Kpop: Laysha (레이샤)

My first thought when seeing the debut music video of Laysha was that Nassun was the singer, I mean...

But then I realised four of the girls are actually the centerpiece. They are part of a trend with kpop girl groups working their way to success via sexy dance numbers, growing a fan-base who shares fan-cams of their performances, and then in the end they debut with 'real' music videos of their own. Now one could just say they are trying to do a more hip hop version of Stellar's successful and sexualized 'Marionette', but the thing is, the song and the performance (yes, I really mean the singing part...) actually grows on you and at the end of the video they got me. This will be interesting.

• Laysha ft Nassun - Chocolate Cream
• Laysha - Turn Up The Music (360 VR)

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: Fiestar - Mirror

It's been almost exactly one year since Fiestar released their latest video "You're pitiful", a simple but effective track. The new "Mirror" first struck me as a classier version of Stellar's speculative and popular video "Marionette", but then when I had seen the bath sequences and all it really is more like Secret's "Talk That", a sensual kpop video due to its mixture of bittersweet tone and beatiful and slightly dreamy visuals.

• Fiestar - Mirror