Jpop: FEMM - Unbreakable

So when new rising jpop stars FEMM are nearing the end of the current arc of a half year of basically unprecendented high quality videos, "Unbreakable" is the first ballad of theirs. It *is* obvious to me that though the visual qualities are still very high, the last few videos have songwise been what we could call "the B-side" but it is still interesting to see them do another type of track. And again, visually they are top notch.

• FEMM - Unbreakable

Kpop: Nasty Nasty (네스티네스티)

So Jin from Girl's Day, Keyung Ri from Nine Muses and Kevin from ZE:A is the new sub-unit Nasty Nasty which gives away the unsurprising sexy theme of the group. The song is a nice R&B pop number with the three of them playing out a romantic theme that is surprisingly well balanced - they don't try too much as is the risc in the first song from a new constellation. Nice start, but usually these kind of odd combinations doesn't get that many songs so don't expect to much and just enjoy this one.

• Nasty Nasty - Knock (노크)

Thai pop: Pure Pure (เพียว เพียว)

Pure Pure is a thai singer who says she likes to sing and perform Chinese style music. Watch the older "I love you" to get an idea (she even sings the title in chinese (Wo ai ni).) The new "U dare?"(อ่อนว่ะ) is co-written by her and chinese musicians, and the theme is hard to interpret as anything else than an ode to sugar daddy relationsships. The twist is Pure Pure playing the Gu Zheng string instrument and the "old guy" actually partaking in the song with a rap (what is his name, can't find it?).

• Pure Aom - U dare? (อ่อนว่ะ, only audio here)
• Pure Aom - I love you (我爱你/รักเธอหมดหัวใจ)

Mandopop: A Mei ft Soft Lipa - Faces of Paranoia (偏執面)

A Mei have had a streak of ambitious and/or stylish videos which shouldn't be missed. The new Faces of Paranoia continues this, with a rather morbid but interesting theme, and with gueast rapping by Soft Lipa (蛋堡).

• A Mei ft Soft Lipa - Faces of Paranoia (偏執面)

Kpop: Orange Caramel: The Gangnam Avenue (강남거리)

I was actually a bit dissatisfied with the popular "My Copycat" released two weeks ago, and while the new "The Gangnam Avenue" strikes me as vaguely generic eurodisco, it is still somehow more listenable then My Copycat. The same goes for the video concept, as I think My Copycat has a overthought and somewhat pretentious idea. Sometimes new isn't better. Enough of the nagging, enjoy the new video which is about being dumped and moving on. The comedian Jo Seho appears in the video (NO, it is not PSY), which keen kpop fans may remember already did a funny version of an old trot song with Orange Caramel on Immortal Song 2 in July.

• Orange Caramel: The Gangnam Avenue (강남거리)

German pop: Glasperlenspiel

Glasperlenspiel is a duo from Stockach in Germany who makes enjoyable electronic pop. The name of the group is taken from the central work (with the same name) of Nobel price winner Herman Hesse.

• Glasperlenspiel - Nie Vergessen ("Never forget (you)")
• Glasperlenspiel - Ich bin ich ("I am I")
• Glasperlenspiel - Freundschaft ("Friendship")
• Glasperlenspiel - Echt ("Real", only audio)
• Glasperlenspiel - Moment ("Moment")
• Glasperlenspiel - Grenzenlos ("Borderless")