The Kraze

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Best of March 2023

March has been a busy month for comebacks across the K-Pop and K-Hip-Hop industry. With so many to listen to and choose from, here are just a few of my favorite B-Side tracks that were released over the last month.  

"BAD BAD" - CODE KUNST (feat. Tabber, Jay Park)

From his latest album Remember Archive, CODE KUNST’s “BAD BAD” oozes perfection, sensuality, and groove. A collaboration track that features fellow K-R&B/Hip-Hop artists Tabber and Jay Park, “BAD BAD” carries an excellent vibe from start to finish. We all know Jay Park delivers superb vocals in any of the tracks he creates or appears on, but it’s Tabber who catches my attention with each listen of this song. Tabber’s vocals are no joke here, with the way he effortlessly switches from a falsetto head voice to a husky and deep vocal tone throughout. Again, CODE KUNST proves himself to be an incredible composer with the arrangement and composition of the track. He is a natural at what he does, and his skills and dedication to his work truly shine through each of his releases. 

“Anywhere” - Onew

Several of the tracks from Onew’s first album Circle could have made this list, but there is just something about “Anywhere” that beats all the others for this spot. I really like the simplicity and repetitiveness of the beat mixed with Onew’s strong yet smooth vocals placed over it. The song itself carries a laid back groove and a sensual nature to it, and you can’t help but move your head and body along to it. Onew’s vocals are a pleasure to listen to (and one of my favorite vocals within K-Pop), with his tones and vocal range being quite unique and distinctive amongst K-Pop vocalists. 

“WALLFLOWER” - TWICE

TWICE’s “WALLFLOWER” is the fifth song from their latest album READY TO BE. The song carries a strong British feel to it, which isn’t surprising considering the song was co-written and produced by UK-based songwriter and producer Lostboy (Peter Croft), who has worked with the likes of Little Mix, Anne-Marie, and Lewis Capaldi. It’s a great change from other TWICE hits, in that it’s not a song I would have expected TWICE to sing but keeps with the catchy, fun, and upbeat vibes of their other discography, with strong vocals from the members. “WALLFLOWER” is a song you can imagine playing at a party as well as being the perfect song to play in a scene of some sort of a dramatic or thriller TV series.