On the K/Queue: August 2018

Best mini albums from DIA, SF9 and more

Ryo Miyauchi
Sep 2, 2018 · 6 min read

A lot of exciting things happened within my circle of K-pop, mainly KCon L.A. as well as the full debut of LOONA. But the most memorable moment in K-pop caught on video this month was the members of DIA crying tears of joy after their first win for its new single, “Woo Woo.” Though the group decided to take… interesting choices in costume for its later TV performances shortly after, it was exciting to see its long-awaited comeback (for me, anyway) start with such a success.

There were many more notable releases this month. Here are six great mini albums from August.

Free Travel

Berry Good

After a one-off single with the Heart Heart subunit, Berry Good dropped off a new full-length as a whole group. Squeaky vocals may provide the hook for “Green Apple,” but the album isn’t too concerned about chasing the latest trends. If anything, some bits of it echo slightly older K-pop from earlier this decade.

Summer Ade

DIA

DIA reunited for a late-summer release after Somyi and Yebin’s stints on The Unit, and the laid-back, bass-inspired “Woo Woo” was worth the wait. Summer Ade as a whole covers a range of styles, from sun-kissed EDM to after-hours jazz pop, and they tackle the diverse stretch in a seamless sequence.

New Kids: Continue

iKON

“Killing Me” nicely followed up “Love Scenario” from January, but iKON dishes out a more curious record in “Freedom” — a stadium-minded pop-punk song blazing a trail after the mini album’s skip-happy R&B single. The group continues to branch out into a softer pop route with “Only You” and “Cocktail.”

More Than Ever

MXM

If Match Up previewed a portion of the charming personalities behind MXM, More Than Ever serves the whole course of the duo’s capabilities. More stylish dance-pop? Sensitive ballads? While the two can do the proper album job, their signature goofy, teenage antics remains as what they do best.

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LOONA

LOONA debuted as a unit after the first out of its 12 members was revealed almost two years ago. While the two singles with the full line-up go all in with high energy, the group simmers down in the album cuts. “Stylish” lives up to its name, and “Perfect Love” keeps up the newer subunit’s brand of cool.

Sensuous

SF9

SF9 returned with an inverse of a typical summer-season rollout, going from the silly “Mamma Mia” to the edgy garage-house hit “Now or Never.” And true to its title, Sensuous changes lighting for a more serious mood, from the guitar riff of “Unlimited” or the roughed-up attitude of “Shadow.”


More K-pop from August…

  • BIGFLO dances to some squirmy bass synths in “Upside Down,” and then the single reveals itself to be a flashy dance-pop number about halfway through. There’s also a rap in there somewhere.
  • BTS dropped Love Yourself: Answer, but you probably knew that already.
  • Cherry on Top tames a wild, zig-zagging EDM beat for its debut single, “Hi-Five.” It pops, it wobbles, it squeaks, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
  • I’m not as enthusiastic about (G)I-DLE’s “Hann” as others seem to be, though the switch-up in style is at least commendable. Maybe I’m just not a fan of whistles.
  • IMFACT delivers a rather pensive single in “Nanana,” driven by trance synths, Ibiza guitar riffs and a fat garage bass line for a hook.
  • VIXX’s Leo debuted a solo single, “Touch & Sketch,” and it’s a slightly smoother R&B compared to his main group’s dance-pop. While his mini album Canvas is a bit uneven, it still showcases what he’s capable of.
  • Kiss Entertainment has been putting out quite a few singles out of its roster for the Japanese market this summer. Following 100% and Boyfriend last month, RAINZ, SNUPER, and UP10TION all put out a new Japanese release. My favorite out of the three is UP10TION’s stylish dance-pop “Chaser” that doesn’t stick itself a seasonal theme like a lot of singles coming out around this time.
  • More Japanese releases: EXID re-released “Up & Down,” and it’s promoting the single as a five-piece with Solji; Twice released “BDZ” off of its announced first full-length album; Pony Canyon revived Eyedi’s three-year-old single “Sign” for her Japan debut; Pentagon released a mini album, which includes a Japanese version of “Shine.”
  • If you’re like me and sometimes slip into a mood for heartbroken K-pop R&B during the late-night hours, may I recommend you Ko Sungmin’s “Don’t Let Me Know” for this month?
  • It may not beat Wanna One’s human piano — really, though, what will? — the beginning moments in Nature’s choreography for the group’s charming debut single, “Allegro Cantabile,” makes great use of the song’s twinkling piano keys. Come for those keys, and stay for the marvelous chorus run.
  • The ’80s hip-hop-recalling, sparse yet jingling make-up of NCT Dream’s “We Go Up” may be less of a spectacle than the Empathy singles, but I can live with the cowbells and the bass drop in the chorus for now.
  • A solid hip-house beat supports pH-1’s sprung rhymes in “Cupid.” His efforts to get her attention may vary in mileage, but you at least have a good production and a smooth chorus by Penomeco to fall back on.
  • Coin sounds and other crunchy video-game bits pop up in Red Velvet’s fizzy summer single, “Power Up.” The group coasts through the rest of Summer Magic.
  • SHA SHA delivers sweet power-pop for its new single, “What the Heck,” packed with a yanking chorus and a cheerleader’s rally call for a bridge. The real MVP is Chaki, whose chatty second verse and those ad libs throughout add a lot to the song.
  • A sweetly glossy sheen covers Sumin’s new single “Your Home” with Xin Seha. Chintzy yet shimmery synths, fat drum-machine beats and twisting vocoder work accent the R&B really well.
  • Rookie girl group We Girls’ debut single “On Air” is quite the ride. The hyperactive beat changes shape every four bars, zig-zagging from fizzy EDM to brassy girl-crush pop and then back again to helium-fueled bass.
  • ZICO’s decision to call up IU for their collaboration “SoulMate” makes a lot of K-pop sense: there’s a lot to mine within in the middle of the melancholy R&B/coffee-shop acoustic pop Venn diagram. The video is a charming one to sit through as well.

You made it to the end! Here’s a YouTube playlist of all of the featured songs this month to take home.

Previous months in K-pop 2018: JanuaryFebruaryMarch & AprilMayBest B-sides of 2018 So Far • June/July (Mini Albums/Singles)

Ryo Miyauchi

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music, etc.

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