Best of September 2023

September 2023 has been another month full of many great releases that have made it difficult to choose some of the best B-sides from last month. With so many songs to choose from, here is a small selection of some of my favorite B-sides to have been released last month.

"Lost" - D.O.

“Lost” is the incredible fourth single from D.O.’s latest mini-album release, Expectation. The song is a pop-rock track that holds an intense, dramatic, and sensual presence through its band-led instrumentation, particularly in the chorus where the song is reminiscent of the music released by Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer. One of my favorite voices in K-Pop, D.O. continues to exude his powerful vocals in “Lost,” drawing the listener in through his mature and captivating sound. 

“Lost” is an excellent B-Side track that also has an acoustic version (the seventh and closing track on the mini-album) that is just as good as the original. The acoustic version of “Lost” further highlights D.O.’s stunning vocals, with him singing with a grittier sound that adds to the rock side of the song’s pop-rock nature. 

"freak asian" - Huh

K-Hip-Hop rapper Huh’s track “freak asian,” from his latest EP voice tool tip.txt, immediately transports you into a Caribbean vacation mood with its summery instrumentation driven by a tropical beat. Featuring rapper Loopy, listeners can’t help but move their bodies along to “freak asian.” It’s a great track for both die-hard K-Hip-Hop fans and casual K-Hip-Hop fans as it is light while simultaneously being rap-heavy. 

"Live Without You"- KEY

KEY has been serving UK-pop hit realness with his latest mini-album Good & Great, and the fourth track “Live Without You” is no exception to this. “Live Without You” carries a nostalgic pop sound that sounds like it stepped out of the early 2000s while simultaneously holding modern vibes, like a pop song Kylie Minogue, Tove Lo, or Years & Years would release (who coincidentally collaborated with KEY on a remix version of their track “If You’re Over Me” in 2018). It’s a great song that showcases KEY as an excellent vocal artist with some great vocal runs and techniques throughout the verses, bridges, and chorus. “Live Without You” also sounds like a track that would be capable of having an impressive music video if KEY ever decides to create one.

Edited by Cara Musashi