omonatheydid | Music you may have missed in July! (Reply)

Congratulations, you made through another month of scandal-free Kpop. Haha just kidding, sorry F(X) and Hello Venus fans. Anyway here's a recap of music posts throughout July.

Featuring:

YOUNHA - UMBRELLA 2014 MV

Fans of Epik High will love hearing this old jam turned into a song of its own. It's the reverse Dido/Eminem, where Younha's verses were part of the classic Umbrella and this one is her solo remake. Your mind may want to reach for the Tablo and Mithra's verses but this song stands on its own because of Younha's beautiful vocals and the unexpected arrangement of the song.

PLANET SHIVER-SIN FEAT. NAVI

This is a true club banger, for fans of Hot Chip or Simian Mobile Disco. Planet Shiver is made up of DJ Friz and Philtre and the lyrics were written by Tablo. You might have heard of them before from their work with Epik High on Remixing the Human Soul.

AIRPLANE 'BACK TO THE FUTURE' MV

Airplane's Back To The Future is a feel good track that combines an old-school hiphop beat, classic song structure and melody in the chorus, and rock guitars in a song about their "passion and pureness." You probably should start stanning this group now.

Kim Hyun Joong Pre-Releases Song "His Habit" Feat. Lim Kim and Kanto of Troy

You should know by now that I am a sucker for bass lines and a funky beat. This is a really solid summer collab between Sunbae, Lim Kim, and Kanto! Watch his Beauty Beauty video and listen to the other tracks here.

Kim Wan Sun comeback MV for Goodbye My Love (feat. Tiger JK & Bizzy)

You gotta know a little bit of Kpop history to know who Kim Wan Sun is. She's been a singer for almost 30 years and she proves that she still has the pipes with this tango-inspired Goodbye My Love with an assist from Tiger JK and Bizzy, both of whom provide powerful yet playful rap stylings.

BEENZINO 'HOW DO I LOOK?' MV

Hot people hanging out at laundromat as Beenzino observes. Did anybody notice the dudes flirting with each other? And how he kinda rapped like Tupac in some parts (not just on "look good on me")? Anyway this is one of the many summer jams you should already have on your hard drive!

PARC JAE JUNG - ICE ICE BABY (FEAT. BEENZINO) MV

Parc Jae Jung's deep voice and handsome face invites you into this sleek video. There's a retro 80s almost Hall & Oates vibe and it's really catchy. Not a bad way to debut!

GOGOSTAR [BROKEN NIGHT] OFFICIAL MV

I'm always here for some good old rock music. GOGOSTAR's Broken Night is energetic and frenzied dance rock/punk, reminiscent of SAKANACTION, Glen Check, and (old) The Rapture.

HA:TFELT - AIN'T NOBODY M/V

Yeeun aka HA:TFELT did not disappoint here or with her new mini album. She has great control of her voice and shows creativity in her overall concept, songwriting, and production. So I hope in future lists of "best singers" people stop leaving out Queen Yeeun in the conversation!

IDOL
G.O.D RELEASES MV FOR "SKY BLUE PROMISE" - Old school vibes! Listen to the album here. Be sure to check out their funny Saturday Night video here, it's got a fun, feel-good disco feel. IF YOU WANT TO CRY, watch their mv for Story of Our Lives.

FIESTAR - One More is the bop of the summer - I don't know what's going on with kpop and all the male gaze-y stuff in videos lately but this song is what you kids call a "bop." Combines all the things I love about pop music in the 80s and 90s: synths, a prominent bass line, and vocals that carry the sweet-sexiness of the song.

F(X) - RED LIGHT MV - The concept, aesthetics, makeup, outfits, song, and choreo are so totally F(X) in all the best ways.

WINGS - BLOSSOM MV - These rookies' second offering is a bit more lowkey than Hair Short as it mixes acoustic guitar riffs with a dance beat.

TINY-G - ICE BABY MV - All I can say is: totally adorbs. Dancing with pillows though? Not really. Tiny-G have great voices that harmonize well together. Somehow they blend cute and sexy together without it being totally weird? I'm all over it.

SCARLET RELEASE 'HIP SONG' MV - Scarlet came out in March with Do Better and unfortunately they were not well received by a lot of people here. Give this song a chance, it's a fun track you can pop your pussy to!

100% "U BEAUTY" MV - Watch out this one's an earworm. By the end of the song you'll be singing "niga yeppeuda" over and over! It's an upbeat song that almost sounds like a leftover Infinite track.

C-CLOWN RELEASES MV FOR '나랑만나' - The guitar riff that begins the song and underscores the rest of the track sets a moody tone. Vocals and rappers are on point, too. Listen to the mini album here.

Junho wants you you to feel him -Releases Feel Full MV - Generic dance track but Junho's voice and moves and appearances from GOT7 members is worth watching the video.

NU'EST's MV for "Good Bye Bye" + album listening link - Not really a Nu'est fan but comments in the post say they've improved! The somber piano throughout the song goes well with the dance beat plus the kids looking good make for a decent video.

ACTUAL ANGEL KIM JONGHYUN'S SECOND SELF-COMPOSITION "SORRY" - SHINee fans who are waiting for new music will be appeased with this emotional piano ballad composed by Jonghyun.

BESTIE RELEASE DIGITAL SINGLE "LIKE A STAR"! - I've never listened to Bestie until now, and I have to say I'm impressed by their voices. The pulsating synths with the acoustic guitar make it a fun, positive-sounding song, too.

PRINCE HENRY "FANTASTIC" MV, MOONWALKS WITH VIOLIN IN MUSIC BANK PERFORMANCE - Henry's violin dancing saves this song from becoming another generic dance track. This is the album post and this is the amazing all strings version which is a lot more captivating than the original.

SUMMER PARTY POST! - Girl's Day came back with Darling and it's a doozy. They've got a great harmony going, even though the song sounds like Secret's. Still it's fun and cute which is right up their alley.

B1A4'S 'SOLO DAY' MV IS OUT!!!!! - Every song on B1A4's new mini was composed and written by the members which is gaining them more attention since Lonely. This is the quintessential summer song about enjoying your life instead of wallowing in sadness after a breakup and the video's storyline is creative too.

J-MIN'S MV FOR "SHINE"! - Another one of SM's talent that deserves better, J-MIN already performed this in 2010 at an SMTOWN. Unfortunately it's nothing spectacular but she has the pipes to deliver. Album listening post here.

GIRLS' GENERATION RELEASES 'INDESTRUCTIBLE' - It's a nice but generic upbeat song about an indestructible love... could probably be interpreted as a song for the girls, aw ❤

INFINITES BACK MV - JFC if you wanted to see someone get their ass beat for 4 minutes have I got a treat for you. All jokes aside, Infinite delivered and they sound better than ever while they stay true to their dramatic orchestra sound. Surprised there weren't any rapping parts.

SISTAR - TOUCH MY BODY M/V - Yet another cute and fun and video we have come to expect from Sistar, minus the dog peeing move which is an example of Kpop idols taking a really old dance and making it an embarassing experience for everybody (minus the people who ironically love it). It's got a familiar, happy melody that makes it infectious. Album listening post here, acoustic version here.

HOMME IT GIRL MV - The video is channelling Blurred Lines a little but with a different color palette, which is the only thing I can say about this video. Homme's voices are great, aaand that's it.

BLOCK B'S H.E.R MV - It should be no surprise that Block B puts out fun pop songs as their title tracks and this one is no exception. Listen to the album here.

BOYS REPUBLIC - DRESS UP MV!! - This is a really fun song, choreo, and MV by Boys Republic. Admittedly this is my first time listening to them but why these boys don't have more stans is perplexing to me...

QUEEN HYUNA IS BACK IN RED MV - Hyuna is back and she looks hotter than ever twerking dat pancake butt. The beat packs in as many effects as it can without it being cluttered but her voice veers into Bart-Simpson-nasal territory as it often does. She really pulls off sexy and cute in a way that only she can, and she looks like she's having fun in this video. That's all that matters in the long run, right?

LC9 MV IS OUT! #EOE - LC9 came back with 4 members after one of them went back to Canada (Eden) and the other fulfilling military duty (Rasa). They don't really have a lot going for them, the last thing they released was in 2013 with Mama Beat which is really different from this ballad, which I assume is about Eden.

I CAN FINALLY BELIEVE IT, JYJ'S "BACK SEAT" MV - JYJ put everybody in the backseat after 3 years of no music activities. It's a treat to hear their voices again after so long in this 2008 throwback R&B track. Also a treat to lust after men who weren't born in the 90s...

HIGH4 FEAT LIM KIM "A LITTLE CLOSE" - This is HIGH4's second single with yet another feature from a female artist. Lim Kim's distinct voice keeps this neo-soul inspired track a little bit more interesting, but I wonder what they would sound like just by themselves?

CNBLUE- GO YOUR WAY PV - The guitars on this one rocked pretty hard. They also upped the pop-emo meter by only a little bit and it made me wish they went all the way. Probably because I'm not really a fan but I noticed how nice Jonghyun's voice is and it made him sound a little J-rock to me.

DEBUT

3/5 of X-5 are back in LU:KUS - SO INTO U MV - LU:KUS is a new boy group from Box Media Ent, whose name means "look at us." The song is a little repetitive (like Super Junior's Bonamana or Mr. Simple), and I'll just wait til the next track to see if they have more to offer.

New Boy Group "Penta-G" Debut With 1st Single "Sold Out" - I don't know anything about Penta-G but they debuted with a ballad, which is kind of unusual for our times. However it's not necessarily a bad thing to show off vocal prowesses right out the gate, so look forward to them too.

B.I.G (Boys in Groove) Release Debut 'Hello' MV - Listen to this song if you want to know all the ways to say hello in different languages. It also sounds like a Lonely Island rap parody. So far so good!

Electro Duo LODIA debuts with self composed song "I GOT A FEELING" - The comments were divided about Lodia, who debuted a self-composed synth track. Yes it does sound like Forever 21 bgm, but you gotta give it to them for composing their debut!

Lucky J Drops Video for Debut Track, “Can You Hear Me?” - Lucky J is comprised of female singer Jessi and rappers J Kyun and J Yo. It's a little repetitive but it does its job of showcasing each member's skills.

YE-A - UP AND DOWN MV - Ye-A is a "cute" girl group with eight members. You can learn more about them here but other than that, the song is another forgettable dance track.

Play the Siren - Dream Drive (feat. f(Luna)) M/V - Play the Siren is a group of rappers that has two girls (Chichi and Kasper) and four guys (Siren, CJ, Squalla and Baekbum). The song seems more Luna feat Play the Siren, though. It seems as if they're going for a funner image instead of the usual tough.

TAURINE - WISH LIST OFFICIAL M/V - Taurine listing off their favorite foods in sultry, jazzy fashion. They remind me of Mamamoo and The Barberettes.

Nugus BLAST Finally Release MV for Debut "Git It Girl" - This is actually a pretty good dance song for debut so I am pleasantly surprised. The video had some nice sets but it looked like it was filmed with cheap cameras.

INDIE/CONTEMPORARY/ROCK

Ulala Session & IU reveal their Summer Love Song - The voices of IU and Ulala Session go together in this tremelo-guitar infused retro track. Technically this song was recorded in 2012 but it just came out. This song was written by Kim Do Hoon, writer of the big hit Some by Soyou and Junggigo.

Get excited AGAIN: 클래지콰이(CLAZZIQUAI PROJECT) - Love Satellite M/V - Creepy pig-man video aside, Clazziquai Project came back with this uptempo electro-funk jam which is what you have come to expect from them. Alex and Horan's clear voices have been sorely missed in the Kpop landscape.

PARK JI YOON YOO HOO MV IS OUT! - Park Ji Yoon gave us Innerspace and Beep earlier in the year, both of which were unique tracks in their own way, but this one sounds like a song for a drama or musical about a carefree hippie lady driving around in an old VW.

ROYAL PIRATES NEW SONG? + OTHER PERFORMANCES. - Fans of Royal Pirates should check this post out for a great new mid-tempo song that's an inch away from being a typical 90s alternative song and covers of Get Lucky and Locked Out of Heaven. James put up a video of an English version of Betting Everything, and he's quite dreamy in it.

Yoo Seung Woo releases new single ☾'Because Night Is So Precious'☆ - Yoo Seung Woo has a nice tone to his voice (think Jason Mraz). It's the kind of soft acoustic guitar song you listen to late at night, pondering your loneliness, which is what this song is about. Check out the link for a live version too.

YOON JONGSHIN "BAT GIRL" FT YOUNHA AUDIO - I almost always hear sad songs from Younha whenever someone links me so it's a relief to hear her voice in a much more upbeat song.

HIPHOP/R&B
NEW MUSIC!? JUST MUSIC 'RIPPLE EFFECT' ALBUM - This is a very decent album collaboration from Swings, Giriboy, Cjamm, Vasco, and Nochang of Just Music Enterprises. Moody, a bit dark, and emotional with a rich, lush production.

SO JI SUB RELEASED "18 YEARS" MV - Bless his rapping heart. So Ji Sub has an existential crisis in a visual backdrop of getting his makeup done in some poorly lit room.

Listen to a track from Andup's 'Bootleg-No Title' Single Album - My first exposure to Andup, and it's not bad. Good for vibing out.

SEVENTEEN Mixtape vol. 1 - just for fun - Did this group even debut yet?! With no prior knowledge, I'm assuming these are the rappers of the group Seventeen and you know what, this is a really good old-school beat with a sample you've already heard of before. They also released Sunshine remix here featuring Yoo Ara from Hello Venus, another feel good summer track.

Skull - I'm getting married + Deh Poh Top MV's - Skull is apparently a reggae singer which would explain the dreads. He brought the genre to Korea and even rose to #3 on the Billboard charts and now he's back after active duty. Forget the songs: the video for Deh Pon Top shows him lighting up and I'm left here wondering how he hasn't been arrested yet???

TAEWAN FEAT SAN E "HISTORY" - I'm usually all about these R&B joints but this one is only okay, there's something missing in it. San E saves the song from being a total borefest.

JAY PARK'S "NANA" - Not really feeling the piano on this one, it's a little repetitive and doesn't seem to go anywhere. If it had that special something it could have been another fun summer song.

JOLLY V - YES! YES! YO! - Jolly V has been featured here before. The song is from her first studio album "Have Faith." It's not bad, but there's something about that beat that sounds a little dated, like it came from an old 90s club hit. I guess it would appeal to hip 30somethings.

OSTs
Mamamoo releases OST 'Love Lane' for Marriage, Not Dating - (embed is broken listen here) I've been watching Marriage Not Dating so I hear this song every week and I recently just found out that it's by Mamamoo! It has a light and airy feel that fits the drama's cheery tone.

Finally! Roommate OST Part 2 A.T "Good Morning" - A.T has a jazzy feel to her voice accompanied by acoustic guitar stylings, yet another summer song. The video is worth it to watch BTS of the Roommates having fun.

Lee Michelle's No Tears For The Dead OST - Lee Michelle puts on a seductive voice for this smooth jazz/soul song for No Tears for the Dead. Also in the post is her awesome cover of Smooth Operator, showing that she can be subdued in addition to belting it out for power ballads.

Seo In Guk releases "Finding Myself" for High School King OST - Seo In Guk is a talented actor and singer and he knocked it out of the park with this song, capturing the feeling of his character.

💔 It's Okay, That's Love ❤ OST Part 1: Chen - 최고의 행운 Best Luck M/V - Chen, the best voice in EXO, shows off his pipes in a typical emotional ballad for this drama which his bandmate D.O is also starring in.

💔 It's Okay, That's Love ❤ OST Part 2: Davichi - 괜찮아 사랑이야 M/V - Davichi in another ballad! What a surprise.

COLLABS

Eunji and Huh Gak's Break Up to Make Up - Eunji's voice is very mature and provides a nice counterpoint to Huh Gak's sweet vocals in this cute video of people that are just... thumbs.

san e and raina sing "A midsummer night's sweetness" acoustic version, live! - Watching San-E and Raina's cute interactions in this cheerful summer song is the only reason why you should watch this video.

AILEE AND 2LSON "I'M IN LOVE" STAR-STUDDED MUSIC VIDEO FOR RE;CODE PROJECT - Technically it's just Ailee singing with some other chick lipsynching. It was confusing until I read the comments. Ailee is obviously a vocal powerhouse so I don't need to convince you of anything!

Count Junsu-la and Jeong Seona release Dracula musical MV for "Loving You Keeps Me Alive" - Junsu did a great job with this song demonstrating sorrow and drama, as he should be because it's for a musical. Watch the vid to see rehearsal footage as well.

HYUNGDONG AND DAESLAY "PARK YOU" MV IS OUT!!!!!!!!! - Well. it's a funny rap song.

PARK MYUNGSOO FEAT. LIM KIM "MYUNGSOO'S DDEOKBOKKI" - You know you really gotta hand it to Korea. You don't need to be a rapper to release a rap song, and they obviously have a more open attitude when it comes to that genre, even though they use it for comedic effect.

Henry performs with Yiruma 'River flows in you' - Not only can Henry play the violin and dance at the same time but he can play the fucking piano and not in a first-piano-recital kind of way. Yiruma is a world renowned pianist who has sold out shows in Europe and Asia and for Henry to play alongside him is quite impressive.

The Ark’s Jeon Min Joo and Yuna Kim Take a Strong First Step Together with “Good Bye Rain” MV - This is a strong introduction to Jeon Min Joo and Yuna Kim, plus a male vocalist who wasn't credited (unless I was hallucinating, because I clearly heard a male's voice). The Ark is a new girl group, debut unknown.

KOREABOO CORNER

You've Been Waiting: Chad Future ft Aron - Got It Figured Out MV + Another Song ft. f(x)'s Amber. - Chad Future channels his inner Aaron Carter in "Got It Figured." I wonder what it's like to have no self-awareness whatsoever?

CJENMMUSIC, 1thek, MarbleTeethMusic Channel 3, On Style, CJENNMUSIC, TheGOGOSTARkorea, JYPEntertainment

lmao this post took forever and a day to make, I should start making them earlier ~~and stop taking 30 min breaks in between.~~ You guys post a lot! Thanks for keeping Omona alive everyday. I also didn't add covers since that would have been way too much for this post. RECC US NEW MUSIC! What have you been listening to lately (doesn't have to be Korean)? What was your favorite release in July? As usual, if I missed anything share it in the comments.