Kpop: Top 20 of the first quarter of 2016

The 80s retro has been coming on heavy this winter in kpop, but not is all successful. The surprising winner is a group that manages to use the best of the sound while still moving forward.

25. 4minute - Hate. Hoping they will drop that lame posing, it was still a cool video.
24. Taemin - Drip Drop. Cool dance number and suitable beats to match.
23. Six Bomb - Wait 10 Years Baby. I actually like this for its cheapness, pink dresses and all.
22. Hong Jin Young - Thumbs Up. The trot queen in my eyes.
21. UV feat Lee Sang Min - Oh Yes. Almost to short to qualify as a music video, but oh so fun.

Final 20:

20. Grace - I'm Fine. The debut song wins on sheer mass of references and stance. She goes all out in the video and it wins her a spot on the top 20.

19. Anda - Taxi. This is kind of the exact opposite of Grace's video - cheap and without complications, this is all about the track, another super italopop-sounding track.

18. Got7 - Fly. Another nice sound from the boys which, yes, made you want to fly.

17. Lucky J - No Love. Jessi's voice and some key instruments is what drew me to this track.

16. Snuper - Platonic Love. A celebration of the kind of pop norwegien pop did, in a suitable 80s setting was hard to say no to when done this nice.

15. Ladies Code - Galaxy. The three girls managed a worthy comeback after the tradgedy 1,5 years ago, hopefully they will keep on fighting.

14. Azin - Delete. This song and its album promises much and I hope she continues on this path.

13. Turbo - Again. These kind of comebacks generally makes me rather sceptic but this time it works. It may sound a bit not 2016, but it is still good.

12. Nu'est - Overcome. At times a dramatic video, but I'm guessing the androgyn looks of Ren is what fascinates most people.

11. Fiestar - Mirror. I'm actually a bit surprised I didn't place this higher but somehow the excellent concept and video missed having a working hook.

10. Kim Jaejoong - Love You More. Ever since the debut Mine I have had hopes for his solo career and here he shows that promise again.

9. CocoSori - Dark Circle. This is the oddest song of this list, with a male personificication of Broccoli being eaten by the two girls. Strange but charming.

8. School OZ - One Day One Chance. Combining fantasy, kpop and musical can't really go wrong in my eyes. This was a real winner for me.

7. Brave Girls - Deepened. Writing this, I just realized what the thing woth this song is - it feels like a dream somehow. The production creates a kind of musical haze where we dream of the girls. Even the rap suits the ambience.

6. Dal Shabet - Someone like U. The girls gives us one of the better 80s retro songs in kpop this winter.

5. Stellar - Sting. They have embraced sexual innuendo fully and made it their home town. And what a happy and lively home town it is! ;-)

4. Mamamoo - Taller than you. The attitude, the charisma. These girls rule!

3. Jun Hyo Seung - Find Me. Hyoseung does what Fiestar wanted to do, combining sexiness with an actual working song. It is all there and then some.

2. Fantastic Drugstore - Before Sunrise. Great voice and competent indie pop made this a given favorite.

1. Bubble X - Hit It. The duo found that perfect sound and feeling with "Hit It", attitude without losing tempo, happiness without kpop blandness, and just a general flow that is perfect. They may play on 80s retro but their sound is here and now.

Kpop: Dal Shabet - B.B.B. (Big Baby Baby)

While Dal Shabet's "Be Ambitious" in 2013 was something of a disappointment, they have done several really nice songs before that ("Have, Don't Have" being the best), so I was glad to see their comeback coming up. It is now here, with "B.B.B (Big Baby Baby)" and it has a 80s retro/electro sound combined with sharp and crisp visuals that tries to join the current trend of "explicit sexiness" in kpop that groups like Sistar, Girl's Day and 9Muses have been successful with. I am interested in the song, but it is a song which sprouts in several directions in its execution, and therefore may not work as well as for example Girl's Day "Something" from this week. First, I honestly think the visuals of B.B.B is more interesting than the usual offers of the competing groups, but they are also somewhat quirky at times, which may disturb, at least if the intention is to be seducing.

Second, the sound with its flirting with older soundscapes is quite charming but there is also odd things like the often misplaced chanting of "Big Baby Baby" in the background, which for me detracts from the enjoyment somewhat. Yes, that ranting is actually the thing that irks me, everything else is fine. It is to bad as there are many inventive and fresh approaches to mainstream kpop.

In total, this is a song I want to like, but that most probably won't be played so often. But time will tell.

• Dal Shabet - B.B.B. (Big Baby Baby)

Oh, if this is not retro, I don't know what is...

"Oppa!"

"Mind Deseased"? The english text is crude at times...

Is all the plastic hair a play at Girl's Day's old song Tilt My Head ? ;-)

And here comes Brown Eyed Girls's Narsha. ;-)

Yeah, Heavy Metal Rocks. ;-P

Kpop: Dal Shabet (달샤벳)

Dal Shabet har producerats av E-tribe som låg bakom SNDS:s "Gee" och Lee Hyori's "U Go Girl" (som jag länkat tidigare). De har en ganska stor spridning av låtar även om de förutsägbart nog har blivit "tuffare" med tiden. Uppdatering: Nya med femte minialbumet där låten "Have, don't have" har ett skönt discosound.

• Dal Shabet - Have, don't have
• Dal Shabet - B.B.B.
• Dal Shabet - Pink Rocket
• Dal Shabet - Bling Bling
• Dal Shabet - Hit U
• Dal Shabet - Joker
• Dal Shabet - Be Ambitious
• Dal Shabet - Supa Dupa Diva
• Dal Shabet - Mr BangBang