April Favorites
April welcomed us with the promise of warm spring days and even warmer, more refreshing music. This was much appreciated since most of my favorites for this month revolve around music, seeing as examinations have left me with no time for anything other than listening to new songs on the way to university. I had to include many honorable mentions, because it’s simply unfair to leave out all of this month’s great releases!
Music
Favorite Song
Loco and Hwasa - “주지마”
This song was part of the KBS2 variety show Hyena on the Keyboard. The show brings on popular songwriters to talk about their love of music. They then go through the process of creating a new song, usually in collaboration with other artists, to release as a digital single. Rapper Loco has expressed his admiration (and maybe crush?) for MAMAMOO’s Hwasa many times before, and the two finally united on the variety show. They performed a couple of songs together, one being a new digital single titled “주지마 (Don’t Give it to Me).” The song quickly became a hit in Korea, earning an all-kill on the charts in no time. The blending of Loco’s clean-cut rapping and Hwasa’s airy, sexy vocals are impossible to not love. The couple has even performed on Music Bank!
Honorable mention to The Rose’s “Baby.” The vocals are haunting and the chorus breakdown elicits chills from those who appreciate K-Rock.
Favorite Album
EXO-CBX - Blooming Days & Eric Nam - Honestly
EXO-CBX’s Blooming Days is the perfect album for this spring month. Every song is solid and as fresh as morning after a spring rainfall. It’s cohesive and plays with the days of the week in a unique way. Check out our review to see exactly why it’s a monthly favorite.
If you’re someone who would rather skip spring altogether and head straight into summer, check out Eric Nam’s album Honestly. It has the summer vibes that you may be craving. His style, suitably, is very American and it may be a good album to share with friends whether they be fans of K-Pop or not.
Favorite Music Videos
Wheein feat. Sik-k - “Easy” & TWICE - “What is Love?”
The girls of MAMAMOO have kept busy ever since the release of the beautiful Yellow Flower album. Hwasa has released a chart-topping track with her admirer Loco, with Solar and Wheein following suit with the releases of part six of Solar Sensitivity and a single featuring Sik-k, respectively. “Easy” shows off the kind of genre Wheein not only likes, but excels in. Reminiscent of HEIZE’s unique urban-R&B style, Wheein utilizes her ear-candy vocals for this groovy track. The music video is equally eye catching, though mostly because of Wheein herself. Being a fan of Korean fashion—especially as of late—I couldn’t help but drool over all the fashion choices throughout the video. Wheein looks good in every outfit, showing off a chic side of her we haven't really seen before. Add a cameo from the flaming hot Hwasa and a weird out-of-this-world plot twist at the end and you’ve got a music video worth watching.
Admittedly, TWICE’s “What is Love” has not snatched my heart as strongly as their past title tracks have. It sounds too familiar to me—too similar to “Heart Shaker.” But don’t get me started on the video. There are many classic movie cameos and the girls look amazing in their costumes. Also, my girl crush on Jeongyeon has somehow grown because of this music video.
Another shoutout goes to HA:TFELT’s “위로가 돼요 (Pluhmm)” with its gorgeous, whimsical music video.
Favorite Music Show Performance
VIXX - “Scentist”
There’s not much to say here. VIXX are kings of captivating concepts and “Scentist” is no exception. Check out this review of their latest album Eau De VIXX.
Beauty
We’re moving straight to beauty here since I cannot confidently recommend any entertainment this month (aside from my undying love for Running Man).
When it comes to skincare, I finally jumped on the Skinfood Black Sugar Mask wagon. I thought it was all just hype, but this stuff is undeniably good. You can find it for cheap on various international K-Beauty websites, and I think it’s worth it. The scrub is gentle enough that it should not be irritating (unless you’re of sensitive skin or you’re too rough working it in), and it leaves the skin feeling baby smooth. You should exfoliate at least once a week to get rid of dead skin cells and promote a healthy cell turnover rate, and this is a great place to start.