[Review] Bolbbalgan4 - Galaxy (Throwback)

My long-needed music library update has started and I do these in alphabetical order so Bolbbalgan4 enjoyed a significant boost of additions to my iPod. They might not be categorized as like indie or anything, but they certainly were under my radar (outside of songs "Some" and "Workaholic"). The iTunes update is a necessary remedy to that notion. As such we'll take a look at one of their earliest smash hits.

[Bonus] Best Of 2019

Last year, the Best Of 2018 post was released Christmas Eve on which I worked. This year's Best Of 20XX will be released on Christmas Day. Can you guess if I worked yesterday? Hope you said yes because I'm drowning myself in alcohol over the next few days. These are my picks for the top tracks in 2019. Remember, it's just an opinion bro.

#10. Taeyeon - Blue

Starting off with a B-side? You goddamn right I am. Taeyeon has made more progress to her career this year, but none better than this somber and soothing ballad. Don't get me wrong, "Four Seasons" and "Spark" are both excellent additions and showed yet more of her brilliant versatility. Combined with her Japanese release "Voice," they make for a fine 2019 trilogy. However, the simple beauty of "Blue" rises above the rest. It definitely feels weird to have a B-side on the Best Of 20XX series but hey it's been done before. Hell, I'd argue that it's kinda surprising that none of her title tracks were better, though that may be because of her high standards.

#9. Mamamoo - Gleam

Mamamoo have had a year of ups and downs. Activity and popularity-wise they have been rolling, but between "gogobebe" and "Hip" nothing has really knocked my socks off. Then I remembered that they released "Gleam" which was more a promotional CF of sorts kinda like "Woo Hoo" was for some Samsung phone. The fact that it's an ad for (sun)glasses makes it better. It's the most polished Mamamoo track despite "Hip" being solid thanks to its simplistic nature. Shoutouts to the bowling alley dance floor. First a B-side and then a promotional song, what a weird start to this year's best.

[Bonus] The Late Report: September 2019

October is already here, yikes. Theoretically I should be able to match post count from last year but with me you're never too sure. Nonetheless, we move into a new month and that means a new edition of The Late Report. Here's what September had to harvest.

Twice - Feel Special

Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. Twice's "Feel Special" is definitely their best song to date. Like I mentioned in the previous post, there's many things to like about this comeback. The vocals, the setup, and upon further review the choreography is super clean too. The evolution of their style over the years has reached its peak with "Feel Special," and it appears all too likely that Twice have made their position on the Best Of 2019 clear: they'll be there in December when it's all said and done.

[Bonus] Best Of 2017: Honorable Mentions

After the unofficial prologue of the previous post, it's time for some more teasing. I've picked five songs which barely missed out on being in the top 10. These will be unranked, and only have brief notes about each selection. There's absolutely zero reason why previous Best Of 20XX posts never included the music videos so I'll be remedying that starting this year. Here are the songs that almost made the cut.

Taeyeon - Fine

"My Voice" assembled many superstar tracks together, and leading the charge was this song. "Fine" is probably the strongest of her title tracks up until now. It's not a pure ballad / lullaby like "11:11," nor is it the dance number like "Why." Since she has many beautiful moments in this track across her vocal range, "Fine" was a lock for the top songs, and her appearance here as a solo act previews what is to come in tomorrow's reveals.

[Review] Bolbbalgan4 - Some (Blitz)

A new Blitz piece calls for a new artist to discover. Bolbbalgan is a folk duo and apparently they were on Superstar K6 back in 2014. Granted, I have no idea what makes folk music folk music but hey that's a work in progress. In my library, I categorized people like Lim Kim or Kim Greem as ballads (primarily) so we'll see if "Some" is of a similar style. Upon first listen it certainly appears that way. Maybe folk is simply relaxing or "hipster" style. Jiyoung's voice is really calming and has a slightly husky nature to it. I wouldn't say that it's uncommon but certainly a nice change of pace from the usual bright and cheery voices many girl group members have. She sounds really good in the choruses, you can almost hear her expressions. Jiyoon doesn't have any lines but is responsible for the instruments and backing vocals. There's not much to say about her unfortunately, besides good work on the guitar haha. Given their label as folk artists, I definitely could see Lim Kim singing to this, which shows consistency at the least. I'm all for more duos in Kpop: Davichi and Akdong Musician have their own niches and styles, Bolbbalgan4 seems no different. "Some" is a relaxing piece and really represents the shift from upbeat summer jams to collected fall tunes. This song sounds perfect as we move into the colder fall weather. Excellent song from start to finish. Bolbbalgan4 is definitely on my radar now.

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