Kpop Countdown 2021

By Lionina - 4:41 AM

"Same same but different" is the key phrase for 2021. So much music, overwhelmingly competent and listenable. Lots of familiar motifs, at worst, sparking deja vu. At best, transcending the sense memory with some kind of twist and/or just plain excellence on the theme. The first 3 on this list "Cinema", "Cerberus", and TXT are definitively the cream of the latter.

Cix - "Cinema"

The epitome of effortlessness and light, harmonies echoing with gentle reverb on a crisp summer evening, swoony but with a bass riff that just adds a thrill of danger. The afterparty of "Round Two" on the mini is also worth checking out.

For more sweetness, See Also: Ciipher's "I Like You", which barely sidesteps saccharine overload with a profound devotion to autotune. "Hello Future" by NCT Dream.

Pentagon - "Cerberus"

The trio side project stood out for sounding exactly like nothing else all year and not exactly like anything in the past either. I wish it had gotten more play because this bounce deserved it. Giant rubber bass, 8 bit snips, whistles, and bullets ricochet loosely around rap that deceptively feints yet lands with super sharp jabs. This type of casual aggression is all BDE, with a hard C.

Together X Tomorrow

It has been a long time since I've committed seriously to any particular fandom, but TXT decisively owned that empty hole in my heart with rock inflected, yet unabashedly pop, adolescent angst in The Chaos Chapter, a monster follow-up to last year's excellent Minisode 1: Blue Hour. "LO$ER=LO♡ER" (check out their fun office live)" only cemented that MOA status. Then came "Magic", the English language jam that "Dynamite" can only aspire to. Sorry, Army, don't hate me. BigHit/Hybe sidestepped the rapper assignment in favor of a straight vocal lineup for TXT, an extremely curious move by industry standards at this point and one that utterly contradicts the success of BTS. Only the future will tell if that works in their favor, but for now that means we get unusual TXT b-sides like "Anti-Romantic", or not quite rappy "Frost" metal, and... I mean:

"0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)"

"In this world of zero, I know, you're my one and only
In this endless darkness, like, Oh my god, so holy"

Sheesh!

PLUS! Covid antidote "We Lost the Summer", "Orangeade" with a Boyz to Men doowop, the cute trap of "Cat & Dog"... Just go listen to it. All of it. Now.

Enhypen also had a big year with a slew of solid releases culminating in a decent album. The woozy allure, revving pace, and an indoor bloody rain scene in the MV made "Dazed-Drunk" unforgettable. See also: Internet favorite "Tamed-Dashed" and "Not For Sale". However, I'm going out on a limb to declare "Billy Poco" my favorite Enhypen for the musical embodiment of construction machinery. Ok?

Moody, dark, hard hitters dominated the boy group sphere, riding the aftershock of Kingdom I suppose. Oneus' "Luna", conquers romance with all the prettiness muddied up by traditional Korean halftones. The award for quintessential Korean melodrama goes to "Favorite (Vampire)" by NCT 127; in spite of or maybe because of the "Doomdada" space pings; despite or maybe because of the jarring dubstep breakdown. (Note: DJ J.E.B. utilizes this track with loving effectiveness in his SM New Year Set.)

Their divisive "Sticker" is one I happened to love for the incongruous flute and selective editing of the typical SM composition.

Ateez delivered a massive windup with "I'm The One", a veritable master class of pacing and suspense. And then there is P1Harmony's searing mess of industrial pots and pans cling clanging behind squelchy Oaktown style booms, Westcoast rap, whiplash R&B falsetto builds, all thread loosely together with multi layered DBSK harmonies and a ton off attitude, "Scared". A hell to heaven soup that is seriously wild.

See also: Stray Kids Melon's X'mas version of "Thunderous" (because it is ridiculous.)

I should make a note that the sentiment behind the disjointed, noisy, internet pomo discord of Sophie's brand of hyperpop is vaguely at play in some of the aforementioned tracks, perhaps more literally in Seventeen's "GAM3 BO1", as well as (minus the Japanese anime or irony), T1419's queasy, detuned "Asurabalbalta". Which is to say that all roads lead to Aespa. The "Savage" base formula is strictly, now ubiquitous, SM prog pop, but wholly disguised by bendy hyperpop noize and stuttery ad libs. Not initially a favorite, I do have to admit the song is interesting especially compared to the rest of their discography (the clever remake of "Dreams Come True" perhaps an exception).

StayC - "ASAP"

Out of all the clones sludging in the footsteps of early to mid era Twice, StayC is the indisputable better. J's husky voice shifts the overall tonal color of the group towards the deep end, rounding out what is normally a competing mischief of screechy mice. The shift redefines otherwise redundant genre tracks like "Slow Down" into something same same but different. "Complex" is a oddly compelling minimal b-side with a left of center chorus and a 90's inflected backing track, but you can start with big singles like "Stereotype" or "ASAP".

See Also: Weekly's single "After School" (or even "Holiday Party") isn't bad either, using trap trills to build slowly up to a crank, super infectious chorus and carefully constructed breakdown. Mostly production carrying the show though.

Ive - "Eleven"

"1234567. You make me feel like 11"
More than a just little hint of f(x)'s "Rum pum pum pum" dominates this snake charmer of a confessional song that luxuriates in a bullet time pysche out before climaxing into the seductive Girl's Generation style power chorus and "Genie" call back. If you don't feel triumph at 11, the problem is you, not Ive.

With group lineups becoming more fluid, the solo space was truly busy this year. I don't think I have ever added so many to the countdown before.

Kim Woojin - "In My Space"

Timbre usually captures my attention first with a soloist, and Woojin is piercingly ethereal but powerfully expressive (reminding me a little of Emil Chau and Alex). This song unfurled for me slowly over repeat listens like an impressionist painting. The writing is simply beautiful, particularly the transitions in the bridge where Woojin slips tremulously from one emotion into another.

See Also: "Growing Pains" and the Gaho/Woojin cover of "Driver's License"

Wendy - "Like Water"

With a dynamism rarely heard in Red Velvet and precision rarely required of a girl group member, Wendy finally fully exercises her range in "Like Water" where the incredible, enveloping warmth of her lower and middle registers washes over like a warm bath. Her overall resonance quality and the ease with which she takes higher runs (this is even more apparent in "When This Rain Stops") matches the sentiment of the song perfectly. Even Scixxorx was moved by her live performance. Wendy's voice is a revelation.

Rose - "Gone"

"Now it's 8 in the morning, Hate in the morning. All because of you."

In the tradition of late 2NE1 melody making and Olivia Rodriguez's revival of the diary confessional, Rose of Blackpink presents her take on post breakup heartache in a spare, poignant tune that lays bare the plaintive vulnerability inherent in her vocals. The Sea of Hope live version is worth watching for the nuance of her performance.

Amber Liu - "Bad Decisions"

Concise and sweet, this dreamy piano chord bop is my favorite from Amber so far, and for sure my most personal pick of the list.

Chung Ha ft. Guaynaa - "Demente"

Chugging. Chunky. Repetitive. "Demente" works its' lyrically dense reggaeton premise into a trancelike fervor.

Shy Ddoong (feat. RAVI) - "Bokku Ddoong"

Comedian Moon Seyoung's adorable missive for socially awkward people everywhere, started as a songwriting request to RAVI. Luckily, the contrast between Moon's more than just competent, resonantly textured Uncle voice, and modest production - with a catchy simplicity and touchingly vulnerable lyrics - fully transcends the joke territory of most celebrity projects into something, somehow, formally subversive.

CL - "Chuck"

D.O. - Empathy

A soothing, guitar driven album, and a perfect showcase for D.O.'s versatile, remarkably agile and earthy tenor that never lets him fall into a soapy abyss of ballads. Cohesive from one track to another, richly composed R&B is tempered by a folksy soul vibe, contemplative and sensitive. What I imagine a laidback JT acoustic session sounds like. I really love all of the tracks but I'll go with "I'm Fine".

See Also: Sexy, sultry Baekhyun in the two-step "Bambi" (h4rdy remix) is just a whole other mood.

Ten & YangYang - "Low Low"

Simple, slightly stupid, but effective bop which lingers in your mouth like a green apple jolly rancher and brings no end of pleasure.

Sumin and Slom - Miniseries

Out of all the dance inflected pop, Sumin and Slom's Miniseries album extrapolates the source material most thoroughly. Both tracky and songy at the same time, "What Do You Think" toys with formal elements to lovely affect. See also: "Yogijogi"

See Also: NCT 127 b-side "Breakfast" an insistently groovy comedown with dawn peeking over the horizon.

AKMU with Sam Kim - "Everest"

AKMU album Next Episode featured stellar performances from the duo, as well as interesting partnerships and sounds. See "Nakka" with IU. But my favorite was the haunting purity of "Everest". Vocals. What can I say?

Hyolyn, Dasom - "Summer or Summer"

The bubbly bouncy journey of the beats and breezy coy vocals felt the most like summer to me over Twice's (clever bossa but clunkily mixed) "Alcohol Free" and Fromis 9's (fun but routine) "We Go".

Huh! - "Uh Uh", "Business Boy"

Huh! has a raspy tone that accentuates his crisp enunciation and clean flow, and yet he pulls of some serious pop when challenged like in "MBT".

Shinee - "Attention"

Shinee claimed they were fine not setting trends with their comeback, but we did get sophisticated and original interpretations of current ones. Album Don't Call Me gave us the iconic phrase "Sick of all your trash!" from the eponymous title track, as well as sultry b-side "Attention". Taemin went on to delight fans with hiccupy single "Advice", and Key hypnotized with "Helium" from dance centric Bad Love.