Kpop: Top 20 third quarter of 2016

A great quarter where the best songs more often than not had a more soulful or western sound than usual.

20. Crayon Pop - Doo Doom Chit. The most cute kpop girls are back with another catchy track with a saxophone and refrain that slays all opposition.

19. San E & Raina - Sugar & Me. I really, really don't have a soft spot for all these duets in kpop, but this is an exception. It got that dynamic and creativity that is often missing.

18. Zhoumi - What's Your Number? The track sounds familiar - in a good way. Soft and retroesque, Zhoumi invites us for some reality escape.

17. Two X - Over. Actually, the video is the strong point here to be honest. I find the girls and the story super charming. ;-)

16. Hitchhiker - 10$. Some will hate this track, call it a failed 90s fallback techno track, but love the trashy samples and video. Hypnotic like in the good 'ol MTV days.

15. Jaeney - Tell Me Why. Great ballad, and the only thing I disagree with is why they don't use the real singer in an otherwise atmospheric video.

14. Beatwin - Your Girl. Classical romantic kpop boy band song with a sweet melody.

13. Mino - Body. Yo, Mino, damn are you one cool guy. Love the way you sing and all.

12. Sweet Sorrow - No Dae-bak. The veteran boys gives us attitude - and it is super Dae-bak!

11. Cosmic Girls - Secret. A relatively new group, this video is their best so far, a fantasy that is combined with a well delivered and sweet track.

10. Spica - Secret Time. If there was a top list for competent and charming kpop girl groups that never quite gets a break, Spica must be in the top.

9. Clazziquai Project - #Curious. The rhythm. The soulfulness. Aaah.

8. Eric Nam ft Loco - Can't Help Myself. His voice is just to die for, again.

7. Red Velvet - Russian Roulette. Kpop quality A, again the girls of RV delivers a world of rhythm and distinction that is all familiar and still their own.

6.Taewan - Problem. The passion is very much tangible in the song and the video.

5. Stellarjet - Just Before A Storm. SUng in english, it may seem like a 90s throwback, but it is rather a timeless indie song.

4. Jero ft Giriboy - Airplane. I just love the swing in this track, it's just perfect.

3. Fei - Fantasy. It's a dreamy song that is light a sensual fantasy, a great solo debut for Fei.

2. Kiha & The Faces - The Smell's Gone. That refrain just sticks there, with all the guys presenting a tight and well delivered track.

1. ELO - Rose. Nostalgic and very beautiful song with a cool ELO performing.

Kpop: Spica - Secret Time

Spica has had a decidedly definite niche with their retro americana looks, always somehow stylish but also always missing out on that hit and spotlight. "Secret Time"  is another excellente xample of this, and I think it won't change anything. The have it all, looks, sound and production. They just don't have 'it', whatever it is.

• Spica - Secret Time

Kpop: Spica - I Did It

Spica is one of those above average kpop groups that still never quite makes it. This song is actually over one year old, and it is fully in english as they even tried to make it in the US. As I have written before, there is always some loss in translation, and it holds true here too as the energy and character of the korean language gets lost when changing to the more common english, but it still is a positive and uptempo song that deserves getting played.

• Spica - I Did It

Kpop: Spica - Tonight (투나잇)

"Tonight" from Spica I actually finds a little funny. Korea and kpop is known for somehow being sexual  without never actually being explicit about it like in the West or Japan, partly due to a diligent goverment that classifies sexual content so that explicit lyrics or videos can only be shown under restricted and limited conditions. As in all cases of cencorship, this just makes the creative be more creative. It may very well be my imagination, but this video seems to be very much about sex and even drugs. It left me smiling at least, as it must have been quite fun to make this video. ^_^

• Spica - Tonight (투나잇)