K-Music Week In Review Part 1: Sik-K, GFriend, GlowingDog and more

K-Music Week In Review Part 1: Sik-K, GFriend, GlowingDog and more

0 comments 📅24 July 2018, 21:14

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 19 – 22 July 2018.

Leo (VIXX) – Concept Film
Released: 18 July

Taking a step away from group activities with the K-pop boy group VIXX, their main vocalist Leo is taking on a solo adventure with the release of his first solo album. Although this is not a release just yet, this is the concept film that is introducing viewers to the theme, vibe and story for his upcoming release. Keeping to some elements of pathos and darkness, the film is light, colourful and full of great camera work, post editing, and close up shots of Leo. Though we do question that wax mannequin near the end.

GFriend – Sunny Summer
Released: 19 July

In the typical cutesy, high-toned pouty K-pop girl group ways, GFriend are back in the charts with their super summer release Sunny Summer. Although we can’t say that there is anything about this song that makes it unique or shows the girls growth, it is certainly a catchy summertime song. The music video is light and fun, the choreography is addictive and simple to learn. Vocally it feels as if the girls are holding back a little, and although the song is supposed to be an upbeat and fun vibe, the music just falls a bit flat.

GlowingDog – At Night (FEAT. XulianX)
Released: 19 July

Taking lo-fi and chillout songs to a new level, GlowingDog explores new sounds and vocal ranges with the help of XulianX. Taking the viewers on a tour of South Korea’s roads and nightlife, this is one of those songs where you can easily have this playing softly in the background throughout the day with your coffee in hand. Or, as the title suggests, a stroll through the city at night with this song playing through your earphones would be perfect. With jazz undertones, this a favourite release for the first half of the week.

ClaD – Away (FEAT. Rick Bridges)
Released: 19 July

Fans of the hip-hop group Epik High will understand when we say we get the same vibes as Tablo when listening to this release. ClaD has a specific vocal range, and the experimentation of harmonizing the same word at different tones and pitches has a stunning and unique outcome. Mixing a good amount of Korean and English lyrics, you can easily get sucked into this song and get lost within the headphone ear switching vocals. It’s slightly haunting and made us shudder with the hearing sensation it leaves.

Brwn – Summer In Love (FEAT. Basick)
Released: 19 July

Mixing jazz, blues, lo-fi, hip-hop and pop all in one, BRWN creates his own setting, with amazing vocals, amazing lyrics and heartfelt feelings. Collaborating with Basick to bring a different sound and rhythm to the track was a great move, and brings the song to a whole new level. Mixing English and Korean, you can feel the western influences throughout the song. It sounds like the kind of song you would expect to find on the soundtrack for the anime Cowboy Bebop. What do you think?

Sik-K – Skip And Kiss (PROD. Groovy Room)
Released: 19 July

Sik-K has an amazing ability to control his vocals and rhythm to perfection, going hardcore yet keeping it light enough that fans are able to follow along. Compared to his other releases there is a real summer vibe to this song, with an upbeat dance backing track and a great rap on top. It’s a well thought out and put together song. The music video features some live performances and a slightly elaborated look at the life of Sik-K behind the scenes.

Samuel Seo – B L U E
Released: 19 July

The first thing you will notice is that everything is blue, including Samuel Seo’s hair, which for us was an instant hit! Sharing his perfect vocals with his fans once again, Samuel brings back a retro techno beat with smooth 80s vibes. The video is simple and somewhat a piece of art in its own right, visually pleasing with some great digital editing. The song reminds us of something you would get if you combined Jonghyun from SHINee and Zion-T, and we really like it.

HASH – Shadow
Released: July 21

This isn’t the first time we have had HASH on our charts, and we are so glad to see them back, especially with this early 90s Nickleback styled song. Mixing Korean and English lyrics, it has a simple guitar riff that picks up in intensity as the song goes on, but the drumbeat certainly makes an impact on how you view the song. Vocally there is a lot of control and power behind the lead singer, but there is a nice balance of strong vocals and strong backing music. This release is something completely different to everything else that’s being released, and we can’t express our happiness with it. A great song that should have more love given to it.

As there have been a lot of releases this week, be sure to check back for the second instalment of  K-music week in review, which will look at releases from 23 – 25 July 2018.

Related stories
 BTS: Burn The Stage S01E06 REVIEW
 K-Music Week In Review Pt 2: Snuper, Lovelyz, Luna and more
 K-Music Week In Review: Minseo, Zhou Mi, YoonMirae and more
 BTS: Burn The Stage S01E05 REVIEW
 K-Music Week In Review: VIXX, IMFACT, Ha:TFELT and more

No Comments

No Comments Yet!

You can be first one to write a comment

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.