[Recap] 2017 January-April: Delayed

It's June already. This is coming out really late but I had to keep consistent either way. Obviously the title says January to April but I've included some May stuff too which you'll see for yourself as this piece unfolds. Anyway most of the news that I paid attention do during this timespan wasn't good. It was mainly disbandment information and that's not very fun. Nonetheless the year has already had a number of notable releases, some of which we'll get to (or already have) here.

6. Twice - Knock Knock (72)
5. AOA - Excuse Me (75)
4. Hello Venus - Mysterious (80)
3. Girl's Day - I'll Be Yours (83)
2. CLC - Hobgoblin (83)
1. CNBLUE - Between Us (90)

Another sequence of months with low reviews. But no more. I'll be doing my best to ensure something like this doesn't happen again. It's bad enough there are only six songs on the list, but even worse when two of them were Blitz reviews. There were definitely plenty of good material in these first few months, a few more of which I'll talk about in the next section. Only two parts to this Recap this time, since I was inactive for a huge chunk of it.

IU - Palette (feat. G-Dragon)

IU's comeback was extremely hyped for good reason, and "Palette" was as beautiful as the title would suggest. Soft and delicate, IU's voice carries through this piece like a gentle breeze and it's always a comforting listen. Did you see her dancing in the MV? Oh my oh my. G-Dragon's rap verse was to his usual standard, but the true gold is that IU rapped the parts herself during live performances. It's amazing and shows you just how great she truly is.

Winner - Fool

Either Winner song would've sufficed. "Really Really" is an extremely smooth dance track while "Fool" contains more of those sad vibes that I survive off of. This song almost seemed like destiny since the comeback unfurled after Taehyun left the group. I feel Winner is carried by the balance among members since all of them have capable voices, and it's why I think this type of music is better for them. I really like "Empty" and the same can be said for "Fool."

Taeyeon - Fine

Speaking of being fine, we had another spectacular Taeyeon comeback to be spoiled with. "Fine" is oh so fine. Packed with the usual Taeyeon antics (though it's not really proper to call what she does with her voice "antics"). I think it's even better than "I" was but that accounts for the rapping involved with the latter. Again, not good or bad, but something extra. And that break in the bridge of the MV sent shivers down my spine, even if it was staged (which I'm almost sure was). Nonetheless Taeyeon delivers another convincing performance.

Psy - New Face

Leave it to Psy to entertain us all. It's impossible to not laugh while watching a Psy music video because the man (and the people producing these MVs) are geniuses that can't be stopped. Comical elements aside, the song is as ridiculous as you'd expect and the choreography even more so. What is perhaps most surprising is that "New Face" is devoid of any YG friends making guest appearances, thankfully Naeun's presence alone is enough. I hope Psy never stops incorporating female idols into his videos so he can get them all the exposure they deserve. First Hyuna, then Gain, now Naeun. Even when he's like 75 years old he'll keep bringing fresh talent to the screen.

Eunji - The Spring

Yet even more solo effort spotlight heh. Eunji's songs are all cut from the same cloth, but at the same time it's nice to see she's carved out a sound for herself that isn't the same as Apink's. Granted her delicate voice is the catalyst but there's no denying her success as a soloist either way. Gah forget about me, just go give the song a listen and let her sweep you away (if you haven't already). She is the cutest taxi driver in the world, I wouldn't mind if she drove me to the wrong location.

As summer rolls in, many groups are already springing to action. There was Sistar's final comeback, Hyoyeon's solo comeback, and many more. Prepare for an ark of S.M. artists storming the stages, and for younger girl groups to take the spotlight as the old guard exits the scene (expect some short blog post about the girl group extravaganza coming up). One thing is for sure: let more good Kpop continue to roll out.