February came and left faster than most of us could catch our breath. Whilst infamously being the month of romance thanks to Valentines’ Day, we hope that you have been peppering in showers of flowers, chocolates and declarations of love.
If not, you certainly have been fed well from our favourite K-pop stars! Here are our highlights for comebacks during the month of February 2019.
1. Taemin – “Want”
Starting out strong, we got a visit from our favourite temptress. All adorned in red, Taemin has marched right into our hearts and we’re not complaining. If “Move” was controlled and calm, “Want” is relentless and out for blood. Probably his most risque and seductive comeback yet, Taemin has turned on the sex appeal and it is just overflowing with charm at this point. “Want” is engineered in such a way to snake right up to you, slowly wrapping itself around you then when you realise you’re trapped; it’s too late. The killer chorus is what delivers the final blow; but the mere elegance of it all is what makes it feel like such a classy affair. From the snapping of his hips to the swagger in his walk – ”Want” is further evidence that it’s Taemin’s world; we’re just living in it.
2. Dreamcatcher – “PIRI”
Dreamcatcher has always stood out with their sound of heavy guitar riffs in an industry where saccharine sounds and throbbing bass are the driving force of songs. “PIRI” however, seems to be an interesting marriage of both. With an incorporation of flute, EDM— and of course, metal— we have “PIRI”. Albeit not their strongest single, it does however show growth and experimentation on their end. Dreamcatcher showed how they are not afraid of changing up things up, but still are perfectly capable of keeping it within the theme. Versatile yet original; these girls seem to have more than just a few tricks up their sleeves. With this, let’s hope that it gives Dreamcatcher the big break they deserve!
3. MONSTA X – “Alligator”
After the show stopping “Shoot Out”, the bar was set pretty high for Monsta X. “Alligator” however, does not quite come close to it. While the music video shows that Starship Entertainment finally can blow their budget on our favourite sexy men, the embellishment is almost the only thing remarkable about the single itself. “Alligator” feels like a weak repackage, a mashup of all their previous title tracks churned into one. However that may seem to be the intended effect, especially with rappers Jooheon and I.M complementing each other a la “Dramarama”. Perhaps this was a #throwback moment for Monbebes?
4. LOONA – “Butterfly”
Probably the most talked about girl group on the planet, LOONA is no foreign name in Kpop. With a long awaited comeback, “Butterfly” blew us away. From an absolutely stunning music video, languid choreography, and gorgeous visuals; this comeback seems to be everything fans have wanted. The track itself is rather questionable, but the impressive music video makes it easy to forget. What was most notable about it was the group’s decision to use women of colour, in a way that was not sexualising them but merely showing them as they are; human. “Butterfly” feels very much like a breathtaking art film, but does very little as a song by itself.
5. SF9 – “Enough”
FNC Entertainment’s boy group seems to be slowly garnering attention over time. After their impressive comeback with “Now or Never”, our eyes have been peeled for SF9. We’re glad to announce that they did not disappoint. “Enough” balances the mystery and allure; hitting all the right spots that their previous single didn’t. With a combination of vocals in the chorus to the use of chiptune, the single seems to show that SF9 has finally found their colour and will probably be sticking to it for a while. And so they should— it’s a gorgeous fit on them.
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6. G-IDLE – “Senorita”
It’s easy to forget that G-(IDLE) are still just rookie idols in the biz when you factor in how ridiculously well known they are. Despite debuting barely a few months ago, they seem to be CUBE Entertainment’s driving force at the moment. With the enchanting “Hann”, the girls seem to be trying out as many concepts as possible during this experimental phase. “Senorita” is a curious hand; a Latin inspired track, complete with trumpets…and Soyeon’s jarring rap? The music video itself also is a confusing mix between explosions and an advert for Kaja Beauty, which further baffles us. The track itself seems rather safe for G-(IDLE), but it’s clear that it’s merely a tester for now. The real question is what comes next, now that we’ve seen them play nice.
7. ITZY – “DALLA DALLA”
JYP’s new girl group has finally debuted and they’re all the craze! “DALLA DALLA” sounds like an absolute nightmare on the first listen, but it’s on the second one that you find yourself singing along to the addictive lyrics. Ingeniously manufactured in such a way to capture you, even when you least expect it, ITZY seems to be the perfect successor to their sunbaes, TWICE. Also, we’d be lying if we weren’t absolutely in love with their outfits.
8. ONF – “We Must Love”
Perhaps the most impressive comeback of the month, ONF completely wowed us with the quality of their music video. Creating a dystopian universe that plays with themes of science fiction, the boys of ONF take us on an adventure like no other. “We Must Love” incorporates little elements of a ton of genres; transporting us into a different time altogether. However the most notable one would be use of synthesisers, bringing us back to the old school days of the late 2000s.
9. HA SUNGWOON – “Bird”
Sungwoon stole all our hearts in one way or another; through Produce 101, HOTSHOT or Wanna One. Either way there’s no denying it; the guy is immensely talented. In “Bird”, he sings us a sweet love song. Using pastel colours and relaxing imagery, it feels like a song that was made for the Korean radiowaves. The chill nature of the song ties in well with the adorable factor of it, and once tied up with Sungwoon’s natural ability to hit high notes; we’ve got ourselves a winner.
And there we have it folks! Despite it being a short month, we certainly got served a pretty good meal; but did all of you dig in? February came close but no cigar— let’s hope that March has enough in store for our ravenous appetites. Till then, bon appetit!
Article by Leyasheena Panicker.
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