Shinee - Password

I know a lot of you are probably wondering why this mostly-Euro-centric blog has been upping the K-Pop content over the past year. You may think it's just a phase. I thought it would be too, but I am fully invested in Asian music, now. Obviously, I've still got way more English-language stuff on tap, but I can't ignore some of the awesomeness coming from the east. And for this year, top of the list in Awesomeness goes to Shinee. They've done something remarkable in releasing three (!) albums of stellar quality over the past six months. First there were their double Korean releases, Dream Girl and Why So Serious, and now they've put out their second full-length Japanese album. So, technically, this is J-Pop. While being a bit ballad heavy, Boys Meet U is an excellent collection of songs -- better than Why So Serious, in my mind, but not quite as amazing as Dream Girl. The guys (or rather, the production team behind them) are really experimenting with their sound. I love the ferocious dubstep-meets-punk Kiss Yo. But Password, which opens the album, is even more impressive. It's full-on electric psychedelia. The spacey instrumental in the hook reminds me of the 70's (particularly ELO and Elton John's stellar Funeral For A Friend). The melody is equally grandiose. Even if you've been unimpressed with the Asian music I've been posting the last few months, check this out because it's different and very, very cool.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.