Bunni Pop's June faves: Featuring Lisa, Nayeon, Jeonghan x Wonwoo, JUNNY, Lee Young Ji and NewJeans
And with that, we're more than halfway through the year!
Hot take: I’ve been a bit bored with K-pop lately. While there have been a handful of solid releases in 2024, I feel like the genre has been a bit stagnant. While I know Y2K and afrobeats is the trend of the moment, I feel like a lot of artists have been playing it a bit safe with these sounds. A lot of songs are starting to blend into one another, and I feel like there is a lack of risk when it comes to producing new music.
With that said, things got more interesting in June. I’d like to think it’s because summer has officially arrived. So without further ado, here are some of the projects I’ve been digging into in recent weeks.
Lisa - Rockstar
As someone who did not really like Lisa’s previous solo tracks “Lalisa” and “Money”, her latest single “Rockstar” is the glow-up she needed.
First of all, the production goes crazy and is the most interesting part of the track for me. The beat alone makes this “Rockstar” a great hype song, and it samples Tame Impala’s “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” to great effect.
That said, what I probably like least are the song’s lyrics, which do not stray far from the material she’s released prior. I think we all know what a “bad bitch” Lisa is, and going with a similar theme is getting a bit tiring. I will say though that her delivery of “Can you teach me Japanese? I said hai hai” will absolutely become a fan chant during a live performance.
To me, Lisa has always been a stage performer at heart, and “Rockstar” is the type of track that really allows her to showcase what she does best: dance and serve looks. While I understand that this song may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I can fully appreciate that the ladies of Blackpink have been doing their most interesting work since deciding not to renew solo contracts with YG Entertainment. Lisa is finally taking risks, and she looks and sounds awesome doing it.
Nayeon - NA (EP)
I think I can officially dub Nayeon the queen of summer. Following the massive success of her solo debut single “Pop!” from 2022, the TWICE member has followed that up with the more mature and sexy EP Na.
Leading with the hip-hop influenced pop track “ABCD”, Nayeon embodies her best 2000s pop diva, showing a side that’s reminiscent of Beyoncé during her “Crazy In Love” era. While Nayeon absolutely suits the bubble gum pop genre, moving to something more sexy was the right move for her to showcase her versatility. And yet, the track still feels very much true to Nayeon’s style.
The true highlights of this album for me are “Butterflies” and “Heaven (featuring Sam Kim)”. “Butterflies” slows things down, allowing Nayeon to show off a bit of her rapping chops. While “Heaven” progressively gets steamier and steamier with every listen. Is this allowed in K-pop?! Either way, I am here for more artists singing about mature themes and adult things.
LEE YOUNG-JI - Small girl feat. DOH KYUNG SOO (D.O.)
Listening to this song feels like a warm hug, and watching the accompanying music video is like seeing a mini K-drama romance unfold.
My first introduction to Lee Young-ji was actually through her YouTube series “My Alcohol Diary,” in which she interviews popular Korean celebrities as they drink alcohol and get progressively tipsier and more unhinged. But then I came to discover her musical talents as a rapper, most notably featuring in Seventeen’s BSS’ “Fighting” last year.
But little did I know that Lee Young-ji was such a good vocalist as well! Her latest single “Small girl” really highlights her versatility, and also proves that quirky funny girls deserve cute romance stories too. The addition of EXO’s D.O. is also a nice touch. The pair look and sound great together. And watching them perform and do promotional activities together makes it so easy to root for them! (P.S. kicking and screaming at that kiss at the end of the music video)
NewJeans - Supernatural
Although some critics have grown bored with NewJeans’ easy listening-style of music, I actually think the group continues to be one of the acts that keeps me interested in K-pop. NewJeans’ latest release “Supernatural” is one such example, giving a modern take to 1980s new jack swing and Japanese city pop.
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of people on my social media feeds looking for similar K-pop tunes like “Supernatural.” But if I’m being honest, I don’t actually think there are that many songs out there like it. If one truly wants to study new jack swing, they may as well turn to the greats like Janet Jackson or Keith Sweat. K-pop has and always will be influenced by western pop culture, and NewJeans has wonderfully paid homage to generations before it. “Supernatural” is a throwback I can absolutely get behind.
JUNNY - dopamine (EP)
JUNNY has been the writer behind hit songs performed by the likes of Chungha and Kai from EXO. But as a singer-songwriter in his own right, the Korean-Canadian remains criminally underrated as an artist. After finding a solid following with his debut studio album blanc, JUNNY’s latest offering is the EP dopamine. And to me, this might be a contender for album of the summer.
Melding genres from smooth R&B, pop to UK garage, dopamine is a great project to vibe along to, whether you’re out for a drive or looking to hit the dance floor. My personal favourites on this album are “Daylight” and “Here We Go Again.”
Jeonghan x Wonwoo - This Man (Album)
When news came out that Seventeen’s Wonwoo and Jeonghan were going to be releasing a project together, my mind went “Whoa, that’s a bit unexpected.”
Sure, it’s not unusual for a self-producing band like Seventeen to go off in smaller groups to make music together. But while it made sense for extroverted BSS to become a sub-unit, I was not prepared to see two introverts like Jeonghan and Wonwoo pair up. Not to mention, their singing voices are pretty much polar opposites.
That said, what resulted of Jeonghan and Wonwoo is a pleasant surprise. I have always expected quality in Seventeen’s releases. But what I was most curious about here was what genre these two would go with.
Their single “Last Night” plays with hints of latin sounds, utilizing the guitar playing of Park Juwon to great effect. Though the ballad “Leftover” remains my absolute favourite from this project. Wonwoo, who might be better known as a rapper on Seventeen, really shines vocally here. His singing voice is gorgeous and I really want to hear him do slow songs a lot more. “Leftover” is absolutely the type of song you’d hear in a K-drama OST.
tripleS has been making headlines as K-pop's first "decentralized girl group." I had a chance to ask some of the members about making its debut with the studio album <ASSEMBLE24>.
There has been lots of discourse surrounding this group when it comes to NFTs, its large 24-member line up to giving fans the power to control what the band releases. It’s not something everyone will like or even support. But on the other hand, the unconventional formula seems to be proving successful so far. The band has been garnering positive attention for its releases, even winning rookie awards and finishing first at music competitions.
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