I am woefully behind on new music, so this is me making a valient attempt. There are plenty of new albums on the horizon, so now that we are entering some colder months, I know I will be making time for them. Here’s some singles to keep you all occupied!
Lisa
“Sawatdika” – Having never listened to Black Pink before, I had my hesitations in listening to Lisa’s newest solo song, “Sawatdika,” but I liked that it seemed to pay homage to her roots, thus, I checked it out! Plus, her stint on The White Lotus also just made me a little more familiar with who she is. And she’s close friends with BamBam, so that’s solid enough for me. And gosh am I glad I checked this out – it’s a banger! The chorus is so catchy, and the rapping verses hit hard with lyrics that fire back at people that don’t recognize her successes took a lot of hard work. But then there is this pre-chorus bit that samples a Tame Impala song that really struck me. This song hits all the genres in one go, and I can tell you that I already know at least 80 percent of the lyrics. Will I check out more of her stuff? Unlikely, but you never know.
Omega X
“Renegade” – I love that my boys have already put out new music basically right off the heels of their latest EP, Uncapped. Stylistically, this follows in a similar path, though I think this one is more suited to the club. I could really see this one appealing to a larger audience outside of Kpop, which really shows that they are pushing the boundaries of their creativity. Given how little support their company seems to be giving them, I’m positively floored at all the hard work they’ve been putting in this year. This single gives me hope that we’ll hear more sooner rather than later, though I hope Hangyeom, Taedong, and Hyuk are back for the next outing, as well.
Highly Suspect
“Big Shop of Horrors” – Now this is a rock and roll song. Not only do the instrumentals slap, but the lyrical content is what the genre is all about. Lines like “this is not how I imagined my red, white, and blue” and “I will not stay silent because I am not spineless.” This is the kind of in your face message we need to be seeing more of. Heck, I would even take it less in your face, but Highly Suspect are committing to the message that what’s going on in American right now, as well as other disasters across the globe, are not okay. And perhaps it’s more that our country isn’t lending a helping hand like we have in the past, causing so many deaths that it should be jarring to people, but there is still a large majority where it’s not. Anyway, political spiral aside, this is a really good rock song that only grows more intense as it goes. I’m many months late to this song, but I hope a future album is headed in this direction.
Hearts2Hearts
“Moon Ride” – I really didn’t know that groups did songs for companies, but Kia got themselves a winner. Despite the weird, and seeminngly AI-heavy music video, the song itself fits right into H2H’s robust, hit-laden discography. It’s a nice addition! Upbeat fromt start to finish, it also has an insanely catchy chorus that I know I’ve been singing to myself randomly since first listening to the song. While I’d rather get a new album from the girls, I will take another hit in the meantime.
Treasure
“Shock” – Riding off the the rap-heavy stylings of their last EP, Wayv, Treasure hits us with a digital single that goes just as hard, if not harder? At least the cousins of “If I” and “Danger.” The video is dark, and they are rocking those all leather outfits, but the song itself does a great job of showcasing that they can all rap! I love the incorporation of the electricution sound here and there, it’s really mixed well to fit with the song. I think I was most surprised by Jeongwoo and Asahi in this track, but visually it will always be Haruto for me. But this is such a strong song that I can’t help but selfishly want them to live in this lane for many EPs to come. Here’s hoping we’ll get some more of this style in the next release!