Bigbang - Let's Not Fall In Love

Sometimes you just want a nice song. It doesn't have to be earth-shattering or different or even standout. Sometimes "nice" is all that's needed. And in Bigbang's relentless summer of genre-hopping, I was very happy to hear Let's Not Fall In Love, which sounds a little like a few of their past singles thrown into a blender. It's a subtle, gentle track, but has an excellent melodic core that never strays into unnecessary showboating. It's a particular, moody sound that Bigbang excels at. And the video? It's just as simple and just as effective, with the guys looking better than they have all summer.

Wonder Girls - I Feel You

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that, beyond their more obvious singles, I've never really followed Wonder Girls. I know that they're pretty much modern K-Pop legends, but I just never really explored their music before. So, when they announced that they were coming back this year, I didn't really know what to think. Then they announced the fact that they were returning with an 80's synth band concept, and my interest was suddenly piqued. I'm happy to report that the end product is even better than I would have expected. The entire album is incredibly strong and committed to the late 80's sound that their new single, I Feel You, displays so brilliantly. The hook is great, but the verses are what really kill me. I can't tell if the melody/delivery reminds me of a specific late-80's track or every single late-80's track. Either way, it brings up all manner of warm and fuzzy nostalgic feelings. The girls have really hit a home run here. I wish all of their back catalog was 80's inspired!

Shinee - Married To The Music

I came back from the awesome experience that was KCON 2015 just yesterday, and it really made me even more obsessed with K-Pop than I was before. I didn't think it was possible, but I was proven wrong. Even better, when I returned from the convention, there was handful of new releases waiting for me. The one I was most excited for was Shinee's new single. Their View, despite initially underwhelming, has wormed its way up to my most-played song of the year so far. I'm not sure that Married To The Music can top that. It's just not as catchy. However, its overall sound inches closer to what I love and expect from Shinee's music. It actually sounds kind of like a slightly less awesome version of Exo's Love Me Right, which was released two months ago. In other words, it's heavy on the MJ-inspired funk. The real reason I wanted to mention it, though, is so that I could post the fun and crazy music video. It's so bizarre, yet you can't turn away. You've just gotta watch it.