Mandopop: Nine Chen (陳零九)

The Tawainese has something going with retro funk videos, I have seen a number of them (Da Mouth, Cosmos People, Dizzy Dizzo) which I really like, and Nine Chen gives another great video together with Puff Kuo from Dream Girls, where they square off in various sports (with Miss Kuo mostly winning by cheating it seems...).

• Nine Chen ft Puff Kuo - So Now What (阿不然現在是怎樣)

Kpop: I.O.I (아이오아이)

The new single from I.O.I first made me at first think "OK, another effort from the new girls, but still not quite interesting". Then the obvious "Russian Roulette" similarities became obvious which made me more sceptic ("copying such a recent video also, are you?"). Having listened to it one more time, and just one more time, and then again...I had to give it to them, it has something that - while still very close to Red Velvet's hit - is their special own. Russian Roulette is more warm and mature, but I.O.I instead has a kind of hypnotic workout rhythm going for it.

• I.O.I - Very Very Very (너무너무너무)
• I.O.I - Whatta Man (Good man)
• I.O.I - Dream Girls (드림걸스)