Top Albums & Mini-Albums of 2015: Number 9

ALBUMS

9. f(x) - 4 Walls



To me, f(x) has always been an albums artist, and although they've never had a single on my top 50 countdown, their full lengths always rank up there. 4 Walls continues the trend, and is probably their most consistent album yet. Rather than the hodgepodge of sounds the group usually experiments with, this is a streamlined exercise in late 80's and early 90's dance music.

MINI ALBUMS

9. M+D - Cottage Industry



The second Super Junior related mini album to make the countdown, Cottage Industry is a strong passion project that pays homage to Japanese rock. If you've heard the title track, don't judge the whole album by its poppy sound. Beyond that single are some moody, melodic tracks that really sneak up on you with repeated listens.

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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K-Pop Halloween: Day One

In the infancy of this blog, I used to post a lot of Halloween-themed songs during the month of October. After a few years, that feature started to dwindle a bit. After all, there are only so many Halloween songs out there! But, to better reflect the changing tastes of the blog, I thought it would be fun to feature some Halloween-related tracks from Korea (and maybe one from Japan). Halloween isn't big in Korea, but I like to think these horror-themed songs could stand right alongside Thriller or Monster Mash!

Infinite - Monster Time
The kings of K-Pop release a monstrous dance track to accompany a kid's cartoon about "telemonsters" (whatever that is). The English is delightfully off-kilter, but there's no denying that beat.



f(x) - Dracula
You just can't beat a bloodcurdling scream used as part of the rhythm of a song. One of my favorite f(x) tracks, this would go down as a nice aural compliment to Backstreet Boys' Everybody (Backstreet's Back).

Top 20 Albums of 2014: 14-13

14. f(x) - Red Light



This is a strange one, because you won't find any singles from this band on my top 50 songs list, but the album ranks quite high. That's because, for me, the lead single (and title track) is one of the weaker songs here. I actually got into f(x) pretty hardcore this summer. I prefer last year's Pink Tape, which would have probably been in my top ten of 2013 if I would have given it a listen back then, but this album continues the experimental, upbeat pop that the girls are known for and delivers a bunch of standouts, particularly in the middle section.

13. Winner - 2014 S/S



It seemed like forever for this album to be released, and when it finally was I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I didn't expect something so mellow. But, once I checked my expectations and learned to appreciate the album for what it was, I was able to get into the vibe pretty quickly. As a debut, the first half is definitely stronger than the second half. There are too many ballads, but what's great is really, really great.

f(x) - Vacance

I know that I just posted an album track by Korean girl group f(x) last week, but the album is so good that I've got to share another as part of k-pop week. Vacance (French for "vacation?") is a whopper of a track. It ranges from sugary bubblegum pop to new wave to surging 80's power ballad all within three minutes. The end portion of the chorus is my absolute favorite part, where it gets all dramatic. Melody is so important in pop music (I'd argue that it's the most important ingredient), and this is a masterclass in constantly changing, uber-effective melody. It reminds me of something UK production group Xenomania would've come up with for Girls Aloud. Excellent, addictive stuff!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

f(x) - Dracula

SM has always been a reliable entertainment agency when it comes to awesome k-pop, but for some reason I've never been able to get fully on board with f(x), one of their successful girl groups. Luckily, after hearing such excitement in the build-up to its release, I decided to check out their newest album and it's amazing. When scanning the credits list, I noticed a lot of Scandinavian names. It’s so funny to me when two of my favorite musical regions combine forces, but SM uses quite a few Scandinavian songwriters with their roster of artists. This definitely explains why so many of the melodies on the album have that sugar sheen to them. Dracula is the standout to me, with a beat that would make Michael Jackson proud. That hook is EVERYTHING. It’s a massive, theatrical wall of aggressive dance beats and cheesy sound effects. I’m in love, and it'll be even better come Halloween-time.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.