Here Come the Girls: Girl Group B-Sides

BLACKPINK, EXID, NMIXX, and Red Velvet member Seulgi have recently made, or will be making, their comebacks during this second half of the year, while LOONA is currently embarking on their first ever world tour, having just performed in London, on September 16. With this, The Kraze has been reminded of the incredible talents that K-Pop girl groups and their members have to offer within this fast, growing music industry. So, for this week's article, let’s take a look at some B-side tracks from some of your favorite girl groups within K-Pop.

“Love to Hate Me” - BLACKPINK

The seventh track on BLACKPINK’s 2020 album titled THE ALBUM, “Love To Hate Me” expresses a clear-cut message to all those haters who love to hate them with lyrics such as, “see me making waves and you don't like that,” and, “you ain't worth my love if you only love to hate me.” It’s a chill, laid-back, all-English track sung through soft, downbeat, whisper-like vocals that although aren’t sung aggressively, still encapsulate and deliver a strong and powerful message.

“24HRS” - ITZY

As soon as you finish listening to this song, the line “ITZY for 24 hours” will be stuck in your head as this song, taken from ITZY’s 2020 album IT’z ME, is so infectious and addictive. An avant-pop track, “24HRS” expresses major creativity, energy, and fun, through the experimental, electronic, and sometimes children’s song-like, sounds of the instrumentation and the different vocal styles of the members, sung against, and in-line, with the beat.

“WOW” - LOONA

“WOW” this B-side track is good! Taken from LOONA’s fourth EP [&], “WOW” displays heavy ‘90s hip-hop, new jack swing influences in the instrumentation that hook the listener in from the get-go; there are also slight elements of jazz heard through the piano arrangement. Both the composition and the members’ vocals are fun and punchy, with the implementation of the members singing, “WOW,” repeatedly, adding to the high energy. 

“Flower Tea” - OH MY GIRL

A soothing and warm ballad from OH MY GIRL’s 2020 EP NONSTOP, “Flower Tea” opens with a soft piano serenade before the members' endearing vocals dance upon it. The song carries a strong dreamlike feel with both piano and string elements that give this ballad a sense of jazz, perfectly highlighting each member’s singing abilities.

“Papi” - f(x)

A B-side track from f(x)’s fourth album 4 Walls, in 2015, “Papi” is an incredibly fun and high-energized song that has listeners pumped and ready to party. The chorus lines of, “Papi let's go, cause I kinda like it, Papi you know, yeah I kinda like it” engrave in your memory, having you singing and chanting along throughout. The song is repetitive but in a fun and non-annoying way, perfect for any party vibe opportunity.

Edited by Vivian N.