[Bonus] The Late Report: November 2018

New series before the end of the year? Sure why not. Short or long, these posts will highlight something amazing, terrible, or simply interesting in Kpop of the previous month. Though they will primarily be focused on music, there may be a clip or two from a concert or a variety show (been a while since I've watched those). Starting from November is weird but (a) I'll have some October inserts and (b) who cares let's go.

gugudan - Not That Type

Briefly alluded to in Girl Group Power Rankings IX, gugudan's "Not That Type" was a strong dance number that seemed like a breath of fresh air from the Sejeong and her backup dancers motif that plagues the group. Even if the statistics show that Sejeong still dominates the line distribution, the song is setup in a way that masks that issue. So despite "The Boots" being a more well-rounded song, I like "Not That Type" more and have new faith in this young group.

[Bonus] Best Of 2018...So Far

Nothing wrong with a little June speculation. Here are my picks for the best songs released so far in 2018. Obviously I'll have missed some artists (especially the more recent ones) but we're in the middle of the year so we can see who is winning so far.  It'll be interesting to see how the selections here last when December rolls around and everything gets reevaluated with new songs in the second half of the year. They will be grouped loosely, and don't really serve a purpose since I believe trying to rank them right now would be silly.

Block B - Don't Leave

Block B have yet to break into a Best Of 20XX post, but here's their unofficial debut. "Don't Leave" shows off the melancholy side of Block B that they've perfected nearly as well as their hyperactive dance numbers. Block B were kind of one of the early groups to have two distinct sides to their title track game. Zico and P.O deliver flawless moments and both share the high point(s) of the song.

iKON - Love Scenario

Like Block B, iKON have been less of a main act and more of a disappearing one. They're more Winner and less Big Bang, if we're to use labelmate descriptions. But "Love Scenario" is their best song to date and their crazy chart successes mirror that. It's catchy, enjoyable, and has a good hook. Previous iKON releases have felt like a reach in some way or another. Sometimes the song was mediocre and other times the song had cringe moments. "Love Scenario" covers those weaknesses and has more of Junhoe's special voice.

Heize - Jenga

After "Don't Know You" last year, Heize drops another treat in "Jenga." This time she teams up with Gaeko and gives us another smooth tour of the Heize mansion. Her voice prettily glides through the track while Gaeko's rap gives us a nice boost of energy. I'll keep it short here since I previously reviewed it. That instrumental break is amazing and one of the best of all time. Between the bridge here and in Younha's "Hero," I can't quite think of other similar greats.