K-pop 2019: rookies' best songs of the year
An industry insider once told me that 30 new K-pop acts debut each month. I have never been able to confirm that. What I do know, is that a heap more debut than are listed on the K-pop Wikipedia pages – going back through the years I could think of a handful of acts – without even checking my yearly playlists – that aren't mentioned. Where are Chaness? Blady? Icia, the girl group who gave us the iconic banger Time Bomb? Even one of my rookies of this year doesn't get a mention. The Kpop fandom wikia is more comprehensive, but nowhere near the 30 figure I've been quoted. Still, there are quite a few listed there I missed this year and it's a good place to start if you're looking for some new sounds. Right after you're checked out my favourites of the year, of course.
[I am not including solo artists who released a debut after being in bands for years, like DalSoobin or Daehyun. That's cheating. I am including graduates of Produce 101 etc. That isn't.]
This five-piece released three mini albums in 2019 - three! But I've given them a place here pretty much on the strength of one song. Make This, co-written by Devine Channel, is the kind of track that makes you stop and go wut. Then press play. And then play it again. It's a curious song that's full of contrasts: ambient synths, quietly spoken vocals and minimal percussion punctuated by glorious thumping synth bass. An absolute masterpiece that they performed with total commitment.
It's hard to believe these guys debuted this year. They already have the polish of an established act. Produce 101 might have been rigged but there is no doubting the talents of this group. Their debut, Breathe, featured flawless stages with smart, geometric choreography. The follow up, Blind for Love, was another deep house track that was possibly even better than the first. The group co-wrote much of their material and capped off the year with a Lizzo collaboration.
This six-piece girl group made the slickest debut, along with AB6IX. The members had variously competed in Produce 101 and Mixnine - with résumés like that, they should be able to take whatever the industry has in store. Maybe I spend too much time listening to $2 rookies, but the production on Moonlight Aria – already a terrific pop song – is just outstanding, full and lush with great depth. It's possible Star Entertainment is trying to do Loona for a 10th of the budget: Moonight Aria isn't far from some of Loona's songs and the MV is a straight up low-rent knock off. But one-and-a-half Loonas is OK by me. The more the merrier.
The six-piece girl group earns a place not for the mindless Latin pastiche of Adios, but for the genius of Bon Bon Chocolat. Synths whirl around melismatic vocals with West Asian inflections and We Will Rock You handclaps creating a prog-infused bombastic concoction that takes a while to grow on you but is ultimately indelible.
Jimin debuted in 2018 with the Faveboys - now PlayM Boys - but I am giving him a pass because who the hell heard of the Faveboys and also because he released two great jams this year. Loveholic, released in May, is a fantastic freestyle/electro dance track that could slot right into the Wonder Girls Reboot playlist, while Who You, a straighter dance track released earlier this month, shrugs off a formulaic Latin start to slide into a funky groove. He's a fantastic dancer as well. Hope to see more of him.
Poor Daniel. The break-out star of Produce 101 - whatever that's worth now. His agency sold him, like chattel - how many times? once, twice? - to other agencies. On the plus side, he broke Twitter when it was revealed he was dating twice's Jihyo, with inetz mostly very much in favour. With his contract woes finally sorted out, he finally released some great music, including the delightfully bass heavy Touchin'.
Boy I played the shit out of his debut Designer. What a fantastic disco jam. And Jaehwan really sold it on the stages. Another Wanna One/Produce 101 graduate.
Leenzy is signed to Planetarium, who have PLT, a project group of individual artists - all men so far. It will be interesting to see if she joins them. I get some Heize vibes from her, both in the fact that she co-writes her own songs, and in the styles she works in. Really one to watch.
The five member debuted in May with Crystal Ball. Their social team hit Twitter with a force, drumming up buzz – reasonably successfully. Crystal Ball is a fun, old-school K-pop girl group song. No Latin touches, no dubstep break, no deep house. It's upbeat, a few jangly guitars and some nice harmonies. But the follow up was even better. Dream Line has an 80s New York freestyle vibe, all rattling percussion and banks of tinny synths. The MV also features Jaejoong for some reason. He;s upstaged by the thigh high fluoro pink boots imo.
The Japanese singer debuted in 2016, but made her Korean debut this year, so I am sneaking her in. Beep beep was such a delight and one of my most played songs. It's a playful electronic pop song with a cool vocal arrangement and the irresistible line, "Hello, this is Ruann".
1Team
AB6IX
ARIAZ
This six-piece girl group made the slickest debut, along with AB6IX. The members had variously competed in Produce 101 and Mixnine - with résumés like that, they should be able to take whatever the industry has in store. Maybe I spend too much time listening to $2 rookies, but the production on Moonlight Aria – already a terrific pop song – is just outstanding, full and lush with great depth. It's possible Star Entertainment is trying to do Loona for a 10th of the budget: Moonight Aria isn't far from some of Loona's songs and the MV is a straight up low-rent knock off. But one-and-a-half Loonas is OK by me. The more the merrier.
Bibi
Like Orly's song Crush on You (see below), there isn't a lot going on here. But where Crush on You is a banger, Bibi's song is more of an indie minimalist number. She's signed to Tiger JK's Feel Ghood Music and the MV mirrors the quirky vibe of this cool electronic track.
Everglow
Lim Jimin
Jimin debuted in 2018 with the Faveboys - now PlayM Boys - but I am giving him a pass because who the hell heard of the Faveboys and also because he released two great jams this year. Loveholic, released in May, is a fantastic freestyle/electro dance track that could slot right into the Wonder Girls Reboot playlist, while Who You, a straighter dance track released earlier this month, shrugs off a formulaic Latin start to slide into a funky groove. He's a fantastic dancer as well. Hope to see more of him.
Daniel Kang
Poor Daniel. The break-out star of Produce 101 - whatever that's worth now. His agency sold him, like chattel - how many times? once, twice? - to other agencies. On the plus side, he broke Twitter when it was revealed he was dating twice's Jihyo, with inetz mostly very much in favour. With his contract woes finally sorted out, he finally released some great music, including the delightfully bass heavy Touchin'.
Kim Jaehwan
Boy I played the shit out of his debut Designer. What a fantastic disco jam. And Jaehwan really sold it on the stages. Another Wanna One/Produce 101 graduate.
Leenzy
Leenzy is signed to Planetarium, who have PLT, a project group of individual artists - all men so far. It will be interesting to see if she joins them. I get some Heize vibes from her, both in the fact that she co-writes her own songs, and in the styles she works in. Really one to watch.
Purplebeck
The five member debuted in May with Crystal Ball. Their social team hit Twitter with a force, drumming up buzz – reasonably successfully. Crystal Ball is a fun, old-school K-pop girl group song. No Latin touches, no dubstep break, no deep house. It's upbeat, a few jangly guitars and some nice harmonies. But the follow up was even better. Dream Line has an 80s New York freestyle vibe, all rattling percussion and banks of tinny synths. The MV also features Jaejoong for some reason. He;s upstaged by the thigh high fluoro pink boots imo.
Orly
Look Crush on You is a dumb song. I know it. But sometimes that's just what you need. This is the chorus: "Oh I crush on you/crush on you/crush on you" [repeat]. But hey it makes it easy to sing and arguably, the real chorus is what comes next: the synths that bounce and slide and grind all over the place to the thumping kick drum. Try it! Thanks Orly.
Ruann
Look Crush on You is a dumb song. I know it. But sometimes that's just what you need. This is the chorus: "Oh I crush on you/crush on you/crush on you" [repeat]. But hey it makes it easy to sing and arguably, the real chorus is what comes next: the synths that bounce and slide and grind all over the place to the thumping kick drum. Try it! Thanks Orly.
Yukika
The Japanese singer released two killer tracks this year, both in the Japanese city pop style, which is essentially a Latin disco style that sprang out of Gamble and Huffs Philly soul and blossomed into such labels as Salsoul. It has experienced a resurgence since Mariya Takeuchi's Plastic Love went viral on YouTube a few years back. Both these are lovely. Play them with Yubin's Lady.
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