Kpop: Top 10 of the 2nd quarter of 2015

Yes, I'm late here, but due to my four week holiday to China in June/July I never really got around to doing this list and I feel it really needs to be done as it irks my inner sense of order immensely otherwise.

10. Tiger JK ft Yoon Mi Rae - Forever. Loved the melancholy theme in this song with arapper I really respect.

9. Big Bang - Bang Bang Bang / Bae Bae. The return with great videos. And some songs were pretty OK. But it was still somehow *the same* Big Bang and the world has moved on. Sad but true.

8. Exid - Ah Yeah. At first I was irritated at the cowardly ending where they tried to cover their bases by showing of  a "We are still very cute and innocent" message after the rather Rated implicit video. Then I forgave them and just stopped watching that part.

7. So Yumi - Shake Me Up. I'll be honest. I think So Yumi is on the wrong label and she won't get much further than this. A modern trot piece, I still hope she can find her niche there.

6. Jimin & J.Don - God. I just looove Jimin's perky attitude. This isn't fair at all, but it's like one of those tiny dogs showing of an attitude 10 times their size. Her voice is just like a raspy sweet razor to my ears.

5. Girl's Generation - Catch Me If You Can. The choregraphy of this video really blew me off, the camera work and dancing really makes the best out of this EDM track.

4. EXO - Call Me Baby. Such a popular group but this was honestly the first song I really felt for.

3. Kara - Cupid. The girls with the sweet sound returned and were lovely as always. But...I wanted and remembered even better. It was just a little less good than what I expect from Kara, and even though unfair it made me a little disappointed.

2. Jun Hyo Seong - Into you. Going solo really seems to work for this Secret member, and this song is my favorite. It's swingy, focused and it really keeps you in its grasp from start to end.

1. Miss A - Only You. The catchy horns, the refrain that really works well, and four ladies in charismatic top form, this really was the high point of this spring. And then there are the mysterious screams hidden in the background of the sound track...

Kpop: Kara - Cupid

Overcoming the member changes in Kara, they had a successful return last year with "Mamma Mia" (one of my favorite kpop songs in 2014), so now when they return with the 7th album they have nothing to prove in that area. With the new song "Cupid" they continue with their classic sound which, like AoA or 9Muses, is about delivering a steady stream of easily likable up-tempo songs with nice choreography. Cupid is not as perfect as Mamma Mia, but it is definitely another great Kara song to add to the already extensive list of favorites.

• Kara - Cupid

Kpop: Top 20 for the third quarter of 2014

Well, as usual I am surprised by how easy it is to find 20 good videos for each quarter of kpop, even though I'm getting more and more choosy along the years. The third quarter is no exception.
An honorable mention goes to Sunny Hill and their "Monday Blues", which marked their return to uptempo tracks.

20. Orange Caramel - Gangnam Avenue/My Copycat. I'm a great fan of Orange Caramel but i honestly liked the previous two releases of OC than the two of this autumn. For both me and all the other the fans, choosing a favorite out the two is hard. COpycat is supposedly more interesting for its creative video, but it is also a little enervating.

19. Pa Hul Za - Pissing Me Off. How can you now love this guy and his tasteful videos? ;-)

18. Yoon Sang - If you wanna console me. With some new friends, the old man delivers updated pop that feels like it could have been written anywhere in the world.

17. Secret - I'm In Love. It's not a new classic but the four girls delivers a top-notch showpiece from a basic song.

16. Infinite - Back. A fight video with the guys actually not winning is refreshing.

15. Stellar - Mask. After the success of their Marionette, Mask is a expected follow-up but somehow it manages to avoid the expected trap of being trashy in a bad way and - as things work in showbiz - becomes less hyped. For me the essential point was that this song simply isn't as good as Marionette.

14. 100% - U Beauty. Funny and easy to like, the boys and their song is hard to resist.

13. Royal Pirates - Love Toxic. They play their own instruments! That's cool enough in kpop, but also, they sound and look great. Three out of three.

12. Taemin - Danger. Cool but a little repetitive melody, the video is real eye-candy for his fans.

11. Lucky J - Can You Hear Me. Even the rap works for me in this song, a soulful piece with clear voices.

10. Crayon Pop - C'mon C'mon. An almost cliché 80s retro song, it works really well both due to how well it suits the style of Crayon Pop and how well it is done. Super charming.

9. John Park - U. The American-Korean man with the great voice gives us a darker but sexy pop song this time.

8. Ladies Code - Kiss Kiss. The great tragic of this fall, the car accident and following death of two members of Ladies Code, means that "Kiss Kiss" has a special place as their last release. Kiss Kiss was another song on their establish sound, with their special uptempo, fun and almost childish beats.

7. Nasty Nasty - Knock. Steaming hot debut from this cross-group constellation trio.

6. Fiestar - One More. After their cute "korean lessons" on YouTube, I almost got surprised from this mature video. It's sauve and the girls are plain cool.

5. Henry - Fantastic. I think of this video as "The Violin One", great drama in both video and song.

4. T-ara - Sugar Free. First I actually almost didn't like this EDM song but it has grown on me. It simply delivers the essential T-ara without any pretentions.

3. Kara - Mamma Mia. Kara proves to us that they are still pro's, Mamma Mia being an elegant example of what kpop have been the last decade when at its best. It's nothing new, but it is classical perfection.

2. Ha:tfelt - Ain't Nobody. If Kara's "Mamma Mia" is the best of what has been and f(x)'s "Red Light" is the best of now, Ha:tfelt and her dance piece "Ain't Nobody" is what I think is the future next "thing" in kpop.

1. f(x) - Red Light. I still remember the feeling when I first laid my eyes (and ears) on this video; "this will one of the top songs of 2014, if not THE best!". The initial fascination has faded but I still hold this as an essential video of the raw kpop that is f(x) and best right now in 2014.

Kpop: Kara - Mamma Mia (맘마미아)

After Nicole left Kara last year, speculation was whether the six year-old korean girl group would be disbanded soon, but here they are, with the new member Youngji, and and a fresh song "Mamma Mia". While I honestly don't think Youngji added anything to the group, the new track and the romantic styling (and watch the hair-do's!) makes this a return that speaks everything else but an end to the successful act. I have always liked Kara's easy-going sound and I am happy that they seems to have made the transition well this time.

• Kara - Mamma Mia (맘마미아)