Best of Weekly Music Shows: 3/21 – 3/27

It’s that time of the week where we recap our favorite performances on Best of Weekly Music Shows. Matilda sort of incorporated the popular “Macarena” with their debut song and stage. This next month seems to be a big one in terms of comebacks, and A.cian, Eric Nam, Got7, and Hong Jin-young were among those who made their comebacks this week. Red Velvet was the ultimate music show award winner, sweeping top honors across the board.

There were a bunch of great performances this week, so please feel free to comment below with your favorites!

Lee Hi’s “1,2,3,4,” KBS Yoo Hee-yeol Sketchbook, March 25, 2016

This performance of “1,2,3,4” was unexpected. In the past, I felt that Lee Hi has come off as either a bit awkward or with this latest promotional cycle for “Breathe” very introspective on stage. Her maturity as a performer has grown in leaps and bounds as she seems extremely comfortable to be up there singing this song along with the crowd. Add in those parts where she pushes for audience participation and the little acapella intro and this was a stellar showing for the songstress. A little sass and plenty of power behind her singing help to boost this performance into quite a memorable one.

NU’EST’s “Overcome,” MBC Show Champion, March 23, 2016

NU’EST has grown significantly from their debut days. Their vocals are stronger, and there is a certain maturity to their presentation on stage. In particular, Baekho and Minhyun have been especially excellent in their respective parts. I also really like the accents of gold in their outfits and how it fit the backdrop of the stage. The fans are vocally supportive in this stage and in return NU’EST showed them a bit of fan service at the end.

Hyomin’s “Sketch,” SBS The Show, March 22, 2016

With long vines of white flowers and green leaves as the setting for her stage, this performance of “Sketch” really stood out. The falling blossoms and the sensual performance both packed quite a punch in the aesthetic section. While the song is seems to be missing something to make it truly special, the live version does show that charisma come in spades for Hyomin. The singer seems to be budding in confidence with each successive solo stage.

Ryeowook (Super Junior) and Ailee’s cover of Baek Ji-young’s “That Woman,” KBS Open Concert, March 27, 2016

If you enjoy two powerful vocalists taking on a classic Baek Ji-young OST ballad, then this is the performance for you. Ailee and Ryeowook transform the Secret Garden ballad with their duet version. Baek Ji-young songs are no slouch and while there were some patchy spots for both vocalists, they were able to find moments to shine. Ryeowook brought a light uniqueness to the chorus with his higher register. Ailee was very skilled throughout, showing the expansiveness and control she has over her range. They were both in unison at the latter half of this stage and together created some great harmonies.

Dean’s “D (half moon),” Naver On Stage, March 23, 2016

I absolutely adore Dean’s voice. Truth be told, all three of his performances for On Stage are worth watching and listening to. Aside from how he sounds on record, his performances are something equally worthy to experience. For “D (half moon),” his voice has a soulful huskiness to it and the way he tackles his runs are incredible. He can hit them clearly or with a guttural growl but always packed with an emotional heft that aches with yearning. Dean embodies his music so wholly that it occasionally leads to a staggering gait, but that also just feels so rightfully like him, to be completely immersed in the moment by the lyrics that he’s singing. Dean is a talented producer for other singers, but what is displayed here is a showcase of his vocal and performance chops which makes a strong claim that Dean does music even better for himself, as an artist.

Side note: I couldn’t find good clips of King of Masked Singer but both ‘Space Agent Number 7’ and ‘Music Captain of our Local’ had some amazing final round stages.

(Image via Naver. YouTube [1][2][3][4])