It is that time again when the weather warms up and the windows of our cars begin to roll down.  And what better way to celebrate the change in season than with a cruizin’ summer Kpop Soundtrack?  So come join The Fangirls as they share their picks for which songs you should be blasting.

Kmuse:

Mamamoo – Starry Night

I am a huge Mamamoo fan and this song is literally made for summer.  Everything about the song and MV scream summer and I can’t wait to blast this non-stop as I drive off to the beach.  Not to mention I wish I was 15 years younger and had their whole wardrobe.  If you love fashion then this is for sure the MV for you.

Block B – Shall We Dance

I am so glad that Block B went back to their older vibe for their latest song Shall We Dance.  The more you listen to this song the more you will love it.  It is one of my favorite songs to sing along with.

NCT U – Baby Don’t Stop

I had never bothered to focus in on NCT, so it was just random chance (and a social media friend throwing it on their FB wall) that I clicked on this MV.  Am I so glad that I did.  I love this song so much.  The strong beats, the great dancing, the perfection for blasting in my car.  Check out Baby Don’t Stop and expect more posts in the future about this subgroup as I dive into their music.

TVXQ – The Chance at Love

I am so happy that TVXQ is out of the military and making music again.  I know they have both dived back into dramas but I have always been more a fan of their musical work than their acting aspirations.  This song is perfect to start one’s day off right or listening to while you travel on your vacation.

Karie the Maknae

On occasion, I am a good little maknae and don’t interfere with my sunbaes/eunnies. In this case, Kdrama Jen has claimed my most favorite song EVER (Mic Drop by BTS) as her summer song, and I won’t whine about it or steal it or ANYTHING. But rest assured, it will be blasting through my open car windows as often as the Texas heat allows.

BAP-Hands Up, Wake Me Up, and Honeymoon

Mic Drop is not the only song I listen to, and I love discovering more groups. In my initial dive down the Kpop rabbit hole, I listened to BAP’s early stuff and was not hooked. However, their latest stuff, including Hands Up, Wake Me Up, and Honeymoon, have snagged my ears. Honeymoon is quite stubborn and won’t let go. Ignore the mullets and appreciate the island vibe:

N.Flying- Hot Potato

In my house, fun songs to get the kids off the couch and dancing are a MUST. So is dancing in our seats at red lights (no, not all of my children are willing participants in this activity. I do have teenagers). N.Flying’s Hot Potato will be in regular circulation:

Pentagon- Like This

Pentagon’s Like This is chill and completely suited for cruisin’….to the grocery store, because that is my life, y’all:

 NU’EST W-Where You At?

Where You At? by NU’EST W is another chill one that makes me feel like driving is not a chore. I promise to be more responsible than a blindfolded idol behind the wheel of a smokin’ cherry red sports car. A little bit, anyway.

Kdrama Jen:

Mic Drop and Go Go by BTS

Many of the fangirls are BTS fans, so I jumped in early and claimed these two songs as my picks. It was the writing equivalent of licking all the cookies, so nobody else could eat them (even though Karie the Maknae tried). Anyway, BOTH of these songs are perfect for summer and cruising. Mic Drop makes an impression when it is blaring from the car and GO GO has such a unique sound. They both give me an instant mood lift!

Energetic by Wanna One

Wanna One became very popular in Korea after Produce 101, so I saw pictures of them everywhere in Korea. This song is full of energy and definitely makes me want to sing along. I play it when I am getting ready in the morning. It has a youthful feel that makes me happy.

J-Hope’s Mix Tape

Until I saw BTS live, I was not really drawn to J-Hope. Oh, but when he is on stage he draws the eye and commands attention. I think his mixtape is a great opportunity for him to show just how talented he is as both a rapper and vocalist in general. I especially like Daydream for a summer listening pick, but I encourage you to check out all of his tracks. He has matured as a musician and it is very obvious how talented he is when you listen to his solo work!

O Sole Mio by SF9

I am listening to O Sole Mio sitting on the beach and it has such a fun vibe. It is like salsa and kimchi made friends and they are dancing together. It is just made for a warm summer night with friends or family. This will definitely be on my summer jam list!

Dongsaeng the Visitor:

I couldn’t help but pop in and say hi and chat a little KPop with y’all! I am blessed with having a KPop guru living in my house, namely my 16-year-old daughter, who keeps me up to date on everything going on in the Korean music world. She routinely borrows my phone in order to add in the “can’t miss” songs that would otherwise slip right on by her old and out-of-touch mom. So of course, when asked if I had any awesome summer playlist ideas, I immediately turned to her, and boy did she deliver!

Everyday – Winner

Honestly, I could put pretty much anything by Winner here in my top spot. I am a huge fan and so many of their songs are perfect for getting your shimmy on while behind the wheel cruising down the road, windows down, hand stretched out surfing on the wind. I’m going to just stick with their latest release that came out this week though (but really, go listen to every one of their songs if you want a real good time – I’d especially recommend Island and Love Me Love Me for that summertime vibe). Minus the overuse of auto-tune on this newest release, this song is a whole lot of fun. Plus, it was filmed on the beach in Malibu so how can it possibly scream summer more?

We Young – NCT Dream

KMuse mentioned NCT U earlier, so here’s my shout-out to yet another NCT subgroup. I am addicted to this song. Frankly, as much as I’ve tried to fight it, I’m addicted to NCT, period. This one is the song that did it for me. I can’t help but dance to this one as it keeps me feeling young…at heart.

Red Flavor – Red Velvet

Red Velvet never fails as the group that makes it onto my summer playlist time and time again. Something about them just hits my sweet spot. Maybe it’s because I can’t help but think about cake whenever they come up ;).

ONF – Original

Okay, here’s a group that will probably be unfamiliar to most. They’re one of my 16 year old’s favorites though, so in her honor, I introduce them to you. P.S. In case you’re curious, it’s said “On/Off” not “onf”, but if you’re like me, you’ll call it “onf” just to annoy your 16 year old kid.

Honorable Mentions

I have so many more I could focus on, but then this post would be too long and you need to get out there listening to the tunes and not stuck just reading about them. Other honorable mentions for other fresh sounds for summer, however, would be: absolutely anything by KARD (keep that Latin salsa flair going!),  N.Flying “The Real”, Vromance “She”, WJSN “Happy”, and last, but certainly never least, Pentagon’s “Shine” (Pentagon is another new favorite group that I fought against initially until finally caving to their awesomeness). Can I just point out that I didn’t even mention Big Bang once? That’s progress people, real progress. But you know, Flower Road would be a pretty awesome summer jam, just sayin’…..

Thanks for joining us as we threw together our ultimate Kpop soundtrack.  Did we miss your favorite? Feel free to share in the comments and enjoy our list here on Youtube.

Til next time,

The Fangirls