24-7KPOP’s Music Picks of the Week!

Every week, the 24-7KPOP Team will each pick their favorite jam/MV of the week and share with you why they love their choice so much.  Last week’s HERE.

Kim’s Pick
Has to be B.A.P.’s No Mercy.  The song, the MV, their promotional looks, the thrusting…..It all makes me very happy.  Zelo gets to display his speed rapping skills, Yongguk gets to look smexy in sleeveless attire, cornrows, and sunglasses, Youngjae gets to mature, Jongup gets to remind me more and more of Lee Joon, and Daehyun……..He sure snuck up on me.  He was my 2nd favorite as I learned the group watching Tah Da but he has grown even more vocally and physically appealing to me.  Who knew the one member covered in a mask could make me want to scream for mercy…..

Tianlu’s Pick

This week, I took the time to really listen to Han Geng’s new songs, and I must say I’m impressed by the cohesive message of the entire album. Hero especially stuck with me. The song is just so uplifting and encouraging! It’s great to listen to when you’re down or even just to push you a little further to do a bit more. And I don’t know, the intro sounds like something familiar that I haven’t listened to in a really long time. The whole song is just comfortable.

Sheila’s Pick
I have only recently listened to this song. The very beginning of the
MV has a great beat, so I thought it was going to be a nice club song. I was pleasantly surprised that it ended up being a beautiful ballad. Tuấn Hưng’s Độc Thoại is an emotion song that really highlights his voice. This has really been a gateway song for me, as I have been looking up so many songs by him now. The video seems to depict Tuấn Hưng remembering how he treated his girlfriend in the past. Even though she was very loving, the video alludes that he may have been cheating, and thus she decides to leave him. Now Tuấn Hưng is regretting that he lost her. I highly suggest giving this song and video a try, as well as many of his other songs.

Christan’s Pick
Beautiful Night – B2ST:
The MV: I watched the video and braced myself for disappointment due to the craigslist rumor. After watching the video I can say the diversity of the clubbing crowd was…interesting. SOHO sure has homogenized a LOT since I last saw it. {{cough}} Other than that, the boys are looking good, Crayola crayon hair and clothing included! But Hyunseng, are you eating well?? Do I need to send a bucket of chicken your way? The dance machine is looking a little too lean.
The Song: While I’m not completely in love with the video, I am definitely IN LOVE with this track. Often one of my complaints with B2ST was that they didn’t seem vocally cohesive with upbeat tracks. Lightless (acoustic ver.) and Fiction are my favorite B2ST vocals, but they are ballads. Beautiful Night is the first dance track I’ve heard where I actually enjoy everyone’s vocals. Every voice seems to compliment rather than overpower the other. Also, is it just me or is this song kinda sexy? Have you guys seen the translations?

I wanna love you all night long,
I want to fall asleep in your arms tonight

And my personal favorite:

With one cue, I’ll go inside you, without you knowing
You will keep thinking of me, let’s meet in our dreams, I’m waiting for you

I see you B2st, I SEE YOU. o_O

Algie’s Pick
 The song that I’ve been playing back and forth all week is E9/Edward Nine’s Peter Pan Syndrome. These guys are really good and I love alternative rock music. Their influences are David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails. The way their name came together is even cool. Edward Scissorhands + Nine Inch Nails = Edward Nine.

Chris’ Pick
This week was a tough week for Music Picks. Both Beast and BoA had some incredible releases, and I was little torn on which one had the better release.
With her creativity and years of accumulated music experience, BoA picked up my Music Pick of the Week. Her song Only One tackles the difficulty of breaking up in a mature, respectful way. Sometimes, even though you can care for one person so much, things just don’t work out. The Queen of K-Pop is able to add in a piano melody which seems pleasant at first, but it isn’t until midway through the song that I realized the melody is actually quite haunting when coupled due to the subject matter. The acoustic guitar has a similar effect. I wasn’t quite sure what this song was about until I found an english subbed video, and that’s what kind of stifles me. The gentle melody is something reminiscent of recent IU releases, and it’s a comforting classical touch from the high paced, energetic dubstep and electronic tracks that we see frequently in K-Pop.
Usually with Kpop, I can pick up a theme pretty easily. BoA tackles this song so gracefully and with such a sweet undertone that I didn’t realize it was a break up song, but I originally thought it was a love song. I suppose the two go hand in hand. The lyrics that BoA wrote were also quite poetic, giving the situation and the song a bittersweet feeling. BoA portrays that growing apart is just a part of love, and that relationships can end and not by any error or fault. Sometimes people grow apart, and going separate ways hurts but is necessary. Two people can walk different paths in life, and that’s ok. It’s still possible to love after leaving, and that takes time, experience, and maturity to fully appreciate.
As far as choreography, BoA excels at complicated techniques and synchronized group movements. It seems like SM is really digging the group touching dances, like we saw in Shinee’s Sherlock. She provides interesting dance movements, and with complexity that I only see from her. She combines high energy movements, with subtle graceful balance. Her dancing is somewhat indescribable to me, as I just don’t have the dance knowledge to properly describe the movements.
BoA has released a song that is both a ballad, and shows that it can also be a dance track in a way that only BoA can. She displays that it is possible to tackle sensitive and painful subject matter with a light touch, all the while being understanding and compassionate. Only One is a masterpiece on multiple levels, and it goes to show that the best performers in the K-Pop industry will continue to create and redefine the genre, while adapting their styles to deliver over time.

Linda’s Pick
 My music pick of the week is….wait for it….. Beast’s Beautiful Night. The music video defiantly didn’t match the greatness of the song. The only thing I liked about the music video was KiKwang, who isn’t even my bias, and Doojoon’s arms. I’ve grown up around NYC and let me tell you, when someone says NYC I do not think of skateboarders, bikers, and cars that do that annoying bouncing thing. Sure, I understand that shooting music videos in other countries gives international fans the opportunity to see their idols at work but shooting in NYC doesn’t automatically make music videos AMAZING. Though the music video was a “meeeh” in my book the song is reaaaallly catchy. It takes a good two or three plays for me to get into a song. Even some of my favorite songs I once despised but right from the beginning I was hooked. I’ve been going around the house singing “dadanandananadnaaniyayaaya” all week long so Beautiful Night is without a doubt my music pick of the week.

Jennie’s Pick
 Block B’s Burn Out, and SBS drama Ghost is 100% at fault here because this is a part of the official OST. The drama is definitely in the home stretch of its run and this song fits very well with the thriller atmosphere the drama is going for. Whenever I hear this song, I’m expecting Woo Hyun , Mad Cow, and Kang Mi to come barreling out with their guns raised up and ready for action. This constitutes a good OST song in my book, when you hear the song and immediately associate it with the drama it was for!

Pam’s Pick
 After posting the practice video for B2ST’s Midnight Night I instantly fell in love with the song and have been listening to it non stop since. The upbeat tempo has caused me to get up and jump while pointing my finger in the air like the boys do in the video. So go check out the post and enjoy watching the song and sweet dance.