Best of Weekly Music Shows: 7/14-7/20

It’s time for Best of Weekly Music Shows, and this time around, there were an assortment of good stages to choose from. f(x) reign strong with oddball song “Red Light,” quintuple winners of Show! Champion, Music Core, Music Bank, Inkigayo, and M! Countdown. B1A4, Eddy Kim, Girl’s Day, and Infinite had great comebacks, and Ye-a and Lucky J debuted. With the sheer number of groups, this did mean that unfortunately many performances were abridged versions only. I’ve chosen five favorites below, but please comment with your own.

Girl’s Day with “Darling” on MBC Show! Champion, July 16, 2014

“Darling” (begins at 3:31) is the perfect song for summer, and Girl’s Day bring upbeat energy and lively faces. All their “Darling” stages this week were impressively solid, though I favor this stage for the bright red separates. They truly “pop” along with the happy beat of the song and really seem to be having fun.

Mamamoo with “Mr. Ambiguous” on KBS Music Bank, July 18, 2014

Mamamoo have been absolutely killing their performances since debut, and it’s a pleasure to see their initially quite strong, charismatic stage presence only increase from week to week. Unusually, they also tend to change up details of their performances, which keeps them fresh and fun to watch. This time there’s a new dance break and impromptu invocation of “Billie Jean,” as well as some synchronized hand-gun choreography and formations.

Lucky J with “Can You Hear Me?” on KBS Music Bank, July 18, 2014

I never expected to include a name I didn’t even recognize on this list, but R&B/hip-hop co-ed trio Lucky J’s debut eclipses some of the veteran performances I watched this week. Jessi‘s strong vocals have more than a hint of pleasant scratchiness. I also felt positive shades of 8eight from the combination of female power vocal, male vocal, and male rapper. It’s no surprise they hail from Ailee and Wheesung‘s company, YMC Entertainment, and I’m looking forward to more from them. (I also thank KBS for not cutting off their heads and feet with the camera frame, unlike certain other poor performers this week.)

Block B with “Jackpot” on MBC Music Core, July 19, 2014

With “Jackpot”‘s untimely promotions cut short, Block B’s thoughtful special stage gives them a chance to showcase their explosive energy and preparations. Zico in particular is in top form, and the funky yellow striped suits allow them to stand out in the bustling crowd onstage.

Taeyang (Big Bang)  and Tablo (Epik High) with Taeyang’s “Eyes, Nose, Lips” on SBS Inkigayo, July 20, 2014

It’s the fated reunion of Taeyang and Tablo! After their cover video, I have been anticipating a live performance of this modified song. Tablo’s flow sounds even better live, and Taeyang’s singing is solid.  Their voices mesh incredibly well with each other, and as always, it’s great to see collaborations between artists.

(KBS, MBC, SBS)