WHAT’S GOT YOU ROLLIN & WHY IS IT THE BEST NEW K-POP?

Image provided by Brave Entertainment,  We Ride Concept Photo

So, March went by in a blink of an eye. From Rosé’s record-breaking solo debut to Iz*One’s heartbreaking news of disbanding next month, time is flying and we are rolling on a wheel of emotions here. Good thing we got 10 of the best new K-pop songs below, keeping us sane… or not?

BRAVE GIRLS – ROLLIN

The Brave Girls are pulling perfect-all-kills with “Rollin” which is simultaneously topping Korean streaming charts, four years after release. Yet the song never flopped to begin with, so maybe this is how South Korea says, “Bring this type of music back?” The tropical house track is so captivating with their cute and sexy pronunciation, the chair dance choreo, and the wild saxophone bridge- it's addicting! The 2017 hit is an all-round mood perfect for work-out, parties and road trips. The viral hit is on its 6th win against big names, Blackpink’s Rosé and SHINee. This throwback hit hard!

JESSI – WHAT TYPE OF X

Not only are we rolling, but we are bouncing because Jessi from the block is back with “What Type of X.” Everything about the singer-rap star’s comeback is just sensational as expected. Queen Jessi knows how to bring pride in her own color, fashion, and swag! The hip-hop beat is empowering, and the choreography is so fun to dance along to. Well, thanks to Jessi’s ex, she’s on to her next… HIT! The 15 million view MV is viral everywhere on IG and Tiktok where other K-pop idols try out Jessi’s dance challenge as well!

B.I – MIDNIGHT BLUE

“The one and only, f***in one and only” B.I aka Kim Hanbin is back with an emotional breakthrough after a two-year long hiatus. The former iKON member released “Midnight Blue” which is about regaining peace in your heart and mind after all the challenges you have fought through. The donation film of the rap-ballad track illustrates the rapper’s reflections, featuring his mother and infamous face band-aid symbolizing healing. After establishing his very own 131 Label, Hanbin dedicated all proceeds of his very first solo album “Love Streaming” to help children in need globally through the World Vision organization.

CHUNG HA X GUAYNAA – DEMENTE (SPANISH VER)

Chung Ha está caliente! We have heard our favorite K-pop artists do English, Japanese, and Chinese, but Chung Ha just unlocked more doors to the global scene with a full Spanish song “Demente,” in collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Guaynaa. This genre speaks her name everywhere from the sexy latin flavor, to the extravagant sets, to her glamorous makeup, and fashion. The dancing queen pulled off each word so naturally, more opportunities for her and surprises for us are definitely coming our way. With 4.5 million views in one week, no pandemic can stop Chung Ha from crossing international borders… musically.

 
WEEEKLY – AFTER SCHOOL

Our idol classmates from Weeekly are back, not during school hours, but “After School.” The rookie girl-group is well known for their pre-debut vocal covers on YouTube. But their range from debut to comeback prove how all-round and original they can be! The electropop trap-beaten track is so catchy you will be humming on LSS mode before the song even finishes. The bubbly and sporty concept of the girls are a total girl-crush plus! With almost 17 million views in just one week, it looks like the future of K-pop will be shared in Weeekly’s hands.

 
MIRAE - KILLA

We talkin future of K-pop? From DSP- home of legendary groups Kara and KARD, the long-awaited MIRAE just debuted with “Killa!” The 7-member rookie boy group follows a futuristic, high-tech, and anime-like concept which they are hella-killin with overflowing charisma and charm. Plus their dance break on the electric guitar bridge- difficulty level: HARD! You can tell they really prepared well. Fans highly anticipated Mirae’s debut after the members appeared on TV programs Produce X 101 and Under Nineteen. Gaining even more fans will be no problem at all as they received over 10 million views in just one week!
 

SORN (CLC) – RUN

Congratulations to the more than deserving Thai Sweetheart, Sorn on her solo debut!!! The foreign vocalist has always been about being herself and doing what she wants. Sorn broke her own boundaries from the very start by winning TvN’s K-pop Star Hunt, and now she’s at it again being the first CLC member to release her own music. “Run” is an acoustically-driven pop track about courage and freedom. The MV gained more than 700k views overnight! Get to know Sorn and you will fall in love with her funny and perky personality (so check her out on IG and TikTok)!

 
SEORI – LOVERS IN THE NIGHT

Love and hope are everything Seori shares in her latest single, “Lovers in the Night.” In this judgmental world, we all need a meaningful song we can all relate to- and this is one. The singer-songwriter is shaking the K-pop scene, using her beautiful voice for LGBTQ+ representation. I don’t want to spoil the song or MV too much but Seori says, you have all night to be who you want to be and love who you want to love. The light moombahton track is composed of English lyrics for everyone to easily get a feel of. Give the song a listen and love freely!
 

STRAY KIDS, ALESSO & CORSAK – GOING DUMB

The show must go on! With one member on hiatus after school bullying accusations, the rest of the Stray Kids are still in the game. After winning one of the Best New Artists of Asia in the 35th Japan Gold Disc Awards, the boy group released a PUBG collaboration with global DJs Alesso and CORSAK. “Going Dumb” is a chill, electro-pop, club banger and fans are loving the clear harmonization of their warm vocals. This is a perfect warm-up to showcase their flexibility in preparation for Mnet’s KINGDOM (idol competition program) in April.

 
ITZY – MIDZY

It’s not every day that you receive a gift from your favorite K-pop idol. Itzy released a heart-warming song just for the fans, “Midzy” for the dearest Midzys! Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna sing lyrics “Trust me,” little do they know that these two words are more than enough for the fans to promise back unconditional support. The lyric video was released with captions in 50 languages plus a special English version of the song, how sweet right? These girls never fail to let us know how special Midzys are after releasing “Be in Love” which featured fan art.
 
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What a fulfilling week. This is what gets me rollin and I hope you are too! The last few days of March will surely be thrilling with surprises from IU to Exo's Baekhyun. So, till next Thursday, Annyeong~!!!

Hannah Lee is a Hallyu enthusiast from K-music to K-drama to K-food and even K-fashion. By day she takes her architectural apprenticeship, but by night she fangirls till sunrise. According to her latest MBTI test, Hannah is a perfectionist who has a lot of miscellaneous thoughts and is lazy... but passionate!