[Review] KARD - Dumb Litty (Teaser)

Who let BM name this track? Seriously, "Dumb Litty?" The man is a meme machine...and I love it. After "Bomb Bomb" failed to produce hype for me, this is their chance at redemption. They've certainly proved they are no fluke since debut, but having a shaky sequence of title tracks would not be doing them any favors. Since there's no similar group competition (per se) they have to make every comeback count. They've yet to snag a major win right? The time is nigh my KARD friends.

Teasers for "Dumb Litty" have looked promising, with an inherent god / goddess theme and a hard-hitting sound that we've come to expect from KARD. Jiwoo and Somin look amazing as always, with Jiwoo gaining the post-teaser advantage. Not sure if it's the makeup (or Somin's own being less good) but she is as striking as always. The dance teaser that was released yesterday showed some more audio - and framed awkwardly might I add - so we know more what this track will be like once it's out on the 22nd. If the chorus is anything to go by, then consider me unenthused. It's the standard mixture of repetition and English which aren't that exciting, much less coming from KARD. At least the choreography looks pretty sweet, and as you've all heard me rant before, I'm dying for some good choreo this year. Should the verses and rapping hold up to their standard, it may be enough to salvage the poor chorus.

There hasn't been a lot of time to write, but over the next week I plan on writing my thoughts on the DAY6 concert, with reviews for Dreamcatcher and Seventeen. Then throw in a retro or more realistically, a fluff piece before god forbid I publish an actual power ranking list for the first time in three months.

[Review] KARD - Bomb Bomb

Kings and queens of the coed realm, KARD are here with "Bomb Bomb," which sounds more like a Momoland song than anything else. Because "Ride On The Wind" was so lackluster, I did peek at the teasers - so I was considerably hyped because they looked and sounded pretty good! Usually I avoid teasers to temper expectations but considering their last comeback was so bad and these upcoming months are gonna be fierce, KARD gets a pass.

[Bonus] Best Of B-Sides IV: Season 9 Pilot

Prepare for a return to forgotten (or simply old) series as Season 9 gets underway. Today we'll have a new installment to the Best Of B-Sides with a small collection of picks. Let's jump right in.

KARD - Trust Me

Both versions are gold, but I linked the J.Seph / Jiwoo version because having the drums in the background driving the song is nicer. And there's J.Seph, whose verse is really fucking good. The English verse that BM delivers is solid - arguably his best performance yet - but there's no denying J.Seph's mastery here. Jiwoo and Somin continue to be consistent in their vocals and Jiwoo's unique voice gives her the edge. This is a beautiful double version that gives any others like it a run for their money.

[Misc] Thought Corner: Kpop Hopes In 2018

Y'all know me I'm a sucker for series and continuity on my blog and in general. Here's some hopes and dreams I have for the Kpop industry in the year 2018. Like last year, they range across the spectrum - from realistic to borderline impossible. But before those meaningful thoughts hit the page, let's check back up on last year and see what happened with my 2017 hopes.

[Bonus] 2017 Kpop Awards

Welcome to the 2017 Kpop Awards post...in 2018. Unfortunately I've been sick for more days this new year than healthy, and thus the delayed release. This is a consolidated form of the awards, which will have eight prestigious awards and their magnificent recipients. Some of these might be obvious, and some others might surprise you. Let's see who the champions are this year.

Best Girl Group: Red Velvet

Two girl groups clearly dominated the competition in 2017. So why Red Velvet over Twice? For starters, even though Twice had better numbers on the charts, Red Velvet wasn't unrealistically far behind. More importantly, while both groups had a rigorous promotion schedule, Red Velvet simply had better music on the whole. I consider their worst release this year ("Rookie") stronger than Twice's best release ("Heart Shaker"). Then you have "Red Flavor" and "Peek-A-Boo," which were both stellar dance tracks that succeeded their previous flagship title of "Ice Cream Cake." They also brought back a little of their velvet side with Station releases, but hopefully their next comeback will be something along the lines of "One Of These Nights."

Best Boy Group: BTS

Surprise surprise, BTS is the boy group to beat. They had yet another efficient showing: four more solid tracks to add to their library. "DNA," "Spring Day," and "Not Today" were all different flavors of the BTS recipe: the refreshing pseudo-R&B track, the slower sentimental piece, and the tough dance juggernaut. Then you had the "Mic Drop" remix with hilarious English yet it was a damn good remix. Well done Steve Aoki. Perhaps most important out of BTS' 2017 is their early adventures in the American market. Appearances on shows like Jimmy Fallon and Ellen are no joke. I'm not saying they'll crush it in the U.S. should they embark on such a journey, but it's definitely a good starting point.

[Review] KARD - Hola Hola

KARD is finally here! Well let's not kid ourselves, this is a debut the same way EXO's "Mama" was their "debut." Three other MVs and a world tour before this moment hardly make it a debut, but I digress. KARD have been sensational since "Oh Nana," and even though they don't have Youngji in the ranks, the complete lack of coed groups make this squad a refreshing team to watch and listen to. Their vocals are good, rapping is strong, dancing is exciting, what more could you need? Let's hope "Hola Hola" continues to deliver the hype.

This song is definitely a sort of fusion of their previous releases. I love callbacks and references to other songs in general, so I was especially delighted to hear the callback to "Oh Nana."  They even did the same point move of the dance, too! Somin's voice seems very flexible: she can hit notes from all ranges on the spectrum and easily carries the group vocally. Granted there's only two real vocalists between her and Jiwoo but that isn't to say Jiwoo is bad. In fact her versatility was shown off like never before in "Hola Hola," which is awesome. She got the usual healthy dose of singing lines along with a rap / rap-singing verse. The potential for Jiwoo to be the next big jack-of-all-trades is there, and it's up to DSP to use it. Can we also enshrine that "uh" before Jiwoo's rap as one of the best in the business outside of Jessi herself?

[Bonus] 2016 Kpop Awards: Part I

Welcome to the 2016 Kpop Awards! The exciting and prestigious event that dates all the way back to 2015. Most of the ideas have previously been used during the awards from last year, but I made sure to throw in a few new ones, too. The various categories will be related to group popularity and success, but I'm also invested in their consistency and potential heading into the new year. There are roughly 15 awards to look at so let's not waste anymore time. I originally didn't want to split the post into two parts but I'd rather have more manageable sections than one giant wall of text.

Best Girl Group: Twice

No more games, no more denial. Twice towered above the competition this year. Whether you're looking for the insanely popular "Cheer Up," or the Halloween-themed "TT," Twice did a perfect job solidifying their status at the top of the girl group ladder in 2016. Both songs were a massive upgrade to the disjointed feel of "Like Ooh-Ahh," and they have established staples between their catchy choreography and beautiful bridges. With such a large roster, they have personalities and appearances of a wide variety, which helps attract fans of all kinds. If anything, they should work on getting more variety starts in 2017. Other groups certainly were successful this year, but none of them have exploded quite like Twice did this year.

Best Boy Group: BTS

Hmm, what a familiar feeling. BTS won this award last year, and it may not come as a surprise to see them take it again. There's simply no other group with the efficiency and work ethic of BTS. They debuted in 2013, and have averaged 3.5 title tracks a year. That number only includes Korean releases, by the way. That is insane. Anyway, 2016 saw songs like "Fire," "Save Me," and "Blood, Sweat, & Tears" enjoy considerable success. Along with the "Wings" album, Suga also had solo work (despite the unfortunate usage of a stage name for his stage name). With Big Bang departing for military service, the difference between BTS and rival boy groups seem worlds apart.