Kpop: Top 20 first quarter 2014

It is time for this years first top 20, and as always I am, honestly, surprised at the number of candidates. I had the leave out quite a number of candidates I wouldn't have thought would miss the Top 20. And yes, I prefer female to male artists in kpop. ;-)

Honorable mention goes to Gain for being as sexually liberated as always in her "Fxxk U" and "Truth & Dare", and to Bebop for their glorious boxing in "I'm the best".

20. Puer Kim - Manyo Maash. This gothic piece from the rookie is suggestive and dark, and I love it.

19. Neon Bunny -It's You. The excellent indie singer/songwriter is back.

18. M ft Eric - Taxi. Funky and fun.

17. Stay Foolish - Kiss Kiss. More mature charm than usual in kpop.

16. Ladies Code - So Wonderful. Again the theme is dolls and again they have their distinct staccato rhythm.

15. Sunmi - Full Moon

14. Stellar - Marionette. No one can dispute that they sold their song with explicit sexuality using styling that one could indeed deem sub-par, but it was also really a good kpop song.

13. Lip Service - Yum Yum Yum. Attitude and a refrain that sticks like gum in my head.

12. Rumble Fish - The Virulent Song. A dramatic song sung with passion.

11. Scarlet - Do Better. Simple but effective song and video.

10. Orange Caramel - Catanella

9. Dal Shabet - B. B. B. This is a song that I feel very split about. On the one hand it is flawed from the chanted "Big Baby Baby" that disturbs a little, one the other hand it has a number of delicious twists and sounds and it is really like the perfect song that got messed up by to many ideas. Still a must on this list.

8. Park Ji Yoon - Beep. The video is just pure retro gold, and PJY is flawlessly stylish again.

7. AoA - Miniskirt. After initial sceptisism, "Oh, a zipper gimmick", but it and the song is done so well.

6. Brown Eyed Soul - Pass Me By. Nostalgic R&B

5. Mamamoo ft K.Will - Peppermint Chocolate. Perfect R&B with the support of K.Will for these debutants.

4. Son Heun Su - Go and come back. Fabolous disco & humor from this comedian.

3. 2 Song Place - Age-Height. Yes, a comedian takes the number three spot, but this is just so fun and engaging. You must read the subtitles!

2. Girl's Day - Something. I was almost 100% sure this would be number one or two this quarter already when it came out at the start of January, and I am still not quite sure it shouldn't be number one. It is a fantastic piece of suggestive music and the video is perfect too.

1. SNSD/Girl's Generation - Mr Mr. I had a hard time deciding on number one but something about the classicness of Mr Mr made me choose Girl's Generation. It's a kind of iconic sound compared with Girl's Day who are somehow the new (sexy) but untested.

Movie: Killing Toon (더 웹툰: 예고살인)

Killer Toon was a unexpected cinema hit in Korea last year, with its theme of horror and web-comics going well across the Korean public. And the use of animation and storytelling to blur the line between real and fantasy is used quite well. I am easily scared but prefer psychological fear before too much blood and in that sense Killer Toon also fulfill my wishes. Several reviews I have read like the movie but thinks it slows down tomuch in the middle, but I dont agree at all, as I think the mood and slight terror is trasnlated quite well from the start to the end. It is not a masterpiece, but it delivers surely if you want a enjoyable scare. At the moment of writing, you could find the whole movie on YouTube here. More reviews here.

Kpop: Boys Republic - Video Game

The theme of Boys Republic new video says it all "Video game" and as a lifetime gamer I must approve of this concept. ;-)

• Boys Republic - Video Game (Story version)
• Boys Republic - Video Game (Dance version)

Kpop: NS Yoon-G - Yasisi (야시시)

We haven't seen so much of NS Yoon G the last two years, but now she returns with force in her "Yasisi", which has a story about her teasing/seducing her bodyguard which suits the sexy concpet quite well as they play it out quite well. This is all there is to make a sexy concept fully natural and not "just" a ploy to get more viewers. A creative idea and making it work. The song is more than adequate too, so well done NS Yoon G.

• NS Yoon G - Yasisi (야시시)

Kpop: Crayon Pop - Uh ee (어이 / Hey!)

After their viral hit "Bar Bar Bar" last summer, the nerdy dancers of Crayon Pop makes their real return on Fool's Day (of course!) with their new offer "Uh ee" (really pronounced like "Hey!"), and it is again a video full of fun and unique dance moves. As they take their ideas from a different pool than most kpop groups (sexy/serious), they have a fantastic range of fun things they can pull off, and they go all out in that, indeed. "Dance on one leg","nerdy foot and hip translation", "dancing with guns", and more moves a cant even imagine names for are there. The video is a nonstop parade of stuff to laugh or learn. The music is a suitable trot meets techno dance that, even though not as good as their best songs, I still think is a little better than Bar Bar Bar. Welcome back, fantastic five!

• Crayon Pop - Uh ee (어이)