Today, the infectious melodies and polished lyrics of K-pop and K-hip hop are exploding in popularity in countries outside of just South Korea. And with so many established artists, as well as up-and-coming acts, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the new music releases. With that in mind, American Songwriter rounded up some of today’s best K-pop and K-hip hop music below.
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Read below for three recent releases from Korean artists, and you just might find your new favorite song.
1. Jack In The Box by j-hope
BTS boy band member, j-hope, has officially dropped his debut solo studio album, Jack In The Box. The 10-track album showcases a darker, more complicated side of the artist as he flaunts his well-rounded rapping abilities. j-hope kicks off the album by giving the mythological story behind the part of his stage name that includes “hope,” and ends with the fiery track “Arson.” Listen to Jack In The Box HERE.
2. “Sparkling” by Chung Ha
K-pop singer/songwriter Chung Ha dropped part one of her second solo studio album, Bare & Rare, on July 11. A standout track from that album is the bubbly, high-energy tune “Sparkling,” which you can check out below. Additionally, you can catch Chung Ha performing at the Head in the Clouds Festival this August.
3. Re: by KARD
KARD—the K-pop group composed of members J.Seph, BM, Somin, and Jiwoo—recently released their fifth EP titled Re:. “‘Re’ is a prefix meaning ‘again,’ so we thought it was the best title for our new release, which came out after more than a year off,” band leader BM said at an event at Yonsei University in Seodaemun District, Seoul.
Starting in August, the quartet will have an 11-city concert series in the United States starting in Washington, D.C. on August 10. Check out the tour dates HERE and the standout track “Break Down” below.
j-hope Photo Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC/Full Coverage Communications
