Y'all didn't want to listen to me about Lorde when I started tweeting about her three months before Royals was even released in the United States. In fact, the same month Royals was released as a US single, I wrote a blog post telling you about how good her second single was. None of y'all seemed to care........
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| I'm assuming The Lion King was on ABC Family? Whatevz. |
And a few short months later, the first week of September/the week The 1975's debut album, The 1975, was released (to very little American fanfare, I might add) I started a three year Twitter-spree/obsession with those wonderful British giants. Now, I will say, y'all slowlyyyyy but surely kind of started to listen to me. It took a full year before any of y'all really listened, though.
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| No worries, I know what it means now. |
And like that slow, agonizing campaign I led for y'all to enjoy the (Guita)R&B stylings of The 1975, I have a new mission- and y'all are going to HATE it. But then, you're going to love it and I won't have to say, "I told you so" too loudly.... I'm seriously telling you that K-POP is the next BIG thing in music. Yeah, I said it.
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| http://todayspictures.slate.com/20120522/ |
1. The production value is unmatched. Seriously, as far as the music goes, Justin Bieber and Diplo and Skrillex have NOTHING on any of these songs. Not Nicki Minaj, not Demi Lovato, not anyone trying to do pop music that makes you dance. There really is no comparison.
2. The language barrier really doesn't matter. Don't tell me you won't give these songs a chance because you can't understand what they're saying. Lyrics don't matter to you- two of your favorite songs this year only used the word "WORK" for their entire chorus. You don't care about the lyrics, you want to bop along in your car, when you're getting ready, when you're pregaming, etc. You want repetitive choruses? K-pop has that on lock.
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| http://rebloggy.com/post/bigbang-bang-bang-bang/120445219701 |
3. The music videos are better than most movies. When Swifty's Bad Blood video premiered, everyone was blown away by the sheer scale of the produciton and how much it must have cost. That video literally isn't even special in comparison to any of these. It's wild. Also, the videos display the choreography, wardrobes and editing that are UNPARALLELED.
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| http://kenh14.vn/bts-dua-voi-lua-trong-mv-tai-xuat-cuc-chat-20160502000101547.chn |
1. Blood, Sweat and Tears by BTS
This is a song that Justin Bieber would kill to release. It has that weird island-techno-dance-trap vibe that everyone seems to be doing these days. These seven Korean kids do it as good, if not better, than anyone else attempting to do it right now. The album with this song on it came out last week and it broke a bunch of k-pop records for US charts. This won't be the last you hear or see of BTS.
2. 21st Century Girl by BTS
If *NSYNC, Flo Rida and Limp Bizkit had written One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful and performed it in Korean, it would sound EXACTLY like this. From what I can tell, this is straight out of the "don't need makeup/you're in charge/get it girl" playbook but wayyyyyy more fun to dance to. There is no video (yet?) and the choreography is kinda silly but this is a BOP. Since there's no video, this might not even be a single for BTS but if you put it on US radio, it would be the song of the year. I can't wrap my head around it.
3. Ain't No Party Like An AOMG Party by Jay Park and Ugly Duck
So this is technicallyyyyy k-hip hop (I think?) but who really cares when every k-pop group has at least one rapper for every three members? This isn't as catchy as the rest of the songs but I still reallyyyyy enjoy it. With very little research done, I think Jay Park might have lived in the United States for a period of time and I think you can really hear that in this song. Again, the production value of the song AND the video is ridiculous. Like when is G-Easy ever going to get to make a music video like this? He probably lost his chance since the Suicide Squad album has come and gone though....
4. Bang Bang Bang by Big Bang
This group has been releasing music together for 10 freaking years. Can we take a second to appreciate how wild that is?! *NSYNC and One Direction didn't even combine for 10 total years. Anyway, about the song........ This song is good and then the chorus comes in and everyone I've ever played it for LOSES THEIR DAMN MIND. I love the reaction. Also- there's no way this video cost less than $5 million dollars. And this song is such a big deal in Korea that when North Korea got antsy earlier this year, South Korea set up big speakers on the border and blasted this song into the demilitarized zone. THIS IS A TRUE STORY. Kpop- the greatest weapon.
5. Zutter by T.O.P and G-Dragon (two members of Big Bang)
Once you get past the eyeliner and brightly colored hair and skinny jeans, these two are apparently two of the coolest and most admired people in all of South Korea. In fact, Mr. G Dragon (orange hair) is probably the most famous Korean after the freaking dictator of North Korea. No big deal. Anyway, this song's title translates to "dope" and it is the perfect way to describe it. Put this in English, play it in a frat basement and watch all the white kids lose their damn minds. Seriously, Drake or someone should find a way to translate and get the rights to this song. Song of the year, easily. Or if you're in South Korea, just the third or fourth single off an album. Whatevz. (Also, Mr. Dragon is one of the WORLD'S fashion darlings. That animal print blazer? Saint Laurent. And he had access to that particular collection before anyone else in the world. No big deal.)
6. Hello Bitches by CL
So this fireeee song is pretty much 60% in English which is wonderful. It's the ultimate girl power/don't bother me banger and I am SOOOO here for it. From what I gathered in my very limited research, CL is kind of like Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj in Korea and I could listen to this song over and over again until the end of time. PS- love that she got the dancers from the Sorry video and is actually keeping up with them. Get. It. Girl. I really need her silver hair. She's perfect. I feel like I'm rambling. I love her.
7. MTBD by 2NE1 (CL Solo)
Another one that doesn't have a music video, just a fire track on an album. This one happened to be on her girl group's album. Like they actually let her have a solo song on there and go on tour which is a veryyyy foreign concept to me but seemed to work. Anyway. This is straight fire. Great beat. Words are irrelevant. Get. It. Girl.
8. BOOMBAYAH by BLACKPINK
This is what I consider the most "traditional" pop song of the list. It's some cutesy girls singing and dancing and occasionally kinda rapping? But they dance better than any of our pop stars. By far. Again, don't know what this song is about but I really freaking love to blast it in my car while I'm driving down the road screaming, "Boombayah!" Can you imagine being a pop group and THIS is the first song and first video you release? Ariana Grande is still working up to a video this cool. Demi Lovato may never get there. These tiny Korean girls did it day one.
9. How's This by Hyuna
So if CL is Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj then Hyuna is Rihanna and Miley Cyrus a.k.a. pretty damn crazy pants. Her songs are some of the more simplistic on the list as far as artistry goes but they might have the best production value. She is clearly working with whoever Korea's equivalent of Skrillex is and they are killing it. This song in English would be on every white girl's pregame playlist. Every single one of them. #CatchyAF.
10. Roll Deep by Hyuna
Out of all the songs on this list, I am convinced this one would play best on American radio. It's got a throwback and futuristic vibe which is wild. The chorus is one of the catchiest things I've ever heard in my life. It's a solid pop hit all around. I'm sad more people in the United States don't get to enjoy it. You're lucky I'm here to educate you.
*BONUS* Fire by BTS
This one didn't make the list because there are already two BTS songs on it and it's not on Spotify. Who ever heard of a k-pop group having an Apple exclusive song in the United States? Well, now you have. They're taking over, I promise. Anyway, this song is called "Fire" because it is fire AF. Roll Deep is the one on the list that could play the best on commercial American radio. This one is a veryyyy close second. It's so freaking good y'all. Flo Rida, Shawn Mendes and whoever the next screaming rapper a la Eminem is, please release a song like this. I'm begging you. Don't tell me ESPN wouldn't play this 100 times on football Saturdays.
So..... now that I've given you all the proof you need, enjoy these 10 songs on Spotify and tell ALL of your friends why they should be listening to k-pop, you know you want to.
Let me know what you think over on the Twitter machine at @RulesForBelles.
Enjoy!
-C. xx.
