Midweek New Music Roundup :: January 7th - 14th

[hitokage]

Thursday is still midweek, dammit!
Look, I didn't get this review properly started until the wee hours of Wednesday morning, I was not at ALL convinced I wasn't going to have to pull a Here Be Dragons, even with as short as this round up ended up being.

That said, if rock is your jam, oh boy is this the week for you. CNBLUE, Day6's Wonpil, Band Nah, just to name a few. Heckin, we even got a funk rock from n.SSign! Oh yeah, and dance pop from WAKER, another comeback from CHUU, the debut of boy groups ALPHA DRIVE ONE and COMMA plus the SEVENTEEN sub-unit DKxSeungkwan. Throw in some OSTs, new hiphop from C.Cle and fresh R&B from Huh Gak and it's a mostly well-rounded lineup, even with as short as it is.

Featured artist slots this week went to Huh Gak and Band Nah because sometimes a jagu has to highlight her lesser known picks. Additional favorites are, of course, marked with a 💚.

Releases for the week of January 7th - 14th:
Shin Soohyun - Gray *
CNBLUE - Killer Joy 🔤 * 💚
WONPIL (Day6) - Wish
DADADA - Panda Girl *
CHUU - XO, My Cyberlove *
JIMIN - 0105 * 🌟
Symptomer - Why am I (audio only)
mellow button - The Light That Fell on Your Time (audio only)
WAKER - LIKE THAT * ⚠️ 💚
Band Nah - Paradise 🔤 * 💚
POLO - Eclipsed (audio only) 💚
LIM - isolated *
Ha Sungwoon - Tell the World *
ZEROBASEONE - Running to Future 🔤* 💚
COMMA - Toxic Sugar (debut) *
YOUNG POSSE, Benzo - LOSE YOUR SHXT * ⚠️ ❌
GILBUT - Multi Universe (audio only)
sdy - Kangaroo
C.Cle - HER (feat. Ra.L)
LIM - watchin u *
BangSsong - To the moon and back (feat. Tophyun) 💚
HANA - Never Lonely (Love me OST) (audio only)
O.WHEN - Into the Light (Love me OST) *
Paranteum - blue (audio only)
gyogyo - The End. (audio only)
KickFlip - Something Feels Wrong (To My Beloved Thief OST) * 💚
Jang Minkyu - Yet, Rises Nature (audio only) 💚
Park Hyunjin - Endless Ending (audio only)
Huh Gak - When the First Snow Falls + 💚
DK x Seungkwan (SEVENTEEN) - Blue (cinema ver) (sub-unit debut) 🔤 * ⚠️ 💚
ALPHA DRIVE ONE - FREAK ALARM (debut) 🔤 *
JeHwi, MINSEO - Rachel (Surely Tomorrow OST)
Jeon Yujin - If Only In My Dreams *
Sean.K - Drnk textin' (audio only) *
Gosrak K - Did you subscribe? (audio only)
LIA (ITZY) - How I Love You (Idol I OST) *
Kang Nam - Running Flower (Spring Fever OST) *
n.SSign - Funky like me (feat. PEAK & PITCH) * ⚠️ 💚 ❌
Minyeong Oh - Rove (audio only)
mellow button - After Our Season Has Passed (audio only)
Captsone Endore - The Way Back (feat Lee Cheolkyu) *
toyou. - Blue Night (audio only) ❌


The Mea Culpa Section
remains empty for another week! go team!

key:
* content warning
+ includes “disappearing” hard subs
🔤 includes CC in English
⚠️ elevated content warning
🔞 age-restricted by YouTube
🚩 other warning
❌ did not complete
🌟 special note
💚 picks of the week


note: for the sake of keeping releases by the same artist together, I've shuffled a couple tracks out of the above order (mellow button & LIM)

Shin Soohyun - Gray https://youtu.be/PQCcR2mrABw
genre: pop-rock
cw: lens flares, flashing
note: It's labelled as a visualizer, but it really does feel like just another music video, but hey, what do I know? 😜


CNBLUE - Killer Joy 🔤 * 💚 https://youtu.be/ND5FhEsjVUk
genre: pop-rock
cw: camera motion, flashing, lens flares, fireworks/pyrotechnics
note: CC in 9 tracks, including English. Of course I loved this ... and their challenge of inviting other idols to sing with them.


WONPIL (Day6) - Wish https://youtu.be/22CcsqxQdW0
genre: pop-rock
note: a lyric video (probably generated by Bugs), in which the only motion is the lyrics crawl.


DADADA - Panda Girl https://youtu.be/N8Nn6T8NKGw
genre: pop-rock
cw: flashing lights, implied police presence, unsteady cam, surrealism
note: PANDAS. Honestly, this needed both more pandas and more girl. That said, it was still a fun song, complete with terrible white boy dancing.


CHUU - XO, My Cyberlove https://youtu.be/qME5xxExaDw
genre: dance pop
cw: flashing, lens flares, drinking (social)
note: I know it's not true, but there are moments where Chuu looks like she's maybe all of 16 and it's a little disorienting


JIMIN - 0105 https://youtu.be/9tffpX_xzq8
genre: soft rock
cw: flashing
note: Did you know "Jimin" is actually a really popular Korean name? A little digging uncovered this is Shin Jimin, formerly of AOA and previously retired from entertainment, probably due the pressures of the bullying controversy she was facing. Whether this marks a second attempt at making a music comeback or not remains to be seen.


Symptomer - Why am I (audio only) https://youtu.be/DUIiVU3i5rU
genre: alt rock
note: is this noise rock? maybe....


mellow button - The Light That Fell on Your Time (audio only) https://youtu.be/NdRQD7r_Hwo
genre: neoclassical instrumental
note: the reverb on the piano was sitting funny in my ears, but that's probably just a me thing

mellow button - After Our Season Has Passed (audio only) https://youtu.be/DXESW6CHlfc
genre: neoclassical instrumental
note: another soft piano interlude


WAKER - LIKE THAT ⚠️ 💚 https://youtu.be/ekQrIXjp2oA
genre: dance pop
cw: flashing, surrealism, camera motion, dripping wet boys (fully clothed)
note: Sir, what are you doing with that ice cube and WHY. Elevated warning for the level of flashing and also because hot damn these boys are dangerous.


Band Nah - Paradise 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/ijcqYrH3Ilw
genre: folk rock
cw: surrealism (mild), lens flares
note: CC in English and Korean. I'm really loving these guys more and more every time I come across them. I think because they very much have a sound style that reminds me of happier days. That said, there's an oops in the English CC that I almost missed, not sure how that happened, but t's just one line, so...


POLO - Eclipsed (audio only) 💚 https://youtu.be/uZ3NQ-3pmf8
genre: R&B
note: love me a good syncopated beat~


LIM - isolated https://youtu.be/FmFeVtuX638
genre: dance pop
cw: flashing, lens flares
note: I think this was meant to be a pre-release that Stone didn't pick up/post at the right time, given the date on the start of the video. Seems a bit silly to label it as that now, though, so....

LIM - watchin u https://youtu.be/rfF7oQhV03A
genre: dance pop
cw: flashing, camera motion
note: other title track. The amount of camera sway and jitter was borderline, so proceed at own risk?


Ha Sungwoon - Tell the World 🔤 https://youtu.be/z_ss4Yf-VZ4
genre: adult contemporary
cw: blurry filter, fireworks/pyrotechnics
note: CC in English and Korean. Do you need the potential hanky warning or are you normal? 😅


ZEROBASEONE - Running to Future🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/v5_GoNFr5wc
genre: R&B
cw: aggressive flashing, glowing figures, potential hanky warning
note: CC in 6 tracks, including English. A lot of clips/off-shots from previous releases. Another goodbye before the full goodbye.


COMMA - Toxic Sugar (debut) https://youtu.be/liIBNPLp6D8
genre: dance pop
cw: flashing
note: Kprofiles has next to nothing on this new group and with their name, trying to do a general web search in this era of late stage enshittifacation... yeah. But they've only been active for a couple of weeks, so I figure we'll get more later. They look like they might be on the older side for a debut group, but who knows.


YOUNG POSSE, Benzo - LOSE YOUR SHXT ⚠️ ❌ https://youtu.be/Bce71WrhsN0
genre: hiphop
cw: puppets, camera jitter, surrealism, flashing
note: Young Posse does have a thing for releasing "whelp, that was a video all right" MVs. 😅 Some day, they might even release one I can watch all the way through (they introduce some violently potentially-seizure-inducing back-screens in the last half minute of the video...if the effects didn't take you out before that)


GILBUT - Multi Universe (audio only) https://youtu.be/9J8AwdZceXw
genre: adult contemporary
note: something almost calming after the previous entry's assault on my senses 😅


sdy - Kangaroo https://youtu.be/RoyCxSF0fls
genre: dance pop
note: the only motion is the small bar EQ under the cover art


C.Cle - HER (feat. Ra.L) https://youtu.be/jSZ3hUQOVSc
genre: hiphop
note: so many adorable goats and is that baby alpaca?


BangSsong - To the moon and back (feat. Tophyun) 💚 https://youtu.be/Fib9HSKEUU4
genre: pop-rock (ballad)
note: omg, the tooth-rotting sweetness! And another bear-shaped balladeer, because of course. Another look into how the sausage is made, so to speak.


HANA - Never Lonely (Love me OST) (audio only) https://youtu.be/ku8ZAbueb70
genre: adult contemporary
note: something good for a nighttime winding down playlist


O.WHEN - Into the Light (Love me OST) https://youtu.be/lPFoyUtHfZY
genre: adult contemporary
cw: lens flares, background flashing lights, drinking (social)
note: video is entirely clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers. Kinda makes me want to go camping ... but not right now, it's too cold for that!


Paranteum - blue (audio only) https://youtu.be/skDhG3etskE
genre: alt rock
note: kinda synthy, but not really nu wave, so alt rock it is?


gyogyo - The End. (audio only) https://youtu.be/msK__TdYYnE
genre: adult contemporary
note: another possible bedtime/winding down candidate


KickFlip - Something Feels Wrong (To My Beloved Thief OST) 💚 https://youtu.be/KA0IZaoR8EA
genre: dance pop
cw: full face mask
note: video is roughly half clips om the drama, so may contain spoilers. And then the other half is three members of KickFlip being unbearably adorable, so be careful of that, too.


Jang Minkyu - Yet, Rises Nature (audio only) 💚https://youtu.be/DPLF6Z9KUDE
genre: neoclassical instrumental
note: full orchestral instrumental, even, which is not something we get here all that often, so if that's your jam, this has a nice lilting, soothing aspect to it.


Park Hyunjin - Endless Ending (audio only) https://youtu.be/MdtpSvLpkYo
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
note: [failed to think of a single thing to say about this track; make of that what you will]


Huh Gak - When the First Snow Falls 💚 https://youtu.be/qA3Z_hQoLus
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
note: terrible hard sub placement is truly terrible, ugh. The stringed instruments can't make up for your art director's poor choices, sir! Pretty sure the fake snow is soap bubbles, but shh, don't tell anyone? 🤣


DK x Seungkwan (SEVENTEEN) - Blue (cinema ver) (sub-unit debut) 🔤 ⚠️ 💚 https://youtu.be/N9X1o0q4aIc
genre: R&B (ballad)
cw: blood/injury, fire/emergency crew, implied character death (car explosion), flashing lights, lens flares.
note: CC in 16 tracks, including English. At almost 7.5 minutes, this is a meaty debut video, but bring your hankies cuz woof.


ALPHA DRIVE ONE - FREAK ALARM (debut) 🔤 https://youtu.be/P8VVnopM610
genre: dance pop
cw: flashing, lens flares, surrealism
note: CC in 6 tracks, including English. I'm trying to be fair, but it's hard when it's yet another crop of babies declaring themselves the baddest/greatest. Maybe by their sophomore release, I'll be more objective


JeHwi, MINSEO - Rachel (Surely Tomorrow OST) https://youtu.be/H5CzKV2AFbY
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
note: video is entirely clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers


Jeon Yujin - If Only In My Dreams https://youtu.be/gjKuVrD1hXM
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
cw: lens flares
note: it says mv, but it's just Jeon Yujin singing on an empty stage to a hidden/non-existent audience


Sean.K - Drnk textin' (audio only) https://youtu.be/pTHKYvoNHoI
genre: hiphop
cw: smoking on cover art
note: even the delivery feels a bit drunk....


Gosrak K - Did you subscribe? (audio only) https://youtu.be/aZSMrDVz6jI
genre: hiphop/R&B
note: edge case - I couldn't decide where it fit better cuz it's kinda both


LIA (ITZY) - How I Love You (Idol I OST) https://youtu.be/Dzi5-t2I5gM
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
cw: Sooyoung's stupidly pretty face, lens flares, blood/injury, the ML's over the top chivalry
note: don't look at me like that - Sooyoung's face is unfairly pretty! Anyway, video is about half clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers.


Kang Nam - Running Flower (Spring Fever OST) https://youtu.be/CmenxwhsK1Q
genre: rock
cw: lens flares, blood/injury
note: video is half clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers. The ML's over-the-top actions to prove his masculinity is not undone by the FL's competence are ... something all right.


n.SSign - Funky like me (feat. PEAK & PITCH) ⚠️ 💚 ❌ https://youtu.be/Lt90nCIQUck
genre: funk rock
cw: aggressive flashing, lens flares
note: .... children, wut are we doin? Were your parents even alive in the mid-70s? At least I can legitimately file this as funk rock, but fuck if the flashing didn't take me out, sigh. Which isn't stopping me from fav'ing the SONG, but maybe look up an alternate way of listening to it.


Minyeong Oh - Rove (audio only) https://youtu.be/L-727XNGp-s
genre: neoclassical instrumental
note: did the uploader just forget that a song needs lyrics to be a ballad or did some other wires get crossed? Who knows... a soft piano interlude, should you need an audio break.


Captsone Endore - The Way Back (feat Lee Cheolkyu) https://youtu.be/uYhMYHeaR9Y
genre: hiphop
cw: flashing video "artifacts," lens flares, fish-eye lens, other camera effects
note: some of the camera effects are really distracting/off-putting


toyou. - Blue Night (audio only) ❌ https://youtu.be/x5N8mVycPyU
genre: instrumental jazz
note: had to turn down the audio again to counter the lofi crackle...and then ended up noping out entirely for the way it was playing on my headphones, making my headache worse.


Congrats, you made it to the end! What were your favorites of the week? Any surprises? Let's chat!



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