Playlist: Exo, A.Kor, Beaver, Halo, Primary, Risso, Speed's Heely chorry

Exo - Tender Love

With Call Me Baby and the new songs from the repackaged album,  Exo have gone ultimate boy band and I love it. The new single, with its JB guitar, is reminiscent of NSync alumnus Timberlake,  while Tender Love, with its popping bass and swirling strings recalls a much earlier boy band, The Temptations, and Motown at a time when the label was  loosening up and embracing emerging funk.

A-Kor Black - How We Do

A sub unit duo has peeled off from the girl group and come up with a slinky rap number that coincidentally - or deliberately - lifts the backing from Gray's lovely track from just a couple of months ago. They've given it a '90s girl group vocal treatment but otherwise, there's not much in it. I'm a sucker for a xylophone so I'm happy to spend some more time with it. Gray's track is below.

Beaver - Curiosity (You Liar)

I love the way K-pop throws around the epithets and abuse. The canon is full of K-ballads called "Hate you" and every second chanteuse has cooed "fuck you" at some point. The delightfully named Beaver sings "you liar, you liar, you liar, you liar" in the chorus before the crescendo sees him spit, "You don't fucking love me!" Chords provide a melodic backbeat, skittering percussion gives it momentum.

Halo - While You Were Sleeping

These guys turned up last year looking fetching in fluffy jumpers and singing a groovy jangly number - almost a bubblegum funk - that quite took my fancy. The follow up wasn't much, but they're back in form with this one, which has a clavichordy sound doubling as the bass and the vocals doubling that, making for a track with plenty of punch.

Primary - Her and Mannequin

Writer producer Primary, fresh from producing Lim Kim's fantastic track Awoo has released two cool new cuts.  I probably prefer Her, a collaboration with Dynamic Duo. It's a bit trip-hop; a little bit lounge, a little bit jazz... it trips all of my triggers. The second, Mannequin has a freaky MV to go with it. This is pretty good too. It's a collaboration with Beenzino and singer with a lovely voice, called Suran. Both are really tops tbh. He's a clever guy. Give 'em a spin.

Speed - What U

Choreography of the week 

Not convinced the song does a whole lot for me - I'm prepared to give it time - but the choreography is magic. Nick Bass (Exo's Growl, Shinee's Ring Ding Dong) has the group spinning around the stage on Heelys (that's sneakers with wheels, fogey) in between the usual handstands and high steps. It's fucking unreal. The only thing that's missing are lights from the spinning wheels. 

Risso - OMG

Disco throwback of the week

The retro title (does anyone still say "Oh my gosh"?) goes well with the Space Invaders' blips and Disco Inferno bass and strings. The rest of the album is a bit Cafe del Mar, but this one has plenty of spunk. The Frances Ha MV is adorable.