The wintery cold is starting to melt as February’s K-Pop scene started to thaw the musical doldrums. There were plenty of great songs to choose from this month, but only ten could stand out as some of the best. Here are some of our choices for February’s top songs.
- Winner | “Sentimental” | YG Entertainment | February 1
YG Entertainment finally let Winner out of the closet to release an album. “Sentimental” has a nice, summery, tropical feel that’s light and airy. The song is fun and highlights Winner’s vocals nicely. The beat and composition help make “Sentimental” different and memorable. The one downfall is that Nam Taehyun is basically a G-Dragon clone in look and sound for this song. That made “Sentimental” a little weird, but it’s still a catchy tune.
- Jo Kwon | “Crosswalk” | JYP Entertainment | February 15
Dripping with sadness and regret, “Crosswalk” has beautiful lyrics and soul. Jo Kwon’s vocals are quiet and strong, adding believability to the story. The song is unique because it has two interpretations with wanting to get back together with a lover or just completely parting ways and looking back on the memories with sadness. Its dual purpose is what makes “Crosswalk” a standout.
- Yoon Mirae | “ALWAYS” | OU Entertainment, Music&New | February 18
Yoon Mirae delivers a heart-felt performance in “ALWAYS” for the Descendants of the Sun OST. Her vocals have a raw, imperfect feeling while carrying a sense of realness that make it easy to get lost in the song. Yoon’s vocals touch the heart in such a glorious way that it’s easy to see why many consider her a queen in the OST circuit.
- Ladies’ Code | “Galaxy” | Polaris Entertainment | February 24
There was a lot of curiosity surrounding Ladies’ Code’s comeback: Will they do well as three? How will they handle performances? Is it still too soon? “Galaxy” put all those questions to rest. With its smooth jazziness, unique and memorable chorus, and subtle ebbs and flows in the beat, Ladies’ Code proved they are still capable vocalists. While it’s sad to see them without EunB and RiSe, the subtle nods to the fallen members show they are far from forgotten. Even if Ladies’ Code never return to their usual bubbly, happy concepts, jazz definitely suits them and sets them apart from other groups.
- Kim Jaejoong | “Love You More” | C-JeS Entertainment | February 16
Rock is a severely underutilized genre in the Korean music scene. “Love You More” utilizes rock beautifully with a nice balance of percussion and guitars. Jaejoong’s vocals suit the rock genre because the pitch layers well with the somewhat harder tones. The song didn’t make a lot of waves, but it should have.
- Taeyeon | “Rain” | SM Entertainment | February 3
“Rain” was released as part of an SM project, but it didn’t matter because it still chalked up some wins for Taeyeon. Her vocals are almost sultry here while still playing up some of her adorable charms. “Rain” is somewhat generic, but call it the SNSD Effect or the Taeyeon Effect: In recent months, Taeyeon can do no wrong musically.
- Mamamoo | “You’re the Best” | Rainbow Bridge World | February 26
Mamamoo quickly emerged as a cult favorite group thanks to their personalities and vocal abilities. In “You’re the Best,” there is plenty of both to go around. The song is high energy and fun while maintaining the quirks that make Mamamoo endearing domestically and internationally. Before you know it, the girls will be notching a few music show wins!
- B.A.P | “Feel So Good” | TS Entertainment | February 22
B.A.P did a 180 from their usual bad boy motif to give us the bright, cheerful “Feel So Good.” While many cringed at the idea, the concept worked for them as it still had hints of the bad boy flavor. The best part about “Feel So Good” is how the boys showed their goofy sides to make them more relatable. “Feel So Good” felt so good, and it was the perfect lead single to a good mini album.
- Double S 301 | “Pain” | CI Entertainment | February 16
Even though the song is grammatically incorrect, “Pain” brings out the SS501-feels and plenty of nostalgia of an era gone by. Double S 301, a subunit of SS501, but it still has that familiar SS501 feel. While the lines that go “going away” sound awkward, the chorus and addictive melody make the song a worthwhile winner thanks to the nostalgia-factor.
- Taemin | “Press Your Number” | SM Entertainment | February 23
Taemin is one of the stronger, more capable idol singers today, and he’s able to hold his own as a soloist without any problem. Taemin is a colorful performer and singer and tends to be a chameleon with his ability to switch between sexy bad-boy to the Korean Michael Jackson to smooth ballad singer. “Press Your Number” shows one of Taemin’s many personas. The chorus is one of his better, more stable ones singing-wise, showing more growth. The verses of the song have a good flow from beginning to end. The overall composition highlighted Taemin’s strengths to make “Press Your Number” the top song of the month.
What were some of your favorite songs from February? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook!
—-Joelle Halon