Hello everyone, and welcome back to another music show recap!

Though Mnet‘s M!Countdown went AWOL this week, we still saw the solo debut of Infinite leader Kim Sung-gyu, a comeback by FNC sonsgstress Juniel while Hyuna said goodbye, and Ailee ending Psy‘s latest winning streak on KBS Music Bank. SBS Inkigayo, meanwhile, held their K-pop Festival and added extra stages for some variety to our weekly fare, including TVXQ’s  performance of new song “Huuuuuuuuumaaaaaaaaanoids” from their recent Seoul concert.

So without further ado, here are my favourite performances from this week. Don’t forget to let us know about yours too in the comments below!

Epik High: “Don’t Hate Me,” SBS Inkigayo, Sunday 25th November

Half of the performances for this week’s Inkigayo took place in the studio; the set looked fantastic, but it was most perfect during Epik High’s performance. The screens were able to set the scene and even move away from the supermarket setting, which livened up the performance. The larger space also meant much freer movement for members and dancers–and pink-aproned guy was having the time of his life as per usual.

Kim Sung-gyu: “Another Me,” MBC Music Core, Saturday 24th November

As beautiful as the Music Bank set was, the awkward placement of the band along with the rather unruly crowd diminished my enjoyment of the song. The next day’s performance was much more palatable, with fans respectfully staying quiet (save for well-timed fanchants and cheers). The blue lighting was slightly jarring aesthetic-wise, but it did help Sung-gyu’s red hair (and pants) stand out. It’s a shame that he isn’t able to perform any of the other songs of his mini album Another Me, but I’ll take what I can get.

Ailee: “I Will Show You,” KBS Music Bank, Friday 23rd November

Ailee’s win this week is her first ever, and what a way to place first: by edging out the most watched video on YouTube right now. Whether she can maintain this streak remains to be seen, but a first win is still a remarkable achievement, so congratulations to her! Ailee’s performances were great this week, but she just looks so happy here towards the end, I couldn’t go past it. Her enjoyment definitely rubbed off on me during this performance.

Juniel: “Bad Person,” MBC Music Core, Saturday 24th November

Like with Sung-gyu, the set for Juniel’s Music Bank comeback was visually gorgeous with its wintry theme; but the star rookie just seemed more at ease on Music Core, and that came through in her singing as well. It could have been some other factor as well, like the equipment, but she just seemed more switched on on Saturday. “Bad Person” is a lilting, simply furnished song, which doesn’t slow down the tempo set by the other dance-beat songs featured on the music shows, but it provides a very welcome shift in sound. I enjoyed listening to it very much, as did the audience.

Dal Shabet: “Have, Don’t Have,” “Indogayo,” Sunday 25th November

And the prize for initiative goes to Dal Shabet; unable to attend Inkigayo due to schedules in Indonesia, the group instead filmed their own show. Ser-ri, Su-bin and  Ga-eun were the MCs, and the group together performed (well, lip-synced) their latest song “Have, Don’t Have” in front of a swimming pool, the video of which was then uploaded to their company’s YouTube channel. The best part? That the camera work was much better, not hindering the audience’s enjoyment of the dance . Oh, and the fact that the girls filmed the entire video in fluffy white bathrobes, sunnies and bare feet. Best. Outfits. Ever.

(Happy Face Entertainment, KBS, MBC, SBS)