Mandopop: Ann / 白安

Think Mandarin singing with a clear Irish voice and you have Ann, an indie singer from Taiwan. I will be completely honest and say this didn't attract me at all when I first heard her (with "Catcher in the Rye"), but the new "Consolation" is not so obviously a green island flirt and instead shows more of her personal (?) style.

• Ann - Consolation (安慰)
• Ann - Catcher in the Rye (麥田捕手)
• Ann - What brings me to you (是什麼讓我遇見這樣的你)
• Ann - What's next? (接下來是什麼)
• Ann - I only want to care about what I care about (我只想在乎我在乎的)

Russian pop: Polina Butorina (Полина Буторина)

12 year old Polina from Russia is a successful singer already, and even do she looks like a little know-it-all to me, "My Heart" works for me as it really has a story and is thought through, with a good end point.

• Polina Butorina ft DJ Groove - My Heart (Моё Сердце)

Mandopop: Huangqi Wen (黃琦雯)

Likened to Anita Mui both in looks and musical expression, Hunagqi Wen has released two quite interesting videos this summer, the contemplative "Rain" and now the uptempo "Happiness". Both are more approachable and updated than her previous efforts (in my opinion), and the videos are quite nice. She's a multitalent that played instruments already at young age, and have studied music at university and won several competitions.

• Huangqi Wen - Rain (雨)
• Huangqi Wen - Happiness (幸福)
• Huangqi Wen - Heart Sutra (心经)
• Huangqi Wen - Springtime (春天里)

Kpop: Puer Kim - Bank (은행)

While the second single from Puer Kim retains some of the retro soundscape that the first video was so rich in,the touch is much more traditional mainstream kpop with "Bank", ie colorful and playful with Kim as a coquettish centerpiece.

• Puer Kim - Bank (은행)

Russian pop: Dante / Alexei Ismailov

Dante, or Alexei Ismailov, is a new acquaintance for me this year. Evidently he participated in Voice of Russia in 2012, but didn't get any success there. His earlier "I'm flying" also didn't do it for me, but the latest "I don't know" is quite different in style and so well produced, with the video being such a great celebration of charming and colorful fantasies.

• Dante - I don't know
• Dante - Under the skin
• Dante - I'm flying (Я Лечу)

Ukrainian pop: Lavika & Tiana - Me or Her (Я или она)

A new duo with a song written and  produced by Vlad Darwin, the song is a simple but effective electronic pop song. The songs lyrics is a bit laughable though, as he explains it "is not about men’s lies, it’s about difficult choice of men while there are so many beautiful girls". Jaa, poor men. ;-P

• Lavika & Tiana - Me or Her (Я или она)

Kpop: 2PM - 미친거 아니야? (Go Crazy!)

The new 2PM song is a little crazy, but in very familiar boyband kpop way, ie in an enjoyable -and really not crazy at all- way.

• 2PM - 미친거 아니야? (Go Crazy!)

Kpop: Yoon Sang Hyun (윤상현)

A korean singer and actor since way back, his new collaboration with indie band Space Cowboy is a kind of rejuvenation for Yoon Sang Hyun. "If you wanna console me" is a sweet electronic pop melody which get thumbs up from me.

• Yoon Sang - If you wanna console me (날 위로하려거든)

Mandopop: Amber (安心亞)

From the start Amber has had a following Taiwan for doing lots of modelling (think Akibahara/Tokyo otaku style) but gradually her music career has taken off too. The new Welcome to the party has her showing of a little more maturer style.

• Amber - Welcome to the Party/ Girls stand up! (女孩，站出來！)
• Amber - Sing For You (呼呼 官方完整)
• Amber - "Darling" (乖乖牌)
• Amber - "Just Dance" (唯舞)
• Amber - Tomorrow Without You (沒有你的明天)
• Amber - Love To Help Society (戀愛應援團)