Kpop: Joosuc (주석)

 All the images is from "I Kno".

I haven't really felt anything for Joosuc's rap up until now, but the track "I Kno" is something different from the videos he has done before - instead of rougher rap he goes for laid back R&B of the kind that koreans does so well. Please stay in this zone, Joosec!

• Joosuc ft Sanchez - I Kno
• Joosuc ft Satbyeol - Property
• Joosuc ft July31 - Shoelaces (신발끈)

Jpop: Awesome City Club - I will decide we are not making a mistake tonight

Awesome City Club will be releasing their new album "Awesome City Tracks 4" at the end of January, and the first release from that is the new song with the somewhat unwieldy name "I will decide we are not making a mistake tonight", but it is a nice one anyways.

• Awesome City Club - I will decide we are not making a mistake tonight (今夜だけ間違いじゃないことにしてあげる)

Kpop: Stellarjet - I Don't Like You

Even if this is nominally "kpop" because it is performed by a band from Korea, "I Don't Like You" is a song that may as well has had its origin somewhere in any given place in the cultural western hemisphere, if there still is such a distinction anymore. Whatever, Stellarjet delivers another track with great feeling and soft melancholia.

• Stellarjet - I Don't Like You

Mandopop: Hebe Tien / Zhang Xiaoqi - Useless (無用)

The first image above and below is of Zhang Xiaoqi, the other two of Hebe Tien.

Earlier this year, Taiwanese singer Hebe Tien (from S.H.E) released the song "Useless", which was kind of nice. This autumn she went on to participate in the TV-show "Sound of my Dream"(梦想的声音) as one of the judges/teachers. The show is novel for a music show in the sense that it isn't quite a competition as more of an "open" arena where singers are invited. The high point of the first months came last week when Zhang Xiaoqi (张小七) sang "Useless" in a fantastic interpretation that surpassed the original. Not much is known about her, but it is rumored that she works with accounting in her family business, and sings on her free time at the local bar. Anyway, I do hope this is one voice I expect to hear much more of.

• Hebe Tien - Useless (無用)
• Zhang Xiaoqi - Useless (無用)

Kpop: Uhm Jung Hwa (엄정화)

The 2nd image above and the two first below is from "Dreamer", the rest is from "Watch Me Now"

This being the year of comebacks in kpop, it's natural to see 47 year old Uhm Jung Hwa make a comeback too. She has been all over the korean wave of music, movies and media, and fits right into this. Her two videos are really two excellent and slightly dark examples on how to make a good come-back, "Watch me Now" being my favorite.

• Uhm Jung Hwa - Dreamer
• Uhm Jung Hwa - Watch Me Now

Mangopop: Vanness Wu - Boom (蹦蹦)

Well, even though that new style in "Boom" is quite different and a bit on the wild side for Vanness Wu, I like it. Combine it with a video that feels a little Michael Jackson, and you got something good going.

• Vanness Wu - Boom (蹦蹦)

Kpop: Sunwoo Jung-a (선우정아)

 Image 2, 4 is from Hot& Cold, image 3, 5 from Sooni, the rest are from Springgirls

Sunwoo Jung-a has mostly done her thing writing songs for other artists, but when she does take the front and sing herself, the videos and music are so very much full of feeling and rhythm that it is too bad it doesn't happen more often.

• Sunwoo Junga - Springgirls (봄처녀)
• Sunwoo Junga - Sooni (순이)
• Sunwoo Junga - Hot & Cold (츤데레)
• Sunwoo Junga - Song of Hero (주인공의 노래)

Kpop: Risso (리소)

Risso is one of those few korean artists that produces electronic synth pop, but oh how I love her sound. Most is audio only videos, but don't miss out on anything. The latest video from last week is "Baby Baby Baby", which has her filmed in a kind of retro setting that combines the 20s with VHS 80s looks.

• Risso - Baby Baby Baby
• Risso - OMG

All Audio only, but oh so great:

• Risso - A little bit more
• Risso - High Five
• Risso - 5 Hours 
• Risso - Finger magic
• Risso - Bad Boy
• Risso - Favorite
• Risso - Feels like you
• Risso - Blue Knight

Mandopop: Dizzy Dizzo (Dominique Choy/Cai/Tsai, 蔡詩芸)

 Images 1-4: Who loves who, image 5-6: Lone Wolf, image 7-9: Radar

Taiwanese-Australian singer Dominique Choy has made a good impression on me with her latest album "Bones/骨子裡". The song "Who loves who" establishes that kind of quiet but touching world in my mind that I just love visiting, and there are more of those kind of tracks if you like it.

• Dizzy Dizzo ft E.So - Who loves who (誰愛誰)
• Dizzy Dizzo - Stray Love
• Dizzy Dizzo - 頑童/ TSC Choreographer
• Dizzy Dizzo ft Nick Chou - Down with me
• Dizzy Dizzo - You know this ain't love (你知道這不是愛)
• Dizzy Dizzo - Lone Wolf
• Dizzy DIzzo - Leaves (落葉)
• Dizzy Dizzo ft The Lion City Boy- Unrequited Love (Off the Cuff)
• Dizzy Dizzo - Radar
• Dizzy DIzzo - No No!

Mandopop: Michiyo Ho (何念玆)

I have been folowing with interest the Malaysian collective ("supergroup") called Red People ever since I back in 2014 saw their cover of famous "Xiao Pingo". One of the artists that seems to have been gaining most momentum is Michiyo Ho. Her videos has humor and she really has that extra charisma that is the mark of a good artist; a video paroding North Korea's dictator, a video supporting preventing breast cancer (called 'tits' of course...) and now "Hands up handsome!" which is a reall catchy track about all the beautiful men out in the countryside... ;-)

• Michiyo Ho ft Jack & Danny Koo - Hands up handsome! (男神請舉手 !)
• Michiyo Ho - Mimi (咪咪 = Tits)
• Michiyo Ho - Love You No More
• Michiyo Ho - Abandoned (你不要我)