Korean music roundup for Summer 2022
To keep you in-the-know, here’s your seasonal roundup of the best and most talked about music releases of summer 2022.
ATEEZ merge EDM, screamo, and rock in their latest title-track Guerilla. Image: ATEEZ Official Twitter.
GROUPS:
The 8-member boy group ATEEZ has been continuing their incredible rise of the K-Pop ranks since their debut, and their latest release has been met with as much praise as usual. Exploring anarchic themes more fully than before, the group (under KQ Entertainment) dropped the music video for the track ‘Guerilla’ to the delight of millions of fans after months of mysterious teasers.
The song is typically noisy, combining elements of EDM, screamo, and rock for a commanding piece, bolstered by memorable sections from rappers Mingi and Hongjoong and by a powerful choreography that many have joked would strike fear into those wanting to take part in the usual TikTok dance challenge.
In the world of girl groups, arguably one of the most anticipated comebacks of summer is that of the iconic Girls’ Generation (a.k.a SNSD). After a group hiatus since 2017, with members such as Taeyeon and Hyoyeon focusing on numerous solo projects, the ‘Gee’ hitmakers returned to the spotlight for their 15 year reunion. The title track ‘Forever 1’, is an ode to both the loyal fans (many of whom have been following SNSD since their 2007 debut) and to each other in the form of a sugary-sweet pop song.
Girls’ Generation perform their reunion release, ‘Forever 1’. Image: Girls’ Generation Official Twitter.
Also coming to the fore are XG, who have delivered a modern girl power anthem. Their comeback, ‘MASCARA’, is the ultimate ‘girlboss’ move, asking the listener whether they’ll “let him pay” or do it themselves, telling them not to waste their energy on a boy that doesn’t deserve them and to instead embrace their femininity and assert themselves.
Unsurprisingly, the English track garnered a lot of online attention for its empowering messages and bravery in the context of the typically conservative, anti-feminist nature of South Korea.
Here’s just some of the abundance of other group releases from this summer:
SF9 - ‘SCREAM’
Xdinary Heroes - ‘Test Me’
STAYC - ‘BEAUTIFUL MONSTER’
SEVENTEEN - ‘CHEERS’ and ‘_WORLD’
KARD - ‘Ring The Alarm’
ITZY - ‘Sneakers’
ENHYPEN - ‘Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)’
Aespa - ‘Girls’
Golden Child - ‘Replay’
TRI.BE - ‘KISS’
Fromis_9 - ‘Sea of Moonlight’ and ‘Stay This Way’
PURPLE KISS - ‘Nerdy’
ILY:1 - ‘Que Sera Sera’
WJSN - ‘Last Sequence’
P1Harmony - ‘Doom Du Doom’
VIVIZ - ‘LOVEADE’
MCND - ‘#MOOD’
TO1 - ‘Drummin’’
THE BOYZ - 'WHISPER'
ONF - ‘Your Song’
LUCY - ‘PLAY’
CRAXY - ‘Undercover’
SUPER JUNIOR - ‘Mango’
BLACKPINK - ‘PINK VENOM’
IVE - ‘After LIKE’
CIX - ‘458’
TWICE - ‘Talk That Talk’
DKB - ‘24/7’
TEMPEST - ‘Can’t Stop Shining’
BILLLIE - ‘RING ma Bell’
DEBUTS:
Debuts in K-Pop have been relatively scarce over the past few months, with only a couple springing to fans’ minds as of late. The girl groups have been out in force however, with NewJeans of HYBE making their mark.
The track ‘Attention’ is very reminiscent of 90s/early 00s RnB and pop, a smooth track that wouldn’t feel out of place amongst the likes of All Saints, Destiny’s Child, and Atomic Kitten . It has received incredible virality since its release, chalking up around 15 million Spotify streams in 3 weeks. We can be sure to see the girls rise higher as the year continues!
Other debuts of summer include:
KINO (of PENTAGON) - ‘POSE’
ATBO - ‘Monochrome (Color)’
CSR - ‘Pop? Pop!’
SOLOISTS:
Arguably the most talked about solo releases of the past few months come from within the world-famous BTS; rapper and dancer j-hope followed up on his 2018 debut mixtape Hope World with two tracks on the complete opposite end of the sound spectrum.
Embracing darker themes and styles, j-hope’s ‘MORE’ and ‘ARSON’ call back to BTS’ earlier hip-hop days, addressing in the lyrics the nexus of art, work, passion, ambition, money, and popularity.
In the wake of the Jack in the Box album release, j-hope showcased his solo performance chops at the Chicago Lollapalooza music festival on 31st July 2022. He delivered powerful performances of the two tracks along with some of his previous solo work, to the praise of thousands of onlookers and millions of netizens.
Some more summer solo releases can be found below:
NAYEON - ‘POP!’
HyunA - ‘Nabillera’
Hyolyn - ‘NO THANKS’ & ‘Waka Boom (ft. Lee Young Ji)’
HUTA (of BTOB) - ‘BOOM’
CHUNG HA - ‘Sparkling’
SUNMI - ‘Heart Burn’
JAEHYUN (of NCT) - ‘Forever Only’
YENA - ‘SMARTPHONE’
YUJU (ft. BIG Naughty) - ‘Evening’
YUKIKA - ‘Scent’
JUNNY (ft. CHUNG HA) - ‘Color Me’
BM (of KARD) - ‘STRANGERS’
Gaho - ‘Beautiful Night’
LEE JINHYUK - ‘Crack’ (upcoming)
KEY - ‘Gasoline’ (upcoming)
K-Hip Hop/RNB:
After London’s MIK Festival in Southwark Park (showcasing names such as Jessi, pH-1, Lee Hi and GRAY), Korean hip-hop and RnB has been on everyone’s lips. Releases throughout summer have been aplenty, with more and more coming every day.
On 29th July, singer-songwriter-producer-director and general all-rounder DPR IAN (informally known as Christian Yu) released his second album. The Dream Perfect Regime visual director was previously known for his incredible skill behind a camera, helping to create the incredible cinematography and stories of rapper DPR LIVE and producer/singer DPR CREAM.
After his debut EP MITO (Moodswings In This Order) in 2021, IAN’s success and skill skyrocketed, highlighted within his second collection of songs MIITO (Moodswings In To Order). ‘Ballroom Extravaganza’ heads the lineup, supported by a teaser for a short movie that aims to explore the inner workings of IAN’s mind and his experiences with bipolar disorder in visual form, whilst soundtracked by the album. You can check out the teaser below:
Other summer KHH/KRnB tracks include the following:
pH-1 (ft. Woo) - ‘MR. BAD’
H1GHR MUSIC - ‘BRB’
ZICO - ‘Freak’
LOCO (ft. Hwasa) - ‘Somebody!’
HEIZE - ‘Undo’
GEMINI (ft. BIG Naughty) - ‘1, 2, 3’
Jay Park - ‘Bite’
Ash-B (ft. Lee Young Ji) - ‘Girls Back Home’
SUPERBEE - ‘Big Boss’
Kid Milli - ‘BENZO’
Tiger JK - ‘POV’
NSW yoon (ft. AJ Tracey & Hangzoo) - ‘Flip Flap’
D.Ark, JUSTHIS & Dbo - ‘E MINOR FREESTYLE’
Colde - ‘Myo (Cat)’
SLEEQ (ft. Na0H) - ‘Cocktail’
SAAY - ‘My Move’
PREDICTIONS:
Whilst official scheduled comebacks for the next few months include NCT 127, ONEUS and Blackpink’s full album, rumours and hopes are abundant for the autumn. Seulgi from Red Velvet, Weeekly, Le Sserafim, TXT, Stray Kids, and NMIXX have all had their names thrown into the mix, but we’ll have to wait and see!
Seeing as the K-Pop industry is notorious for its concepts, costumes, and performances, hopefully the months surrounding Halloween will bring about some great releases to soundtrack the spooky season.
Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.