Jpop: Sakanaction - Maybe, Wind (多分、風)

How it is possible, I don't know, but I managed to miss out on this early winter single from Sakanaction, the Japanese synth band that has over the years given me the most musical enjoyment (forgive me, Perfume, but that's the truth). Their bittersweet but still soft sound is healing for the soul, and this song is no exception. And, oh, the video is just so great too!

• Sakanaction - Maybe, Wind (多分、風)

Kpop: K.A.R.D. - Rumor

Since the start it was K.A.R.D.:s hot dance moves and that they are a mixed group, quite unusual in kpop, with the boys J.Seph and B.M together with the girls Somin and Jiwoo delivering not only superb choreography but also great songs. The new "Rumor" may be the best so far, where they put their male/female contrast to great use.

• K.A.R.D. - Rumor

Kpop: Girl's Day - I'll be yours

You may struggle, you may fight it, but sooner or later you will succumb to the viles of Girl's Day. I tried for a month, but this week I had to admit failure - I can't help but be charmed by their video "I'll be yours". It's pure eye candy, and the song fits it perfectly.

• Girl's Day - I'll be yours
• Girl's Day - I'll be yours (Areia remix)

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

Kpop: Brave Girls - Rollin' (롤린)

Finally, I say, Brave Girls got back to the sound that everyone loved in tehir early "Deepend". Their new "Rollin' " is both a visual treat and a great music production. It doesn't matter at all that their pronouncation is "lolli lolli lolli" either, rather it makes it even more fun to sing along to. ;-)

• Brave Girls - Rollin' (롤린)

Five years of Kpop: My top 20 ever

This february I celebraty five years of blogging. The world is actually moving on from blogs towards other arenas, but in my small world I'm still going to share the 20 videos that I subjectively see as the ones I still like, ones I would listen to as much as watch. There are many great kpop videos out there to watch, but to be the best the melodies and songs themsleves also have to be spot on. I sometimes call them "no skip"-videos as I never feel the urge to even skip a short segment of them.

There is no internal order, I have ordered them after the name of the artists(s). So here goes nothing...my top 20 of all time. Enjoy!

A) 2PM - A.D.T.O.Y. The guys of 2PM sits upon a scene and just sings and shows of their great charisma and delivers a great musical performance.

B) 4minute - Volume Up. That saxophone gives me the chills every time, but the drama of this song in geenral is unsurpassed among girl groups. if I every decided to drive a car in extreme speeds, this would be the song for it.

C) 9muses - News. I was surprised to realize that it was actually one of their oldest hits that still is my favorite. The group that for several years produced stable melodies with honest but tasteful pin-up videos is not the smae anymore, but they still have left a nice inheritance.

D) Bubble X - Hit It. The one and only "indie" song to make it into my top list. Its not that there aren't that many good indie songs, its just that this is the only one that delivers the whole package with a perfect song and great video.

E) Dal Shabet - Big Baby Baby (B.B.B). The refrain actually distracted me at first then became the thing that together with the retro visuals made med love it.

F) Exid - Every Night. This song had such a distinct Id, all their vocals having such character, the refrain and all of it being just so soulful.

G) f(x) - Hot summer. This song is together with "Electric" iconic for the cool girls of f(x), and "Hot summer" wins narrowly for being one of the few sommer kpop songs that is actually good.

H) Girls Day - Expect. This was the big turning point for the group as they went from a group among others to the mature and sensual ladies that was just unresistable with whatever they do. The success for Girl's Day I personally believe is one of the points when the kpop industry in general started to let go of some of its inhibitions about sexuality.

I) Kara - Step. They have given us so many great songs with "Step" showing of what they do best with a refrain that just is such a happy and unsurpassed extacy of pure happiness.

J) Orange Caramel - Magic Girl. My first kpop song ever and even though it is kitchy and naive it is also have a great melody that is just unresistable.

K) Secret - Talk That. There is no denying, this is one sexy video, but the song is what makes it sensual not the visuals, they just heighten it.

L) SHINee - 1 of 1. I always expected the classic "Ring Dong Dong" to be their best song but then came this 2016 retro perfection and I was completely sold on it.

M) Sistar - Give it to me. The melancholy in this show number balances happiness and sorrow in a way that Sistar always has done so well, without needing to loose tempo ever. The song always gets to me.

N) Stellar - Marionette. If Girl's Day opened up "sexiness" for the kpop community as a whole in a relatively milder way, this song with Stellar was a much bigger jump as the video became known for its explicitness. Even though it was seen as slightly plump, many have followed in their steps and Stellar themselves has evolved the concept to an almost metaphorical level later on.

O) T-ara - Roly Poly. They have a lot of hits, but this one is the one that always is my number one for its happy baseline and unresistably dance-friendly refrain.

P) Tey - Dangerous. Not to belittle Tey's talent as a kpop artist, but this is one of those "one hit wonders", as the song far surpasses anything else I have seen (or will see) from him.

Q) Tiny G - Miss you. This odd and small group is tempting to pass over, but this song is just sucks me in every time like a chewing gum that don't want to let go.

R) TVXQ - Catch Me. It's a tough choice between this and "Mirotic", but "Catch Me" is unprecendented for me in kpop in general in the level of visual, almost physical, drama that builds up in the video, which also carries over to the song very well.

S) Up10tion - Attention. The best kpop song of 2016 is a sweet song that carries you all the way with a tempo that find a sweet spot between the more common "ballad slow" and "dramatic speed" that defines most good boy band tracks.

T) VIXX - Eternity. They boys of VIXX have always had a thing for giving us videos with a strong story and drama, and Eternity is the one I would choose (in hard competition) as the best one.