My last Music Monday before finalizing my favorite music of the year so far. Here’s an interesting mix of songs from Jang Wooyoung, XONIK, NOWZ, ALLDAY PROJECT, ZE:NITH.
“Simple Dance” by Jang Wooyoung
I feel like it’s been a long time since 2PM’s Jang Wooyoung had a solo release. It’s definitely been a long time since his excellent solo debut album 23, Male, Single which was released back in *checks Google* 2012?!?!?!. Boy, I’m definitely old. lol But while Wooyoung and I are similarly aged, you wouldn’t know it as he effortlessly delivers the sensual charisma needed to make “Simple Dance” an excellent and appealing track. A performance that can only be delivered by someone with his experience, it’s so exciting to hear and enjoy a new release from him! And one that is as good as this one.
“Private” by XONIK
XONIK make their debut with dance track “Private”. It is an energetic track that allows the group to deliver a confident and intense performance. It makes a good first impression and will definitely encourage you to follow them and look forward to their next releases. A good debut!
“Fly Freely (feat. Yuqi)” by NOWZ
Rookie group NOWADAYS had a solid debut year. But they mark a fresh start as NOWZ. And ahead of the release of their new album, they deliver this great track “Fly Freely” featuring Yuqi of i-dle. Described as “cinematic soul pop”, you can definitely get that vibe from the melody and refreshing lyrics. The warm feelings of the song and the group’s strong performance offer up a different side of the them from their releases so far. And it makes me excited about their new album next month!
“Famous” by ALLDAY PROJECT
It’s always great when a new co-ed group debuts in Korea. And THEBLACKLABEL’s ALLDAY PROJECT make their entrance with the solid “Famous”. The dance track has plenty of confidence and swag and it’s a good introduction to the five-member group. Hip-hop-powered B-side track “Wicked” is very much a performance-focused track and they are able to show more of what they are capable of. It will be interesting to see how their sound and style evolve from here. And I will definitely continue to watch out for them.
“Bite the Moon” by ZE:NITH
YouTube Recommendations pointed me to ZE:NITH. I know nothing about them other than they are an AI group and debuted earlier this year. But that said, their songs are pretty great. Their latest title track “Bite the Moon” is a dramatic, moody pop-dance track. And checking out some of their other songs, it definitely falls in line with that kind of a vibe. Obviously there’s some trepidation about AI visuals and all that. But regardless, the songs are good. Other title tracks like “Dark Rose” and “Poison Love” are just as good as any song from a non-AI group. So again, I don’t get it. But I like it? A lot, actually.