B-Side Tracks: KCON LA Artist Special Pt. 2
If Day 1 performances at KCON LA were something, Day 2’s lineup left the attendees speechless with the extensive amount of talent that took the stage. With a group to cover every person’s taste, there’s no doubt that you will be wowed by the hidden tracks of these talents!
KARD - “I Won’t Stop”
Although technically considered rookies on the K-Pop scene, co-ed group KARD has been with us since the beginning of the year with their initially pre-debut project. The group opened the festivities on Day 2 with fan favorite “Don’t Recall” and indulged the crowd with debut track “Hola Hola” as well as “Oh NaNa.” While there are very few B-sides that exist in their current discography, “I Won’t Stop” still stands out on their first album Hola Hola as not only a catchy track, but as a refreshing and uplifting anthem that talks about never giving up.
Oh My Girl - “Round About”
Special guest Oh My Girl took the stage after the opener, performing high energy “Coloring Book” and fan favorite “Closer.” The performance was quite a treat as the group was announced as a special guest fairly late in the game and had not been announced as an official artist. Oh My Girl’s signature is pulling off the high-energy cutesy concepts like “Coloring Book” and “Liar Liar,” but the tracks off of mini-album Closer put a bit of a twist on this formula. “Round About” is the classic high-energy sound, but adds in a catchy beat with an uplifting message of self confidence.
HEIZE - “Round and Round”
Multitalented queen and sweetest rapper on earth HEIZE was moved to tears by the beautiful display of fans holding up flashlights during her performance of her hit song “Star.” With a stint on Unpretty Rapstar 2, she quickly gained recognition for her rap ability and her songs often chart very well in Korea, since they are coupled with her stunning voice. “Round and Round” is the theme track for hit drama Goblin and has a hauntingly beautiful melody that complements her voice perfectly.
Wanna One - “Pick Me”
Arguably Korea’s most popular group as of late, Wanna One has multiple tracks off of their debut album still charting despite the amount of time that has passed since they’ve been around. “Pick Me” was my choice for this group because I couldn’t go the entire KCON LA weekend without it stuck in my head, and the live performance was absolutely stellar. “Pick Me” could almost be considered a Wanna One classic at this point, but it’s still just as catchy and bouncy as it was on day one.
ASTRO - “Morning Call”
Fantagio’s most recently released boy group ASTRO joined Sunday’s exciting lineup to extensive support from the crowd, wowing fans with their vocal talent and dancing prowess. Off of first mini-album Spring Up comes our track choice, “Morning Call.” ASTRO has made a name for themselves through sweet and cutesy concepts that are not always common among boy groups, and “Morning Call” is a quintessential example of this kind of concept. With heart pounding lyrics accompanied by such sweet vocals, who wouldn’t be enchanted by such talented boys?
NCT 127 - “Another World”
NCT 127 has truly made an impact since their debut with “Firetruck,” and that domination continues with most recently released “Cherry Bomb” that was performed as the title at KCON. I personally have a soft spot for the first album, with “Another World” being my favorite track off of the mini. “Another World” has an EDM harmony that builds up to the drop at the chorus with the repetition of the phrase “I don’t wanna feel nothing.” Because, honestly, who hasn’t felt that feeling down to their core before? The harmonization in the chorus really stands out compared to the rest of the album as well.
GOT7 - “Boom x3”
Returning to Mark’s native Los Angeles to headline KCON, GOT7 came back as a full group after the extensive amount of time since promotions for “Never Ever” ended. It’s hard to choose just one track to feature off of the stellar Flight Log series, but “Boom x3” has a charm about it that makes it stick out. A track composed by Jackson, there is a distinct drop in the chorus that’s bound to get you up and moving, and it features rap verses complemented with the singers’ pre-chorus. As an added bonus, the boys obviously have a great time performing this number!