Bolbbalgan4 (BOL4) – “Bom”
On April 1, South Korean female folk duo BOL4 made a comeback with the album “Youth Diary 1” including the tracks “Bom,” “Mermaid,” and “Stars All Over Me.” While all three songs were met with positive reactions from fans, “Bom” was the true chart slayer, ranking first in various music networks such as the “Mnet Music Charts” and the “Melon Music Charts” immediately after its release. Following the annual trend of seasonal singles related to cherry blossoms and the warm weather released during the spring season, “Bom” expresses the heart-fluttering feelings of springtime and coming-of-age love. Such warm emotions, in fact, are strongly evoked by the combination of the band’s vocalist Ahn Ji-young’s ringing voice and the soft, melodic background tune. A song capable of conjuring the beauty of the spring season, “Bom” is the perfect track to listen to nowadays.
Blackpink – “Kill This Love”
Want to take a break from the calm spring-themed songs? Then Blackpink’s new track “Kill This Love” may be the right choice. Following their latest song “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” South Korean girl group Blackpink recently made a comeback with another new track “Kill This Love” on April 4. Featuring Blackpink members Lisa and Jennie’s hard-hitting raps along with Rosé and Jisoo’s stunning vocals, the band’s music video was recorded as the first among all KPOP videos to reach 80 million views. Completely contrasting the mellow tune of BOL4’s “Bom,” “Kill This Love” features a strong, catchy beat that combines multiple genres including dance, rock, rap, and hip-hop into a single track. The track’s constant shifts from intense raps to softer melodies not only makes it unique and interesting, but also showcases the members’ capabilities of performing various genres of music.
Epik High – “Lovedrunk”
While many artists made a comeback with a series of upbeat and cheerful music, veteran KPOP group Epik High recently took a different route to release “Sleepless in _____,” an album with a melancholy vibe. With each of five songs in the extended play telling a different story related to insomnia, the album explores the various emotions and thoughts that keep a person awake during the night. Of these tracks, the title song of the album, “Lovedrunk,” specifically expresses the pain one feels after a rough break-up. In fact, the combination of R&B singer Crush’s slow, rippling vocals and Epik High members Tablo and Mithra Jin’s gentle, yet impressive, rap parts not only adds to the mellowness of the song’s overall mood, but also demonstrates Epik High’s talent of manipulating notes to effectively evoke deep sentiments. After becoming the first KPOP group to perform at Coachella in 2016, Epik High continues to rise to greater prominence by delivering high-quality music like “Lovedrunk” to their fans.