B-Sides: MIK Edition
Following the successful debut of Europe’s biggest outdoor Korean music festival, MIK- Made In Korea, on July 30 and 31, 2022 in London, here is a look at some great B-side tracks from a select few of the K-Pop and K-Hip-Hop artists who performed over that exciting weekend.
"Call My Name" - PENTAGON
Taken from PENTAGON’s twelfth mini-album IN:VITE U, “Call My Name” is a B-side track with heavy ‘90s hip-hop and R&B vibes. The song rides along funky instrumentation, consisting of heavy bass and intricate guitar sounds placed behind the members' incredible vocals in some very catchy vocal sections. This ‘90s inspiration is further emphasised through the “hey ya” section of the bridge, a sample taken from the iconic ‘90s hip-hop track “No Diggity” by American R&B and hip-hop artists Blackstreet, Dr. Dre, and Queen Pen—a song which Wooseok makes reference to in his rap verse towards the beginning of the song.
“Call My Name” is just one of the many great, funk-inspired tracks off the mini-album that really highlights the members’ vocal abilities; we hear them sing in both high and low registered vocal ranges, along with deep sounding raps and Michael Jackson-inspired adlibs throughout. Listening to “Call My Name” will have you questioning why this incredible song was released as a B-side and not a title track.
"Til I Die " - pH-1, Jay Park
One of pH-1 and Jay Park’s many great collaborative tracks, “Til I Die” is a B-side off of pH-1’s 2019 first studio album HALO. This track perfectly highlights pH-1’s talents as a rapper, vocalist, and songwriter; the style of his rapping mixed with his actual singing voice in the opening verse and pre-chorus is incredibly calming and pleasing to listen to, and it’s performed in a way that really makes the listener pay attention and connect with the honesty and openness of his words.
The song expresses a beautiful and positive message of overcoming your stress and worries in order to turn your dreams into reality, singing, “I’ma jump in and give it all, ‘cause I’ma do this ‘til I die.” Of course, Jay Park also shines as a vocalist and rapper with his verse on the track, giving us a powerful rap section and sweet vocal runs with lyrics that add to the song’s empowering message, singing, “I ain’t there yet but I’m making my way, f*** the haters you can doubt me, I don’t really care what you say.” There really is no denying how great the vocal chemistry and song creation is when pH-1 and Jay Park collaborate together.
"Decanting" - SUHO
“Decanting” is the hauntingly sensual B-side track from EXO leader SUHO’s second solo mini-album, Grey Suit—his first release following his military enlistment. SUHO’s vocals play like a seductive whisper, with the transitions from a low to high vocal register in the chorus. He delivers sensual notions with powerfully bold lyrics such as “catch me, falling for you,” “gracefully yet wildly with the tip of your tongue, boldly and gently ruin me,” and “God I can’t deny, no, I won’t deny your love.”
Along with the lyrics and SUHO’s beautifully mature vocals, the slow rock, neo soul melody, created by the sleek electric guitar, heavy bass, and slow drum beats, add emphasis to the song's seductive nature. "Decanting" sounds perfect for a late night movie scene or fragrance advert; if you listen closely, you can hear a match being lit at the very beginning of the song, further adding to its dramatic tone. Although sensual, “Decanting” is also calming and peaceful, and worthy of being on repeat for that full immersion into this dreamy world SUHO has created.
"No Manners" - LOCO, GRAY
Be ready to have the word 무례하게 (mu-rye-ha-ge) stuck in your head after listening to this incredible B-side from LOCO's 2014 EP LOCOMOTIVE. A collaboration with iconic AOMG producer and labelmate GRAY, "No Manners" is an addictive B-side track that instantly gets its listeners feeling hyped up and ready to party.
LOCO's deep vocals take the lead on the verses in “No Manners,” with a low-registered rap placed against instrumentation that is simultaneously upbeat and downbeat, using sounds inspired by arcade games. The song then incorporates a build, leading to an interesting switch up for the chorus, driven by the energetic vocals of GRAY.
The lyrics carry a message of letting out suppressed frustrations, with lyrics like, "I will step on this scene without manners," and "Scream louder as much as you’ve been holding back / Just let it out and destroy it all." It's a fun hype song of empowerment and rebellion that, like all AOMG records and collaborations, deserves to receive all the recognition it can possibly get.
"Zoo" - Red Velvet
On paper, Red Velvet’s B-side track “Zoo,” from their 2017 The Red Summer - Summer Mini Album, has the recipe to be a disastrous, cheesy pop-track, with its incorporation of literal jungle cries and animal sounds woven into the song's percussion and tropical house synth beat. However, “Zoo” defies this initial thought and is, instead, an incredibly uplifting, feel-good song with a quirky, fun vibe that the jungle sounds contribute towards.
Produced by British production duo LDN Noise, “Zoo” embraces a unique energy that is cute and chaotic in the best way possible. The song highlights the Red Velvet members' vocals and rap styles, giving us both low and high vocal tones that take the listener on a beautiful journey through the animalistic composition—we even hear Seulgi embrace her inner Tarzan with her cute, jungle cry taking us to the second verse. It’s a shame that there is no music video for “Zoo," because imagine how vibrant and cinematic it could have been.
Edited by Omani