[Recap] 2018 January-April: Power Start

Honestly I forgot about this whole Recap business. Have a dingo channel video instead of a banner. I nearly considered scrapping it - or at least the first 2018 installment - because of being one month late but enough of giving up / being lazy. Funnily enough, last year's first Recap also got published in June because I got busy with school. So there's that coincidence. Anyway I'm also leaving next week for Taiwan and Hong Kong, and likely won't be able to write much outside of Blitz reviews via mobile. What I'll likely do is write shorter pieces and edit them with images when I get back in early July.

9. Olivia Hye - Egoist (85)
8. Jonghyun - Shinin' (85)
7. Oh My Girl - Secret Garden (85)
6. (G)I-DLE - Latata (85)
5. VIXX - Scentist (88)
4. NCT U - Boss (88)
3. CLC - Black Dress (88)
2/ Mamamoo - Starry Night (90)
1. Heize - Jenga (95)

Even though I've consciously strayed away from reviews being the main content on the blog, it still pains me to see this get so little action. That's barely two songs a month over the first four months. I'll simply have to do better. Anyway, Heize tops the list because Heize is always a win. Throw in Gaeko on top of that and you have a clear recipe for success. Then again, it's not like the rest of the songs reviewed were bad either. Hell the lowest score was an 85, so that's pretty good I say. CLC and NCT took steps forward while VIXX and Oh My Girl maintained the status quo. Like last year, we'll conclude quickly with a set of highlights from January through April.

Chungha - Roller Coaster

Chungha's comeback was the opposite of her debut. Her voice is clearly in a much more comfortable range, and even the video and instrumental are considerably improved from "Why Don't You Know." Perhaps most importantly there isn't an awkward rap feature to clutter the middle of the track. If "Why Don't You Know" gave me doubts about her as a solo act, "Roller Coaster" has redeemed my faith, if you can even call it that. Chungha apparently has an album coming out towards the end of 2018. Go Chungha!

gugugdan - The Boots

Welcome to the first gugudan song that I've actually enjoyed upon first listen. "The Boots" is your classic pop dance track but it has enough pizzazz and character to give it that extra kick (heh). The dance break certainly helped elevate it past their other songs. I also really liked the visual consistency and colors that the MV used. Definitely a solid release by gugudan. Unfortunately it seems the chart placings and sales numbers didn't get the memo. It appears Sejeong can't carry them hard enough.

TVXQ - Love Line

Simplicity is key. Perhaps no other song in 2018 reflects that than TVXQ's "Love Line." Despite it reminding me of the other "Love Line" by Jooyoung, Hyorin, and Bumkey, TVXQ's earns so many brownie points for doing so much with so little. The instrumental is basic, the line distribution is easily split and Changmin and Yunho just ooze charisma from start to finish. This is a song you can put on repeat no matter what mood you're in, what time of day, or what season it is. Plus a cute and simple choreography to boot.

Ilhoon - She's Gone

BTOB's premier rapper made his solo debut and there's so much I love about this. From his carefree delivery to the strong rock influence, "She's Gone" is an excellent blend of rap, hip-hop, and rock. I don't know how many other rappers would've been able to pull this style off besides some obvious candidates like Zico. BTOB tends to have a diverse library and Ilhoon's solo debut added yet another exciting entry.

Every year seems to start on a good foot. We've seen some legends return, newcomers rise up, and surprising groups or subunits come together. The latter could be the start of a new trend to take Kpop that I wouldn't mind one bit. All in all I'm excited for the summer stretch, even though some mainstays like Sistar and Girl's Day won't be making any appearances. I have faith that the new blood will take their place.