Another month is at its end which means another month of new K-Pop to check out. So I’m giving my quick takes on all of the debuts and comebacks we got this month!
I’m only sharing the debuts and comebacks I actually paid attention to and not every single one that happened in the month. Especially with this July, I have a lot of debuts and comebacks in my backlog that I just didn’t get to, but I will for my missed tracks quick takes at the end of the year. So if a favorite artist of yours isn’t in here, tell me about them in a comment and I’ll check them out!
Twenty by Swan (Purple Kiss)
I love Swan, so her getting a solo debut makes me happy. But honestly, I find the song and video kind of boring. I don’t think the song showcased her amazing vocals super well. I don’t mind the overall vibe she went with since she is young and fresh herself, but I just wanted so much more, especially for a debut.
Psycho by Jun
A new Seventeen solo debut! I admittedly know next to nothing about Jun outside of him being a member of Seventeen. And even with that in mind he still managed to surprise me with this style and concept of song. The best way I can think of to describe how I feel about this debut is fascinated. I think I’ll need to re-watch and re-listen to this multiple times to truly solidify my feelings about it, but I’m more intrigued than anything else.
Shhh by Kiss of Life
I have heard a lot of good things about Kiss of Life, particularly from their solo pre-releases. I chose to wait for the title track and actual debut before really checking them out.
First things first, their vocals are very strong and is probably the strongest skill of the group since they didn’t show us any rap in the song or dancing in the actual video, saving it for the credits of all things.
Speaking of the video: I don’t really care for this new trend of having plot focused music videos that may or may not show them actually performing their song. They might as well be actors instead of singers if this is the music video we get.
Overall, I like the song and their vocals are amazing. Hopefully in the future we can see other talents as well.
In Bloom by ZEROBASEONE
With the amount of hype that this group was getting pre-debut, I expected more. It’s a good song and they are decently talented, but the song itself is generic and could have been done by anyone.
Do not touch by MISAMO (Twice)
I wasn’t expecting a song essentially about consent but alrighty then. I like the song but I don’t love it. It’s okay overall, but I’m not jumping at the chance to listen to it again or check out the rest of the album.
Seven by Jungkook
I’m so disappointed. Let me be clear though: the song isn’t necessarily bad. But it is missing the magic touch of BTS and BigHit that makes their music so appealing to me which I could tell from listening to it alone but I did check and no familiar BigHit names are credited. It’s too Western sounding, like the song was written for someone else, like Justin Bieber. I honestly have no desire to listen to it again, which makes me sad because I want to support Jungkook. Hopefully, his debut album will be better.
Perfect Blues by Hannah Bahng
So this isn’t K-Pop at all but related (literally). Hannah is the sister of Stray Kids’ Bang Chan. She’s supposedly starting her own music career all on her own with her own company, so I wanted to share her in support. Also her vocals are so lovely to listen to and I really enjoyed the song. I hope she is proud of herself because she should be.
Love Me A Little by Shownu & Hyungwon (Monsta X)
I’m so happy to see Shownu again. And it is nice to have both Shownu and Hyungwon have the chance to show off their vocals more. I like the song and how it has some Monsta X vibes, but calmer and jazzier. I don’t think I’d claim to love the song, but I do like it and enjoy listening to it.
Wonder Land by SevenUs
I wanted to like this more than I did. I don’t think the song itself fits them vocally so it just sounded a little off to me. What they were given on Peak Time was better quality and suited them much more.
Bet On Me by Itzy
This is quite a departure from what Itzy usually gives us which is a pleasant surprise for me since I haven’t really enjoyed Itzy’s recent releases. It makes for an interesting pre-release and actually makes me more interested in their upcoming album.
ALIENS by ID:Earth
This is my first introduction to ID:Earth so I went in knowing nothing. Her voice somewhat reminds me of Sia or Shakira which is an interesting change from the usual idol voice I listen to. This song fits her vocals really well and I am interested in checking out more of her music now.
Roller Coaster by NMIXX
This song and video reminds me why I am not in NMIXX’s target audience. It’s very much a young and teen song, which isn’t a negative. It’s just not for me personally. It also doesn’t sound much different from every other group doing this same concept, so it fails to get me excited for their actual comeback and album.
UN-NORMAL by Queenz Eye
I wanted to like this song more. If it had been released before this style of song was becoming trendy I might have. It’s good but I honestly zoned out while listening to it.
Do It Like That by TXT and Jonas Brothers
Full disclosure, the boy band of my youth was the Jonas Brothers. So this collab had me really excited. And I am glad it delivered with a song that fits both groups so well and is just so fun and catchy. I have no complaints honestly.
Cream Soda by EXO
I like this song better than the other songs we got for this comeback, but I’m not necessarily wow’ed. It’s fine and that is the extent of my feelings.
Party O’Clock by NMIXX
This song gives me Twice vibes, but fits NMIXX’s vocals well. It’s a fun song that’s perfect for summer. I don’t really have a strong feeling towards the song, but I do like it better than Roller Coaster so I’m glad this is the actual title track.
Air Force One by ODD EYE CIRCLE
This is actually my first introduction to Odd Eye Circle, which feels appropriate since this is a fresh start after everything that happened to Loona. It’s an interesting song that I think will grow on me with more listens. To me though there is just a little bit of a disconnect between the video’s concept and the song’s vibe in some spots.
이게 사랑이지 뭐야 by HYOLYN ft. Paul Blanco
I really like Hyolyn in this song specifically. Her vocals sound so nice and I like this softer side of her. I feel iffy about Paul Blanco’s parts where he sings alone, just cause I don’t know if I like his voice for this song, but their voices together are perfect. I’m also not a big fan of the ending of the song because it felt like too much of a tone shift to me personally. And the video is so sweet and fitting.
HWEEK by Teen Top
It’s nice that the group got to comeback after so long and it’s a fun song.
New Emotions by Infinite
I really enjoyed this song, particularly the beat. I was definitely grooving along while watching the video.
Cake by Itzy
It’s similar to Sneakers, but I do think it is better but still mediocre. I don’t love the song and probably won’t listen to it ever again.
Bona Bona by Treasure
There’s just something missing in this song. The beat feels shallow to me, kind of like a simplified karaoke track for the song.
None of My Business by Itzy
I think they should have made this track the title track over Cake. It’s just a better song overall and gives them a refreshed concept that actually works.
I’m Here by MXFRUIT
Switching to T-Pop for a second because I’ve been enjoying MXFRUIT’s releases. This one is no different, but I don’t like it as much as their previous releases. The chorus isn’t my favorite, but I really like the verses.
Beat It by from20
This might be my new favorite from20 song. The beat is so good and addictive. This is a song I could easily put on repeat right now. My only critique is I wish it was longer.
Cool With You by NewJeans
I don’t know why I bother watching NewJeans music videos because I never enjoy watching them. This one was kind of creepy honestly. And I spent the whole time trying to figure out what was happening and really didn’t pay attention to the song. So for the video, I give it 1 star.
Now after just listening to the song, it’s fine. It’s a very NewJeans song so it meets expectations.
ISTJ by NCT Dream
NCT Dream is usually hit or miss for me, but this comeback is a hit for sure. The chorus is so catchy and I enjoy the song overall.
I Do by (G)I-DLE & 88Rising
I have to be honest, the song is kind of boring. The video was certainly more interesting than the song itself.
Kick-Start by Ichillin’
It’s a fun and youthful summer song. It’s very catchy and an enjoyable listen. They also look like they were having genuine fun in the video.
Back To Me by The Rose
I haven’t really listened to The Rose before, but I’ve listened to Woosung’s solo stuff a lot which I have enjoyed so I decided to give the whole band a chance. And wow they are really good. I will have to check out more of their music.
Alive by The Rose
Speaking of listening to more of The Rose, here is the title track of their new album. Definitely another great song, but I do like Back To Me more. I appreciate the different style and the bridge switch was great too. Both of their songs this month are some of the best releases we got.
One and Only by Enhypen
This really came out of nowhere honestly. It’s a cute song, very wholesome. And the fact this was made with Pokemon just makes it cuter. Of all of the collaborations Enhypen has done, this one is probably my favorite.
I WANT by IVE
Idols promoting soda honestly amuses me more than it should. The song is enjoyable but not anything groundbreaking. I was craving something more energetic, at least in the chorus. At least lyrically the song isn’t so aggressively an advertisement. They let the actual ad be in the video, which works and doesn’t feel as forced.
What new music have you been enjoying this month, K-pop or not? Tell me about it with a comment!
I’ve actually seen most of the girl group ones this month. I guess YT has been better at serving me up kpop content or something..lol. Anyway….
Swan — Twenty — Haven’t seen this one, so 1st impression is… it’s pleasant, but that’s about it. IIRC, Swan is a member of Purple Kiss.. right? TBH, if so, then the only reason I recall that is from having seeing an episode of “Dingo Rising Voice” (Not killing voice, rising voice), that featured a few vocalists from Cherry Bullet, Class:y, and Purple Kiss and I think Swan was one of the Purple Kiss singers. — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw9KeSdMDYk
Kiss of Life — Shhh — I’ve seen this one and also “Bye My Neverland” which precedes it. Of the 2, I actually liked Bye My Neverland more, enough so I showed it to my wife and daughter, but I didn’t show them Shhh, so.. .take that for what you will. I’m re-listening now and…. Shhh is fine, but it really just doesn’t grab me.
Misamo — Do Not Touch — Was ok. Better than Marshmallow, but still not anything special I didn’t think. TBH, I liked the full group’s Japanese release “Hare Hare” more than either of the Misamo songs that are out so far.
Hannah Bahng – Perfect Blues – As you say, her vocals are lovely, but the song itself didn’t really do anything for me.
Itzy – Bet on Me — I remember that I watched it and didn’t mind it, but remember nothing else about it, so…. forgettable?
ID: Earth – Aliens — Never heard of this group, much less the song. (You linked a short teaser, BTW, I hadda go find the actual MV 😉 ) I really like her voice, and the overall vibe of the song has that “intensity” that (for me) defines “music I like” so it’s go tthat going for it. And I added her to my Spotify, so…. yeah, I liked it.
NMixx – Roller Coaster – As with the Itzy one… I remember that I watched it before, but I remember absolutely nothing else about it.
Queenz Eye – Un-normal — 1st time listen from your highlight and….it’s fine. Nothing that really hooks me or makes me want to hear more from the group either though. The harmonies in the chorus are nice, at least.
NMixx – Party O’Clock – Another forgettable one, though you mentioning Twice in your bit on the song reminds me of a vaguely realized thought that i could see Twice singing it instead. I just wrote it off as “It’s a JYP group and if JYP hisownself is doing some of the songwriting (as I’ve heard he does, though only obliquely… I don’t really know if he does or not), then it makes sense they’d sound similar.” I’m re-listening/watching now as a result and…. yeah, same thought. But that said, I also don’t remember anything of its actual sound, just a few of the dance moves here and there remind me that I’ve seen/heard it before, so overall it’s pretty forgettable to me also.
Odd Eye Circle – Air Force One — Watched it once, recall not particularly caring for it, so… that was the end of it for me. I don’t recall a thing about it otherwise.
Hyolyn – What Is This Love – I liked this one enough to show it to my wife and daughter. They also enjoyed it, but not so much that they’ve wanted to hear it again, and I’m in the same boat. It was nice, but not something that really turned me into a fan either.
Itzy – Cake – Another one that I recall seeing once and don’t care if I see it again. I saw enough teaser thumbnails to know it was coming, but missed its actual realease by a couple of days. Watched it with my wife and daughter and it was 1st time for all of us. We all felt it was fine, but that was it. I’ve not re-watched since and don’t intend to.
Itzy – None of my Business – Yet another “saw it once, that was enough.” I mean… I don’t dislike any of these, they just… are fluffy nothings.
MXFruit – I’m here – Despite it being Thai (you said P-Pop?), I’ve even seen this one. I liked it well enough, but haven’t remembered it well enough to show it to the women in my life either, so… again, it’s not bad, just not memorable either.
New Jeans – Cool with You — I had this in a background window and from the sound it was fine as background noise. I focused the window and went “Oh, that’s the Squid Game girl in their video. Cool, I guess” and noticed in a comment that people were saying that it was more fo a short film featuring her with the New Jeans girls just off to the side. I ended up watching Jordan Orme’s reaction to it and he went into a bit of that, with the storytelling aspect of how Hoyeon seemed to be some sort of Cupid-type spirit, then shed that mantle to experience love herself, but then had it ripped away from her. I didn’t pay attention to the lyrics, so I have no idea if that’s reflected in them, but i found it interesting at least. And with all that said, ask me to hum a few bars of the tune and…. gun to my head I couldn’t do it. Just as forgettable as most of these other tunes…..
(G)I-DLE – I Do – The video was interesting, but same deal, I can’t remember any of the music from the song.
IChillin’ – Kick-Start — I remember liking this one rather a lot when I watched it the 1st time, but I’ve forgotten it otherwise. From your description I decided to listen to it again, and yeah…. I’m really liking it on this 2nd listen as well, so I dunno why it became another “forgotten one” for me. It’s a lot of fun.
Ive – I want – It was an ad, so I’ve more or less purged it from my memory, depsite liking Ive overall. Guess I should re-watch…. And on re-atch, I think I showed this one to my wife and daughter so we could all aprreciate the cleverness of how they worked the ad in, but that’s about all I remember about it. even hearing the music again isn’t triggering any memories.
*****
Others I’ve run across in this month that I’ve enjoyed (no links since I’ve already put one in and WordPress doesn’t like more than 1 in a comment without flagging…..):
New Jeans – Super Shy — I can actually remember the hook of this one, so…. I guess I must have actually liked it a little bit. That said, they’ve also got “ETA” and “ASAP” that they released this month and I can’t remember anything about them at all, so…. yeah.
Future Idol – Lucid — The video is rather bad/low budget, but I really like the sound of it.
Future Idol – Blossom – It had some really nice harmonies, which made it at least a bit memorable, even if it really didn’t do much for me overall.
Sandara Park – Festival — It was just fun. Not particularly memorable to me, but still just plain fun.
JinE – Tye Dye – Forgettable fluff, but enjoyable enough to listen to a time or two.
Sparky – 0380 – The use of auto-tune to give a nasally sound was kinda retro. TBH, it didn’t sound that great, but it was different enough to at least be a little bit memorable.
Oh My Girl – Summer Comes — This one was rather awesome, IMO. I’m surprised it didn’t make your post. (I know, I know… you can’t get to everything…) My wife and daughter also loved it, and I’ve listened to it several times, watched reactors to it, and so on…..
Saturday – Stay — It’s not a particularly exciting song, but something about it “hits right” for me, so I really liked it, even if it’s not one that I’d want to put on repeat or anything, so I’d still probably turn it up a little if it came on the radio.
ILY:1 – My Color – It was pleasant. Nothing amazing, but still worth a listen, enough so that I showed it to my wife and daughter. They liked it well enough also.
Soyou – Aloha – Another one that just “hit right” for me. Nothing about it really stands out, but I just felt good when listening to it.
Xikers – Koong (Performance Video) – This one auto-played after one of the others and … I kept listening to it, so despite my apathy (antipathy?) toward boy groups, this one was good enough that I kept listening anyay, so take that for whatever you will.
Daluna – Swallowing Summer — Another that’s not particularly exciting, but still “hits right” and I enjoyed listening to it.
— And there ya go. I’ve got more, but they’re all released in August now 😛