There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year.

There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. The rules are simple: I fire up my carefully compiled “K-pop summer” playlist, hit ‘shuffle,’ and if the song that pops up hasn’t already been featured on the site, it gets a post and mini-review of its own.

So, get ready for a summer of K-pop on The Bias List!

(View all the Summer of K-pop songs here)

<< Song 07 >>

San E & Raina – A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness (2014)

This isn’t the kind of song I usually enjoy, but some tracks just work in spite of themselves. It helps that, back in the summer of 2014, mid-tempo fare like this was the exception rather than the rule. San E and Raina make excellent foils for each other, trading quotable refrains over a hazy instrumental and sweet, laid-back melody that culminates in an irresistible vocal trill. This became a massive hit in Korea and probably helped kick start a trend that we’re still paying for today, but looking back at it with 2020 ears, I can’t help but be charmed all over again.