~ DECEMBER 2020 ~

 

DISCLAIMER: All the pictures included in this article are screenshots taken by me from official music videos. If there is copyright infringement, I apologize in advance and will remove any problematic picture upon the owner's request. 

Hello everyone and welcome to my top Kmusic releases for the month of December, 2020. I believe that this month was less charged in terms of comebacks than the previous one considering idols were rehearsing for award shows performances, but we still got some amazing comebacks including BOA's Better, Taeyeon's "What do I call you" and other comebacks that deserve to be put under the spotlight. As always, you'll find the link to the full playlist at the end of the article. 

#20 Jang Hyunseung - I just can't stop loving you (comeback) - December 17th 

I really enjoyed the song, but what shocked me is that this artist I didn't know about and who sounds really good is under CUBE. I mean... I'm (not) surprised? Cube has proven that it sucks in management and I will blame them for not giving their artists enough exposure because this guy is seriously worth listening to! Result: The MV has only a little bit more than 100k views. I do think that numbers are not important but 100k is really low for an artist under Cube entertainment (Cube's channel has 2.31 million subscribers). Watch the official MV for "I just can't stop loving you" here.

#19 Sunghwi - Let's Carry Our Secret - December 21st 

This song is really appeasing. I usually go for upbeat songs, but whenever I'm feeling moody this is the type of song I like listening to, and the voice is just calming in itself. I didn't know about this artist before, so this is a great discovery for me. Watch the official MV for "Let's Carry Our Secret" here.

#18 June - 10cm (comeback) - December 4th 

June is under the label Planetarium Records, and is part of the "group" PLT (I think it is more like a project because they don't put out songs regularly). This song has a heavy R&B vibe, it is a very chill song to listen to. I thought it was Gaho singing at first (Gaho is also part of PLT) but then when I searched it on YouTube turned out it was June, but I do think they have similar styles. I'll be looking forward to more releases from him. Watch the official MV for "10cm" here.

#17 IZ*ONE - Panorama (comeback) - December 7th

For me, SSOTS reigns supreme. I think that at this point panorama just sounds very repetitive and similar to their other songs, but it still remains a good song. The strength of this comeback, in my opinion, relies in the MV. The screenshot I took is just a snippet, and honestly I couldn't expect less coming from them because visuals is, in my opinion, their major strength.  Watch the official MV for "Panorama" here.

#16 The Boyz - Christmassy (single) - December 7th

I decided to closely follow their activities since I watched them on road to kingdom (and by the way, I can't wait to see them on Kingdom). This song is just a Christmas song so they acted all cute and sweet which I find adorable, but it won't go any higher just because it's a special Christmas release (and because I never listen to Christmas songs after the holidays). Watch the official MV for "Christmassy" here.

#15 WayV - Stand By Me (special video) - December 25th [CHINESE]

This MV is just too cute omg I can't T-T I absolutely love to watch them in their most comfy clothes and messy hair (especially ten lol). Also, Xiaojun looks so cute with those glasses. Watch the special video for "Stand By Me" here.

#14 Lucy - Run To You (Run On OST) - December 21st 

You know it's a good OST when it makes you want to watch the drama. It might sound cliche, but when it comes to OSTs the more epic and hopeful the song sounds, the more I like it, which is the case here. I did know about the band Lucy before and I'm glad they had this opportunity so more people can know about them. Watch the official MV for "Run To You" here.

#13 Vinxen, Ovan, Im Soo - Jung - December 17th

I'm only familiar with Vinxen, but this is definitely a great collaboration between these three artists. This song reminded me a lot of Winner's "Empty", and because I'm here for nostalgic songs I really loved this one. Also, the MV is pretty simple but they succeeded in conveying emotions. Watch the official MV for "Jung" here.

#12 Uhm Jung Hwa ft. HWASA, DPR live - Hop In (comeback) - December 22nd

Everything about this is really sexy and sensual. The outfits are sexy without being vulgar, the song is sensual, and the way they say "Hop In" is very suave. Uhm Jung Hwa alone is a woman with attitude and I think that they went for Hwasa in the sense that her aura matches Uhm Jung Hwa's. Watch the official MV for "Hop In" here.

#11 DPR IAN ft. DPR LIVE, CL - No Blueberries (single) - December 18th [ENGLISH]

I  don't really know what the song is about, but the R&B vibe of this song is such a mood. I'm getting familiar with Christian now (DPR Ian) and damn he looks fine. CL's voice blends in so well with the song too, as well as DPR Live's. Watch the official MV for "No blueberries" here.

#10 Enhypen - Let me in (20 cube) (release) - December 20th

Probably my favourite b-side of their debut album. Also, that "I'll be your boyfriend" is really addictive (and I always reply "I'll be your girlfriend" like an idiot ^^'). I like the song more than the MV though, I didn't get why they put them in astronaut suits. Watch the official MV for "Let me in (20 cube)" here.

#9 Kim Sung Kyu (from Infinite) - I'm cold (comeback) - December 14th

I never really got into Infinite, but damn I think I will now. I know that Myungsoo is not part of the group anymore but I believe it's never too late. To get back to the song, you can definitely hear the years of experience in Sung Kyu's voice. His timber is really nice, and the song easy to listen to. I especially like the guitar riffs in this song. Watch the official MV for "I'm cold" here.

#8 Oneus - Bussyeo (single) - December 1st

They absolutely rock the cute concept. I'm not saying that they're not slaying the dark concept they've been trying out lately, they totally are. But they've been doing dark concepts for a while now and I think Bussyeo is an amazing refresher. Watch the official MV for "Bussyeo" here.

#7 Twice - Cry for me (single) - December 18th

Twice really knows how to make catchy hooks. That "I want you to cry, cry for me" got stuck in my head for days. It has that dramatic/sensual flair to it too. Although I find the song progression really weird (especially the transition from the verses to the chorus), it remains a really good one. Watch the official MV for "Cry for me" here.

#6 NCT 2020 - Resonance (release) - December 4th

Technically this song isn't really a song, it's a mashup of "Make a wish", "90s love", "Work it" and "Raise the roof". But, because they rearranged the songs (and the performance is on a whole other level, especially MAMA's) I will consider it as a new song they just put out. I'm not going to lie, I was expecting an original OT23 song, but it didn't shock me afterwards because that's exactly what they did with Black on Black two years ago. Watch the official MV for "Resonance" here.

#5 Seori - Trigger (comeback) - December 16th [ENGLISH]

You guys... I can't believe this is her first comeback. No way. Her voice is so angelic and I felt like I was watching a movie. In fact, the MV is based on the Novel by ATISPAUS. Have you ever seen an MV based on a novel before? Because I haven't. Also, the visuals are insane! The sets and the costumes were all stunning. If only there weren't these never-ending electronic sounds at the end... Watch the official MV for "Trigger" here.

#4 Taeyon - What Do I Call You (comeback) - December 15th

Taeyeon doing an R&B sound was one of the best things that happened this year. This genre makes her voice even more gorgeous than it already is. Also, can we talk about her hairstyle? The long one with the bangs? She totally rocks it. Watch the official MV for "What Do I Call You" here.

#3 NCT U - Can't live without you (special release) - December 26th

I know this song was released 4 years ago but I wanted to put it in here because first of all, it's NCT U's debut song, and second of all, I just absolutely love that song. And yes, I cried seeing the MV. I believe that in order to get close to the members of a group (especially groups like NCT with an important number of members), you need to see some of their raw/brotherhood moments. At the end of the day they all feel emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, shame, just like us. They have their ups and downs, and they do make mistakes because they're human, just like us. Watch the official MV for "Can't live without you" here.

#2 BOA - Better (comeback) - December 1st

She's not called "Queen of Kpop" for nothing. Even though she is a full grown woman now, she still has the groove, the attitude, the style and the voice. And even though she didn't sing at some parts (that's still better than lip-syncing), she rocked MAMA's stage. My favorite part of the song is the second part of the bridge. Watch the official MV for "Better" here.

#1 Onewe - A Book In Memory (comeback) - December 11th

I'm OBSESSED with that song (and the rest of the mini album too). This song is a masterpiece. It is a mix between a ballad and a rock song (sorry if this isn't accurate at all ^^'). The instrumental breakdown after the first chorus is my favorite part of the song. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by CyA's vocals (his cheeks are so cute I want to hug him so bad T-T). This band definitely brings a bowl of fresh air in the world of Korean Bands that lacks a bit of diversity compared to the rest of the industry. Watch the official MV for "A Book In Memory" here. 

And this, my friends, concludes my top Kmusic releases for the last month of 2020! I personally discovered so many groups this year like The Boyz, A.C.E, Onewe and ONF, and we also had amazing debuts like StayC, Enhypen, MCND, P1Harmony, Treasure, and so many more. I think that, globally, 2020 was the year of girl groups: Twice, Mamamoo, GFriend, (G)-Idle, Everglow, Oh my girl, and so many more got to shine this year. I also think that for 2021, we'll have more boy group comebacks, and Mnet's Kingdom, a very much anticipated competition, will be the hot topic for the first half of 2021. 

You can click on this link to find the YouTube playlist that includes all the songs in reversed order. 

Take care, and I'll see you all next week! 

Love, Swan

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone, and welcome to the 1st edition of the KMAs! I originally planned to make this award show in order to give you guys the opportunity to have a fair award show, knowing that actual shows like MAMA, AAA, MMA, etc. aren't always the most fair ceremonies. Therefore, I created a google form and asked all of you to fill it so I could put out an article before the end of the year. 

However, things didn't go as planned. As much as I tried to communicate on this, I didn't receive enough responses to give you a fair and representative "award show". I tried to make it work, and I did do a poll on my instagram so I could be sure a minimum of people would participate but clearly not enough people did. 

In order to partly keep my promise, I decided to still post about my own winners. This is how it's going to work: For each category, I'll be picking my top 3 and explaining briefly why I put this group/artist in that position. Also, I added the "Most underrated group" category which wasn't available in the form.

Feel free to tell us about your favorites in the comments down below, and without further due let's get started!

Category: Best Male Group

3rd place: NCT

With 23 members you can really go crazy. That's what they did, and I loved it! NCT's experimental concept is what makes the group and the members so unique to me, even though it led to major line distribution problems (and we'll have to get used to it because with 23 members it's impossible to be fair). Resonance pt.1 and pt.2 are both amazing albums, and I had so much fun watching NCT world. 

2nd place: Seventeen

Aside from having insanely creative choreographies and crazy vocals, I really feel close to seventeen. Maybe it's because I watched their debut show, maybe it's because I watch every single one of their "Going seventeen" series, maybe it's because I cried my eyes out when I saw their documentary series "Hit the road", and maybe it's because of all that. Seventeen has proven their consistency in the industry, and I really feel like a proud sister.

WINNER: Stray Kids

These kids went through a lot and they still managed to put out a strong candidate for SOTY (god's menu) and AOTY (Go live). I freaked out when I found out that they'll be participating in Mnet's Kingdom alongside The Boyz and Ateez. I think that what makes Stray Kids so unique is that they participate most of the time in the making of their albums (if not always), and because of that I feel so many emotions while listening to their songs and watching their performance. They surely outdid themselves this year. 

Category: Best Female Group

3rd place: Everglow

They have grown so much, and even though I still don't call myself a "Stan" I appreciate their music so much. I'm having a hard time believing they're the same girls who did "Bon bon chocolat" (not that the song was bad, but they looked much younger)!

2nd place: Twice

I think the girls have finally proven themselves to me. I know now what they're capable of. I just didn't like them before fancy came out because they just didn't make the type of music I loved, and I wasn't familiar with the girls at all. What made me think "wow, these girls are on a next level" is when fancy came out. And from fancy onwards, they just kept evolving and growing up to become these 9 talented women. 

WINNER: Blackpink

2020 was Blackpink's year. They finally got a full-length album, they did a lot of activities aside from their musical stuff (they did a lot of photoshoots and Lisa was a mentor on a Chinese survival program), but most importantly they put out a Netflix documentary that I absolutely loved. This documentary is the reason why I can call myself a blink today. They really deserve this award this year more than any other year to me because they revealed themselves professionally and personally. 

Category: Best Male Artist

3rd place: Woodz (a.k.a Cho Seungyoun) 

I've been following this guy since Produce X 101 and I really look forward to what he'll put out in the future. I think he's still experiencing and hasn't found his own style yet, but I'm sure he will soon. I really enjoyed Love me Harder. 

2nd place: Baekhyun (from EXO)

One of the best SM vocalist by far. His second EP, Delight, was amazing. I just wished I saw him do more variety shows on his own because oddly enough I still don't know what kind of person he is in his every day life.

WINNER: Taemin

Duh? I loved how he cut his comeback in two parts just like they did with NCT, and the fact that he participated in the making process makes it 1000 times better. Taemin is not afraid of trying unconventional concepts, and he rocks it EVERY. SINGLE. DAMN. TIME. Clockwork is by far one my favorite songs of the year. 

Category: Best Female Artist

3rd place: AleXa

To be honest, I wasn't a fan of AleXa. I didn't like the concept she went for, although I had to admit that she's an amazing dancer. BUT, revolution proved me wrong. I still don't want to rush things, but damn this song is GOOD. I'm really looking forward to see her in a new concept. 

2nd place: Sunmi

Pporappippam is ICONIC, this girl alone is iconic. I just wished to see more of her this year, and I felt like she didn't have enough promotion time. 

WINNER: Chungha

Again... DUH? Stay tonight, Play, Dream of you, THEY ALL ARE PRE-RELEASES FOR GOD'S SAKE! Sorry, got too hyped on that one. But seriously, if these are pre-releases, what is the album actually going to be? She's the female version of Taemin. Perfect fashion, perfect stage presence, perfect dancer, and amazing vocals. That's the whole damn package. 

Category: Best Performance Group

3rd place: Pentagon - Basquiat

If you haven't seen the Road to Kingdom stage, I'm inviting you to do so right now by clicking here. They really put everything they had in this performance and I loved it. It's definitely more raw than the official performance video and I just want to give credits to this incredible performance.

2nd place: NCT 127 - Kick It

The outfits, the kicks, the high notes, the bridge, the whole performance of this song is Iconic. You have to get used to it like any other NCT song but it casted its spell on me and I fell in the trap. 

WINNER: The Boyz - Checkmate

The only word I can use to qualify this performance is pure genius. Every time we thought they couldn't go further they did, and they always manage to find the most creative ideas possible! That box? Amazing. If I watch it again I'll be left speechless even though I already watched it 100 times. 

Category: Best Performance Solo

3rd place: Jessi - Nunu Nana

I didn't know about her before Nunu Nana came out, and she convinced me right away. I love Jessie's singing voice, and she definitely has her own unique style of rap, which sometimes I find too much but it's her trademark so it's just a matter of personal taste. 

2nd place: Taemin - Criminal

I actually find the song quite repetitive, but what makes this song an amazing song to perform is the choreography and, most importantly, the outfits. The concept is really good and the outfits are certainly the best part of it. 

WINNER: Chungha - Stay Tonight

Aside from the amazing choreography, the whole performance, including the formations, the outfits and most importantly the song, is perfect. And oh my god I'm in love with that bridge. 

Category: Best Band Performance

3rd place: Oh Really - N.Flying

N.Flying really grew on me. They had to welcome a new member who really fits the vibe of the band in my opinion, and it seemed like he blended in really fast. Also, the song has really good vibes, like any other N.Flying song. 

2nd place: A book in memory - Onewe

My mind? Blown. This song is AMAZING! And holy moly the vocals, I literally cried listening to this song. And the performance? I totally melted when I heard CyA sing (I think it was singing-talking but definitely not rapping) because I don't remember him singing in their previous songs. Anyways, GO CHECK THEM OUT! 

WINNER: Day6 - Zombie 

Sometimes the best performances are the simplest. And Day6 has never been the type of band to show off on stage, they were always humble and true to themselves. And they chose to sing about their feelings and to tell us that we're not the only ones feeling sad, lonely and tired. Hearing that someone else is feeling the same way as me was really comforting.

Category: Best Collaboration

3rd place: Blackpink - Ice Cream (ft. Selena Gomez)

It felt like Selena was the perfect match for the girls, it's like they understood each other so well. And I could picture Selena do this kind of song on her own, so maybe that's why it fitted her so well to do this featuring. I would've loved to see Selena share the stage with our four queens but for obvious reasons it wasn't possible. 

2nd place: ZICO - Summer Hate (ft. Rain)

This song was ON REPEAT THE WHOLE SUMMER! It's obvious they had so much fun doing this collaboration, and they transmitted me their good vibes. This song is just so fun to listen to and these two were a perfect match too. 

WINNER: IU - Eight (prod. & ft. SUGA of BTS)

This collaboration just got me in the feels. IU has such an amazing voice and Suga's raspy and deep voice adds another layer of emotion that made me transform in a complete emotional mess. 

Category: Best Dance Break

3rd place: BTS - On

The song is a no for me, but the dance break is a yes. I put it in #3 because I find the dance break not really coherent with the overall dance, but again that's my personal opinion and I'm nowhere near being a professional dancer nor choreographer. 

2nd place: Chungha - Stay Tonight

 Chungha's really a dancing queen. The only reason this song is not #1 is because I wished the moves were a little bit more wide and powerful, but the dance break is still a piece of art. 

WINNER: IZ*ONE - Secret Story of the Swan

I was very much surprised about this song. I'm not an IZ*ONE fan but this song, and especially the dance break, hits REALLY HARD. It just was an evidence. 

Category: Most Underrated Group

3rd place: ASTRO

I discovered ASTRO with Always You, and thought "these guys are going to get huge" because they were still rookies. But now, after all night, blue flame and knock, their fanbase is still not as big as it should be. They are amazing dancers and are a serious competitor of Seventeen regarding synchronisation. Cha Eunwoo is also a great actor, and MJ has crazy vocals. I'm not even going to talk about Moonbin and Eunwoo's visuals. 

2nd place: Dreamcatcher

I think the only problem here is happy face entertainment. Not that they are a bad company (I never saw anything mentioning them having a poor management) but they just don't have enough exposure. They do have money and this translates into the gorgeous MVs Dreamcatcher has, the company's image is just not strong enough in order to promote Dreamcatcher as they should be promoted. But other than that, the girls are doing a fantastic job, and if you're a fan of rock/edgy/alternative music you will absolutely love them. 

WINNER: Pentagon

Yes, even though universe gave pentagon their first win for their song "Daisy" four years after their debut, I still think they deserve a lot more. Even Shine that got so popular didn't have any wins. You could see the desperation in their eyes when they performed Basquiat for Road To Kingdom's finale. Hui produces their songs, they write their own lyrics, choreograph their own songs, they are monsters when it comes to mastering facial expressions, and yet, they aren't as big as they should be. I want to blame it on Cube for not giving them proper management and proper attention, but I also want to blame it on the people who never bothered checking them out. Just give them a chance, and then you decide if you want to support them or not. 

Category: Rookie Of The Year

3rd place: Secret Number

When they debuted with "Who Dis", I was like "just another girl crush concept". But then "Got that boom" came out and I was pleasantly surprised. The group sounds promising, but I just don't want to anticipate too much.

2nd place: Treasure

This was the most anticipated debut of the year. I haven't watched Treasure Box, but holy crap they look like professionals already. They also had the time to release 3 singles (Boy, I love you, and Mmh) that honestly are really solid in terms of vocals, rap and especially choreography. 

WINNER: MCND

I already love them so much. Ice age was an amazing debut and Nanana an amazing comeback. I just got attached to them really quick and they are so promising, plus TOP media seems to be doing a great job when it comes to management. I really look forward to more music and more variety shows with MCND. 

Category: Artist Of The Year

3rd place: Twice

If "More & More" was a better album I would've placed them higher, but "Eyes wide open" was amazing.

2nd place: BTS

If I start counting all the achievements they made this year we'd still be here tomorrow. This year was definitely packed with lots of things for them, and they just keep setting the bar really high every time. I'm just a proud army. 

WINNER: NCT

The reason why BTS isn't #1 is because NCT has been surprising us constantly and coming up with new concepts while still having the same "signature sound" if that makes sense. Kick it, Make a wish and 90s love are the best songs they put out this year.

Category: Song Of The Year

3rd place: Stray Kids - God's Menu

I don't know if it's just me but I feel like this song wasn't that popular in Korea. But why? This song is really revolutionary to me because I don't know any song that goes hard like this. 

2nd place: NCT 127 - Kick It 

Let me introduce you to some new things, new things, new things! The song is even in just dance, I got so excited for this lol. This song is SO addictive. You might not like it on the first listen but you'll get hooked up after a couple of listens for sure. 

WINNER: BTS - Dynamite

This song was EVERYWHERE, like literally. At some point I got a little bit sick of it, but it's definitely the song of the year. 

Category: Album Of The Year

3rd place: Blackpink - The Album

This album is really good. Lovesick girls is a very solid title track and Pretty Savage an amazing b-side. I just wished not all the songs were about love and lyrics that don't make sense... 

2nd place: BTS - Map of the soul 7

This album is, in my opinion, one of BTS's best albums. This album is the definition of BTS and what makes us love them so much. But this album is something I listen to only when I'm in a certain mood because the songs have such deep meanings, so it's not an album I listen to on a daily basis. 

WINNER: Stray Kids - Go Live & Taemin - Never Gonna Dance Again : Act 1

I'm sorry, I just couldn't decide between those two. So deal with me, please. Taemin's album is just art, you won't find this sound in another album, and he put so much of him in it. Stray Kid's  album is also extremely unique and Blueprint is one of my favourite B-sides of this year. Honestly all the B-sides in this album are amazing. So yeah, I'm putting both at #1. 

Category: MV Of The Year

3rd place: Dreamcatcher - BOCA

Dreamcatcher's MVs never disappoint when it comes to sceneries, outfits and editing. But this MV is way better than their previous ones (not that they weren't beautiful). What I love the most in this MV has to be the outfits and the hair/makeup. I just wished I could understand what the MV was all about. I know it's supposed to be a sequel to "Scream", but I just didn't quite catch the story behind it.  

2nd place: Oneus - To be or not to be

The MV portrays exactly what the song is: Majestic and Dark. The MV was also a sequel to "Come Back Home" I believe with the monarch's storyline still going on, and I absolutely loved it. They also did this kind of concept with Twilight and I think it suits them really well. The MV's atmosphere is really dark but without being creepy, and that has to do with the "majestic" aspect I talked about.  

WINNER: CIX - Jungle

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. The shots of them dancing in the water ? Beautiful. The skeleton hidden in the clouds? Creepy but still amazing. The outfits and sets? Gorgeous. Mind? Blown. This is by far their best MV and for me, the best MV of the year. 

And that concludes the first edition of the KMAs! I hope that next year we'll have enough participants so we could have the "fair" and "representative" award show we all want.

This year has been filled with amazing debuts and comebacks, and I'm sure it'll be the same for 2021. Music has been a gateway for me, and I hope it was for you too.  

Take care, and I'll see you soon for another article.

Love, Swan

 

~ NOVEMBER 2020 ~

 

Hello everyone, and welcome to my top Kmusic releases for the month of November 2020! This month was filled with comebacks and debuts. Many popular groups made their return such as BTS with their newest album "BE" and NCT 2020 with the second part of their "Resonance" album. But we also had some pretty impressive debuts with æspa and StayC.

Before we start, a couple of things you should know concerning the format: For now, I'll put Artist - Song name (the type of release if it's a comeback, a pre-release or a debut) - Release date. If I don't mention anything about the language of the song it means it's Korean by default. I will also put some of my thoughts I had on the song but without getting into the details because otherwise I think it'll be too long.

You'll find the link to the full playlist at the end of the article. Enjoy! 

#24 NCT U - Work It (Release from Resonance pt.2) - Nov. 27th

Probably my least favorite song they promoted for Resonance pt.2. The song is very dance-track heavy (and I usually don't like this kind of vibe where the song is just made of weird electronic sounds). BUT, watch it grow on me. Watch the official MV for "Work it" here. 

#23 Keembo - Scene (Comeback) - Nov. 23rd 

I you guys knew SPICA, this group is made from two of their former members. After this group disbanded I lost track of all the members although I liked their music. And now I see how much I've been missing out! The vocals are really solid and the song is pretty awesome. Watch the official MV for "Scene" here.

#22 Berry Good - Accio (Comeback) - Nov. 5th

I was so shocked when I discovered that they debuted in 2014. Why haven't I heard of them before? Berry Good is the perfect example of a "hidden gem". This is why you shouldn't stop at "popular" groups and dig more, to find some of these gems. Watch the official MV for "Accio" here.

#21 MAMAMOO - Aya (Comeback) - Nov. 3rd

After "Dingga" came out last month, I sure wasn't expecting something like this although they left a teaser at the end of the MV. Honestly? I was a bit disappointed with the song. The girls are gorgeous and so is the MV but at this point I'm expecting more song-wise from Mamamoo especially that they proved they are capable of a lot more. Watch the official MV for "Aya" here. 

#20 CNBlue - Then, now and forever (comeback) - Nov. 17th

To all the people who didn't know CNBlue, they are one of the first Kpop bands that appeared in the industry. The group actually consists of 3 members and this is their first comeback after more than three years of inactivity. I really missed their amazing vocals... Watch the official MV for "Then, now and forever" here.

#19 CL - 5star (pre-release) - Nov. 6th

This song was another pre-release ahead of her album, and honestly this style speaks more to me. As much as I love the 'badass' CL, I also love to see artists happy and sing lightheartedly and freely. I was so happy to see her more "emotional" and "vulnerable" side, and god Christian looks so fine (I wouldn't be mad if they're dating). Watch the official MV for "5 star" here.

#18 Monsta X - Love Killa (comeback) - Nov. 2nd 

Are we taking a trip down memory lane? If yes then count me in. I feel like this is more like "old school" Monsta X and I LOVE IT! Jooheon is really coming for me. Watch the official MV for "Love Killa" here.

#17 AKMU - Happening (comeback) - November 16th

 

VOCALS VOCALS VOCAAALS!!! If you're sleeping on AKMU, you're really missing out. Watch the official MV for "Happening" here.

#16 Ab6IX - Salute (comeback) - Nov. 2nd

 

Ab6ix has been through a lot. They lost 2 members but they still managed to fill up the gaps. I really like the opening of the song, the marching guards, the epic concept, the RAP (omg Woo Jin killed me with that rap). Their attitude is something else, especially Daehwi (maybe it's coming from his experience on produce). They really improved so much in such hard circumstances, so big ups for them. Watch the official MV for "Salute" here.

#15 StayC - So bad (debut) - Nov. 12th

Is this really a debut? REALLY? Wow... Well, aside from the instrumental being constant and lacking momentum, everything's on point. Rap, Vocals, Choreography, MV, ATTITUDE! Watch the official MV for "So Bad" here.

#14 GFriend - MAGO (comeback) - Nov. 9th

 

What group/artist hasn't done a retro concept this year yet? After Sunmi, JYP, Everglow and Twice it's now Gfriend's turn and honestly, they KILLED IT! I'm far from being a hardcore 'stan' but THIS guys... THIS is by far their best song. The turn at the start of the chorus? *chef's kiss* Watch the official MV for "MAGO" here.

#13 Secret Number - Got that boom (comeback) - Nov. 4th

The MV is a bit too much for me, it was packed with crazy lights and crazy effects, but I was really surprised (in a good way) with the vocals ("who dis" wasn't my cup of tea). Also, the song is really REALLY catchy (especially the first part of the chorus). Watch the official MV for "Got that boom" here.

#12 BTS - Life goes on (comeback) - Nov. 20th

Another comfy song to listen to from BTS. Life goes on, no matter how much the world is twisted... Watch the official MV for "Life goes on" here.

#11 Ha Sungwoon - Forbidden Island (comeback) - Nov. 9th

UNDERRATED ARTIST! The MV is gorgeous, HE is gorgeous and he sings perfectly. I really wonder why Sungwoon isn't receiving more recognition. He definitely should. And I obviously am so mad at myself right now for missing out on him. Watch the official MV for "Forbidden Island" here.

#10 GOT7 - Breath (pre-release) - Nov. 23rd

 

This is what I call a pre-release. First, it SCREAMS GOT7. This is their style, and it reminds me a bit of "If you do" and "Lullaby". Second, it sets the tone for their upcoming album that'll be released on Nov. 30th. This is also another chance for others to mock me because I don't know how to whistle (: Watch the official MV for "Breath" here. 

#9 Aespa - Black Mamba (debut) - Nov. 17th

One thing I can say for sure is that this debut is really promising. The song is catchy, the vocals are amazing and the dance is energetic and powerful. If you want to know what I thought of ÆSPA's debut I made an article about it, you can check it out by clicking here. Watch the official MV for "Black Mamba" here.

#8 Got7 - Last Piece (comeback) - Nov. 30th

It was in eclipse where they used this move right? Anyways, interesting! I wonder why they used the same set as in "Breath". The song is great, again it's GOT7's style. I was surprised when the second part of the chorus came out after the drop, but it doesn't disrupt the song at all. In my opinion GOT7 is one of the boy groups in the industry to have such stable vocals. Watch the official MV for "Last Piece" here. 

#7 Kai - Mmmh (solo debut) - Nov. 30th

I feel like it was the right moment for Kai to go solo. The style of the MV is so him, and I knew he had good vocals but damn... my ears were blessed (the autotune might bother some people but it didn't seem exaggerated to me). And I was pleasantly surprised with the actual direction of the MV. Seeing the teaser pictures I expected him to go all out showing his abs and stuff (not that I wouldn't have liked it) but he did it in such a subtle way and I loved it. Also, this icy scenery at the very end of the MV reminded me of the whole superpower thing with EXO, is that still a thing or I'm just making nonsense right now lol? Watch the official MV for "Mmmh" here.

#6 Chungha - Dream of you (pre-release) - Nov.27th 

Here we go again with the pre-release loop from Chungha... Honestly, I'm not complaining, but she's been teasing her album for a couple of months now and you know, Covid happened, so it was delayed. Anyways, this is still a piece of art to enjoy while waiting for the actual album. From all the I.O.I members she's the only one I would call "successful". Chungha is an amazing dancer, there's no denying that, but she also has this aura when she performs, as if she was possessed (in a good way). And I love how she went for a feminine/masculine theme, whether through the outfits or even the dance. Watch the performance video for "Dream of You" here.

#5 Enhypen - Given-Taken (debut) - Nov. 30th

You don't know how happy I am to see them finally debut. I watched the show and got attached to these boys so much... Now, I'm not a fan of the vampire concept, but the song is fire and so is the dance. The line distribution and screen time are pretty fair in my opinion. I know it's weird to say that when they just debuted but I already like their style. They're young, they're fresh, they're talented, they're determined, and the whole group is really harmonious. I really suggest you listen to the whole album, it's really great (the range for Flicker got higher than in I-LAND and oh my god that's really high)! Watch the official MV for "Given-Taken" here.

#4 Mino - Runaway (comeback) - Oct. 30th

2:50 minutes of pure artistry, period. Let the artist explain his piece of art himself here. Watch the official video for "Run away" here. 

Honorable mentions

Treasure - MMM (Comeback) - Nov.6th - Official MV

Woodz - Bump Bump (Comeback) - Nov.17th - Official MV

Up10tion - Destiny (Comeback) - Nov.27th - Official MV

Lucy - Snooze (Comeback) - Nov.12th - Official MV

Brooklyn - Imagine (Comeback) - Nov.27th - Official MV

WH3N - The night without saying goodbye (Comeback) - Nov. 23rd - Official MV

BtoB 4u - Show your love (unit debut) - Nov.16th - Official MV

#3 NCT U - 90s love (comeback) - Nov. 23rd

I'm still wondering why they put 3 or 4 members who were still not born in the 90s in there but they still slayed anyways. If you love old-school hip-hop (I do) this one's for you. Big ups to the editing team, I loved how the MV turned out, and big ups to Ten and Haechan for their godly vocals. I'm just disappointed with the fact that this mascot or whatever you call it had more screen time than Winwin and Yangyang. Watch the official MV for "90's love" here.

#2 TXT - We lost the summer (release) - Nov. 12th

Blue Hour was an amazing and refreshing title track, but this song has a really nostalgic feeling to it. The meaning behind this song is probably why I love it so much. I mean, they're basically singing about how they miss their fans so much and that they are stuck in the winter because they're always staying "inside". Well, thanks to covid for that lol. Watch the official MV for "We lost the summer" here.

#1 Taemin - IDEA (comeback) - Nov. 9th 

I'm warning you whenever Taemin makes a comeback he'll always be in my top three because he's a god (or satan, or both lol). I mean, do I even have to explain? Taemin always manages to do new concepts while still being recognisable. Whenever you hear a song from him you know it's his song because he finally found his own signature, his own trademark while still reinventing his concepts every time, and this is the definition of an Artist for me. Watch the official MV for "IDEA" here.

That's it guys! Let me know in the comments what are your favorite releases of this month. You can find the whole playlist by clicking here. Take care and I'll see you next week!

Love, Swan

 

Sources: YouTube. All the pictures in this article were taken by me from the official MVs on YouTube.