Koreaboo Staff Music Picks: February 2015
The month of February brought many long-awaited comebacks from the industry’s top groups, including Shinhwa, 4MINUTE, and Rainbow. Hundreds of songs were released this month, and since we can’t recap them all here, our staff members have listed their favorites for you to check out!
This month Shinhwa made a comeback with their 12th album, We, while 4MINUTE returned with their 6th mini-album and title track, “Crazy.” Girl group Rainbow made their comeback with their title track, “Black Swan,” and VIXX released their remake album with the title track, “Love Equation.”
MYNAME returned with “Too Very So MUCH,” while Amber of f(x) made her solo debut with her title track, “Shake That Brass,” featuring Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon, just to name a few! There were so many new releases, both comebacks and debuts this month, that it’s impossible to list them all.
Therefore, some of our Koreaboo Staff members have listed their favorite songs of February 2015 and recommend that you give them a listen if you haven’t already! Check out our February 2015 Staff Picks below!
Steph: Shinhwa – “Sniper” + “Never Give Up” and VIXX – “Love Equation”
“‘Sniper’ follows after their previous hit title tracks, ‘Venus’ and ‘This Love,’ and doesn’t fail to highlight Shinhwa’s unique musical style and charisma. As the longest-running group in the K-Pop industry, Shinhwa is in the middle of a successful comeback with many of the songs from their newly-released 12th album, We, doing well on the charts. In addition to ‘Sniper,’ the last song on the album ‘Never Give Up,’ is also a great song to check out!”
“After how hard the group worked last year with ‘Eternity’ and ‘Error,’ VIXX is back again! ‘Love Equation’ is a remake of a song that was released years ago, however, the members add their own personal charms into the song. Although the lyrics talk about saying goodbye, it is the opposite of a usual break-up song, with a happy, upbeat melody centered around the thought of breaking-up on a sunny day. It is a really catchy track and I hope that it is very successful for VIXX!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbgv1aqv2QQ
Tiffany: MAMAMOO – “My Everything” and Ailee & Wheesung – “Kiss”
Tu-An: HA:TFELT and Joo Yoo – “There Must Be”
“HA:TFELT (Yenny) and Joo Yoo’s voices blended together in harmony with the simple instrumentals in this hauntingly beautiful track. Not only are their vocals simply amazing, but the lyrics to the song are also incredibly deep and touching as they reflect on the tragic events of 2014, while singing ‘There must be something, when there seems to be nothing’ and ‘There must be something we can do.’ It’s the perfect song to listen to on a cold, rainy day <3.”
Andrew: Olltii – “Heart Fluttering (설레)” (feat. Baek Yerin Of 15&)
Joyce: 4MINUTE – “Crazy” and K-MUCH – “December 24th”
“Crazy brings back memories of their older days when the girls sported a tough appearance in their music. Made to fit the girls, the track also has a catchy melody and choreography.”
“The song shows K-MUCH’s diversity in their singing. Compared to their debut track, ‘December 24’ shows that the group can be edgy yet smooth at the same time.”
Isabelle: Amber – “Beautiful” featuring Taeyeon and 15& – “Love Is Madness”
“‘Beautiful’ was the track that surprised everyone this month when people (myself included) learned that Amber had such an amazing voice. Not only was it a well-produced song that really showcased her voice, it was a personal, self-composed song that conveyed the struggles she’s been through to get to where she is today.”
“15& is a vocal duo that doesn’t get the attention they deserve! Their powerful vocals and amazing control are always beautiful to listen to and I can’t get enough of 15&!”
Stacey: Naul – “You From The Same Time”
“Naul’s ‘You From The Same Time’ is your typical sad farewell story that talks about a guy who let go of the woman he loves so that she can be with the person she truly loves. The lyrics are heartbreaking; Naul sings about living in the same time as the woman, but instead of her being by his side, he has to watch her be happy beside another man. Naul’s voice, however, makes the track so original and different than other ballads; his soothing, yet unique voice somewhat helps you overcome the sadness. It’s the perfect song for transitioning from Winter to Spring.”
Sam: 15& – “Love is Madness” and Rainbow – “Black Swan”
“The JYP Entertainment duo group 15& show off their powerful voices and incredible range in ‘Love is Madness.'”
“The girls of Rainbow show that they can be both sexy and classy in their latest comeback. ‘Black Swan’ has a very catchy chorus that will get stuck in your head!
Amy: Outsider – “Tattoo” featuring Navi
Alanna: Amber – “Beautiful”
“We’ve all seen Amber’s tough side, but what made ‘Beautiful’ such a great song was that she shared her vulnerable side with fans and gained a lot of respect while also giving an amazing performance. The fact that the song was self-composed only adds to the beauty of the song. Well done!”
Alexa: MYNAME – “Too Very So MUCH”
“The first thing that caught my attention was this song’s unusual ‘bouncy’ background music. This hip-hop track combined a multitude of underlying melodies which made the song more addicting to listen to. Also, I was pleased to see MYNAME having fun while filming their scenes, as they were dancing with hilarious expressions and playfully interacting with each other in this music video.”
Eva: 4MINUTE – “Crazy”
“I’m so glad the girls are back with their fiercer concepts, which we haven’t seen in a while since their older classic songs like ‘I My Me Mine’ and ‘HUH.’ It’s the kind of song that with just one listen, you know it’s going to be viral. The stylists definitely did a great job this time, especially for Jihyun and Gayoon. The song’s focus on its dance choreography makes it extra addictive, complemented with the use of dancers to create greater impact.”
Kristine:
MYNAME – “Too Very So MUCH”: “I was so excited that they finally made a Korean comeback, and I absolutely love the song. It’s fun and catchy, and I had the song on replay for a long time.
VIXX “Love Equation”: “VIXX’s rendition of this song is really enjoyable, and they add their own kind of style to the song. I find myself smiling throughout the song, and it lifts up my mood.”
