Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Hana Lee
“I wanted to put together an album like a Christmas gift for fans who’ve loved NewJeans’ first EP,” as Min He Jin said, the group’s latest release “Ditto” entered Billboard’s Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks far after the Christmas season has passed. If you love everything about their album, from its warm winter vibes and trap rhythms to soft melodies and artistic choreography, consider adding the following five songs to your playlist.
LE SSERAFIM – Impurities (2022)
LE SSERAFIM showed off their powerful image through the title song of their 2nd mini album ANTIFRAGILE, which includes their autobiographical lyrics about becoming stronger during tough times and iconic dance moves that emphasize the defined muscles in their arms. The track “Impurities” that comes after the title track is an R&B song filled with beautiful hip-hop rhythms and harmonious chords. It is also the theme song of Crimson Heart, one of the HYBE’s original stories, in which the members go on adventures. Plus, “Blue Flame” from their debut album is another theme song that is worth a listen.
NCT Dream – On the way (2022)
“On the way” is an R&B pop ballad song featured on NCT Dream’s second repackaged album Beatbox. NCT Dream has been receiving great love for their other famous pop ballad piece, “Dive Into You,” themed about the sea. And this time, they are back with yet another beautiful tune about a starry night. The song starts with a gentle synth sound and conjures up the image of a clear night sky studded with stars and meteor showers, featuring sweet vocals and deep rapping voices. This piece is devoted to the fans who helped the seven members stay together as a group.
STAYC – Butterfly (2022)
Being the leader in creating the ‘Teen-fresh’ genre, STAYC often bring out their diverse and unique tones through their unique pop ballad songs. Included in the second mini-album YOUNG-LUV.COM, “Butterfly” compares love to a butterfly as it brings soothing joy to hearts just by witnessing it. The lyrics are about a girl drifting in her dream while singing a song. The beautiful electric guitar and piano sounds are placed on top of the groovy beat and highlight Se Eun’s delicate vocals carefully layered over other members’ mesmerizing vocals.
OH MY GIRL – Kiss & Fix (2022)
“Kiss & Fix,” which begins with a dreamy opening that sounds like floating in the air, is a track from OH MY GIRL’s second full-length album Real Love. What would happen if a picture-perfect girl fell in love? The song wittily depicts the confusion she experiences through lyrics like “After the ‘Love on’ sign turns on, I’m broken,” comparing her to a perfectly constructed robot experiencing a malfunction. The inspiring lyrics are written by Seo Ji Eum, who has worked with OH MY GIRL on their numerous songs such as “Dolphin,” “Dun Dun dance” and “Secret Garden.”
Kim Se Jeong – Teddy bear (2021)
After promoting as a member of I.O.I and Gugudan, Kim Se Jeong came back as a solo artist with her second mini album I’m to sing about getting a nice quality rest. As a singer-songwriter, she wrote and composed all songs on the album to reflect on the years that have passed by her since her debut. The first song, “Teddy bear,” listed on the mini album, is a pop ballad about the globally famous bear Teddy who always gets brought up in conversations about a loving and lovable bear. The lyrics are formatted like a script – with her talking to the teddy bear in her room before falling into a good night’s sleep.
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
