Hello, and welcome back to another edition of Best of Weekly Music Shows! This week was filled with change-ups in the music show circuit: M! Countdown aired a special KCON NY episode instead of the usual count down, and both Music Core and Inkigayo aired special Liberation Day episodes packed with special stages.
With the stages being a little more diverse than usual, this week had a number of stand-out performances. Not many new acts took the stage this week, but many returning groups brought their A-game.
Here are some of my picks for the best of the week. Be sure to leave your favorites in the comment section!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCBRxS9UPAI]BEAST, “Yey” SBS Inkigayo, August 16th 2015
This week, Inkigayo changed things up with a broadcast from Sokcho in honor of Liberation Day. Instead of the usual studio stages, this week’s broadcast was more of a celebratory concert. As such, BEAST rose to the occasion with their high-energy performance of “Yey.” The entire stage felt like a party, from the lights to the dancing, and it’s obvious both the members and the audience were having a great time.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd57E3a1KrY]Sistar, “Shake It,” “Touch My Body” and “Loving U,” KBS Yoo Hee-yeol’s Sketchbook, August 15th 2015
Sistar proved they are the queens of summer on this week’s episode of Sketchbook, with an energetic performance of three of their biggest hits in a single stage. Sistar’s enthusiasm is undeniable and had the audience going crazy before they’d even transitioned into the second song.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI44blVVT6g]Mamamoo, “Man in a Yellow Shirt,” (Original by Han Myeong-suk), MBC Show! Music Core, August 15th 2015
Music Core‘s Liberation Day special was a breath of fresh air as some of our favorite groups took the stage to perform classic hits. In addition to “Um Oh Ah Yeh,” Mamamoo performed the 1961 classic, “Man in a Yellow Shirt.” I was already impressed with their vocals and harmonies, but the surprise mash up of Beyonce‘s “Single Ladies” quickly made this performance one of my favorites this week. Mamamoo always kills it, but this stage continues to prove they are capable of performing just about any music style with confidence and finesse.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ootAC8yd-PM]Shinee, “Married to the Music,” KBS Music Bank, August 14th, 2015
Shinee has been giving nothing short of flawless performances this comeback, and each one seems better than the last. Their Music Bank stage this week felt like a basement Halloween party with all the black lights and neon colors (not to mention the glowing eye-shadow the members sported). The styling for this stage was also on point. That being said, they could perform “Married to the Music” in sweats, and I’d still walk away impressed with the choreography and vocals alone.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUKQwDKgiDc]The Wonder Girls, “Oh My!” (Original by Jang Yoon-jung), MBC Show! Music Core, August 15th 2015
Jang Yoon-jung’s “Oh My” was one of the first trot songs to transcend into the contemporary K-pop sphere when it was released back in 2005. Since the Wonder Girls are already mixing genres with their band concept, it makes sense that they would choose to reboot the popular classic for Music Core‘s special episode. Their rendition puts a rock ‘n’ roll twist on the classic, and it’s absolutely wonderful. The line distribution highlighted each member’s vocal colors in just the right way, and they truly made the classic their own. I was hesitant about the band concept at first, but the more stages I see from the ladies, the more I love it.
