Romeo - Target

Romeo's a group that's been on my radar for one single reason: they're following Infinite's lead and building their career with title tracks produced by the flawless Sweetune. Sweetune is an obsession for me. They create tracks that hit everything I love about pop music... bombast, an emphasis on soaring melody, and bright, polished production. Target isn't as good as the group's Lovesick from earlier this year, but it's still a fun track. I'm not sure I understand what the video's supposed to be (beyond sickeningly saccharine), but this is still a rookie group that I'm watching very closely.



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HIGH4 - D.O.A. (Dead Or Alive)

Rookie boy group HIGH4 have had the worst roll-out plan. From what I've seen, the rookies that end up with the most success are those who develop an identity quickly and ride the formula out until they're big enough to experiment a bit. HIGH4 have done the complete opposite, moving from a successful indie duet debut, to balladry, to colorful hip-hop, to dark electro-pop. This has made it hard to be a fan, and I haven't jumped aboard until now. I hope they stay with the sound of D.O.A. Despite an odd song structure, the song's clipped, seesaw synth and dramatic chorus caught my attention straight away. I guess with all the shifting genres, they were bound to stumble onto my personal taste eventually. I do wish the melody had more impact in some places, but overall I'm finding myself very addicted to this track. I would've loved an entire mini album in this style rather than just a single, but I hope it brings them some success so that their management will be inclined to continue this route. Sure, it's not incredibly original, but at least it has some impact.



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f(x) - Deja Vu

f(x) is undoubtedly one of the most consistent and interesting girl groups in Korea. Their music always carries an experimental edge to it that sets them apart from rivals. They're also consistent in the fact that, unlike the vast majority of idol groups, the singles taken from their albums are hardly ever the best tracks on there. 4 Walls is quite good, for sure, but no matter how much I try to nudge it from my mind, it's hard to forget that (for me) it's basically just a lesser version of Shinee's excellent View from earlier this year. Luckily, the album itself is top notch. Explosive tracks like Rude Love and Papi were the first to stick out in my head, but so far Deja Vu has had the longest lasting appeal. It's probably because I favor the 80's over the 90's, and Deja Vu hits that decade beautifully, with its fuzzy synth and glammed up, sugary melody. Either way, it's one of many tracks that make 4 Walls (the album) a total hit.


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B1A4 - Happy Days

One nice thing about Japanese releases (particularly those by Korean artists) is that, even though they're announced way too early, sometimes we get a nice surprise and the music video for the single is put out weeks in advance. This happened last week with B1A4, who just happen to be one of my most favorite K-Pop groups. Better yet, unlike many Japanese releases, Happy Days is a strong return to the group's more fun, poppy side. It's like What's Happening part two (except not as perfect). I haven't been able to confirm, but I'm assuming this was written by leader Jinyoung, just like most of the group's singles. The video is cheesy as hell, but the song itself is super catchy, super upbeat and represents the sound I hope they go for when it comes to their next Korean comeback.



(If you decide to buy K-Pop physical album releases -- and my god you should, because they're awesomely presented -- try catchopcd for some of the best prices out there. Use this link to get 5% off your first order!)