Playlist: Kara, The Black, One Voices, San. E, Urban Zakapa, CLC, History, Moonshine

KARA - Cupid

Earworm of the week: Hear this once and fragments will be bouncing around in your head for days. That isn't always a recommendation but this is a sophisticated and fun ride; slinkier than last year's Mamma Mia, but just as seductive. It's the second song this year called Cupid - it's not as smart as the Oh My Girl track, but not many this year will touch that. 

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THE BLACK: Blowin my Mind

Brazilian guitar brings in two voices harmonising over sparse percussion;  then the chorus hits in an echo of Phil Specter's wall-of sound: drums boom; backing vocals reverberate. The big sound retreats and the quiet returns. 

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ONE VOICES: Just One

The surprisingly cool grooves of this electronic track would have been perfect for SHINee's Odd album. Instead it's the B-side of a single for rookie duo One Voices. The A-side is an OK-but-kind-of-ordinary boy band hip-hop thing. But this song is a beauty. Rhythmic vocals play off old-school electro beats and percussive chimes reverberate, as though everyone in the call centre helpline went out to a liquid lunch. 

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SAN. E: Me You

Mellow rap tunes with girly choruses seem to make up about one-third of K-pop. Rapper San.E likes to think he's well hard so it must have been a bit galling for him to find this sweet ditty leapfrog into the top 10 over the bitier tunes from his latest album (on the other hand: Top 10 hit!). Me You starts with a "Miaow" and just gets better from there. It's got the girl from 15& who isn't Jimin dueting and a bit of witty wordplay. It's no Coach Me, but it's pretty addictive.

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URBAN ZAKAPA (featuring Beenzino) - Get

This group were apparently a nine-piece that has been whittled back to a three-piece. That's some rationalising there. In any case, this is a great track. It's another feelgood hip-hop number, but unlike the boy-girl duets, which tend towards the musically mellow, it has a lively gospel piano over a hip-hop beat. Male and female voices harmonise,  alternating with rapper Beenzino.

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CLC: Like

After their sleek, sophisticated debut Pepe flopped, Cube Entertainment has been pushing out CLC singles one after the other. For Like, they have jettisoned the playful and witty image from their debut for a fun, but pretty standard bright, sparkly look and a bouncy, upbeat track. On the plus side: it's a good song with a killer chorus, gorgeous 60s girl group backing vocals and a lightly quirky treatment (could have been a bit quirkier). If the fan reactions on the live shows are an indication, this song is already dead in the water. But the song on the album that's mostly in English may give a better indication of where Cube wants CLC to make it big.

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HISTORY: Mind Game

This gets the "Michael Jackson throwback of the week" title even though it's not the most MJ song out there. That would go to this track, by Dwayne, which is basically pastiche. Mind Game, being History, has got a bit more going on. There are layers of synths giving grunt and crunch and putting this halfway between Germany and the States which, I guess, would be ... Korea?

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MOONSHINE: Temperature

Disco throwback of the week: it's a modern take, but there are strings and the girls are wearing satin hotpants, so close enough. I found this lovely little number thanks to a YouTube recommendation. First time for everything. Great name; great hair. I've rarely seen a man look so disinterested in the lovely ladies around him. The EP has another great song featuring rapper Giriboy.