We are going to switch things up a bit and look at the other half of the Korean entertainment world…..namely KPOP.  So join The Fangirls as we share our favorite MV’s from 2016.

KMUSE:

BTS – Save Me

This is the year of BTS for me.  My friend Cherry Cordial literally sat me down and forced me to learn who is who and now I am forever changed and an obsessive fan.  I know a lot of their other songs are going to be covered by other Fangirls in this post so I will only choose this MV to share.  Love the dancing and unique camera work in this one.

CL Sunbae: I love seeing this deeper, slower side to the boys. I love that they’re not afraid to try different things and this song and dance are just so visually beautiful. I mean, who else could make a music video of seven guys dancing on a beach so interesting?? It seems to me that BTS is always looking for ways to challenge themselves. That’s why I think they’re so huge and why they’re going to stay huge. Army FIGHTING!

Drama Geek: One of the main reasons I like Kpop groups is for the dancing. And BTS is one of the of best dance groups Korea has to offer. I loved everything they put out this last year and I agree that they try to push and challenge themselves and that they try to think outside the normal box. I think they had to to become as popular as they are. I really like how they’re dressed pretty plain in this and then with the desolate background it really makes you focus on their dance moves.And with a slower song that’s pretty impressive.

BIGBANG – (FXXK IT)

I didn’t initially like this song.  But somehow it played in the background this last week while I was blogging and now I LOVE it.  I do prefer the live performance rather than the official MV so I am putting both up.  No one can pull of crazy clothes like Big Bang.

CL Sunbae: I love this song! I have a predisposition to love everything BigBang, but I’ve been playing this song nonstop all week. It’s got all that BigBang swag I love so much and I’m a fan of the current styling. Especially for DaeSung. So glad they let him move on from the Latin salsa instructor look from the MADE tour. And TOP! TOOOOOOOOOOP! Why you gonna leave me??? *sobs*

CLKYTTA: I really like this one too.  We have been listening to this in the car at full blast.  My daughter has renamed it “I Wanna Get Down”.  I agree with CL Sunbae, and I’m thankful that they have changed up DaeSung’s look, he looks so much better and less like a ballroom dancer.

Drama Geek: My son came in while I was watching this video and he said he likes it because it’s creative and their clothes are sparkly. Well, that about sums it up. I have a hard time disliking anything they do. When they perform live they are like no other group out there. They own the stage and each of them commands your attention. I have to say I love Daesung’s hair and clothes in the video. I really want his stripy gloves.

KdramaJen:  Love it.  I don’t know why it works, but it does.  Their clashing clothes and wild hair shouldn’t work, but they just do.  Their different vocal tones shouldn’t fit, but they just do.  Big Bang is the real deal.

XO & Yoo Jae Suk – Dancing King

I 100% admit that my love of this MV has a lot to do with my love of Yoo Jae Suk getting to dance.  He has just such a way of brightening any experience including Latin influenced kpop dancing songs.

Bastarz – Selfish & Beautiful Girl

I loved the concept of this MV and couldn’t stop watching.  The addictive song is just the icing on the MV cake.

CLKYTTA:

Big Bang – Last Dance  

I don’t know if it’s because this is the last album we will have before the guys go into the military or what, but this song really resonated with me.  It makes me think of how much my own life has changed and how things don’t always turn out like you think they will. Plus, when T.O.P sings it gives me shivers.

M&D – Goody Bag album.

What can I say, I love the combination of Kim Heechul from Super Junior and Kim Jung Mo from Traxx. I love the mix of ballads and fun pop songs.  My favorite song on this album is Narcissus featuring WheeIn. You can literally feel the emotion in this one.  Plus, I really love a good ballad.

KMUSE: First time I have seen them as a combo.  Will have to check out their other stuff because I liked this song.

Vixx – Hades Albumn

I absolutely loved Fantasy. I have only recently branched out into the newer releases in Kpop, and Vixx is one of the bands that I have really connected with.

KMUSE: VIXX being sexy, dark, and tortured is always my favorite type of VIXX.  I loved this MV.

B1A4 – A Lie 

I can’t remember how I first came across this song, but I loved it.  It’s got a great beat and it all flows so well. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m starting to branch out a little bit more in what I listen to, but I have a few things I look for.  I need there to be strong vocals, and if there is a rap, I need it to follow the flow and not feel disjointed.  This song meets all my criteria.  I’m interested in more from them, so tell me what your favorite songs are. 

KMUSE: The MV is crazy pretty.  But I usually like B1A4’s faster songs.  Just personal preference.

KdramaJen: I discovered B1A4 through drama connections, but stayed for their talent.  Baro’s bass-voice rap is distinctive and draws me in each time. This MV makes me want to skip through a field, run hand in hand, and live in a camper.  Well, maybe not the camper part, but if I the B1 A4 boys were there, then the camper thing would be fine.

KDrama Jen:

Mamamoo – Decalcomanie 

I love Mamamoo!  They have such a unique sound and style that sets them apart from other girl groups.  I love how they stand out vocally and stylistically from some of their autotuned contemporaries.  They are beautiful and sexy, but in a mature way.  They command attention with their talent.

KMUSE: This is one of my top 3 favorite MVs of the year.  Talk about bringing the talent and girl power to the stage.  This is what all girl kpop groups should work towards achieving.  The ability to be talented and sexy without feeling like they are only part of the kpop concept machine.

DramaGeek:

BTS- Blood, Sweat, & Tears

As a fan you could literally spend days piecing together the meaning of their videos and still not come up with what Rapmon and the others were thinking when they came up with the concept. But that’s one of the things I love about their music. And Blood Sweat & Tears was both fun to dissect and just beautiful to watch. Have to admit V stole the show for me with his wingless back. Just like Big Bang, I love watching these boys live and they were fantastic with this comeback. They put every ounce of energy they contain up on stage and they always look like a well oiled machine when performing their dance moves.

KMUSE: This MV is so over the top complicated.  I love it and it is also is my current favorite style/look for the group.

CL Sunbae: This song is all the things for me. I seriously obsessed over it when it came out. It’s a rock solid musical composition on it’s own, but I was really curious about all the symbolism in the video so I spent hours scouring YouTube, watching as other Kpop fans tried to decipher it. The explanation that made the most sense to me was that this was based on the book, Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth by Hermann Hess. So of course I bought the book and am currently reading it. So when I eventually meet BTS, we can have an intelligent conversation about it.

KdramaJen: I only recently discovered BTS, so I am playing catch up with some of the other fan girls.  In fact, I have been spending a bit of time the last few days just watching them on YouTube. Watch out.  I might be joining the Army.  They are lovely to look at, but have a beautifully blended sound too.

Jimin – Lie

Jimin was my first BTS bias. Like I said before, the draw with Kpop groups is the dancing and when you watch BTS perform Jimin will undoubtedly be the one your eyes gravitate toward. That boy was born to dance. There are people who can learn to dance and then there are just people who have it deep in their souls and it flows through every fiber of their being. That’s Jimin. But he also has a beautiful set of pipes on him, and I loved hearing that part of him in this song. 

KMUSE: This is one of my favorite songs from their individual work.  Although that might be because it is sung by my bias.  I tend to be swayed when things involve biases.

Suga – First Love

Okay, so rap might not be my first choice in music. But Suga has totally grown on me, and I thought it was so cool that he wrote a song about his first love, the piano. I also can’t get enough of his voice in Fire. He’s one of those members that really sneak up on you and then you end up loving them to bits.

CL Sunbae:

BTS – Baepsae

You guys. I loved this song so hard. I didn’t mean to. I bought the album just because it was BTS and I was binge-listening to Fire at first. Then Baepsae came on a few times and I was like, “Yeah, I like this one, too.” Then I looked up the dance for it and was like, “Yeah, I think I could learn that.” Then I looked up the English translation of the lyrics and that’s when full obsession set in. The song is deep, ya’ll. For those who don’t know, Baepsae is a crowtit, a tiny bird. There’s a saying in Korean that (I’m probably butchering this) basically goes if a Baepsae tries to keep up with a stork (picture a tiny bird trying to run alongside a stork), it’ll break it’s legs. The meaning being: if you’re small/untalented/poor and you try to play in the big leagues, you’ll just end up hurting yourself. The song is about how the older generation (but mostly the media) in Korea keeps calling the younger generation baepsaes and BTS ain’t having it. Seriously. Go look up the translation. Rap Monster gives them the business and I love it.

Drama Geek: So for me this song has extra meaning because BTS was finally able to not just get the consolation prize awards this year. They took home two different donsaeng,  and the first one surprised the crap out of them. If you haven’t seen their shocked reaction and you are a BTS fan you should go check it out. It’s very hard to come from a smaller company and achieve the level of popularity these guys have and it makes me happy because they work really hard and are super talented.

BlackPink – Whistle

This song is kind of an ear worm. Press “play” below at your own risk. It really gets stuck in your head. But I love the haunting melody, the spooky whistle, the subdued sexuality. The video is cool. I don’t understand it, but it’s a visual feast. And it’s fun to dance to. What more can a Kpop fangirl ask for?

KMUSE: BlackPink is constantly on my Pandora stations so I have given in and become a fan.  I can almost ignore how much they resemble a young 2ne1 and just appreciate them for what they are…….almost.

KdramaJen: I haven’t been able to get over the 2Ne1 Wannabe-thing.  2Ne1 drew me into Kpop, so I have some emotional attachment to them.  BlackPink just feels like they are trying too hard to fill those shoes.  I will try to let that go in 2017, so I can appreciate them as something separate, but they could help me out by figuring out who they really are too.  I am not a fan…yet.

That concludes our favorite MVs of 2016.  Did we discuss yours?  If not let us know what it is in the comments so we can continue to learn and discover new music.  Also check out our other End of Year Reviews HERE.

Til next time,

The Fangirls