Let's start with the first honourable mention and songs #50-#46!
Honourable Mentions:
Album:Forever Release Date:27/10/2014
I only learned about Mystery Skulls a couple of weeks ago, and unfortunately due to that none of their music managed to make my main lists. But this was too good for me to brush over and ignore, therefor I had to mention it somewhere.
Paralysed is synth pop madness, it's catchy, it's fun to dance to and it goes super hard. As well as this song, I'd recommend tracks such as Amazing and You which appear on his self-titled first EP, and Ghost from the album Forever.
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Songs #50-#46:
Album:Rise Release Date:03/06/2014
For those who don't know Taeyang is a member of South Korean group BIGBANG. BIGBANG isn't my cup of tea musically, so when it was announced Taeyang would be releasing a solo album this year, I was skeptical as to how much I would like it. I was pleasantly surprised when I downloaded the album and listened to it. Rise is a great combination of R&B ballads with electronic and piano drabs dotted about where necessary. I know K-pop isn't something people are generally into, but this album would definitely be a great introduction into the genre.
Body is one of the more upbeat pop songs on the record. Consisting of funky verses and dance breakdowns, Body is fun for everyone and features guest vocals from 2NE1's CL, who is soon going to be making her US debut. Definitely a highlight.
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Album:CRUSH Release Date:27/02/2014
If you've heard about K-pop (or even if you've not, possibly) you should know about 2NE1. One of the biggest girl groups of the genre who are labelled as trend setters and one of the best groups in the genre. This year, the group came back, following their last Korean album back in 2011, which featured I Am The Best, which people may have heard from the Microsoft advert.
Come Back Home is a reggae influenced pop song with an upbeat chorus and hip-hop breakdowns. Personally not my favourite song from CRUSH, but this was a very obvious choice for a comeback single and it was a commercial success for them. Member CL is due to debut in America soon as I said, so you should definitely check 2NE1 out so you can hear what kind of music they make before getting into CL.
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Album:Chapter One Release Date:10/10/2014
Ella Henderson was one of my favourite X Factor UK contestants in the 2012 series of the show, sadly she failed to make it to the final, however that probably worked out better for her, as it gave her the creative control to go away and work on writing great music and eventually take over the British music scene. And that she did.
Ghost, her debut single, is a collaboration between herself and Ryan Tedder. The chorus is infectious and the production in the verses are so different to what you'd expect hearing the chorus, it's brilliant. She really showcased her great writing skills with this track and I hope she has great success in the future!
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Album:Overdose Release Date:07/05/2014
EXO's Overdose was originally slated to be released in April, however, due to the tragic Sewol Ferry accident at the time, the release was pushed back and was released in May. Unfortunately for EXO, this year hasn't been the best. While they embarked on their first solo tour, had great success with their song and album and already have two big awards under their belt, EXO lost two of it's members this year, resulting in messy lawsuits between these members and their record label SM Entertainment.
While Overdose is still a great song, I can't help but feel it pales in comparison to some of their better, past material. However, the R&B influenced pop track is still a great listen and still good enough to be on my list this year.
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Album:Mamacita / This is Love Release Date:29/08/2014
Super Junior is kind of a mess. They're one of those groups that are massive in their respective country and have a big following, but I can't help but feel they don't live up to the hype. Their most recent album Mamacita didn't have many gems on it, and the title track itself was kind of a mess overall, but there was one or two that I can't help but bop to.
Too Many Beautiful Girls is one of them. The pop-rock track leads back to One Direction's Up All Night days, with a fun, albeit childish, sing-along chorus. Super Junior aren't groundbreaking for me, but if they release more track like this, maybe I'll be more interested in them.
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Lot's of K-pop so far, I know. But please comment and I'll try get an album put up tonight, but if not, then two albums will come tomorrow!