Seven K-pop songs to kickstart your summer
Feel the heat? Summer is nearly here — but have no fear. The perfect K-pop playlist will refresh you with a splash of popping melodies.
This summer is special as we reach the much-awaited postpandemic era. Two years ago, the world was put on hold, canceling trips and dashing potential sunny memories. We may have blasted our speakers and closed our eyes to envision the salty breeze of the beach or a warming ray of sunshine, but these fantasies faded away as stolen dreams when the pandemic stayed.
Alas, we are looking at a brighter summer, and it isn’t just because of the blinding sun. It’s the season of hope and new beginnings, perfect for the joyful sounds of K-pop.
“Travel” by BOL4
Summer is the season for a trip, right? Put on this track by BOL4, set down your phone and responsibilities and embrace the exciting warmth of adventure and youthful energy. We all deserve a break after the lengthy pandemic that’s entrapped us within the walls of our rooms. It’s time to roam London, Paris and New York City to explore your potentials out in the depths of the world.
“Red Flavor” by Red Velvet
Bring back the beat of sweet summer tunes with the energetic melodies of Red Velvet. Their powerful vocals singing of the passionate sensation of love and summer to flush away the heatwave. One of the perks of K-pop is powerful choreography, and this track’s accompanying routine grabs you out from under the lethargic heat. Also, check out this song’s music video, bursting with vibrant colors of fresh fruit and icy cocktails.
“Love Maze” by BTS
How can there be a K-pop listicle without BTS? “Butter” and “Dynamite” are energetic classics, but “Love Maze” lays back a calming beat with more serene vocals singing of the warmest forms of love. The soft melody holds your hand through the dark and complex love maze, promising a lighted paradise up ahead. In times of doubt and faltering self-belief, BTS is by your side to sing words of reassurance that “Love is a maze, but you is amaze.”
“Hola Hola” by KARD
It’s not every day that you find a wondrous mix of vocals supporting the perfect California vibe. KARD is a co-ed group, not common in K-pop, that depicts the flutters of playing hard to get in a summer fling. The lyrics swerve past the clichéd romantics of a droning love song and dig deeper into the heartaches of a midsummer night’s dream.
“Our Summer” by TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Step into the magical realm of TXT’s playground memories. While “We Lost The Summer” may call for the lost summer with friends and family during the pandemic, it’s time to go back to this nostalgic album and reach toward postpandemic hope. A hazy vision of nostalgia brought on by simple emotions of innocence and joy immerses you in TXT’s interpretation of summer. Their angelic vocals sing various renditions of the golden season that calls the sapphire blue sea to wash over the boring gray buildings of the city.
“Ah Puh” by IU
How can we pass the summer without a song about the beach? IU takes you on a mesmerizing journey into the waves with her elegant vocals in this rhythmic bop, and no one articulates the perfect concoction of onomatopoeia and melodic splashes better than she does. Her voice paints pastel-colored sunsets and adorable attempts to tackle the menacing waves. A further look into the lyrics unveils a deeper understanding of growth and moving forward against the spontaneous waves, no matter how menacing they may turn out to be.
“Dinosaur” by AKMU
The sweet innocence of childhood frames a beautiful story behind this EDM hit. AKMU tells the tale of a dinosaur that manifested a young boy’s nightmare one summer night. This sibling duo sings to their childhood creature that unfolds into a magical fantasy through clear vocals elegantly painting the night sky with a dash of sparkling stars.
Whether it be an energetic bop to soundtrack a run to the beach or a calming melody to relax with in the afternoon sun, don’t let this summer go without the beautiful serenade of a song.