Mandopop: Nine Chen (陳零九)

The Tawainese has something going with retro funk videos, I have seen a number of them (Da Mouth, Cosmos People, Dizzy Dizzo) which I really like, and Nine Chen gives another great video together with Puff Kuo from Dream Girls, where they square off in various sports (with Miss Kuo mostly winning by cheating it seems...).

• Nine Chen ft Puff Kuo - So Now What (阿不然現在是怎樣)

Kpop: Gfriend - Fingertip

Some fans is, evn though it was stated from the start, disappointed that the schoolgirl them for Gfriend's first three videos is now abandonded for a fresh start, but for me it is a release as this video is just all over better; the soundscape is just bursting with fun riffs and retro sounds (mostly 80s and is that...Laserdance?!) and the production is really enjoyable, with the video being full of them (as usual) doing nice dance numbers.

• Gfriend - Fingertip

Bitpop/art: m7kenji & Toriena - Pulse Fighter

All the images are from "Pulse Fighter"

Bitpopartist m7kenji and music writer Toriena has done this bitpop pearl of a musical and visual art, which really plays (double meaning intented) as a old school video game. This is hard not to love.

• m7kenji & Toriena - Pulse Fighter
• m7kenji & Toriena/Kandi - Pixel Z

S.E.S.

Many comebacks in kpop the last year, and ofc S.E.S. has to be there too. I like their more uptempo "Paradise" the most, with balanced retro synths. Check out Bada's comeback last year too.

• S.E.S. - Paradise (한 폭의 그림)
• S.E.S. - Remember

Kpop: Uhm Jung Hwa (엄정화)

The 2nd image above and the two first below is from "Dreamer", the rest is from "Watch Me Now"

This being the year of comebacks in kpop, it's natural to see 47 year old Uhm Jung Hwa make a comeback too. She has been all over the korean wave of music, movies and media, and fits right into this. Her two videos are really two excellent and slightly dark examples on how to make a good come-back, "Watch me Now" being my favorite.

• Uhm Jung Hwa - Dreamer
• Uhm Jung Hwa - Watch Me Now