The month of October 2014 was full of new song releases from both new artists and veteran artists in the Korean music industry. To recap the month, some of the Koreaboo Staff members have decided to compile our favorite songs!
During October, Crush made his return with “SOFA” and female duo As One came back with “For the Night.” New male group UNIQ made their debut with “Falling In Love” and “Born to Fight” while B.I.G came back with “Are You Ready?” Male group BTS followed up their recent promotions with the release of the music video for “War of Hormone” and Gaeko released music videos for “No Make Up” and “Rose.”
VIXX promoted their latest title track, “Error,” and Epik High also made their return. Boy group BEAST made their second comeback of the year, with the release of their latest title track, “12:30.”
Of course, there were hundreds of other songs released and artists that came back, but it is impossible to list them all! Therefore, some of our Koreaboo staff members picked out our favorites of the month! Check out our staff picks for October 2014 below!
Steph – BEAST’s “12:30”
“BEAST’s ’12:30′ is the perfect Fall comeback track. The music video and conceptual style are reminiscent of their ‘Fiction’ concept, but at a more relaxed, slower pace. The members seamlessly blend their voices together to create the melody for this track and do a great job expressing the message that the song’s lyrics portray through their emotional vocals. In each track that member Junhyung produces, Yoseob seems to sing more and more unique parts, but he is especially known for his ‘I don’t know~’ in their hit track ‘Breath.’ This time, Yoseob sings higher than ever before, but it adds another dimension of depth to the song that is not found in any other track, making this ultimately my favorite part of the song.”
Olivia – Epik High’s “Born Hater” (ft. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, Mino, Bobby, B.I)
“With this sick beat you can’t help but nod your head along. Everything from the honest lyrics to the epic collaboration of artists to the exquisite delivery of their raps makes this track daebak!”
(Content may be inappropriate, viewer discretion advised.)
Tu-An & Kristine – VIXX’s “Error”
Kristine: “It’s a catchy song, and I always find myself jamming to it in the car as I drive to my dreadful morning classes. Oddly enough, the mood the song gives off helps me focus on anything I do.”
Tu-an: “Also, I want to mention Super Junior’s ‘Evanesce’ as well.”
Alexa – Super Junior ‘s “This is Love” and BEAST’s “12:30”
“From the melody to the smooth dancing to Super Junior’s chic outfits, this song was wonderfully put together in their music video. I personally like how this song has an “old school” vibe to it, maturing Super Junior’s image from boys to men. The way Beast is able to vocally harmonize their heart-crushing despair in this mellow song is absolutely fantastic! Combined with the chilly, fog-like scenery, this is the perfect song to listen to during the autumn season.” (Also, Super Junior’s “Evanesce”)
Huiying – Epik High’s “HAPPEN ENDING”
“Against the slow tempo-ed song and mild mellow melody, Cho Wan Sun’s voice adds a touch of wistfulness to the song. Tablo and Mithra Jin do a great job of rapping, neither taking away or overpowering the melody. Another big highlight of the song is the beautiful lyrics, which evoke memories and thoughts in the listeners. A stunning song!”
Amy – Yang Hee Eun’s “Back Pack Journey,” g.o.d’s “Wind,” and Seo Taiji X IU’s “Sogyeokdong”
“Yang Hee Eun has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever come across in my life. And the way she complements the soft guitar picking really accentuates the loneliness that we all feel in life, and that sense of never being satisfied with what we’ve got. Also, I love back pack journeys so that’s like a win-win. g.o.d did really well with ‘Saturday Night,’ but ‘Wind’ brings back that RnB style that they have always been loved for, and the fact that it’s a song co-written by Yoon Kye Sang just makes their love for their fans so much more touching. Both versions of ‘Sogyeodong’ were absolutely beautiful, but it’s when you put together the two perspectives that you get to feel the entirety of the untold tragedies and fear that swept through the youth of South Korea back in 70’s that no one is aware of.”
Ginnie – Girl’s Day’s “Missing You” and Gaeko’s “No Make Up”
“‘Missing You’ is overall a track that dates back to their “Don’t Forget Me” days – light, but full with vocals and emotion. Though it is only a digital comeback without much choreography, Girl’s Day still caught my attention with their much improved vocals and emotion, as well as each member’s acting skills that definitely enhanced the meaning of the overall song. Yura’s rap was more like a spoken word quietly integrated into the song, and didn’t feel out of place as it co-mingled with Sojin’s vocals. The unique interior and the bittersweet irony of happy memories being shown in the last chorus wrapped up the music video with a good closing. But we can only hope that Girl’s Day will someday perform it live for their fans…”
“From the first few seconds of his solo debut track, Gaeko draws you right in with a unique string of instrumentals that is distinct from most other songs. Then the rhythm and tune of his rap in accordance to the background make for a great R&B listen appropriate for any kind of lounge or cafe setting. Then Zion T and HA:TFELT – a one-of-a-kind collaboration – further spices things up. While Zion T’s vocals are jazzy and soulful, HA:TFELT adds a good contrast with her melodic and high vocals, surprising fans with a voice often hidden during her Wonder Girls days. With a great collaboration, vocals, lyrics, and instrumental set, Gaeko contributes another unique gift as a growing solo musician.”
Joyce – Boyfriend’s “Witch”
“The boys come back with an unexpected theme in their new music video that is both exhilarating and catchy. The music video brings back memories from the ‘Janus’ era which was when I first discovered Boyfriend.”
Van – Rainstone’s “Rainstone” featuring Brian McKnight, San E, and Verbal Jint
Stacey – Epik High’s “Burj Khalifa” (ft. Yankee, Gaeko of Dynamic Duo) and “Born Hater” (ft. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, Mino, Bobby, B.I)
“Burj Khalifa”: “This song has some sick beats from the second it starts and it gets you nodding and tapping your head and fingers away throughout the whole track. Also, hearing Yankee and Gaeko’s voices accompanying Epik High is nice.”
“Born Hater”: “Exactly what Olivia said haha. It’s difficult to see artists such as Beenzino, Verbal Jint, and Epik High collaborating on a song together so openly and directly (usually it’s only on stages for events), but to see rookies and trainees such as Song Mino, Bobby, and B.I being included in such an album, it’s great to hear a variety of different rap skills.”
Tiffany – 2LSON’s “On The Street” and Roy Kim’s “Hold On”
“I was totally expecting myself to pick an Epik High or BEAST song but the soul and mellow vocals of 2LSON’s ‘On The Street’ are exactly what I needed during this busy autumn season. Also, the soothing acoustic guitar strums along with Roy Kim’s characteristic raspy yet soft voice are so perfect, especially as he hits into the falsettos of the song.”
Kaye – HLIN’s “Remember Tree”
Raquel – Epik High’s “Burj Khalifa”
“Choosing just one track from Epik High’s ‘Shoebox’ was nearly impossible, but I had to go with the track that’s been on repeat the most. Yankee and Gaeko are so on point in this track, but Tablo’s sick lyrics are on a whole other level.”
Don’t forget to tell us what song’s from October 2014 were your favorites as well! Stay tuned for more staff picks next month!
