“Old timers” have been doing it big on the Billboard K-Pop Top 100 lately. Veterans PSY, Naul and Epik High, all of whom have been in the industry for nearly a decade, are conquering the music chart. Learn about the veterans and see this week’s must-see K-pop videos.
Epik High’s pre-release single from their upcoming seventh LP, “It’s Cold,” featuring Lee Hi (the final contestant on the popular TV show “K-Pop Star”) has made a huge debut, thwarting Naul’s quest to earn a fourth week atop the chart. “It’s Cold” is the group’s first track to be released under YG Entertainment, the conglomerate agency that represents K-Pop phenoms PSY, Big Bang and 2NE1.
“It’s Cold” follows Epik High’s signature beat-driven, power balladry with piano sounds — a strikingly similar sound to their previous tracks, “Umbrella” and “Love Love Love.” The track is built around a perfect balance between members Tablo’s rhythmic rapping, Mithra’s deep vocals and Lee Hi’s subdued emotional voice, which, combined with Epic High’s remarkable gift for wordplay, drives the music home with the pure, raw emotions of feeling cold and empty.
Regarding this newest single, Tablo tweeted, “I’m deeply moved by the ‘hot’ response for our track ‘It’s Cold’ when it’s not even our [official single]! This song was specifically made for fans that missed Epik High’s old musical colors. We’ve missed you, too! Please look out for our album release on October 19!” No music video has been released since the song is not the official single, proving that the anticipation for Epik High’s return was huge. Check out the audio:
Male solo artist K.Will, known as the representative vocalist of K-Pop for his exceptional singing skills, released his first album in three years with new single “Please Don’t…” that is this week’s highest debut. The track is a strange combination of folk guitar sounds and hip-hop rhythms that vividly tells a story of a breakup. But who is K. Will crying over in the video? This video, which co-stars SISTAR member Dasom, needs to be seen the whole way through (and then again) to figure out just why K.Will is so upset. Be ready for a twist at the end!
Korea’s longest-running girl group, Jewelry, made its return to the charts with new retro-inspired single “Look At Me.” The group’s fashion styles jump from fierce and fashion-forward to conservative and cozy. Check out all of Jewelry’s looks in the new video: