It seems that 2018 is the year of amazing collaborations and ballad songs. This week’s tracks have physically left us with goosebumps, we have shed tears to heartfelt lyrics, and gazed in awe at some of the most aesthetically pleasing music videos. If you thought last week’s collection of releases contained all the key hits for 2018, think again.

Our Weekly K-music Review posts are here to give you a helping hand and a quick look back to the notable releases from Korean artists in a weekly format. This article looks at releases and comebacks from April 5-8 2018.

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Grizzly – Island
Released: April 5

Chilled vibes are a huge factor of springtime music: its a season to cruise, have fun with friends and enjoy long nights out. Grizzly has perfected that feeling with both this song and the videography of his music video. The track itself has some reggae undertones but is generally a really great song to enjoy out in the fresh air. Visually the bright colours, beautiful outdoor scenery and clever transitions from one scene to another give the whole video a modern feeling. It’s an all-around great release.

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YDPP – Love It, Like It
Released: April 5

With a name that means Youth, Dream, Passion and Purity, it’s no surprise that this is a fresh-faced and dazzling boy group. The members are all part of the K-pop boy group MXM, and consists of Youngmin, Donghyun, Jung Sewoon, Lee Kwanghyun, who are a perfect combination for this project group. The song is extremely retro, sounding like the K-pop songs of 2005, with the music video visuals making some great connections to that period. Even the boy group’s styling has hints of retro styling. The song is fun, lighthearted, and a great one for those of you who want to listen to K-pop at the gym.

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BTS –  Euphoria: Theme Of Love Yourself ‘Wonder’
Released: April 5

BTS has one of the longest-running concepts that truly does touch the heart, starting way back with their release of Danger back in 2014, to the most recent release of Euphoria, The group have told a story of youth, growing up, mental health and adulthood . This is all part of one big picture, with many fans putting down theories that the videos and background story relates to their involvement and connection with UNICEF and their Love Myself campaign. The video features a long intro with the classical song Clair De Lune by Debussy, it then turns into an EDM and pop mixed track with Jungkook singing the lyrics. All of the videos which are connected to this song are visually breathtaking, and we highly recommend checking them all out for yourself.

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Park Eun Tae, Jeun Mi Do – On The Edge Of Time (Zhivago OST)
Released: April 5

Although this is an older release, it was recently reissued as the second season of the musical Zhivago has been released in Korea. The singers that are in the video are the main lead actors in the musical, showcasing a symmetry with the vocals that is absolutely outstanding. We are forever trying to open up our reader’s hearts to new music, and musicals deserve not to be looked down upon, with this release showing exactly why. A stunning Korean adaption of a classic musical show, with clips from the show itself, the music video shows just how detailed the performances can be, and gives us a glimpse as to why the Korean musical scene is not to be missed.

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Ten – New Heroes
Released: April  6

This is Ten’s second solo release, with lyrics that are all in English, and there is a deeper story to the words that are spoken. The song is a stylised EDM track, with Ten’s vocals caressing our ears in soft tones. The lyrics are deep, with explanations of feelings that could be personal to Ten himself, speaking of his troubles and how he has fought for his position within the Korean music scene.  Visually the video is a mix of industrial, indie and extraterrestrial artistic – we are definitely loving the shrouded singer with finger lights. It’s always great to see a member of a big group (such as NCT with all of its members) doing solo promotions, as we feel we get to know that member just a little bit better.

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Park Bo Ram – Please, Stop Me (FEAT. Lil Boi)
Released: April 6

In a true K-pop fashion, the perfect collaboration between a female vocalist and a male rapper is a sure way of creating an instant hit – and this song follows that formula. Soft, lighthearted, fun and outspoken, Park Bo Ram’s sweet vocals against the gruffness of Lil Boi’s rapping just melt the heart of the listener. The music video is artistic (if not a standout creation, as we feel we’ve seen a lot of the scenes many times before in other music videos), but it’s the song that is one that’s not to be missed.

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Yeim – Meet Me At The Corner
Released: April 6

Love stories told throughout a music video and via the lyrics of a song are key productions in Korea. Using the theme of a man whose wife has died and is following his every move, Meet Me At The Corner hits the viewer square in the feels. The music video is simple, but effective and is cohesive with the pop ballad that features Yeim’s beautiful vocals. Be prepared, it’s a tear jerker!

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Punch – Why Why Why (Live OST)
Released: April 7

Punch got her foot in the door of fame with the release of Stay With Me for the amazing K-drama Goblin, and it seems her talent as a singer hasn’t gone unnoticed. Lending her vocals once again to a soundtrack (this time for the police drama Live) Punch produces a heartfelt song, full of emotion in a controlled manner. The backing track has the key synthesiser sound that’s linked to a lot of her music, making it uniquely her own.

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Lee Hong Ki & Yu Hweseung  – Still Love You
Released: April 8

Wow! This song is another that prickles up those goosebumps, and we are so impressed with this collaboration that we’re hoping for more from this duo. Lee Hong Ki is from the boy band FTIsland, while Yu Hweseung who is a member of the boy band N.Flying (both of whom we recommend you check out). Musically the release has strong drums, pianos and a lot of beautifully arranged string instruments in a power-ballad tempo. But the key thing about this release is the vocals – we cannot stress how much we love the combination of the pair’s singing voices. An instant hit for us.

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Noir – Gangsta
Released: April 8

There is always a lot of buzz around the underground K-hip-hop scene and the idol-hip-hop scene. Diss tracks flying around, as acts try to prove that they are the better rapper or that they represent what real hip-hop is about. Noir (along with a few other K-pop groups) are trying to show that pop music and rap go well together, and that all music should be loved. The accompanying video is rough and raw, with a high-class industrial vibe, whereas the music has a rock, EDM, pop mix. Vocally the boys’ voices are deep and husky, creating a very strong sound and we look forward to supporting this rookie group in the future.

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With so many great releases this week, sadly we couldn’t include them all. A few special mentions go to Basick with his latest release Microphone Checker (feat. Koonta, Paloalto). Showing his skills as an underground rapper, his modern, raw style remains relevant.

If you’re looking for songs where you feel like you’re on a rocketship to the moon, SLCHLD has you covered with the release Hollywood (prod. MXXWLL) – it’s upbeat, smooth and chilled to the max.

Korean musicals seem to be making waves over the internet and it isn’t just down to K-pop idols involvement with them. The musical singer Hong Kwang Ho sings one of the most memorable and beautiful versions of The Impossible Dream from the hit stage show The Man From La Mancha.

Check back tomorrow for the second instalment of our K-music week in review, which will look at releases from 9-11 April 2018.