The second point clicks the entire song into place, each line lingers and each members’ part so tactile, the memories of which they sing about are truly going to last forever. This does two important things, one it mirrors the rhythms of a video game, and two it allows each of the girls to sell the potentially overbearing emotions of a song like this. Regular video game soundtrack producer ESTi is aware of this and does nothing to mess with the formula, but instead merely gives the girls a lot of space around the song. Not to mention the fact that Dreamcatcher’s heady mix of guitars, choirs, and disruptive electronics is the perfect match for the likely melodramatics of an RPG by the name of Girl Cafe Gun. That is until “R.o.S.E BLUE” was given to heavy metal icons Dreamcatcher, a group so solidified in sound that there’s nothing one could do to strip it from them, regardless of how pathetic of a cash in it may be. “R.o.S.E BLUE” by DreamcatcherĪ K-pop group taking on a mobile game soundtrack is an understandable balancing act of giving up their identity just the right amount, in exchange for a quick paycheck. With its catchy chorus and brass line, “Hmph!” is a track that doesn’t take itself too seriously – the type of fun that is very welcome in 2020. ![]() But the amount of similarities with other groups does not mean WJSN Chocome is not adding much to the table it’s actually the opposite. In a year when K-pop took us back in time through retro genres like disco (Sunmi & JYP, TXT, GFriend) and electropop (Everglow, Twice), WJSN’s first unit joined the party by bringing 2010’s K-pop, in a tune worthy of comparison with K-pop girl groups such as Orange Caramel, T-ara, and Crayon Pop: Chocome’s catchy and brassy “Hmph!” Newer K-pop fans might be somewhat familiar to the style if they were around when Momoland released “Bboom Bboom” and “BAAM” – and, in fact, the structure of “Hmph!”’s post-chorus is reminiscent of these songs too. Refund Sisters are truly a class act, proving that age is not how old you are, but how old you feel. Amidst this high energy, each member had her moments to flaunt her charms, with some of the more memorable ones being Jessi’s soulful vocals in the beginning and Uhm Jung Hwa’s steady notes in the bridge in spite of compromised vocal cords due to a 2010 thyroid cancer surgery. Everything from the blaring sirens in the intro to the dynamic, zipping synths in the hooks had the group’s ssen unnie image in mind. ![]() With Rado, one half of hitmakers Black Eyed Pilseung, on board production, “Don’t Touch Me” was always destined to succeed. She could not have predicted then that her fantasy girl group picks made in passing would actually bring the eclectic (not to mention multi-generational!) bunch together under a new brand, let alone result in a hit worthy of its PAK (“perfect all kill”) status. ![]() Formed through the MBC variety show Hangout With Yoo, the seasonal supergroup is Lee Hyori’s accidental brainchild, which consists not only of the 2000’s K-pop diva herself, but also her role model and ‘90s legend Uhm Jung Hwa in addition to current chart-topping soloists Jessi and Hwasa. No debut has or ever will be as ambitious or serendipitous as Refund Sisters’. With that said, after weeks of arguing, plotting, and a few injured friendships and professional relationships, the KultScene team came up with the 50 K-pop songs we mostly objectively think were the absolute best of 2020. Soloists, rookie groups, and the more established ones - 2020 was a year owned by women. Female acts were also the driving force of the industry this year. We also saw solo acts come out in full force, giving bigger ensembles a run for their money. And despite artists not being able to tour or fully promote their new material, they did not skimp out on quality, and instead gave us a great year in music.įrom throwback genres like disco and 80’s synthpop to city pop, newtro dominated K-pop in 2020. ![]() Given the industry’s quick adaptation to the new normal, the constant stream of new music never faltered. Luckily, as fans, we had K-pop to get us through these tumultuous times and offer a small glimmer of normalcy and joy, even if it was for the duration of a song. No one needs a refresher on how terrible it got, so to put it simply, it was a tough year for everyone around the world. Groups were starting to tour more and in new countries, different music markets were being explored, monster rookies were debuting left and right - it just seemed like nothing could deter K-pop’s escalation to world domination. Different Korean artists were reaching new grounds throughout the entire world and K-pop was starting to see mainstream attention and success. Hopes were high at the beginning of the year.
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