Best of January 2024

It’s a new year and what a great month January was for comebacks! We had an abundance of rookie groups, the return of some older groups, and comebacks from our favorite current groups, all in one month. There were so many tracks and album releases to keep up with last month. Here are some of my favorites. 

“SAUCY” - SISTAR19

SISTAR19 made their long-awaited comeback on January 16, with their two-track single NO MORE (MA BOY) consisting of the same name title track and B-side “SAUCY.” “SAUCY” adds to the trend of disco style pop music that has been popular within the music industry recently. The song carries a warm, feel-good vibe, perfect for a vacation drive or a night-time beach trip under the stars, with its melodic instrumentation and members Hyolyn and Bora's sweet vocals and rap coasting over it.

“SPIRIT” - WAKER

WAKER is one of K-Pop's newest boy groups to have emerged in 2024, having made their debut on January 8, with their first mini-album Mission Of School. These boys have so much potential with the sounds of Mission Of School showcasing a lot of talent and ability to perform different styles of music, with the seventh track “SPIRIT,” and one of my favorite B-sides, contributing to this. “SPIRIT” opens with the sounds of a guitar that gives the song a rock vibe (also heard in the verses). The rest of the song weaves in and out of the rock vibe, also diving into pop, giving the song a comforting blend of pop-rock. The WAKER members deliver great vocals and raps in “SPIRIT” which I can’t wait to hear more of in future releases.

“Vision” - (G)I-DLE

On January 29, (G)I-DLE made a comeback with their second full-length album, 2, consisting of eight new tracks including the satirical pre-release track “Wife” and title track “Super Lady.” The entire album projects a touch of modernity, glazed with feels of nostalgia, especially through my favorite track on the album, “Vision.” “Vision,” the album’s fourth song, fuses K-Pop with drill and garage music creating an enthralling B-side track for the album. The beats in the verses carry a sound that feels similar to those released by American rapper Ice Spice while the melody of the chorus makes me think of the iconic UK-‘90s garage hit “Sweet Like Chocolate” by Shaks & Bigfoot. Overall, “Vision” is a great song that has the power to bring listeners from different musical backgrounds, decades, and genres together and bond over the greatness of this song.

Edited by Cara Musashi