Throwback Thursday: 2019 Favorites
Believe it or not, 2019 is coming to a close in just a few short weeks. This year has been an incredible one for music and, personally, one of my favorites in my time as a K-Pop fan. To start off our 2019 staff picks, I’m throwing it back myself to some of my favorite releases of the year.
“Home” - SEVENTEEN
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m a CARAT before I am a human, so it makes sense that SEVENTEEN’s early 2019 soft ode to their fans would make the list. A departure from their 2018 high-energy releases, “Home” is a comforting, EDM-pop release that evokes the same familiar warmth of home. It’s been almost a year since the track’s release but with its unorthodox structure and heartfelt lyrics, each listen of “Home” feels exactly like the first.
“OUCH” - DAY6
With two solid albums this year, it was inevitable that DAY6 would make the cut on my favorite releases. I toyed with the idea of choosing between title tracks “Time Of Our Life” and “Sweet Chaos,” but ultimately ended up choosing B-side “OUCH” for several reasons. First, it’s unbelievably catchy with its bossa nova style and spunky vocals. Two, the song sounds like nothing else DAY6 has ever released. Three, I don’t think I’ve ever skipped this song on shuffle since its release in October.
“Loss” - Colde
Despite several releases including a full album, one of my favorite tracks from Colde this year was an inconspicuous digital single titled “Loss.” It’s hard to pinpoint the genre of this song: the instrumentation is made up of only a soft piano and, towards the end of the song, swelling strings. Though Colde is an R&B artist by trade, it’s hard to label this song as such; instead, “Loss” feels more like a personal experience. There’s something comforting in its simplicity, whether it be the ASMR effects or its merry-go-round musicality that perfectly encapsulates the dreariness of day-to-day life.
“ICY” - ITZY
This might be a bold statement to make but I will literally never get tired of listening to “ICY.” The sophomore release from ITZY has everything: unapologetically sassy lyrics, addictive choreography, and perhaps most importantly, one of the best bass lines in 2019. Yuna’s voice has been in my head since July and I can confidently say that it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
“Good Bam” - N.Flying
I was a little late on the uptake than most when it came to this song but N.Flying’s “Good Bam” is flawless; it makes sense that the track is one of the band’s most successful. The easy groove to the song gives it an indie feel while Seunghyub’s spitting rap keeps a firm grasp on the popular mainstream, meshing the two genres in one of the most refreshing listens of 2019.
“Lullaby For A Cat” - Epik High
It’s no competition: Epik High’s sleepless in ______ is my favorite release of 2019. From the sleepless night concept to the star-studded tracklist, everything about the album is genius. However, it’s the album’s lo-fi anticlimactic finale “Lullaby For A Cat” that has been featured on legitimately every playlist I’ve made this year. 2019 has been a rough year for plenty of reasons, but “Lullaby For A Cat” is a calming deep breath in musical form that accomplishes exactly what music should.