Discovery Biweekly
Another week, another round-up of some new tunes that I’ve been listening to. Check them out below!
NCT 127 — Limitless
For all of you familiar with KPop groups such as Girl’s Generation (SNSD), EXO, or SHINee comes another from SM Entertainment: NCT. Although NCT 127 is suppose to technically be a “sub-unit” of the main NCT group, everything is too complicated for anyone to care. Plus, as much as SM Ent. would probably deny it, NCT 127 (127 being the longitudinal coordinate of Seoul) is most definitely the focus of this project group.
For all new listeners to KPop, I think this tune is very much your stereotypical setup for how a KPop song sounds nowadays. You have your healthy mix of singing verses with rap verses, with a very Top 40’s song structure, strung together with synthesizers and drum beats and there ya go. For those of you interested in seeing the music video, I highly recommend doing so. KPop is no joke when it comes to the entertainment business, mashing together fashion, dancing, singing, rapping, and a few extra tidbits into a crazy clusterfuck of sensory overload.
Brian Puspos — Starting Line
For anyone that used to watch America’s Best Dance Crew, yes this is Brian Puspos from SoReal Cru in season 2. For anyone that follows YouTuber personalities, yes this is the multi-talented Brian Puspos that dances, sings, and is dating Aja Dang. For anyone that listens to R&B, yes this is off his first EP, S.L.A.B. EP: Slow Love And Bangin’ that debuted at #24 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart. The best way to describe his style for newcomers is a mix of The Weeknd and Mario with a little bit of Justin Bieber sprinkled on top. Give it a listen, and definitely drop by the rest of his album for more really great hits.
Big Wild — I Just Wanna
NorCal born Big Wild newest hit from a little over a week ago comes I Just Wanna. It’s super upbeat and I had definitely a great listen or two to keep my mood up. For his style, I’d say something between Jai Wolf and Deorro would be the only way to describe him. It’s an interesting melody similar to his other hits (Aftergold, Venice Venture) that has both a laid back feel and optimistic tempos to set the mood right for a kickback with friends.
Her (Loving You) — Glades
A pop trio coming out of Australia, this is one of their lesser known tracks from their EP last year (This is What It’s Like, 2016). It’s really hard to describe the song, since I think the style isn’t necessarily unique but isn’t really being imitated by any other groups/artists currently in the forefront either. At some point in time I had hoped that Echosmith or ROZES would sound more like this, but it’s a very mellow beat for a blissful night drive or wind down. Give it a try!
Say Something Loving — The xx
You know those bands that once you hear any of their songs, you know very clearly that this is their unique sound? Muse, Fall Out Boy, fun., and The xx all fall into that category for me. For those unfamiliar with this band that’s been around for a little over a decade now, The xx is an English band that made their first big dive into the US market through their 2012 song “Angels”. Definitely yet another mellow nighttime song that I would recommend giving a listen.
On My Way — Tiesto (featuring Bright Sparks)
The cool thing about EDM as a genre is that it invites a lot of emerging artists to be able to make it out there in the industry. With less than 1000 followers on Instagram, and only one other song listed in Spotify, the duo makes headway by being the featured artist on Tiesto’s first song of 2017. It features a nice upbeat tune with trumpets blaring left and right while the lyrics scream of making it in this world. Take a peak! This is definitely my favorite of this Discover Biweekly.
Panic! At the Disco — Death of a Bachelor
I’ve always thought Panic!’s lead singer, Brendon Urie, is one of the strongest vocalists out there right now. I find it that popular votes for strong vocalists nowadays tend to lean towards female vocalists, so it’s rare to see someone that can contend with your Beyonce’s, Ariana Grandes, and Halseys.
Although it’s no longer the early to mid 2000’s that used to be ruled by punk rock, I think one of the few bands to survive the hit the genre took was Panic! (albeit to a lesser popularity). Their styles have definitely spanned across more genres, with this track in particular taking a mix of Frank Sinatra with some recognizable sounds of modern pop music. Take a listen!
