MONSTA X has unique spot in my heart because they are the first (and actually, only!) group formed on a Korean survival program that I actually watched the whole way through. Unlike other survival programs that try to put together a group at the end of the season, I actually watched every episode of No.Mercy.
Four great tracks were released last week. And all four invite you on a romantic soundtrip as we close out August and head into the -ber months.
It was a good week in K-pop with some great new releases from several groups. Soaring anthems and dramatic performances, here’s some of last week’s new title tracks.
Kang Daniel has had a truly captivating rise since first making a splash on Produce 101. Each of his solo releases so far have been excellent. And he’s returned with another one in “Magenta.”
For this week’s Music Monday, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on ATEEZ and their newest album “Zero: Fever Part.1”.
Introducing a new subfeature of DryedMangoez Music Monday, I decided to start with one of my all-time favorite K-pop groups who also happen to truly be one of the most Underrated: MR.MR.
And it’s definitely a perfect time to introduce one of my Ultimate Biases as he unexpectedly released a pair of fresh new songs this past week.
Meet Lim Hyunsik!
Before we get any further in our Music Monday journey, I’d like to take a quick trip down memory lane to how I first got sucked into this cultural behemoth known as the Korean Wave.
Any K-pop fans out there from the last, last decade? If you are, then F.CUZ and DMTN/Dalmatian should be very familiar names. The groups debuted in 2010 and 2009, respectively. And are from a time in K-pop that feels so distant now.
Thankfully, both groups just released fresh music and I will definitely recommend listening to both. (And definitely check out the rest of their discography as well!)
Last week, I listed my 20 favorite songs of the year so far. Technically, all of them were singles/title tracks complete with music videos. But sometimes, the best songs aren’t title tracks. I’ve found that there are always hidden gems on the rest of the album.