Russian pop: Dante / Alexei Ismailov

Dante, or Alexei Ismailov, is a new acquaintance for me this year. Evidently he participated in Voice of Russia in 2012, but didn't get any success there. His earlier "I'm flying" also didn't do it for me, but the latest "I don't know" is quite different in style and so well produced, with the video being such a great celebration of charming and colorful fantasies.

• Dante - I don't know
• Dante - Under the skin
• Dante - I'm flying (Я Лечу)

Ukrainian pop: Lavika & Tiana - Me or Her (Я или она)

A new duo with a song written and  produced by Vlad Darwin, the song is a simple but effective electronic pop song. The songs lyrics is a bit laughable though, as he explains it "is not about men’s lies, it’s about difficult choice of men while there are so many beautiful girls". Jaa, poor men. ;-P

• Lavika & Tiana - Me or Her (Я или она)

Kpop: 2PM - 미친거 아니야? (Go Crazy!)

The new 2PM song is a little crazy, but in very familiar boyband kpop way, ie in an enjoyable -and really not crazy at all- way.

• 2PM - 미친거 아니야? (Go Crazy!)

Kpop: Yoon Sang Hyun (윤상현)

A korean singer and actor since way back, his new collaboration with indie band Space Cowboy is a kind of rejuvenation for Yoon Sang Hyun. "If you wanna console me" is a sweet electronic pop melody which get thumbs up from me.

• Yoon Sang - If you wanna console me (날 위로하려거든)

Mandopop: Amber (安心亞)

From the start Amber has had a following Taiwan for doing lots of modelling (think Akibahara/Tokyo otaku style) but gradually her music career has taken off too. The new Welcome to the party has her showing of a little more maturer style.

• Amber - Welcome to the Party/ Girls stand up! (女孩，站出來！)
• Amber - Sing For You (呼呼 官方完整)
• Amber - "Darling" (乖乖牌)
• Amber - "Just Dance" (唯舞)
• Amber - Tomorrow Without You (沒有你的明天)
• Amber - Love To Help Society (戀愛應援團)

German pop: Laing

Laing is a Electro-synth group from Germany that does slimmed down pop with their biggest hit being "Morgens immer müde" from 2011.

• Laing - Morgens immer müde (Another here. "Mornings always tired")
• Laing - Nacht für Nacht (Night by Night)
• Laing - Neue Liebe (New Love)

Kpop: Royal Pirates (로열 파이럿츠)

I was so sure I had written about Royal Pirates before, but evidently it slipped my mind. Anyway, they are something as unusual in kpop as an boy band that actually plays (their) instruments. The sound is fun and light-way rock (in a positive way), and the new Love Toxic is no exception.

• Royal Pirates - Love Toxic (사랑에 빠져)
• Royal Pirates - Drawing The Line
• Royal Pirates - Shout Out (Synth Rock version)

Kpop: John Park (존박)

The man with the sexy voice, American-Korean John Park, is back with one of his darkest singles so far, "U", where he plays the obsessed stalker. The song is a suggestive piece of kpop soul and whatever one may think of the them, he delivers again.

• John Park - U
• John Park - Falling
• John Park - Baby

Kpop: T-ara - Sugar Free (슈가프리)

The new song from T-ara is rather interesting, actually, not sure why I was expecting to be disappointed. Probably because I have had this feeling T-ara has seen their better days. But even though the video is rather unimaginative, the song works for its purpose.

• T-ara - Sugar Free (슈가프리)

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