January Favorites

The dumpster fire of 2020 is officially behind us, and January brought the promise of a slew of K-Pop comebacks to enjoy. Check out some of our favorites below!

Favorite Song: “Odd Eye” - Dreamcatcher

The Kraze is a certified Dreamcatcher hype house, holding the belief that the girls are simply incapable of having a subpar comeback. So it is no surprise that “Odd Eye” once again presents the girl group at their best and blows expectations out of the water. “Odd Eye” is a perfect mix of their signature heavy metal influence and the super popular hip-hop/EDM influence beat of many viral K-Pop hits. The lyrics are quite interesting as well, presenting a cynical dose of reality in the lack of a utopia existing as a physical place. The darker message isn’t necessarily for everyone, but it’s certainly different compared to the slew of tracks only speaking on romantic love. You can read a full review on the comeback here, but it’s safe to say this may be the track that finally gets Dreamcatcher their elusive first music show win.

Favorite Album: Epik High Is Here 上

Any time Epik High releases something, you know it’s going to be good. Epik High Is Here 上 (Part 1) provides a wide variety of genre influences like many Epik High releases, and features a star-studded cast of features on their tracks. What Epik High does so well is create tracks that are so emotionally relatable that they are able to pull out the deepest emotions within you, providing a moment of catharsis, especially in turmoil. Tablo’s comforting words often remain impactful for years, and you’ll definitely find that within this album as well. This album also marks the return of former iKON leader B.I onto the music scene in his featured track “수상소감 (Acceptance Speech),” which caused quite a stir in the K-Pop world. The hip-hop trio has been on the scene for so long yet still does it so flawlessly each time.

Favorite Music Video: “Burn It” - Golden Child

It has been interesting watching Golden Child grow from their debut, especially given how many different genres and concepts the group has explored in their time on the scene. What is rather unexpected, however, is the cinematic experience that is their latest comeback “Burn It.” The music video features an entire in-depth storyline surrounding a post-apocalyptic world, complete with zombie attacks. Zombies in a music video certainly isn’t a novel concept, but nothing quite hits right into the heart like the version Golden Child provides.

Favorite Music Show Performance: “Odd Eye” - Dreamcatcher on M!COUNTDOWN

Usually we like to switch up favorites for the month, but this performance of “Odd Eye” was so captivating it had to be included. Dreamcatcher has always brought the best choreography, and while “Odd Eye” may not have the same impactful point moves as “BOCA,” the performance is just as captivating. Couple that with the all leather outfits and their knee-high combat boots, and you’ve got the makings of a powerful performance.

Favorite Drama: She Would Never Know

Admittedly, as an SF9 stan, I’m super excited to see Rowoon breaking out as an actor and taking on lead roles. While it’s true that True Beauty has been at the top of the headlines, She Would Never Know has an intriguing plot that could certainly creep up into the public eye as the former drama comes to a close. She Would Never Know is a noona romance, focusing on office workers Yoon Songah (Won Jinah) and Chae Hyunseung (Rowoon). As the first episode unfolds, we see almost immediately that Hyunseung is crushing on his sunbae Songah, with flashbacks to his college days where he met her at a recruiting meeting. Their coworkers titter about office romance, where Songah states she would not be interested in that type of relationship. However, Hyunseung catches her secretly meeting up with their director, Lee Jaeshin (Lee Hyunwook), and later finds out that Jaeshin is engaged to someone else. Hyunseung then makes it his mission to inform Songah of the truth while holding steadfast on his feelings for her, despite her ignoring his advances. It’ll be interesting to see how this plot unfolds, and Rowoon’s character is extremely endearing from the very start.