K-Bops in K-Pop

I’ll admit, with everything that’s been happening lately and all the excitement we’ve been going through, it’s been hard for me to think of anything outside BTS and Shinee. However, there has always been something niggling at the back of mind–LOONA. For months my friends wouldn’t stop talking about this group and I avoided them simply out of disinterest. They just didn’t really seem like anything that interesting. But with the upcoming LOONA debut, I thought it was time for me to suck it up and find out what they were about.

The Faves

Around You

Just from the first two music videos I could tell they’d be a weird group. And I kind of loved it. I was actually surprised by how much I loved the weird dreamy quality of Around You. I never would’ve expected to like a slow song, but the vocals were soft and the melody was unexpected in a sweet way.

Let Me In

I surprised yet again by Let Me In. Again, I am not the biggest lover of slow songs. This song wasn’t exactly slow, but it wasn’t quite exciting either. It reminded me almost of classical music, if you can imagine it. In any case. Just a glance at my iTunes will show you that I have very, very few songs that don’t make you wanna dance. But there are some that weasel their way into my hear because of their softness, because they remind me of candles and old books and rainy days without even trying.

Kiss Later

Kiss Later was such a wild shift from the two previous singles, but I adored it just the same. Yeojin is so precious and the music video was so bright and cute that it made the song all the more appealing. I love that it still stuck to that sort of bizarre quality that LOONA has adopted but in a very distinct way.

Singing in the Rain

I’m not much of an EDM or electronica in anyway kind of person, so I actually didn’t think I would like Singing in the Rain as much as I did. But there was something about JinSoul’s voice and the tone of the song that worked for me.

Love, Cherry, Motion

Love, Cherry, Motion had that kind of infectious quality that makes girl group songs so addictive. It was sweet and fun and innovative in a way that didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar.

Girl Front

Okay, now I get why people won’t stop talking about LOONA. Odd Eye Circle completely changed the game for me. This song was not only catchy but it was a little weird but a little sweet. It was fast paced but not overwhelming and the vocals were unexpectedly pleasant.

Sweet Crazy Love

I’ll be honest, this one was not as great as Girl Front, but I still loved it. My favorite part was probably the choreo, but the entire MV was a masterpiece.

Heart Attack

I LOVED THIS. It was cute and upbeat and still fitting with that unusual quality that LOONA does so well and I could not stand how precious Chuu was. Not to mention the fact that the music video actually featured a same-sex crush in really sweet, innocent way which was so unique and really awesome.

The Ehs

Love & Live

Love & Live was the first one to really not impress me. It sounded like a typical girl group song, if just a touch better. However, the music video was amazing. I was beginning to wonder how they would make a story about four girls running track a little weird and then one of them was an android and my world was complete.

Everyday I Love You

Everyday I Love You was such a disappointment for me because the visuals were stunning and it had all the elements of a song that would so interesting and different and yet it felt flat. I think I was largely underwhelmed by ViVi’s vocals, but that may have just been a question of the song not being suited for the singer.

Sonatine

I’m not a big fan of the girl group singles that use a lot of strings and can’t quite decide if they’re a slow song or a fast song, so I wasn’t expecting to like Sonatine. There were moments when I felt myself almost change my mind, but mostly I just kept waiting for something that never came.

Eclipse

Eclipse. What to make of Eclipse. This is definitely one of my favorite vocals, but in terms of the song I just wasn’t a huge fan. That said, I can totally see myself changing my mind about this song in a few weeks and I have to say I’m a huge fan of Kim Lip already.

New

I wanted to love this one. It had such cool 80s vibes and I loved the visuals, but the song itself was just a little boring for me. That said, Yves’ choreo? Killer.

Final Thoughts

I wanted to give all the singles a fair shot and after having gone through them all–in one afternoon I might add–I can safely say I’m ready to stan. The girls are unbelievably talented and I think it’s pretty genius to stagger out their introductions to the fans like this. I can’t wait for their debut and I’m excited to see what they have in store. Hopefully, whatever’s coming is just as quirky and just as special as everything they’ve given us so far.