#this was really hard!!! both because i love every a.c.e mv and also because...savage is REALLY hard to color lol

[sanstropfremir]

Hey, in honor of A.C.E. coming back soon would you mind talking about their outfits and makeup in their Favorite Boy comeback (or really any of their outfits/make up cause their stylists is a god and deserves a kiss on the forehead)? They have some of my favorite styling of any boy group currently. Undercover Byeongkwan in the black and yellow crop top with the pony tail lives in my mind rent free and I’m not complaining. I especially loved the mesh of modern and traditional in Fav Boys.

yes!!!! ok be prepared people this is basically a love letter to a.c.e's stylist, whoever you are please my dms are open i just wanna talk (and maybe also get married, your choice)

(also this is really long because there's a lot of pictures, so sue me)

ok there's three main things i want to touch on here that are all contributing factors in a.c.e aesthetics hitting every time: colour theory, silhouette, and pattern matching. alright let's go!

colour theory

so i won't explain all of colour theory because i’m not as good as i should be with the actual theory, but here’s the basics. colours are divided into groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary. here’s a fun diagram i stole from google:

in centre you have the primary colours (red/blue/yellow), then you have the secondary colours, made from mixing the primary colours (orange/green/violet), and then the tertiary colours are made from mixing the primary and secondary colours (yellow orange/red orange/red violet/blue violet/blue green/yellow green). there are some commonly associated schemes that are known to ‘look good’ to the human eye:

complementary, where you pair two colours directly opposite each other on the wheel (red/green, blue/orange, purple/yellow)

analogous, which is a base colour with accents from the colours directly next to it (red base, orange/violet accent),

triadic - either base colour with accent colours equidistant from it (green/orange/violet), or base colour with split complementary (violet base, yellow green/yellow orange accent)

tetradic - this is essentially a combination of two or more of the previous, usually a double complementary or an analogous triad with a complimentary accent (red/green with red violet/yellow green, orange/blue with yellow orange/blue violet)

now there’s a lot more getting into tone, value, and saturation, but these are the basic hue combinations that we most commonly see. kpop styling sometimes veers wildly from these rules, but they aren’t hard and fast so it usually isn’t a big deal. plus a lot of styling is supposed to be a bit visually overwhelming anyways, so i’m not exactly counting it against anyone. but what makes a.c.e’s styling look so nice, even though it often isn’t that complicated, is that they always stick to a specific palette. like i went all the way back through their instagram and ALL their public appearances are coordinated:

even their dance practice videos, of all things!

this is especially true with their performance costumes:

i'm not saying anything really revolutionary here, most groups get colour matching down correctly, but a.c.e's stylists have really nailed down matching the tone and saturation as well as the hue. here's a couple of examples from concept photos:

complementary - full saturation green base, desaturated red (pink) as accent

analogous - full saturation violet, pink, and magenta with desaturated and black accents

triadic - all desaturated

complementary - full saturation red base, varying degrees of desaturation for accent colours

this is fun, let's do some more! this time from their performance costumes:

analogous (monochrome) - full saturation yellow green, desaturated accents

tetradic (analogous with complementary accent) - full saturation red, desaturated violet/red/blue, desaturated green as accent)

triadic (equidistant) - full saturation red/blue with desaturated yellow, desaturated accents

tetradic (double complementary) - full saturation red/green as main pair, desaturated blue/orange as secondary pair, full saturation yellow as accents

starting to see it? you can do this with pretty much any of their styling; i've watched a lot of their performances and i don't think i've seen a single one that didn't follow a really strict colour palette. (ok there were like two savage stages that were not quite as good, but you can tell the stylist was trying to bring them in line with the current 4th gen styling and it didn't work so it didn't last).

costume colours and lighting

this is an important aside in relation to the mvs. whoever edits their mvs is really good at colouring. a big part of colour theory is tone, which is how 'warm' or 'cool' a colour is. it's super important in lighting; the colour wheel is split in half, with yellow through red-red violet categorized as warm, and yellow green through blue and violet as cool. a really easy way to visualize this in lighting is through the light from different types of lightbulbs: led lights are cool toned (they are often slightly bluish), and old style halogen lights are warm toned (they are amber tinged). tones are a thing that kpop videos seem to have a fleeting relationship with; sometimes they're used effectively and sometimes they are not. a big thing that a lot of kpop mvs do is really quickly switch tones in colouring, without connecting the intentions of the colours. here's some examples: ateez's fireworks mv, and oneus' no diggity mv. the fireworks mv has this really weird desaturated balance between warm and cool tones specifically in the interior shots, where they somehow managed to overblow both at the same time, which ends up making it look like they were trying really hard to make a cool tone yellow. you can actually feel your eyes relax in that first shot that takes them outside, because the balance is much more natural. and the no diggity mv.... i love it but it's so chaotic. everything is on high saturation all the time and there's no real limitation on the palette, established connection between colours or arc in the colour story, so the cuts between colours and shots feel more random than intentional. now lets look at some a.c.e mvs in comparision, first: undercover. for starters there's an immediate establishement of red and white/black, with a mild green accent. then it continues to a stronger green/teal, with brown as an extension of red (same undertone). there's a colour shift at the first chorus, where they are in the analogous full saturation violet/pink outfits that i mentioned previously, but they actually desaturate and de-value the hues with edit in order to have it match the tone of the room. the second colour shift is for the second rap break, with byeongkwan and wow in yellow main on black and white backgrounds, but that same level of yellow saturation only appears at the rap break specifically, it's absent from the rest of the mv. and then there's a third colour shift on the last chorus, where they pump up the blue and magenta in order to emphasize the climax of the song.

second, for something a bit crazier: goblin. it follows almost the same pattern as undercover; starting with a strong establishment of red/white/black, but then it jumps into full saturation green and teal as the other main colours. again there's a colour switch at byeongkwan's second rap break, and after than we start to see that deeper saturation blue and pink/purple more, but the main colours are still red/white/black.

ok that's enough about colour, now let's talk about

silhouette

this is maybe a little bit more vague and difficult to describe, but whatever. silhouette is pretty much exactly the way it sounds, it's the overall shape of the body. clothing and body type play equal roles in how silhouette is perceived, but clothing can do a lot to either disguise or transform the body. now there isn't really that much variation in body type in kpop; it's a microcosm of small differences between a lot of very fit people, which has been normalized as "default" by society at large for the last while. i'm not going to get into body politics here, because we all know that kpop dudes are not the median average male body type, but they are for the sake of what we've been socialized to think of as looking attractive so the rest of this is going to operate from that assumption. and when you have five dudes who are pretty smack in the middle of that slight variation (none of them are the largest nor the thinnest, they're all about the same middling height), you've got pretty much free reign to put them in whatever you want and they'll still look hot. kpop styling has a dubious relationship to actual wearable clothing, but it is all costuming so it's not necessary for it to be wearable everyday clothing. but since view in 2015 there's been a dramatic increase in "normal" clothing as performance costume, and the thing about normal contemporary clothing is that it's actually very difficult to style in a convincing way. because it's the trends that the general public is the most familiar with, it's the easiest for them to pick apart where the flaws are. this is all preface to say that there are often common silhouettes that are popular with specific trends. in 2012-2013 there was that sweater tucked into circle skirt with big scarf trend, in the 2007 was like baggy everything and layered tshirts, etc, and 2018-2019 was big colourful patterned shirts. sound familiar? it should, take me higher came out in summer 2018! now there's a debate here (like with most pop culture and celebrity) whether or not kpop is following trends or setting them, and both points are true, but personally i'm of the opinion that kpop is kind of a median between the two; it's not setting trends because it's often taking directly from the fashion industry and/or other popular culture, but it is popularizing them in a way that said trend may not have otherwise. there's a lot of digressions in this section but i'm hoping this will help you see my point.

using take me higher as a specific example, you can clearly see that a.c.e is sticking to a specific silhouette within the group, which is a boxy/loose upper with a fitted lower. which you can see really clearly in this stage, this stage, this stage, this stage, and honestly pretty much every stage for this comeback. sometimes they'll have a slight variation where one of them is wearing a longer shirt, but otherwise it's pretty consistent. this is actually a really common silhouette for them, because it puts emphasis on their specific style of choreo, which is fast footwork. you can see it to the extreme in their main cactus styling, which goes the whole nine yards, fully making their legs the focus and going so far as to embellish them:

this silhouette also shows up for callin', where they're wearing boxy hip cut bomber jackets, and for the majority of the undercover styling, which is cropper military(ish) jackets. and it's shaping up to be similar for higher, so i'll talk more about it when i get there.

they have a consistant look for the goblin stages too, which is hanbok over a tight fitted underlayer. each of their hanbok are different cuts, which you can see with wow's cropped jacket and skirt combo, but it makes the same shape as the others. and in the goblin mv, most of their looks take a traditional silhouette and pair it with modern fabrics and patterns, and combining modern accessories with modernized traditional ones.

sticking to an internal silhouette is not the common mode for most boy group stylings at the moment. there's usually an adhesion to a specific colour scheme, but i have not noticed the same kind of care taken to silhouette. there's usually an adhesion to a member specific shape, but the general shape of the group is not usually as considered. you can see it in ateez's fireworks styling (yes i'm going to use it again, the styling was very weird and i never really talked about how weird it is). in the intro you've got tight pants, loose pants, short jackets, suit jackets, AND a long jacket. and then it's the same kind of variety in the rest of their outfits. if anyhting i'd say the emphasis was meant to be on shoulders, because of the point choreo; and yunho, hongjoong, san, and wooyoung all have some kind of shoulder padding, but that's only half the group. and the stage outfits are not any better. there's the infamous ketchup packet outfit, this naruto themed styling, this inexplicable bdsm football themed styling, and whatever this snakeskin theme is meant to be. it's all over the place! there's some performer specific shapes (hongjoong with the shoulder pads and hip length jacket, san with crop top, yeosang sleeveless) but if you were to just look at the shape of the outfits regardless of colour and pattern, you'd have no way to tell if they were all in the same group.

ok now lastly, let's quickly talk about

pattern matching and texture

this section won't be as long, but i wanted to cover it because even though it's a small and subtle thing, it does a lot in the visual long run. the general rule with patterns is that you don't combine patterns of the same size. this is kind of hard to explain without a visual reference so here's a few examples:

(not my photos, these are from scott schuman's blog the sartorialist)

small check, even smaller pinstripe

mid-size print on pant, large print on scarf

small shirt stripe, mid-size print on tie, mid-large print on scarf

small print on zip jacket, mid-size on scarf, large plaid on jacket

like all fashion and like everything else i've talked about here, this isn't a hard and fast rule, but it does generally look the most harmonious. a.c.e really nails this in the take me higher stages, which you can see here:

(in addition to using different pattern sizes, they're using different colours as well to make it less visually busy)

(bonus! see if you can name the type of colour stories!)

the goblin stages utilize a combination of texture and pattern matching, where the hanbok are a mix of different fabrics (raw silk, embroidered satin, organza) with different patterns, overtop plain underlayers, or when they aren't in hanbok their outfits are very heavily embellished to add visual interest, but are unpatterned fabrics.

in conclusion: good and cohesive colour stories, emphasis on uniform silhouettes and variety in patterns and textures. they also are very specific with accessories, and use them to emphasize key features.

ok! i think that's all i want to cover for this post, because this is already so long. but i've started on the write up for higher already, so i might get into some of my points here in more detail because i'll be talking about one specific thing instead of like......all of it.

#ace w #this ended up being mostly about take me higher because everything about the stages for take me higher is SO GOOD #seriously i watched like all of the stages and they all hit #also it's the type of contemporary design that i specialize in so of course it appeals to me #i say as im in the middle of designing a heighted modern styling for a show with a limited colour palette...... #the higher writeup might take a few days #but i dont think it's going to be as long as this so hopefully not #a.c.e stylist please dm me i love you #a.c.e #kpop analysis #group analysis #general design questions #kpop questions #answers #text #i didn't say very much about the cactus styling because everything about it is perfect #no notes #10/10

[ithinkilikeit-reactions]

2019 favorite songs (male version)

A/N: This is all my personal opinions and these are the songs that stood out to me this year and are the most memorable for me. Also this post will be long 

Here is my top 10 for those who don’t want to see the rest

1. Rooftop - N.Flying

2. Soso - Winner

3. Wonderland - Ateez

4. Highway to Heaven - NCT 127

5. Undercover - A.C.E

7. Lit - Oneus

8. Sweet Chaos- Day6

9. Savage - A.C.E

10. Fuego - U-Kwon

January 

“Lonely Night” - KNK 

I was anticipating KNK’s return. I was very curious as to what they would do after leaving their company and having Youjin leave and Dongwon join. But they did not disappoint at all. Dongwon proved himself very much and it’s one of my favs this year. 

“I’m OK” - iKon

I was so ready for this song. I love it so much. I was so ready for this song I was at school ready for it. iKon have never disappointed me with a song and this one is no exception. I adore it and listening to it makes me miss B.I. 

“Say My Name” & “Hala Hala” - Ateez

Ateez was always on my radar. But these songs really made me notice them you know. I still bop to them both daily and like this is peak Kpop to me. This is the standard I expect from groups. Ateez really is out here to kill

“Rooftop” - N.flying

This song might be favorite this year. I’m not the biggest N.Flying stan (Really getting into them tho) and I love this song. This song might be my number 1 this year. I love it so much. 

February

“Want” - Taemin

Taemin is a god. That’s all I really have to say. Like Taemin really is on another level. This whole album is a blessing. 

“Enough” - SF9 

SF9 are a group to look out for in my opinion. They really have their own sound and I can appreciate that. I have all of their albums in my playlist. I listen to this one frequently. 

March

“Tuxedo” - Ravi

If you want to be happy. Listen to this song. It just puts a smile on my face. I genuinely like all of Ravi’s albums and think he is really promising as a musician. 

“Thrilla Killa” - VAV

Still kinda sad Jacob isn’t in this one because wow. But VAV are underrated kings of the year. Thrilla Killa is such a fun song. I really have been enjoying VAV’s releases. 

“Miroh”- Stray Kids 

I will be jamming to Miroh until the day i die. I will be doing the Haka part of the choreo to this dance, until the day I die. 

“Vibe” - 1Team

This might possibly one of my favorite debuts of all time. The song is so chill and mature yet still fun and I feel like you got to hear every member’s strengths and I adore it to bits and pieces. 

April 

“Doves” - Gree

(Couldn’t find a gif for the mv)

I really fell in love with this song after stumbling on it accidentally. The song is really different and I really really like it. 

“Tu Eres” - Newkidd

It makes me so happy to see Hansol find his place somewhere. After he left SM and the SMrookies, he joined The Unit and I was just kind of like when is he going to find his place, is he going to go solo? I’m just happy he found his place. All around this is a solid debut. 

“Bloom Bloom” - The Boyz

I have had a hard time getting into the The Boyz, I still don’t know any names or anything but this is the first song that really peaked my interest. I really love songs like this. It’s so fun and fresh to listen to and it puts me in a good mood. 

“Bet Bet” - Nu’est

Nu’est is really coming for me. I love every release they have brought out over the years. They are just so good. Baekho’s vocals are god tier and I adore this song. The album is amazing as well. 

May

“Ah Yeah” - Winner

Winner have been so refreshing and just lovely lately. Their recent comebacks have really made me adore them even more. “Ah Yeah” is a song I have been listening to a lot lately and it just makes me really happy. 

“Undercover” - A.C.E

We all know how I feel about A.C.E. This song is in my top 10 this year, maybe even top 5. A.C.E have so much talent and the video and the styling are amazing. But like the rap is God tier. 

“Highway to Heaven” - NCT 127

I chose this song over “Superhuman” because it’s superior to me. Highway to Heaven makes me feel like a college student, going on a spring break roadtrip with my friends. Also in my top 10 this year. 

“Twilight” - Oneus

I didn’t put their debut in this, even though it was amazing because Twilight is superior. I love this concept, this song and these boys. Oneus are proving themselves to be monster rookies and I am here for it. “Now” is a really good b-side. 

June

“Wave” & “Illusion” - Ateez

It’s not surprise that Ateez makes the list again. This album was the one I bopped too all summer and I will never not “HAKUNA MATATA YAAAA” 

“RPM” - SF9

I LOVE SF9. Look RPM is superior in everyway and form. The choreo, the styling, the song, the mv, JUST EVERYTHING. I was so shook when this song came out omg. 

“Side Effects” - Stray Kids

Boy my head hurts. I love Stray Kids, I love their songs. This song totally caught me off guard and as much as I prefer it when Stray Kids isn’t as angry, this song is amazing and no one can change my mind. 

“Questions” - Zelo

I missed my baby. It’s nice to hear his voice again. I love this track it’s really nice and summery. Looking forward to more things by my baby. 

July

“Rolling Rolling” - 1team 

1Team are rookies I didn’t know what to expect from. But their songs are so chill omg. I love every single one of them and like I just feel hanging out at the beach when i listen to them. 

“Time of our life” - Day6

Day6. I love this song. They had so much fun with it and it’s just so good omg. Day6 for the win. K-Bands for the win. 

“Sunset” - KNK

Oh lord. KNK came for my throat. I want more KNK in 2020 because I need it. This song reminds me of a fashion show. 

“Give me more (ft. De La Ghetto, Play n Skillz)” - VAV

Fun summer songs always win for me. Also VAV always win for me. I really like the dance and just the vibe of the song. It is kinda generic but I still really like it and listen to it alot. 

“Boom” NCT Dream

Boy these boys have grown up so much. It warms my heart and makes me sad at the same time. I still listen to this daily. 

“Face” - Woosung/Sammy 

I love this song so much. It’s so refreshing and nice to listen to. Sammy’s voice is like butter. 

August

“Come back home” - Target

This song surprised me. I generally don’t go into groups I don’t know with high hopes, but I really like this song and the choreography. 

“Final Kiss” - IZ

This is a band I have been getting into too. Final Kiss is a great way to end the summer and it’s a really nice refreshing and fun. The drummer really caught my eye, because he’s hella cute and the main vocalist is so talented. 

September

“Hit” and “Fear” - Seventeen 

Fear made me nearly crap myself at the beginning of the song. It caught me so off guard but in the best way. Hit is just such a fun song and a hype song. I yell along to it in the shower almost every time. 

“Lit” - Oneus

I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. How they made such a fun song that I willbe listening to 10 years later is besides me. Oneus really out proving themselves. Another one for in my top 10. 

“Human” and “Daredevil” - Zico

I have mentioned in the past how much I love Zico and his music and this was the return I wanted. The Thinking album is just amazing. Zico manages to put every emotion there is into an album. 

October (A lot of great releases here)

“Jopping” - SuperM

I will be jopping to the end of time. Look a lot of people hate the thought of SuperM and stuff. But like, to me SuperM is just alot of amazing in one group and the songs are really cool. So yeah and they created their own verb. 

“Why” - ONF

(not the right mv but yeah)

This song really put ONF on the map for me. It’s so different and nice. I love it. The mv is also incredibly and the vocals are too. 

“Wonderland” - Ateez

Again, no surprise. This song is still on repeat for me. I love it, I want to tattoo it on my forehead. i want Yunho to “Kajaaaa” all over me. I love it, love it, love it. Can’t wait to see them live in 2020. Also in my top 10 this year. 

“Good Bam” - N.Flying

A chill feel good song that I adore. Me and my friend talk alot on voice chat on discord and at the end of the night we say ‘Good Bam’ because of this song. It’s just so fun. 

“Runaway” - TXT 

I am not the biggest TXT stan, I like some songs and that’s about it but, Run away is an amazing song. The mv is lovely, the song is great and I really like the choreography. 

“Poison” - VAV

VAV came for my throat and they didn’t have to. Also in my top 10 this year. 

“Sweet Chaos” - Day6

I listen to this and i want to scream along. We got a lot this comeback, Young K’s forehead, a full album and all of Day6 in suits. Another one for in my top 10. 

“So So” - Winner

SoSo came out after I broke up with my boyfriend and let me tell you, perfect timing. This mv is one of the best I have seen ever and the song is amazing. Winner really stepped up their game this year. Another top 10. 

“Follow” - Monsta X

This will be a Monsta X era I will cherish forever. Enough said. 

“Savage” - A.C.E

We all know my A.C.E tangent I went on and I will not apologize. Another one for the top 10. No one does it like A.C.E. MORE A.C.E IN 2020. Also Wow’s rap in this song needs to be 10 verses longer, for my health. 

November

“Calling my name” - GOT7

Got7′s best title track yet? IDK but to me it is. I also love all the b-sides and I feel like everyone got to show off their strengths. 

“Make this” - 1Team

The beat drop in this song is something I haven’t quite heard before. I really like it and the video reminds of like a 90′s video game which is pretty cool. 1Team really are my favorite group out of boygroups who debuted this year. 

“Balloon” - Zico

Zico man, I love this video and song so much. It encapsulates alot of my own emotions and it’s beautiful. 

“Blue Flame” - Astro

This song had me so shook. I have really been getting into Astro and this is my first comeback with them and I am not at all disappointed. Astro man...

december

“Fuego” - U Kwon

I love this song so much. I want people to cover dance it, the choreography is so fun and I’d do it myself but I can’t dance. I love the song and it was like the last thing I expected in December and it is in my top 10. 

“Levanter” Stray Kids

a bittersweet comeback. But still beautiful, I’m proud of how far they have come and Stray Kids have never disappointed me. The choreo is lovely and Seungmin’s vocals are beautiful. 

#knk #ikon #ateez #taemin #sf9 #ravi #vav #stray kids #1team #gree #newkidd #the boyz #nu'est #winner #a.c.e #oneus #nct 127 #zelo #day6 #nct dream #target #iz #seventeen #superm #got7 #woosung

[z-exo-l]

My 20 Favorite Kpop Songs of 2019

I’m a huge fan of ranking lists, so I decided to make my own music countdown for the end of the year!

Notes: I’m being a little loose w the term ‘kpop’ here, since there’s some Japanese and Chinese songs. Also this list is, shockingly, mostly comprised of SM releases. And I’m afraid there are no ballads. I’m keeping this to ‘bops,’ if you will. I’m also not a *gif maker*, so this is just a text post w some credited gif appearances. (Including some dancing gifs for the b-side tracks.)

Feel free to scroll on if you’d like, this is just some narcissistic babbling I’m doing for fun. 😇 But I don’t *really* start babbling until under the cut.

A quick mention to my darlings who blessed us with station solos before they enlisted this year: You by Xiumin. Home by Minho. And That’s Okay by D.O. 😭

Now, onto the list!

20. Savage by A.C.E

19. Jekyll by EXO

18. Love Talk by WayV

17. Famous by Taemin

16. Want by Taemin

15. Jopping by SuperM

14. Bet Bet by NU’EST

13. UN Village by Baekhyun

12. Baby You Are by EXO

11. Obsession by EXO

10. What A Life by EXO-SC

I’m so happy I finally gave our boys a listen, because omg, this song is so bouncy and fun, and so is the mv. I’m also so proud of how Sehun has grown as a vocalist! They both did an amazing job actually, and they deserve every bit of praise they’ve gotten! ❤️

9. Alligator by Monsta X

I spent ages listening to this song, trying to figure out if it was hilarious or awesome. As it turns out, both. It’s both. I really like the vocals, and it’s got a super cool mv, but...the alligator/swamp metaphor gave me giggles for weeks. Sorry guys. 😆

8. Superhuman by NCT 127

Superhuman didn’t dominate my shuffle the way later songs on the list did, but I still really like it. It’s such a happy listen; very upbeat and invigorating. ☺️ And I love how the robotic theme is integrated into the choreography, especially that head move at the chorus! I wanted to use a gif of that part but I couldn’t find one. 😭

7. Take Off by WayV

Finally listened to this one in *November*, shit, where have I been??? Take Off is great because it doesn’t *just* have memorable lyrics; the actual music behind the singing is awesome too! It’s got a sound that’s kind of reminiscent of 00’s R&B, which I love. And the vocals are very sweet, especially juxtaposed against that deeper music. The result is a smooth and sexy song that is instantly addictive. ...At least to me. 😅 And don’t get me started on that hard rock dance break!

6. Betcha by Baekhyun

My absolute favorite song from City Lights! As much as UN Village grew on me, I liked this one right away, and it only got better the more I listened. It’s totally infectious, the chorus has such a playful rhythm, and let me tell you, it’s a great song to dance to while housecleaning! I love Baek’s voice when he goes hard, *cough* Mama *cough* but he’s got an innate talent for pop songs too. Basically the man is an insanely talented singer with an absurdly wide range! Slay, Byun Baekhyun. You’re gonna be mine I–Oh baby in time I–BETCHA! AHH! I love it so much!! 😍

5. Wakey Wakey by NCT 127

Did you hear that Jay from Clerks made a cameo in an NCT mv this year?? .......... I’m sorry. The hilarity that was poor Johnny’s wig aside, this was undisputedly NCT 127’s biggest bop of the year for me! It has the play in pitch that I like, it’s fast, it’s catchy, the choreo is interesting, and omg I’m becoming such a fan of their vocal line! Jaehyun is warm and deep, Doyoung is sweet and light, and Taeil is Captain High Note! And somehow all of that skill is audible in a song that’s just a few feet away from dubstep. Well done boys!

4. Boom by NCT Dream

Like everyone else, I do believe, I fell hard for this one. In fact I’d say it’s my new favorite Dreamies song. By FAR! It’s abundantly catchy and groovy, but there’s no vocals lacking for that. (Excuse me Renjun!) The aesthetics for the mv are on point, particularly the indoor sequences. And I’m so impressed by the choreography! I’m a sucker for skillful footwork, and there are some sections near the end of the song that are so fast and so uniformly executed that they’re utterly captivating!

3. Ya Ya Ya by EXO

As of now this is definitely my favorite track off Obsession! It’s pure earworm delight, and such a pleasure to sing along to! I really like when we get unusual pair ups, so when Junmyeon and Chanyeol sing together, or when Jongin and Jongdae sing together, I love those parts! 😍 Actually I love how they structured some parts like that in general. One member sings, then another, then they sing together; repeat with two different members. To me it adds another layer of interest when you’re listening; especially given the unique combinations they used! I don’t know if this song will stay my favorite from the album, but for now it’s sitting squarely at the top! ☺️ (PS, I’m sorry, this list originally didn’t have so much EXO, but what did I think would happen when my boys released a new album!? 😭)

2. Follow by U-KNOW

NO, not Follow by Monsta X! (Tried, didn’t like it that much.) This was such a surprise hit for me, because while I like and respect TVXQ, I’m not a *fan* per se. But holy shit, this song came out of nowhere, and I immediately fell for it! The sound is incredibly cool, yet it’s almost got a spooky, haunting vibe to it? And the dancing is sublime! Seriously, if the demonstration in the mv isn’t enough for you, watch the dance practice video! Both Yunho *and* the backup dancers have such razor-sharp precision, it’s impeccable! And normally I don’t go for heavily-tuned voice effects, but they’re utilized so carefully in this song that it never becomes a distraction. And when you hear Yunho singing without the effects the tone of his voice is a great contrast to the music. My only concern is the command he issues in the lyrics: “Follow me like a robot, Follow me like a robot, touch me like a robot.” !!! I still haven’t figured out what that means! What kind of robots are touching you, man???

1. Under Cover by A.C.E

I first found this song through a K-pop quiz on YouTube. (Which is how I usually find kpop songs not released by SME) The few seconds that played from the chorus sounded promising. So I gave it a listen, and oh man, it was unbelievably banging!!! The bridge has drums build up to the chorus, where there’s a second of silence, then you’re hit with the vocals and powerful guitar riffs for maximum impact! Agh! I love rock and kpop together, and this is one of my favorite examples of that blend to date. (Save for Why So Serious by SHINee. That one’s untouchable!) The mv is relatively standard fair, but the choreography in it has some creative segments. Most of it is highly energetic too, particularly when the beat drops! And I have to say, there are some rather talented vocalists in A.C.E! Donghun caught my ear pretty quickly; he’s on the bridges of this track. Jun, the leader, also has a really good voice! He has some great adlibs near the end. Btw, I didn’t mean to bookend this list with the same group, but Savage grew on me just enough to land it at 20. Under Cover however, is such a badass, wickedly cool song, that it’s dominated my 2019 ever since I first heard it. It couldn’t be any spot but number one!

So, that’s my list. If you’re still here I hope my rambling was tolerable, or that you at least realized your own favorite kpop song from 2019!

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year everyone! 🎉

#exo #a.c.e #wayv #taemin #super m #nu’est #baekhyun #sc #monsta x #nct #yunho #m and kpop #I talk too much #music appreciation #tag later