Oppa Knows Best #1: Top 5 Favourite Summer Songs

Annyeong to all our dedicated readers (and to those who accidentally found themselves here down a rabbit hole and forgot/cannot work out how to escape is strange yet massively addictive world),

I would like to introduce you to a good friend of mine. He is an oppa, as well as a hyung, to most on the k-pop scene, and his usual blogging primarily concerns cinematic investigations, however, as is the magical prowess of Kpop, he has now become a film-turned-Kpop blogger and will be joining us at Nunas Know Best from time to time. As he is likely to be the only oppa writing on here for the foreseeable future he will have his very own tag, 'Oppa Knows Best'. Bunny and I are very well aware that the often fantastic girl bands don't really get much of a look in here, and we apologise for that. But really, it's so hard to focus on one when you have so many boys to keep watch over, and they end up being the more urgent case for us all too often. However, I think you can rest assured now that we have now begun making amends to this, and I too have a girl group blog post or two in the works. So, without further ado, please welcome our guest oppa, and as they so often say in the wonderful world of Kpop, please give him a lot of love.


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Oppa Knows Best #1: Top 5 Favourite Summer Songs

I got exposed to KPOP a few months ago through Jessica Jane and Bunny who run this blog, and from then on I spent most Saturday’s watching video's on youtube and ignoring customers in the bookshop I was working in. About 6 weeks ago I went cycling around the UK for just over a month, so I was unfortunately deprived of KPOP updates, but since I’ve been at home I have got back into it and have started catching up. So what I have decided to do is write about my pre-travelling top five favourite KPOP songs!

So here we go…

5 – Rania – Dr. Feelgood

This song is a bit weird as it basically has the same beat and synth part played all the way through the verses and choruses. I think the reason I like it is because they have to use their vocals to differentiate between each part of the song, and even then the verses and chorus melodies are pretty similar. I’m a bit of a sucker for a catchy synth riff so I think this is why I like it so much. (Also, I just discovered that there were two different versions, with one basically being a speeded up version of the other. Since the quicker version is the one I heard first, the slower one is really bizarre, like a weird chopped and screwed edit or something. Plus it isn’t as catchy)

Slow Version

Fast Version

4 – 4minute – Mirror Mirror

In comparison to a song like Dr Feel Good, which basically does the same thing all the way through, this is a song that seems to take a different beat, rhythm and melody the verses, pre-choruses, choruses and breakdowns. Most of the time I think it works; the verses have two parts which keeps the song interesting, then the pre-chorus kind of breaks it down with some slightly over the top vocals and some gang-chant “heys!!!”. But the one thing that kind of annoys me is the difference in tone between that part and the chorus; the first is really energetic and happy, and the chorus is back to a massive dark synthy riff, which I feel is kind of jarring to the flow of the song.

3 – f(x) – Pinnochio (Danger)

The very first 10 seconds of this song are a bit weird (“Hey girl…remem…BER!!! meeeee….”) but it quickly goes into a verse, which is pretty solid and catchy. They then start singing “DANGER!!!” over the top, which kind of adds intrigue and an element of….something…to the song. But then it breaks into one of the best choruses ever; (dada dada da…etc. sorry I don’t understand Korean :s) unbelievably catchy and it comes with an awesome dance routine as well! Highlights from the rest of the song include some good vocal breaks and some “rapping” which isn’t really embarrassingly rubbish (for once). The song as a whole just raises too many questions for me…who is in danger? Me? Them? What is the danger? Cancer? Global warming? Am I a danger to myself?!!?

2 – Girls Day – Nothing lasts Forever

The song starts off with everyone sounding pretty bad-ass; the vocals sound really confident and they have a “don’t give a f##k” attitude, and the video has them all striding around in black leather and stuff. The verses have a really awesome beat and a kind of…not necessarily dark, but a slightly minor key melody in the vocals, which works really well when it is contrasted with the MOST AMAZINGLY CATCHY CHORUS EVER! Seriously, how catchy is this chorus? This is almost as banging as some happy hardcore tracks that my old housemate used to listen to, but with infinitely better vocals. But then (!!!) the song twists around again for the breakdown with some really mellow, sweet vocals, before building up and smashing back into the chorus…but then they go mental and the vocals make it even more catchy!!! Amazing. (I’m not sure whether to give them a minus point for the bit in the video where they try to play instruments like they’re in a band but end up in a horrible miming fail.)

1 – Girls Day – Twinkle Twinkle

I can only describe this song as f—king brilliant. The verses are fast and banging, with the pre-chorus breakdown sliding into the amazingly catchy chorus. The third and fourth lines of the chorus compliment the first two really well, sliding into each other when the repeat the chorus later on in the song. There is also a really good break down with a rising beat that drops straight back into the chorus. Basically, there is nothing that isn’t great about this song. It has awesome synth parts pretty much all the way through, and mixes up the tempo frequently to keep it interesting but still keeping the song cohesive throughout!!! Favouritest song ever!!!

So yeah, its pretty obvious I just like girl bands...and basically Girls Day are my favouritest at the moment. I even made a gif!!!

- OPPA KNOWS BEST