Welcome back to this week’s Best of Weekly Music Shows! As we enter the last week of January, more and more comebacks are slowly trickling in, with this week seeing the return of standout rookies G-Friend as well as the long overdue solo debut of Super Junior’s Ryeowook.
In terms of this week’s first places, Teen Top took home two trophies from The Show, while iKon won on the M! Countdown, and the rest of the awards went to digitally successful artists that are not currently promoting – Crush and Suzy x Baekhyun, on Show Champion and Inkigayo, respectively. Without further ado, here are my recommendations for the week!
This article contains spoilers for King of Mask Singer.
G-Friend‘s “Rough,” MBC Show Champion, January 27, 2016
I’m beginning to think that if G-Friend keeps up their current style, every comeback from the group will be able to make this list; because catchy songs aside, their hard-hitting choreography is always a refreshing watch that makes them stand out as a girl group. Even while dressed primly in school uniforms, the members show no restraint in executing the powerful dance, and with an impressive level of precision and synchronisation. And while I’m personally not a huge fan of the line distribution this time around, it does do a good job of showcasing not only Yuju’s strong vocals, but Eunha’s underrated and stable voice as well.
Yezi’s “Cider,” MBC Music Core, January 30, 2016
One thing that makes Yezi’s lives enjoyable is not only her skill in rapping, but also her effortless command of the stage. Even with a relatively simple choreography, she oozes charisma — her fierce aura and the occasional smirk is enough to maintain the attention of viewers for the entire performance. Combined with the lyrics of the song, which at some points throw some pretty subtle shade at Mnet, there isn’t much to dislike about this solo debut. Also, that black and white jacket is surprisingly charming.
Dal Shabet’s “Someone Like You,” SBS Inkigayo, January 31, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC-ITPsC0A0
There are so many positive things that could be said about this comeback that I’m surprised it is so slept on by the Korean public. The song is catchy with a unique touch of retro; and the dance, while simple, is easy to follow and well aligned with the music. In addition, styling of the members is incredibly on-point – I’m particularly liking the demin concept of their outfits this promotion cycle. Here’s hoping Dal Shabet gets their big break soon!
Jun.K’s “Mom” (Original by Ra.D), MBC King of Mask Singer, January 31, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6ctKCOqM2o
This is a beautiful rendition of Ra.D’s “Mom,” not only because the song is an emotional song in itself, but also because of how 2PM’s Jun.K delivered it. As rightfully noted by the judges, he has a very charming, slightly husky voice that puts the listeners at ease, and his effortlessly stable high notes are a demonstration of his vocal prowess. The live, combined with the lyrics of song, created an overall moving performance which brought some members of audience to tears.
Ryeowook’s “The Little Prince,” KBS Yoo Hui-yeol’s Sketchbook, January 29, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GfAAYRaK4c
“The Little Prince” is a hauntingly beautiful piece that does a good job of highlighting Ryeowook’s vocals and his uniquely high tone in particular, and what better music show is there to showcase his skills on than Sketchbook? The downside, is however, that the performance sounds exactly like the CD, but even that is a backhanded compliment. It’s also funny how despite the singer’s denial of being the Little Prince in his song title (but rather, the narrator who converses with the Little Prince), he is certainly dressed like one on half of his stages, and his petiteness further reinforces this endearing image.
