A rookie group makes an interesting debut, a great new addition to my following list and a pair of great comebacks.
“Your Ocean,” Hoppipolla
YouTube recommendations come through again as they introduce me to the band Hoppipolla. Formed on the JTBC series Superband in 2019, the band is back for its 2nd mini album. And its title track “Your Ocean” is a beautiful, emotional rock ballad. I loved it immediately and definitely encouraged me to check out the rest of the album and their previous releases. Thank you YouTube!
“X,” Chungha
The anticipation continues to build for Chungha’s first album with the release of “X.” The beautiful pop rock track showcases her stellar vocals accentuating the melodic tune and emotional lyrics. There’s never a question of Chungha delivering and she did so again here.
“Used to This,” Jang Hanbyul
It is so awesome to see Hanbyul back with a brand-new song. And it is an excellent one. The fun, playful track is a definite warm mood maker. It’s honestly been a while since I’ve seen Hanbyul performing. And his on stage and music video performances for this song reminded me of his wittiness, charm and charisma. As well as his smooth vocals of course. This is very much on track to be one of my favorite tracks of the year!
“ASURABALBALTA,” T1419
Rookie group T1419 make their official debut with the rousing track “ASURABALBALTA.” Though I wasn’t really a fan of their pre-release track “Dracula” last year, this track is quite different. Assertive and confident, the track is an interesting song and performance that demands attention. I wondered what their group name meant and apparently, it’s something to do with “teenagers between the age of 14-19.” The music video features a lot youthful visuals matching their age, but the song is anything but. That makes this debut song even more interesting. We’ll keep an eye out for them in their future releases.