Kpop: Primary (프라이머리)

There is no denying artist and music producer Primary is talented, but it has been a while since I heard a song that had the balance of rhythmic soulpop and hip hop (ie less of the latter), namely "See Through" back in 2012. This year has seen him releasing a steady stream of very slick and interesting videos, all with great guest artists making them musically vibrant, but it is the latest "Hello" with Lena Park as has struck closest to my heart.

• Primary ft Lena Park - Hello (네일 했어)
• Primary ft Zion T & Gaeko - See Through (씨스루)
• Primary ft ChoA & Iron - Don't Be Shy (아끼지마)
• Primary & Ohhyuk ft Lim Kim - Gondry (공드리)
• Primary & Ohhyuk - Island 

Kpop: High4 (하이포)

While many debuting boy groups go for at least a little coolness, new 2014 debuts High4 certainly hasn't done it, instead starting of with cute and bet very much likable "duets" with established female kpop singers like Lim Kim and IU, but their own "Headache" was certainly not a pain either. If you don't find pastell colors, smiling boys and sweet retro vibes from the music. Yes, the kind of almost funky sounds from Headache (in a typical kpop take) was surprisingly well done.

• High4 - Headache (뱅뱅뱅)
• High4 & Lim Kim - A Little Close (해요 말고 해)
• High4 & IU - Not Sping, Love or Cherry Blossoms (봄,사랑,벚꽃 말고)

Kpop: Top 20 third quarter of 2013

Time to sum the third quarter of 2013 up. I may have been moving more and more into eastern european music, but there is still lots of kpop that catches my eye. A good song weighs heavier than a good video, so the list seldom raises a video higher than its song takes it. The clear exception this time from thiat rule is the number 3 spot, see more below...

20. Lim Kim - All Right. It is all in the refrain and how it is delivered. Can become irritating but Kim manages to avoid it well.

19. Nu'est - Sleep Talking. A nice number and song all in all.

18. UV - No Way Can't Be. Dripping with irony, it is still quite a nice track too, the guys of UV has done it again.

17. G-Dragon - Coup D'etat. I just love the video, but the song is just repetetive.

16. Defconn - Notorius Girl. Its the singing that does it.

15. Bjorn - Empty Desire. An odd bird here, but still very likable electropop.

14. Ailee - U&I. Talk about presence! Ailee can really lift a medium track with her charisma which she does here.

13. Brown Eyed Girls - Kill Bill. The sexiest unnis on the kpop scene returns and delivers again.

12. Five Dolls - Soulmate #1. Retro is the theme here and it works quite well.

11. Infinite - Destiny. The only surprise here is that it didnt place higher but it's just something extra missing from an otherwise cool track.

10. Bebop & H.U.S. - Maem Maem. A very perky and catching indie track.

9. Seungri - Gotta Talk To U. Male big-city elegance with a well-tuned song.

8. B.A.P. - Hurricane. The first song I liked from popular B.A.P., and if it wasnt for the terrible Engrish in the refrain ("The Loof") it would have been even higher on the list.

7. LC9 - Ma Beat. Shockingly explicit violence that in the end is just right for LC9. A must see for 2013.

6. Mr Mr - Waiting for you. They simply just have got such a nice sound to their songs. Well written and crafted and thats it really.

5. Kara - Damaged Lady. The girls gott class. They got style. Nuff said.

4. Lee Jung Hyun - V. I just love the video, I am a sucker for the theme "badass strange woman kidnaps helpless man"... ;(^_^)

3. Sunmi - 24 hours. Plainly: this is the sexiest video of this list, all hands down. What stops it from winning is that it can actually loose its edge when played too often...

2. After School - Heaven. You can debate whether this is Kpop as it is sung in japanese but it is a real pearl anyways withs its borderline seedy looks combining with the sweet disco track to form something really unextectedly etheric.

1. Jewelry - Hot & Cold. Just plain kpop pleasure done perfectly. Per-fec-tion.

Kpop: Lim Kim (김예림 )

A little elegant piece of song, "All right" with a understated but stylish Lim Kim (Kim Ye Rim, 김예림) is so well done and performed that you forget its simple nature. That's what the magic called stage presence does. Her other songs, "Rain", "Colorring" and "Without knowing it all" shows a quality and variety while still having her distinct style that she may well be one of the next stars on the kpop sky. (I know she is in a due with male Do Deu Jun, but in Korea mixed-gender groups *never* seem to be able to sustain any long run towards fame, so I am ignoring their group Two Months in the calculation.)

• Lim Kim - All right
• Lim Kim - Rain
• Lim Kim - Colorring
• Lim Kim - Without knowing it all (Audio only)