Best of Weekly Music Shows: 5/5 – 5/10

Welcome back to another best of weekly music shows. In light of the Sewol Ferry Tragedy, the entertainment industry was put on hold for the past three weeks. This week KBS’s Music Bank continued their broadcast hiatus for the fourth consecutive week, Mnet’s M!Countdown put forth its first full music show in May, and MBC’s Show! Music Core aired a special ballad singer episode.

Many artists that had postponed their promotions also returned to the stage. EXO-K, Park Si-hwan, 15&, Lena Park made their music show comebacks. There were also a slew of special stages as well. During the hiatus, AKMU swept the awards on  Mnet M!Countdown and SBS Inkigayo with “200%” while saw A Pink take top honors for “Mr. Chu” on M!Countdown this past Thursday. These are my picks for the week, but don’t forget to mention yours in the comments!

Exo-K’s “Overdose” on Mnet M!Countdown, Thursday May 8^th 2014

Exo-K made their long awaited comeback with “Overdose.” The song has grown on me significantly. The choreography is a bit of a mixed bag, but the boys execute it with a lot of energy. Much praise for the steady one shot camera work which really showcases the formation and dance excellently.

Infinite’s “Can You Smile” on MBC New Life to Children, Monday May 5^th 2014

The Children’s Day special concert saw Infinite return to the stage to perform this slower tempo track. Their vocals have shown great improvement since their debut. All the members wore yellow ribbons in memory of the victims of the ferry disaster.

A Pink’s “Love Story” on MBC New Life to Children, Monday May 5^th 2014

Ballads are the standard this week, and A Pink were able to show off their vocal ability with “Love Story” on both Music Core and the Children’s Day concert. Although the weather was extremely tempestuous, A Pink handled it well. Bomi and Eunji were both exceptional, channeling their emotion to give a heartfelt performance.

15&’s “Can’t Hide It” on Mnet M!Countdown, Thursday May 8^th 2014

Even though the girls still look a bit awkward on stage, this song is a great R&B number. Vocally both Jimin and Yerin are stellar. I can’t help but feel that the girls would be more comfortable if they had some simple choreography or better staging instead of just singing in one stationary spot.

Ulala Session’s cover of Nami’s “Like an Indian Doll” on MBC Music Travel Yesterday, Saturday May 10^th 2014

The boys of Ulala Session are great performers. This high energy performance had it all. The vocals were perfect. The dancing was fun and free. However, it is their showmanship and willingness to engage with the audience that make them a cut above the rest.

Jaurim’s “25,21” on MBC Show! Music Core, Saturday May 10^th 2014

On a special ballad driven episode, Jaurim was the stand out for me. Kim Yoon-ah’s voice is phenomenal. I absolutely adore her range and unique voice. She shows a brooding restraint throughout the first half of the song before it crescendos with absolute pure emotion toward the end.

(Mnet, KBS, MBC)