Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard!
April 2013 Overall Thoughts
Wow… April of 2013 was stuffed. I mean, things in K-pop usually start to pick up during the spring, but my honorable mentions list is particularly lengthy this time.
This month also feels like a real snapshot of its era, in the sense that the majority of its artists are no longer releasing material. While there were a few a-list comebacks in April, it’s more memorable for a large pool of great songs by underrated acts. Among them were several debuts — most notably boy group History. Every other debuting act faded quickly, from girl groups GI and Delight (the hilariously-titled Mega Yak is my kind of K-pop noise pollution), to male act Pure. April also offered unit debuts from T-ara’s N4 (fantastic!) and U-KISS’s Ubeat (less fantastic), as well as the solo debut of Yoo Jiae, who would later go on to be part of Lovelyz.
Meanwhile, SHINee continued their inexorable march toward 2013 domination, with the second release in their excellent Misconceptions series. Highly anticipated comebacks from K-pop legends PSY and Cho Yong-Pil both impressed, but I remember my most-anticipated release of the month being G-Dragon’s MichiGo. That song turned out to be solid, but not spectacular. However, GD would return later in 2013 to deliver one of the greatest K-pop songs of all-time.
Speaking of excellent songs, my number two pick is from a popular artist I rarely talk about (or listen to). But, he delivered a track I absolutely adore.
Honorable Mentions
15& – Somebody (video)
4minute – What’s Your Name (video)
BTOB – 2nd Confession (video)
C-Clown – Shaking Heart (video)
Cho Yong-Pil – Bounce (video)
Delight – Mega Yak (video)
Dickpunks – Viva Primavera (video)
G-Dragon – MichiGo (video)
GI (Global Icon) – Beatles (video)
N-Train – Come Back To Me (video)
PSY – Gentleman (video)
Pure – I Still Love You (video)
Roy Kim – Bom Bom Bom (video)
Secret – Yoo Hoo (video)
T-ara N4 – Jeon Won Diary (video)
Teen Top – Walk By… (video)
Yoo Jiae (Lovelyz) – Delight (video)
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Man, I remember when why so serious dropped. It was SO hated.
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I remember that too, and never understood it.
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It was? I can’t believe it! I ADORE this song.
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I seem to remember it getting criticisms similar to what we see with SuperM now. Maybe not as harsh, though. Plus, the fact that Jonghyun was missing because of his accident, and netizens’ feeling that SM was rushing things…
Unfortunately, I didn’t yet have a K-pop blog that allowed me to give an effusive defense of the song! I loved it on first listen, and have never stopped loving it.
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Wait. You mean to tell me Gentleman dropped more than SEVEN years ago? I’ve been under the impression it was like 2, 3 years ago even though I should know better because 3 years ago was when I started *really* getting into K-Pop and I know Gentleman dropped a bit before that but seven years ago… Wow I am getting old…
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…you just gave me that same feeling of being old very suddenly. Oof.
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Welcome to the club!
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It’s a big club…
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I usually can’t stand Jay Park since I think he has really corny bars and really bad feature verses on songs I otherwise like but this song was surprisingly really good! Very chill, nice vibes. Thanks for introducing me
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It’s such a warm, feel-good melody. He’s got a few more songs I like, but this and 2014’s So Good are the only ones I truly love.
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SHINEEEEEEE! Why So Serious, yes.
I also have Roy Kim “Bom Bom Bom” on my list as I am sucker for songs that sound like busking on the streets of the tourist towns of Appalachia.
I have to admit I hadn’t ever heard the History or Jay Park song before, The History song has some interesting turns here and there. The Jay Park song is a lot of simple straight forward fun.
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OT: darling daughter and I have been listening to CPop or Mandopop this afternoon as she works on a homework project. We started with the short list you recommended a bunch of posts ago, and then trawling through other youtube suggestions. I hadn’t really gone through Cpop much before besides the SM offerings.
It is interesting how much contemporary Cpop resembles Kpop, or vice versa, in the vibe and sound and style. The look feel and sound is so close. I could easily think, oh this group is the Cpop equivalent of that Kpop group. The dance style, the costume style, it is same thing only different language. There are even the same overused video tropes too – oh, look, they are on a rooftop! Empty parking garage! Modernist cube staring at a wall! At least that is my impression after a few hours, maybe I haven’t found the more unique Cpop areas.
Jpop is easier to pick out because it has such a different vibe. That careening crazy city vibe, with a hefty dose of kawaii, and always running longer with more sections and musical turns than the others. The Jpop dances are always simpler and shaggier in a deliberate studied way.
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Yep, there’s a LOT of ballads and trap music, and the limited idol scene is almost completely made up of acts that are formed through survival/reality shows that ape K-pop’s training and sound quite heavily.
To be fair, though, I’m sure there’s tons of music out there that I just don’t know about. You think J-pop is hard to get your hands on? C-pop resources are almost nonexistent. But, every once and awhile you get a fun K-pop inspired track that actually draws from the best parts of the industry.
Example 1:
This fun bit of frothy summertime nonsense
Example 2:
I already recommended R1SE, but this one’s not on any of their albums and it’s my favorite song of theirs. Feels like 2012-13 EXO. Also, the movie it’s soundtracking looks ridiculous.
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The queens-lite harmony in “History – Dreamer” is still one of my favourite intro in k-pop
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They debuted with quite a splash! I’d love to see a rookie try something so out-of-the-box again.
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I know it’s off Topic but this Proves Ateez Can Do Rock Perfectly!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnhGb-MO4vc
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I don’t know if it’s rock but sounds like it!
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This song belongs to Turbo I know but This whole song Is mixed with Ateez’s Personality If Ateez can do something like this I’ll be happy!
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They did a good job. They took an old old song and made it sound contemporary and not kitschy.
That Ateez guy at the end busted a vocal chord and a lung and perhaps other body parts to slide up to those high notes. The original singer Kim Jung Kook (aka the Running Man guy sitting inn the audience) has a strangely high falsetto voice, higher than even most females – his body type does not match the sound that comes out of his body.
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With the exception of flawless releases by T-ara, Infinite, Nine Muses, B.A.P, 2PM and f(x), 2013 was a highly disappointing year in K-pop and likely the worst in terms of quality. History’s Dreamer was a rare standout in a hollow year and it remains among the best K-pop debuts of all time, manifesting the best Queen tribute I’ve ever witnessed. Their self-awareness birthed a later comeback song named Queen which is another career highlight. I miss them so much!
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Wow, you and I couldn’t disagree more about 2013!
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I flipped 360 Degrees once you told that , and my brain did a somersault causing me to fall off. I disagree with you but each to their own 😃
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In my opinion, travesties like The Baddest Female (bad meaning bad), the disjointed mess of I Got a Boy, the dual turds of Wolf/Growl, Hush (too generic for a ”leftfield” group), 2NE1’s string of disappointing singles and 4Minute’s Brave Bros tracks ruined the entire year for me.
The Misconceptions series would’ve been better if they left out Why So Serious and although I liked the Everybody mini, the title was… a choice to keep it cute. Yet, I adored IU’s Modern Times, Henry’s Trap, Bestie’s Love Options, Sunmi’s 24 Hours and Seungri’s Gotta Talk to U. The latter being my favourite YG solo. 😃
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