As Such? (Top Singles, First Quarter 2013 [and a few albs])

[koganbot]

Not sure if any themes are developing in this year's list. I've got some Korean hip-hop "as such" at 1 and 13 ("as such" as opposed to K-pop that employs hip-hop, though the latter is usually way better and is also on my list, D-Unit's "Stay Alive" being especially rappy). In general, "real" Korean hip-hop is either too dogged and serious or too jokey. (Is it not peculiar that if I were to describe a human being (e.g., myself) as dogged and serious it would be a compliment, and "tells jokes" would often be a positive attribute as well; but sounding dogged and serious in song is generally negative, as is coming off as a joke act?) I've been listening to the back catalog of Gaeko's group Dynamic Duo, who are inventive and all that but, you know, dogged and serious. Unfortunately, at the moment my analytic and adjectival wellsprings are producing nothing to help describe any of this. I'm not saying I dislike Dynamic Duo; last year's 6th Digilog 2/2 gets a definite head nod from me. But nothing on it immediately arrests my attention like the first five seconds of "난리good!!!" with its combination of severity and flamboyance. Wise of Gaeko to grab onto the electronic dance. Of course, hip-hop's often willing to grab.

1. Gaeko & Choiza & Simon D & Primary "난리good!!! (AIR)"
2. GLAM "I Like That"
3. Baauer "Harlem Shake"
4. Margaret Berger "I Feed You My Love"
5. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears "Scream & Shout"
6. G-Dragon ft. Jenova "Crayon (Lam Suet Remix)"
7. Sistar19 "Gone Not Around Any Longer"
8. Kate Nash "Death Proof (CSS Remix)"
9. 2YOON "24/7"
10. Tiny-G "Minimanimo"
11. D-Unit ft. Vasco "Stay Alive"
12. Yelle "L'Amour Parfait"
13. Gaeko "Rhythm Is Life"
14. Baek Ji Young "I Hate It"
15. D-Unit ft. Zico "Talk To My Face"
16. GLAM "In Front Of The Mirror"
17. SHINee "Dream Girl"
18. A$AP Rocky ft. 2 Chainz, Drake, Kendrick Lamar "Fuckin' Problems"
19. MYNAME "Just That Little Thing"
20. Miranda Lambert "Mama's Broken Heart"
21. Baek Ji Young "Acacia"

The following albums are fairly listenable:

1. D-Unit Affirmative Chapter.1 (D-Business Entertainment/Windmill Media)
2. The Cataracs Loud Xmas EP (Universal Republic)
3. Ashley Monroe Like A Rose (Warner Brothers Nashville)

"Sistar19 - Gone Not Around Any Longer [Audio]" (Watch on YouTube)

Comments

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

I'm obsessed with AA - Come Back (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4JmhB65O2I) at the moment.

I've been liking lots of The Singles Jukebox singles, including pretty much all of the country ones (Miranda Lambert, Lindi Ortega, Kacey Musgraves) plus all the ones everyone likes (Kendrick Lamar - Backseat Freestyle, Tegan and Sara - Now I'm All Messed Up, Guess Who - Omare), etc etc.

Also poppy K-hiphop such as:
Phantom - I'll Speak Plainly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUUiYF1kzWw)
Spacecowboy - It's Over (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT80FwW9XiE)
M.I.B. - Money in the Building (http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DsIP0HeO15hQ) (!!!)
Zion.T - Babay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=84m-0uO39SY)
MFBTY - Sweet Dream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D20bTiJNQpQ)

And most of Jay Park's stuff. Speaking of Jay Park, the guest on this hilarious stoner thing (http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dyj7olpCtmVg) might be the same girl that was in his SNL parody skit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKnYiXB209g)? Maybe? She sounds the same.

Plus a lot of the stuff you mention, although Jade Alston's version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwWdNgn3490) of Problems has replaced the original for me. G.NA - Oops (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp1vK-KU4RE) has been growing on me, surprisingly. Also while I still don't like CNBlue - Sorry that much, there's a live performance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHTAKEZbWSY) of it I like a lot, that fixes the pronunciation of "Crazy" and puts the song in its proper place (something that plays as the credits run on a romantic comedy).

Finally, if we can go back a bit, Jade Alston - Missing You Lately (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=736AfCmahyg) is great; and Girls Generation - Beep (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNqFrJMsPe0), which was just released in a Japanese version.

[koganbot]

M.I.B "Money In The Building"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLJg-yJfMcQ

Girls' Generation "Beep Beep"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCscyDno4yA