Kpop: f(x) - All Mine

When SM Town starts posting regular group singles like f(x)'s new "All Mine" on their [Station] project, it is obvious (at least to me) how much this is to be mainly a EDM themed channel. Which is perfectly fine for me! Note to self; Amber looks more and more charismatic for every video she is in.

• f(x) - All Mine

Kpop: San E & Raina - Sugar & Me (달고나)

With the success of San E & Raina's previous cooperation two year's ago, "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness", it isn't surprising that they came together again this summer for "Sugar & Me". And in both cases I didn't care, and especially with the new song where Raina only figured in a token short five secs at the start (to be followed by a anonymous model for the rest of the song). Then comes the charming Date version and -wham- I love it! The charm and presence is all there, and isn't there quite the chemistry too? ... :-)

• San R & Raina - Sugar & Me (Live/Date version)
• San E & Raina - Sugar & Me (달고나)
• San E & Raina - A Midsummer Night's Sweetness (한여름밤의 꿀)
• San E & Raina - A Midsummer Night's Sweetness (Acoustic ver)

Kpop: Heize (헤이즈)

Heize was a semi-finalist in the latest season of korean Unpretty Rapstar, where female rappers battle it out, and it was probably just a quastion of time before she got som solo succes and I think with what the two singles so far has shown it should come true. I hope her not being part of a group shouldn't be to big a disadvantage. As many other contestants, outside the hiphop competition she sings mostly non-rap songs, Heize going for the soulful and it seems to suit her, and she and Dean really seems to have something going musically.

• Heize ft Dean, DJ Fritz - And July
• Heize ft Dean - Shut Up & Groove

Mandopop: Top 10 for the first quarter of 2016

As usual for mandopop, the top songs is an odd mixture of foreign influences, humoristic videos and local KTV songs. And some songs that actually would work outside China. ;-)

10. Wang Rong - Mr High Heels. For Wang Rong, this is an understated video made in connection to the transsexual comedy Mr Highheels, but it is still rather humorous.

9. Da Zhang Wei - Shout Shout (咻一咻). One of the catchier songs released around the Chinese New Year this february, Da Zhang Wei has done several fun videos before.

8. Sophia Wang - Versailles Tears (凡爾賽之淚). The new song from Sophia Wang sounded just like a modern fairy tale, you can just imagine it being the theme song for a romance.

7. One Two Free - Kiang. These two guys are really cool and funny at the same time, and the song named after the worlds larges wild ass is just that,

6. Zhengyue Shiwu - Little Grape (小葡萄). Released at the time of this year's Lunar Festival, the group with the same name made precisely the kind of KTV (Chinese karaoke) song that is a kind of guilty pleasure for me - catchy, charming and quite cheesy.

5. Jeannie Hsieh - Boom Boom Par (蹦X趴). Jeannie have done videos best described as saucy and fun, and this one may be her best so far, tha cat theme and the bad engrish (Foremost of course "Come some of the music") just made this video being replayed quite often.

4. Mao Ze Shao - Shake your ass & Naked. This woman haven't gotten that much attention but oh does she have songs with rhythm and swing! Albeit simple videos, the songs are both great.

3. Leah Dou - Brother (兄弟). Being a daughter of a HK star (Faye Wong), she may have an easier way towards getting attention, but she very much stands on her own feet as an artist.

2. No Party For Cao Dong - Mountain and Sea (山海). This band definitely delivered the most fresh sound of the top 10 songs, and I really hope they will continue do so.

1. Milk@Coffee - We're missing just a little (我們只差一點點). This song sounds what I would call "Old School", but the reminiscing melancholy being done to perfection with this sound is just what makes them my number one this spring.

Kpop: Wagakki Band - Hangekino Yaiba & Akatsukino Ito

The two new tracks in August from japanese Wagakki Band shows of their usual penchant for fantasy/historical settings and drama, where Akatsukino Ito is the typical example of their style. On the other hand, Hangekino Yaiba, shows signs of a possible change towards a slightly lower tempo music. Time will tell.

• Wagakki Band - Hangekino Yaiba (反撃の刃)
• Wagakki Band - Akatsukino Ito (暁ノ糸)