion) the best K-Pop songs of 2016. 2016 has proved to be an interesting one — with K-Pop progressively (and aggressively) moving closer to a truly unique musical fusion of East and West — enduring all the complications and eccentricities that intersection entails. 2014 was a notoriously tumultuous year for K-Pop — followed by an astoundingly forward-thinking, but still shakily uncertain, rebirth in 2015. K-Pop has finally regained (and arguably established) its confident footing in 2016 — and seems to be alluding to something even greater for 2017.

20. “Oh NaNA” — K.A.R.D

It’s been a long, long time since K-Pop has had a co-ed music group. An even longer time since they had one that wasn’t tacky or playing off of some stale, cringey trope. And damn, is it a breath of fresh air. K.A.R.D is a very new group (in fact, they haven’t even ‘officially’ debuted yet), but their potential, talent, and teeming newness has arrived just in the nick of time. “Oh NaNa” employs the familiar (if not, generic) hooks and melodies of the tropical house sound that swept K-Pop this year — but it’s the group’s seamless interweaving of rich vocals, chilled-out ambiance, and sublime raps that enforces the future of K.A.R.D’s success. 

19. “The 7th Sense (일곱 번째 감각)” — NCT U

“The 7th Sense” was a very risky choice for the debut of a new boy band. Was it commercially successful? No — especially considering the powerhouse entertainment company that NCT U comes from. But critically? Hell yeah. At its core, “The 7th Sense” is a classic hip hop anthem; it flits back and forth between a slow, sensual dreamscape and a tense, combative calling. It’s not exactly an easy listen: the melodies are soft and lulling whilst the beats are hard and demanding. But it’s a very enticing promise of what NCT U has to offer — if managed effectively and correctly. Sadly, when it comes to the executives behind NCT U, that promise could be fleeting. If such, it will be a detrimental loss to K-Pop if we never hear something this daring from them again. 

18. “New Moon” — Neon Bunny

Not so much K-Pop as K-Indie, Neon Bunny is probably one of the best (and least known) music producers in the world. “It’s You” (2014) — a shimmering, unrestrained, out-of-this-world jubilance of meeting someone new — is her magnum opus, but “New Moon” (2016) — its darker, more transparent cousin — isn’t too far behind. “New Moon”, like all of Neon Bunny’s works, is deceivingly complicated; navigating between watery depths, breathy aloof vocals, haunting strings, and ephemeral synthetic beats. But it’s the way Neon Bunny croons “New Moon” — and the lyrics of the song — that divulge its genius. “New Moon” describes a solitary night yearning to be with someone else; and its mournful, longing, and lonely thirst is striking to the very core. 

17. “Fantasy (괜찮아 괜찮아)” — Fei

For those that don’t know, Miss A is a four-member K-Pop girl group that debuted to mass critical and commercial acclaim in 2010 — but has dramatically faded from view in recent years (mostly due to their music company’s executive prioritizing the career of one member over the other three). Fei — one of the neglected three — quietly debuted as a soloist this year with the release of “Fantasy”. Sadly, the song was mostly written off due to Fei’s controversial, hypersexual music video. Although K-Pop has a huge problem with displaying female sexuality almost exclusively for the male gaze (which “Fantasy” is guilty of — and also a story for another day), “Fantasy” itself is a sleepily seductive, pleading synthpop exultance. Close your eyes and feel yourself succumb to the beseeching sensuality of this overlooked smoky number.

16. “HOLUP! (꽐라)” — BOBBY

“HOLUP!” is, first and foremost, a sonic assault to the ears. It’s undeniably messy, loud, and frantic to the point of inducing anxiety (never mind the jarring, grungy, neon music video — a probable catalyst to epileptics). It shouldn’t work, but somehow, it does. This can mainly be attributed to Bobby’s flow; his ability to dominate the trap drops and violent bass drums that permeate “HOLUP!” is a testament to his rap capabilities. If anything, “HOLUP!” is a primary example of why Bobby is by far one of the best Korean rappers in the game — his unleashed energy, unapologetic masculinity, and envy-inducing flow negate each and every weakness in “HOLUP!”.