Best B-Sides of August 2023

With K-Pop, I tend to listen to more boy groups and male soloists than I do with girl groups (which I also love, don’t get me wrong) but August was a month of girl power for me. There were so many great releases from the girls of K-Pop that it made it difficult to choose just a few B-sides for this article, but I did it! So, let’s look at some of my favorite B-Sides of last month from some of K-Pop's best female acts.

"Talkin' About It (Feat. 24kGoldn)" - JIHYO

JIHYO is another Korean artist whose music could go far in other countries, specifically the UK if given the right promotion. We've heard it recently with JEON SOMI's song "Fast Forward" and Jungkook's "Seven" which could easily be British or European club and radio anthems. We now hear this with JIHYO's B-Side "Talkin' About It" from her debut solo album, ZONE. Featuring American rapper 24kGoldn, "Talkin' About It" has a Clean Bandit, electronic-dance feel to it with JIHYO's smooth and distinctive vocals taking center stage. The song itself is catchy with an addictive beat and chorus that you can't get out of your head, accompanied by a stylish lyric video that showcases JIHYO's strengths and confidence as a vocalist and performer.

"Be Mine" - STAYC

STAYC's "Be Mine" from their latest EP TEENFRESH encapsulates chilled ‘90s and ‘00s R&B and pop, with pure, laid-back vocals from the members. The song is sweet and perfect for a relaxing night, being a song that can be played during any season of the year, providing warm and comforting feelings through its melody, vocals, and lyrics.

"Seoul Sonyo Sound" - tripleS

tripleS seems to be the latest K-Pop act joining the Y2K wave that's sweeping both the Korean and Western music trends with the B-side "Seoul Sonyo Sound," from the group’s fourth sub-unit’s self-titled EP, LOVElution. The members approach "Seoul Sonyo Sound" with dreamy vocals that nicely ride along the song's garage beat, becoming another K-Pop song to carry a UK vibe. It's a great song that's not usually my go-to music style, but I enjoy the nostalgic feel tripleS emits with this track.

Edited by Cara Musashi