B-Sides Special: Best Fall Releases
It’s now officially Autumn—the season of falling leaves and chilly weather that everyone loves so much! Well, it’s certainly my favorite time of the year, and I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of emphasis on themed K-Pop songs, especially during the summer months, but not many focus on the great fall musical releases that are both festive and memorable.
“Dead Leaves” - BTS
Arguably the quintessential autumn song, “Dead Leaves” was released on the group’s album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt. 2 and is based entirely around the concept of fallen leaves. The track compares a fading relationship to the dead leaves that are barely hanging on to their parent trees. As your resident annoyingly vocal Suga stan, not only is this song at the top of my list of best K-Pop tracks released, but it’s also a favorite of mine come every fall.
“Mayday” - GOT7
“Mayday” is member Jinyoung’s self-composed track off of the Flight Log: Turbulence album that has a very melancholy opening, with member Mark declaring “I want you to find me and save me.” The track quickly builds up in intensity to the drop in the chorus, which brings an interesting EDM twist to the originally soft sound. “Mayday” is one of my personal favorites off of Flight Log: Turbulence and really showcases Jinyoung’s musical prowess.
“Take You There” - B.A.P
B.A.P had a dramatic return to the music scene in the fall of 2015 after settling the lawsuit with their company, TS Entertainment. Mini-album Matrix was released nearly a year after no production—a treat for fans after waiting for such a long time. “Take You There” is a light pop song that features sweet vocals and lyrics with a calm, happy vibe to it. I find that it reminds me of a sunny, yet chilly day in the fall, perfect sweater and hot coffee weather.
“Hero” - MONSTA X
“Hero” by far is one of my favorite MONSTA X tracks, without a shadow of a doubt. The release of “Hero” was in early October of 2015, and I personally often associate the song with a time when I was walking to classes on my college campus, surrounded by the changing colored and falling leaves. To this day, the song still evokes this image for me and is a song I especially love to blast in the fall months.
“When” - Jay Park (ft. Tablo)
Well, this is quite a 180 from the previous choices, isn’t it? Despite appearances, I am actually a huge fan of Jay Park. My favorite album of his, Worldwide, released in November 2015. I have a particular affinity for “When,” not just because of the badass message, but also because just about anything that features Tablo is going to be a masterpiece in my book. If you’re a fan of hip-hop and haven’t had the pleasure of checking out some of the best that K-Hip Hop has to offer, start with Jay Park!