When asking someone who is not originally from the UK what they knew about Great Britain before coming here and one of their answers will undoubtedly involve bad weather of some kind. It is quite true though that Britain is often cold and very wet for the majority of the year. How else would we have such a flourishing countryside?
Recently however, we have been subjected to quite a heatwave and temperatures have reached highs that we have not seen in SEVEN years! Add to the particularly harsh winters we have had and it is easy to see why everyone has been going crazy over the summer weather.
It seems that the Korean music scene is particularly passionate to spread the summer vibes this year, with many artists providing some great songs fit for playing on the beach. We thought we would compile a short ‘Essential Summer Playlist 2013’ for you to dance along to in this hot weather.
Get moving quickly though, there is no way to know how long it will last!
Dynamic Duo – BAAAM (FT. Muzie of UV)
This track is incredibly slick and smooth, bearing a similar flavour to ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke ft. T.I and Pharrell (which has been played incessantly on the radio lately). However, Dynamic Duo have stamped it with their usual combination of fast rap flow and wonderful vocals.
Skull & HaHa – Raggamuffin
Whenever you think of Reggae, surely images of sunny Jamaica comes to your mind. Skull and HaHa usually give the classic genre their own twist, but this track certainly captures a bouncy energy that you can bob along to in the sun.
2NE1 – Falling in Love
You were waiting for this one, right?!
Of course, 2NE1’s latest track would feature in this playlist. It is a song that makes you feel like you could have a holiday romance (or a least help you maintain that dream!) It is a refreshing song in many ways, one of which simply being the fun the 2NE1 members seem to be having in the music video. Their laughter and happiness is quite infectious.
Jay Park – I Like 2 Party
Jay Park is very suave and often flaunts a bit more of an American-vibe, probably as a result of his upbringing in the country. However, he is still a much loved solo artist in South Korea after a lot of hard work rebuilding his reputation since leaving 2PM back in 2010. He has a certain charisma and this track is as clubby as the title suggests. It can also help you get psyched up to see Jay Park on his European tour.
Roy Kim – Love Love Love
Roy Kim hasn’t been on the music scene for very long, but he has also had his share of scandals and controversies. One of his songs was actually accused of plagiarism. Despite all this you can’t deny this man’s talent, he has a beautiful singing voice which he frames with an acoustic guitar. This gives the song a very simple and stripped-back feel which is quite refreshing when you look at the cornucopia of popular songs that involve some sort or electronic beat or auto-tune these days. He has quite a ‘boy-next-door’ cuteness about him too.
ICON – Rockstar
This song is classic electro indie in its style; it gives off an alternative vibe but maintains the catchiness of your standard pop song. The video is inventive and reminiscent of the crazy ways of American rock band “Mindless Self Indulgence”. Many seem to liken ‘ICON’ to the likes of G-Dragon or Japanese musician Miyavi and he will, no doubt, garner himself quite a few female fans in the future.
2PM – Comeback When You Hear This Song
This is not exactly the most summery of concepts, but it is arguably one of the most contagious songs of 2013 so far. One of the greatest things about 2PM is that they frequently approach their sad and solemn concepts with the same energy as the happier ones. This song still has a great beat and enthusiastic choreography even though the lyrics tell of letting a girl down. It seems that 2PM want to send out the message not to mope around when you are sad, but rather, be motivated into action by it. Also, I defy you to not be tempted to give the dance a try, I warn you to be very careful though. Try not to kick anything/anyone in the process!
B.A.P– Hurricane
Will B.A.P ever take a break? *sigh* apparently not. Despite debuting only at the beginning of last year, the boys’ consistent song production means that they have already covered many various genres. This latest track has an almost FatboySlim essence to it. It is clubby and sporadic and definitely not made for chilled out listening. These guys are nothing if not versatile, and they clearly want to give their fans a lively summer track.
Hello Venus – Do You Want Some Tea?
This very bright and girly concept shows Hello Venus dancing in various, 70s inspired summer dresses. The music video is drenched in pastel colours and all the girls flaunt very fresh make-up. The vocals in this track are beautifully light which makes it something to have on in the background as you sunbathe.
XIA – Incredible
It’s great to see the members of JYJ doing well in spite of all their past difficulties with SM Entertainment and XIA’s track ‘Incredible’ gives us a happy and positive feeling, proving once again that this man can belt out a ballad and jump to a serious beat when he needs to. He is shown dancing away at a pool party in a video that gives out bursts of vibrant colour in the sun. XIA’s English has certainly improved a lot over time, which leaves many of us ‘old school’ DBSK fans nostalgic over his “OH MY GOD, SUN!” days.
Lee Hyori – ‘Bad Girls’
Lee Hyori, the lady often dubbed the ‘Queen of K-Pop’ made her long-awaited comeback this year and, while all of her 2013 singles have quite a summer feel, ‘Bad Girls’ is probably the most crazy and energetic of the lot. Hyori shows she doesn’t take herself too seriously, but at the same time, still means business here. This song is very catchy and a perfect compliment to sunny days.
We hope you have enough time off school/college/university/work to enjoy the heat while it lasts!
What do you think of our playlist?
Would you add any tracks to it? Let us know by commenting below!
[Source: YouTube and thanks to Lore Walsh for the feature image!].
