The K-Pop/HipHop scene is incredibly saturated, making it easy to miss fantastic tunes. JETmusic presents the crème de la crème of underrated Korean music.
There's no doubt about it, K-Pop/HipHop is one of the most saturated music markets. With new boy & girl groups debuting every so often, and a ton of established artists already in the mix, it's easy to miss incredible tunes. I've picked out my top 6 underrated Korean tracks that I've had on repeat, which hopefully you'll vibe with too!
Unsurprisingly the majority of these songs are from the Korean Hiphop genre, as young international audiences haven't seemed to progress beyond the hype of BTS and BLACKPINK - Which is so frustrating, considering the artists below aren't too 'out there' or obscure, they create incredible tunes which could easily compete with/beat popular western artists. Be ahead of the trend by following my JETmusic Spotify profile, to keep in the loop with the freshest Korean releases.
MKIT RAIN: nafla - burn
I've probably listened to this song a hundred times over already; I won't be surprised if my Spotify Wrapped solely features nafla after how much I've been streaming his 'u n u' EPs! For those who aren't aware, nafla is a Korean-American rapper, mostly known to international audiences as the seventh season winner of the popular Korean rap show competition Show Me The Money.
I was immediately drawn in by nafla's emotional and heart wrenching vocals in 'Burn', expressing the after effects of a painful breakup. While I don't necessarily relate to the angsty breakup song messaging, I did discover this song a few months ago while going through a tough time, and found blasting this track incredibly comforting. Brash lyrics like 'burn everything down' and 'everything is meaningless' are painfully honest and relatable.
The chill hiphop instrumentals offer a nice contract in comparison to nafla's usual East Coast boom bap rap style (a mid-1980s to early 1990s music production style, usually containing the kick drum/snare drum/hi-hat combination). It's a good vibe for when you're feeling down - It doesn't bring down your mood further, but isn't overbearingly optimistic to create superficial happiness. The type of track you'd listen to while on a long journey or walk, and the sky is grey and miserable (please excuse this awful line using pathetic fallacy (i.e. BS), which sounded good in my imagination!).
Have a listen below, or find featured in my K-Pop: Chill-Out Spotify playlist...
nafla (나플라) - 태워 (burn) - © MKIT RAIN
All I Know Music (SM Entertainment): SOHLHEE - LADY
SOHLHEE is a female soloist, under SM Entertainment's sub-label All I Know Music, who debuted last year with dreamy track 'Purple' featuring NCT 127's talented main vocalist Taeil. As a result, Sohlhee's discography is so far small, but the tracks she has released are of incredible quality and artistry which have blown me away.
My favourite track, 'Lady', honestly immediately caught my attention with the abrupt 'hey boy go f*** yourself' english lyric, which offered some comedic shock value. Beside the unexpected swearing, 'Lady' is a chill track which can transport you into a dream-like state. Sohlhee has a beautifully unique vocal tone, initiating a reminder of my other favourite Korean vocalists: Suran, Heize and Hwasa (Mamamoo).
'Lady' boasts a chill yet interesting beat, but what makes this track truly catchy and intriguing is the variety of vocals included. From her laid-back vocal tone, to seemingly effortless rap verses which flow beautifully along the beat, Sohlhee is bound to gain global attention with some good promotion.
The track's music video imitates Groundhog Day; everyday Sohlhee is experiencing the same routine, which slowly gets disrupted as she begins to acknowledge her feelings: possibly annoyance built up over time after staying with a partner she doesn't love. The progression of the music video perfectly reflects how the song develops.
Watch the music video below, or discover in my Kill This Love Spotify playlist...
SOHLHEE 솔희 'LADY' - © SM Entertainment
H1GHR Music: pH-1 - Like Me
When I say I like rap, I normally mean the sing-song type rap which pH-1 produces so perfectly! Another contestant of SMTM 777, pH-1 is signed to Jay Park's record label H1GHER Music, which aims to push Korean artists to international audiences. I think this is a great move considering the signed artists are more than just palatable to American/UK tastes, and current charts are orientated towards the hiphop sound/genre.
'Like Me''s story centres around a girl falling in love with pH-1, he tries to push her away (even though the feeling is mutual) as he thinks he's bad for her. The chorus's english lyrics are incredibly repetitive, rather than becoming boring and overbearing, it's catchy and mood-boosting. On top of this, the instrumentals are incredibly soothing and joyous; the guitar riff layered throughout the track, joining up with the brass instruments in the chorus make for a pleasurable listen.
pH-1's acting in the music video is high key horrendous, which is why it's so good. The concept feels like a bunch of old fashioned short films; the colouring is beautiful and the slightly odd creativity is interesting to watch.
Here's the music video, or have a listen in my K-Pop: Soulmate playlist...
pH-1 'Like Me (Prod. Mokyo)' - © H1GHR Music
Liveworks Company: 1TEAM - Make This
Whenever I listen to 1TEAM, I can't get this question out of my head: Why aren't they more popular yet? - With new K-Pop groups debuting regularly, some have picked up more traction than others (e.g. ATEEZ, MCND), but as 1TEAM obtain a triple threat of well produced tracks, great rap/vocals and visuals, I'm surprised they aren't talked about more.
Their 2019 single, 'Make This', oozes Jay Park style sexiness (within idol boundaries of course). Its chill trap beat gradually builds up to an EDM breakdown chorus, which packs a punch through being delightfully unexpected. Main rapper BC has a gorgeous deep vocal tone, which perfectly complements the song's vibes; his 'Slayed It' line in particular is no word of a lie. What's particularly impressive about this track is that it's not trying to imitate the rough & ready military-like concept which is all the rage in K-Pop right now, instead I'm reminded of Australian chill pop act Chase Atlantic.
The music video is clean and simple, with plenty of handsome close-up shots, which suits the track's stripped back style. The only thing that needs a bit more work is the dance; I couldn't find a killing point which would have added individuality to the choreo. However, with a bit more practice, I'm sure 1TEAM will find an effective impactful style which will shine through in performance stages.
Admire 1TEAM's visuals in the MV below, or listen in my K-Pop: Boy Groups playlist...
1TEAM _ Make This - © Liveworks Company
AOMG: Hoody Feat. GRAY - Adios
Like the majority of the K-Pop tracks I listen to, I went in blind without caring much for the lyrics/meaning behind the song, I just vibed with 'Adios''s addictive instrumentals and flow. It wasn't until I watched Hoody on my favourite ODG Kids YouTube series, where she explained the messaging of wanting to escape the pressure of routine, which drew me in further to loving this beautiful track.
I absolutely adore songs which obtain a happy, mood boosting beat, while having clashing sad & emotional lyrics. 'Adios' is particularly relatable; I feel like most people have dreamt of running away/escaping after feeling like nothing ever changes, even after working hard. Lyrics such as 'I insist to raise myself up' and 'I escape to find the freedom I forgotten about' perfectly encapsulate the unrealistic desires we all have thought about.
Cha Cha Malone's beat is soothing yet exciting; the soft pre-chorus highlighting Hoody's enchanting vocals, to the soft bass kicking in during the chorus is incredibly pleasant. GRAY is the perfect collab for this track, as his voice works well with Hoody's; the vocal effect and catchy rap adds excitement by switching up the flow and pace. The main take away from 'Adios' is Hoody's vocal range; damn this girl is talented!
Hoody is also a total badass in the music video, and there's a fun cameo by other AOMG artists Woo Won Jae and Code Kunst, so it's a fun watch! Or to fully appreciate the song, grab some headphones, and listen in my JETstreams playlist (you know the track's good when it's in my list of personal favourites!)...
Hoody (후디) - '안녕히 (Adios) (Feat. GRAY)' - © AOMG
Million Market (SM Entertainment): SURAN Feat. pH-1 - Don't hang up
Similar to Sohlhee, Suran is another fantastic female soloist, who is mostly known by international fans as the artist who featured on 'Wine', a track produced by BTS's Suga. While I wasn't too keen on 'Wine', as I felt it didn't really do Suran's vocals justice and sounds like every other chill/sad song on the market, her track with pH-1 is groovy and joyous to listen to.
'Don't Hang Up''s beat is so groovy, and the trendy piano chords emulate a slight jazzy feel. Suran's voice is unique and interesting, she's able to perfectly express the meaning of the lyrics through her voice. pH-1 also suits this track well, he's got such a soothing vocal tone, and his constantly switching flow and ad-libs set a different tone. The sampled sounds of the phone number being dialed up at the beginning of the track, to static voices talking over the phone at the end, makes the track well-balanced and is a nice touch. I think this is a good track for non-K-Pop listeners, it probably isn't what they expect if they've only listened to PSY's 'Gangnam Style' or BTS before.
I love the romanized captions featured in the music video; it finally gives me a chance to sing along relatively accurately! The stylist also deserves a raise, both Suran and pH-1 look awesome; I love Suran's casually styled power suit and cute pink blazer!
Discover the colourful and creative music video below, or enjoy with a cup of coffee while listening on my K-Pop: Coffee playlist...
SURAN 수란 '전화끊지마 Don’t hang up (Feat. pH-1)' - © Million Market
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