Best Of Weekly Music Shows: 5/11- 5/17

Welcome back to the best of weekly music shows! This was an incredibly chaotic week, seeing the debuts of Monsta X and Romeo, as well as the soloist Hong Ja. There were also comebacks from BESTie, MyName, Sungkyu and the queen herself, BoA. The only place there was any stability was in the music show winners. BTS took first place on Show Champion and The Show, while Big Bang took everything else, as Big Bang are wont to do.

“I Need U,” BTS, Show Champion, MBC, May 13, 2015

I’m not a BTS fan, but their live stages never fail to impress me. They’re so perfectly in sync it’s almost inhuman. BTS’s lives are so consistently stellar that I could have compiled a list of just BTS this week and it would have been valid. That said, this performance is my favorite of the week for the manic energy the boys exude, juxtaposed against their tight restraint. It elevates “I Need U” from alright to out of this world.

“Excuse Me,” BESTie, MTV The Show, SBS, May 12, 2015

This is gonna be a good comeback for BESTie. “Excuse Me” is full of brass, both metaphorical and literal. The ladies are full to bursting with sassy confidence, and their vocals are no joke here either. The killer sax loop is just the cherry on top.

“The Answer,” Sunggyu, M!Countdown, Mnet, May 14, 2015

Sunggyu just blew me away here. My reaction to “The Answer” was visceral; it’s a song so powerful it feels like a gut punch. The driving emotion, the perfect blend of heartbreak and of grief, it’s beyond outstanding. It’s a very simple set-up — just Sunggyu and his microphone — but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Sunggyu sure as hell ain’t broke.

“Ah Yeah,” EXID, Music Bank, KBS, May 15, 2015

“Ah Yeah” continues to blow me away each time I see it. The sheer volume of disdain and arrogance that EXID has should make this song unappealing, but instead, it just turns EXID into these untouchable figures: nothing anyone says can phase them. LE and Solji in particular are on fire in this performance, making it clear they have no patience for anyone right now.

“Cupid,” Oh My Girl, M!Countdown, Mnet, May 14, 2015

Normally, I’m not a big fan of aeygo in any form, but “Cupid” wormed it’s way past my defenses. Oh My Girl have such pep when they perform, it’s hard not to let it spread. The drum line is, despite the messiness, incredibly addictive, but tipping point is absolutely that high note. I don’t think it’s possible to not smile after hearing this song.

“Loser,” Big Bang, Inkigayo, SBS, May 17, 2015

While more elaborate then the rest of Big Bang’s stages for “Loser”, Inkigayo was my favorite performance. “Loser” depends very heavily on the performers being in the right headspace to properly emote through it — there’s no faking it. This was the performance where Big Bang could obviously feel the song as much as they were singing, and it resonates so much better for it.

These are some of my favorite performances of the week. What were yours, readers?

(image via, YouTube [1], [2], [3], [4])