With half of the year wrapped up and the second half kicking off, July has seen many groups look to build off a very successful start to 2023. The month has seen some of the best releases to date with a dedicated Best of the Rest short to follow and cover those great releases we aren’t able to cover right now. Here are our Top Picks of July!
1 – The Rose – Back To Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuzLp9gDcwY
After their incredible performance at BST Hyde Park at the start of the month, The Rose surprised all ‘Swiss Black Roses’ as they performed their then unreleased song “Back To Me” which would later be released at the end of the month.
The song comes after their world tour ‘HEAL Together’ which famously saw them perform in London on Valentine’s Day. The band have taken their new beginning under self-made label Windfall in stride with the tour named after their 2022 album HEAL.
“Back To Me” sees The Rose once again emotionally sing about past relationships with a heavier rock sound different to their softer sound that the band has seen success with in the past.
In this track we see the group looking to experiment with an entirely different sound paired with their incredible vocals once again by Woosung featured on the song’s chorus and first verses, it also makes the most of member Dojoon whose rapping and vocal ability shines throughout the song in what is surely set to be a new fan classic when performed live.
2 – FIFTY FIFTY Feat. Kalli – Barbie Dreams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfZjylInCwg&pp=ygUZZmlmdHkgZmlmdHkgYmFyYmllIGRyZWFtcw%3D%3D
One of the most surprising entry’s on the list this month and one that I didn’t think I would be adding when I heard that FIFTY FIFTY would be part of the Barbie soundtrack. It’s easy to think that any song apart from “Barbie Girl” or others featured on a soundtrack alongside the likes of international superstars Sam Smith, Lizzo and Dua Lipa would be hard for any group to stand out in.
However, FIFTY FIFTY arguably made the greatest song of the Barbie soundtrack completely understanding the brief and what the film needs. The song has everything you expect when you think Barbie.
Sampling Janet Jackson’s “Together Again” the song starts out with an addictive electronic sound before breaking into the chorus and transitioning into a sped-up rap style verse. The song benefits from its perfect lyrics which greatly explain the Barbie World with words that even non-Barbie songs can relate to. It boasts a great mixture of rap and singing featuring Kaliii and it is almost a reason, in itself, to watch the film.
3 – J’Kyun – Trigger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js6acsvALA4
A legend now, in at number 3 in this list, is J’kyun. It’s been now 18 years since the Korean rapper made his debut on the South Korean Hip-hop and RnB scene becoming a staple amongst fans. He has appeared on 4 separate seasons of Show Me The Money (a South Korean rap competition TV show), with his latest appearance taking place on the shows 11th season last year. The rapper has his own alter ego ‘Cox Billy’ which is a masked rapper who famously made an appearance on Show Me The Money 8 and later the show’s 9th season.
Now back as J’kyun again, and with his third comeback of 2023, J’Kyun takes a different approach to fast paced engineered tracks and instead opting for a more rock RnB style with an electronic bass.
The rapper shows off his power and adaptability as the second generation continues to make his name known in the Korean music industry.
If you are looking for a powerful, easy to listen rap then this is the one for you.
4 – TXT, Jonas Brothers – Do It Like That
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0EYKxF1oTI
One of the biggest news of 2023 was the first rumoured and later confirmed BigHit giants TXT joining of forces with Disney Channel and American super boy band the Jonas Brothers. Since coming back after a 6 year split from 2013-2019, this release was perfect for both young and old K-pop fans who remember the old Camp Rock days of the Jonas Brothers.
The is a big release for TXT as it not only comes as one of their first collaborations outside of Asia, the track comes as one of their first-ever full English tracks as they continue to look to shine for BigHit with BTS now enlisting.
“Do It Like That” sees TXT change style completely to a dreamy pop song in what is possibly their catchiest sound to date. The song has everything from TXT’s beautiful vocals and rapping, you can just hear how happy the group are and their energy is matched by Jonas Brothers with the two perfectly complementing each other in what will surely end up being the collaboration of the year.
5 – IVE – I Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okVTSehE414
IVE and NewJeans have always been compared to each other and rightfully so, debuting a year apart, both girl groups have quickly become two of K-pop’s biggest idols of the new fifth generation. Both being hugely successful on social media and boasting a great discography.
However, the similarities don’t end there as just a few months after releasing “Zero”, a song in partnership with global soft drink giant Coke, Starship have themselves gone and partnered with the company’s biggest rival Pepsi. IVE was faced with the mammoth task of bettering NewJeans’ song released back in April and that’s exactly what “I Want” does.
More of a promotional song, NewJeans reference Coke a lot throughout the track, outlining the promotional intention of the track clearly. In contrast, the difference with “I Want” is that if you’re listening on a streaming platform like Spotify (without the music video) you could easily overlook the fact that it is indeed a partnership with Pepsi, and receive it as just another great song in the discography of K-pop’s biggest talents.
The song is much like IVE’s other tracks, meaning a flawless mid-tempo beat with a great drop for the chorus. It reminds me a little of After LIKE with the chorus, but it is definitely one of my songs for the summer. It demonstrates another incredible aspect of them, with each member getting equal lines and time to shine, in what is looking to be the second instalment of the Cola Wars.
Do you agree with our list? What are your favourite K-pop songs of July? Let us know in the comments or over on social media!
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