South Korea has kept R&B alive for a very long time. The multiple British invasions of soul music are now being eclipsed by Kpop acts. For real fans, South Korean music has been infused with Hip-hop culture and RnB for decades. For a while, the best 90s-style music and singing came from Kpop.
We quickly thank Teddy Reilly and JYP for modernizing Kpop but there were others. They understood the urban culture and took to the music, style, and language very quickly. Of course, their “love/hate” relationship is evident too but that’s a global issue.
This new song by “NewJeans” is very catchy and quirky. The steady hand claps keep the momentum, while the lofi/low-fi arrangement sounds familiar yet new at the same time. I havent dug too deep yet but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Philly music group Roots was involved somehow.
It’s comforting and confounding to hear that this single has broken records in South Korea. Good job. Their other single “HypeBoy” sounds great too.