Welcome back to this week’s edition of Best of Weekly Music Shows. This week we saw the return of CN Blue, Fly to the Sky, Jessi and Roh Ji-Hoon as well as the debut of rookie groups DIA and UP10TION. SM artists continued to rake in the awards as SNSD and Red Velvet faced off for the number one spot despite “Lion Heart” promotions coming to a close last week.
With all the performances this week it was a bit hard to narrow down my list, but below are some of my favorites. Don’t forget to share your favorite performances in the comment section!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V24DwMIS7Ho]Martin Smith and Jhameel Kim, “Loser” (Big Bang), MNet Superstar K7. September 17th, 2015.
I was already a fan of Jhameel before his recent stint on Superstar K7. When he was paired up with the harmonious Martin Smith duo for this week’s challenge, I knew it was going to be an interesting collaboration. Covering a hit like Big Bang’s “Loser” is no easy feat, and the three musicians were able to retain the sentiment of the original track, while adding their own artistic flair. Not only was the final product spectacular (those harmonies!), but this performance is what a collaboration should be: each group bringing their own strengths and working off of one another instead of letting their individual styles overwhelm the entire performance.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB5oIAQd-PY]Jessi, “SSENUNNI.” MNet, M! Countdown, September 17th, 2015.
Love her or hate her, Jessi returned to the K-pop scene this week with “SSENUNNI” and proved she is a force to be reckoned with. Where the choreography may be lacking, Jessi makes up for it with overwhelming confidence and a smile that shows exactly how much she enjoys being back on stage.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGEV61MnAHM]Jun Jin (Shinhwa), “Wow Wow Wow.” MNet, M! Countdown, September 17th, 2015.
As an experienced K-pop veteran, Jun Jin did not disappoint with his second solo release. “Wow Wow Wow” has honestly been one of my favorite jams this month. This stage exemplifies Jun Jin’s talents as a performer: not only is he able to keep up with the choreography, but he delivers a charismatic performance with stable vocals to boot.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JPih0pPvC8]Roh Ji-Hoon, “If You Were Me.” MNet, M! Countdown, September 17th, 2015.
Everything about this “If You Were Me” stage shined: Roh Ji-hoon’s vocals, the set, his smile. Even with a slower song — and slightly unnecessary background dancers — Roh Ji-hoon is a very captivating performer. With his beautiful vocals and a charming demeanor, I doubt I was the only viewer swooning over each of his comeback stages this week.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGnuffIRK1A]Red Velvet, “Dumb Dumb.” KBS Music Bank, September 18th, 2015.
Red Velvet’s “Dumb Dumb” is atonal and chaotic, but that doesn’t stop it from being a catchy listen. What impresses me most about the “Dumb Dumb” stages is that the choreography is such a mismatch of styles that it shouldn’t work, but somehow it does. The ladies go from doing the robot one second, to pelvic thrusting the next without any awkward transitions. Add onto that the impressive live vocals of Wendy and Seulgi — and Irene‘s ability to work a camera — and I’m hooked.
