Building off my “Most Epic Days in K-pop” feature, I thought I’d spotlight some of the most epic weeks in K-pop history.
K-pop is a Monday through Friday affair (at least in my time zone), with some weeks stuffed to the brim with releases. But, not all include multiple 9+ rated songs. This feature will take you through some of these blockbuster weeks, day by day.
Epic Days: July 14, 2014 // June 22, 2015
July 21-25, 2014
MONDAY: Infinite – Back
Infinite’s Back is a song I’ve covered a lot already. Suffice it to say, it’s my favorite song of 2014 and one of my favorite songs ever. It kicks off this epic week with panache, cutting through the heat of summer with a melodramatic symphony for the ages.
| Hooks | 10 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 10 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 10 |
MONDAY: Sistar – Touch My Body
Sistar were still establishing themselves as the undisputed Queens of Summer when Touch My Body sealed the deal. It’s such a classic of the season, and has only grown stronger as the years have gone on. The synths! The horns! Those vocals!
| Hooks | 10 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 10 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 10 |
MONDAY: Boyfriend – Here!
Japanese releases by K-pop idols were also on fire this week. At this point, Boyfriend’s attention had largely shifted to Japan, but even Sweetune-less songs like Here! are examples of potent pop. This is one of many “What Makes You Beautiful” retreads popular at the time, and I’ve got a soft spot for every one of them.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
TUESDAY: Daybreak – Hot Fresh
Rock group Daybreak got in on the summer action with their funky take on dance music. Like many songs in 2014, the results feel more timeless than trendy. That bounding, brassy instrumental is the undisputed highlight. It’s an instant mood-lifter.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
WEDNESDAY: BoA – Masayume Chasing
More Japanese goodness from K-pop artists! BoA’s 2014 output in Japan is quite striking, with Masayume Chasing embracing the brightness of the summer season in jubilant fashion. The melodies are ridiculously catchy and BoA’s effortless charisma gives them weight.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
THURSDAY: Block B – HER
HER has become a modern classic, but even upon its release it was insanely popular. The song takes Block B’s freewheeling energy and melds it to a series of instantly sticky hooks. It’s a perfectly-realized example of finely-controlled chaos — an insistent burst of playful energy.
| Hooks | 10 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 10 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 10 |
FRIDAY: Boys Republic – Dress Up
Rounding out this perfect week is a knockout track from one of K-pop’s most underrated boy groups. Dress Up is a cavalcade of hooks, perched upon a powerful dance beat that brings the funk in a lively, organic way. There’s no wasted space here. Verse, chorus, pre-chorus and post-chorus are all killer without ever feeling formulaic. They don’t make ’em like this anymore — at least in K-pop.
| Hooks | 10 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 9.5 |
OTHER RELEASES
Duo Homme opted for a funkier sound with the fun, frothy It Girl:
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
while i have heard multiple mainstream k-pop songs (e.g. wonder girls’ ‘nobody’, 2ne1’s ‘i don’t care’) before ACTUALLY getting into k-pop, i consider boys’ republic’s ‘dress up’ to be the first k-pop song which made me want to find out more about the genre. back in 2014, i was watching MTV on the television and i happened to turn the TV on during its korean wave segment, that song was insanely catchy upon first listen ultimately encouraging me to go on youtube to watch the music video again and again. needless to say i made my foray into k-pop with a (criminally) underrated song, which is really surprising considering most people get interested in k-pop through mainstream hits!
i think i’ve said this on this website before but i consider boys republic and bap to be quite similar boy groups. smashing the conventions of k-pop with their forward-thinking music, the two groups were also at their commercial/musical peak around the same time. unfortunately, they didn’t stand a chance against their peers (exo/bts i’m looking at you) and their careers slowly fizzled out. i know im probably hoping for too much but a reunion for these two groups would be awesome, even if it is a short one 😦
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It’s funny, I feel like I can kind of follow your thought process as you release these epic weeks in kpop posts. “Hmm… 2022 is kind of slow so far, isn’t it? Time to bust out Sistar and Infinite!”
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Haha! Well, there’s not too much to write about this month, unfortunately! Sistar and Infinite make anything better 🙂
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Yes, very slow year so far for kpop. Time to bust out the nostalgia.
Except that nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
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This one brings back a lot of good memories
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