Miko's Music Connection - Ep. 12: WINNER & iKON

Fair Shake Reaction: I Decide - iKON

I Decide - iKON

(Genre: KPop)

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Erase" by Hyolyn & JooYoung feat. Iron
It seems like Hyolyn/Hyorin has been doing a lot of solo stuff, but I'm not complaining. Her voice is amazing and every time she's on screen, she brightens up the atmosphere with her smile. I think songs like this are her strong suit. It has a pop, ballad, R&B mix to it in the melody and vocal arrangement. JooYoung's voice complements Hyolyn's very well and I don't feel like one or the other overshadow each other, which happens from time to time. The lyrics are well written and the visuals go along with the story of relationship disentigrating over time. Although I thought Iron's rap verse was completely unnecessary, it wasn't that bad.



"I'M DIFFERENT" by HI SUHYUN feat. Bobby (iKON)
I wasn't all that impressed with Lee Hi's solo material and I casually enjoyed AKMU's MV releases. Oh, and Bobby's decent. I was curious how this crossover duo was going to work out and I think this is exactly what Lee Hi needed for her short musical career. Their voices work very well for this almost retro, Duffy/Adele-esque melody. The video is super cute as the girls follow and oogle Bobby shyly. It really looks like they had fun and it kinda made me like Bobby a little, although I think I would've been okay if he didn't have a guest verse in it and just acted in it for visual promotion. Nonetheless, I hope YG does something with this duo again because they have really good chemistry.



"Pendulum" by FKA twigs
Every now and then I saw this name pop up on my Facebook feed, so I was curious what her music sounded like. It's very avant garde both musically and visually. She possesses a very soft and unique voice. The music tends to come and go throughout the song. There's barely a beat or melody, just some noises through the verses and then the melody comes in during the chorus. It's oddly beautiful and the visuals reflect that as well. Lots of close ups of FKA twigs singing, then some artistic shibari, visual effects, and costumes. It's definitely worth checking out at least once for the experience, but I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea as it's so out there and ambient.



"Hip Hop for the World" by #HIPHOPISHIPHOP
Visually, this video isn't anything special while it does feature some great scenery, fun little art animations, and break dancers. The video is mostly rappers in their home country rapping in their native tongue. I found this video out through San E and learned it was a video supporting musical education, which is all well and good. Despite the lack of eye catching visuals, I think hearing the different languages in a rap is mindblowing and fun to hear. With the subtitles for me was amusing to decipher all the syllables said. I'm very pleased with who was chosen to represent America too. I recommend this one for all the hip-hop fans out there.



"REVELATION" by Royz
Every now and then I feel the need to post one of these band centric videos, because they are interesting sometimes. They have fun little visual effects that are stimulating to the eye, like this PV. There's plenty of solo shots of the members playing their instruments in the ring of fire and some great shots of Subaru with cooler color tones. The music is very energetic and has a passionate vocal delivery to match. It mixes a little bit of electronics and rock without letting one overpower the other. The costumes are pretty awesome and I love the ink work on Subaru in his solo shots.

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Rilla Go" by DGNA
I feel like this group is very underrated and under utilized. They have a ton of talent and I enjoy this unique mix mash of concepts. It's a combination of jungle and city. Perhaps wild animals in the city wild. It might look junky to some, but I enjoy it. Sure, it could've been executed sleeker with a better budget, but I enjoy what we're given. The beat is very infectious and the chorus is extremely catchy and energetic. Don't let appearances fool you, these boys have talent and I believe you should give them a chance with this video.



"Christmalo.win (Band ver.)" by Seo Taiji
I'm a very casual fan of Seo Taiji and it's mostly his solo work. I think he's very skillful at mixing rock and rap, which is possible despite what Show Me the Money 3 might say. Anyway, I was surprised that he was releasing something new, which was a great Halloween/Christmas gift of sorts. The song has a slightly playful electronic rock melody that has some interesting haunting sounds that make the ghost rise and send goosebumps on your forearm. I enjoy the transitions from the fun to sudden hard rock sounds and the vocals are very subtle, but aren't overpowered by the music. They have a very confident and emotional tone to them.



"Stress Come on!" by Big Byung
So, I think this is a gag group from a show called Hitmaker, but I could be wrong. I've never watched it, but I'm a fan of all the groups that are represented here: BTOB, GOT7, and VIXX. I know this music video is nothing special, but it feels like everything. The lyrics are hilarious and the delivery is just...perfect. It looks like the boys had a lot of fun putting this video together and I can feel their pain with all the stresses of life. This is definitely a good pick me up when you're having a rough time.



"BORN HATER" by EPIK HIGH feat. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, Mino (WINNER), and B.I. & Bobby (iKON)
I know a lot of people were talking about this music video when it first came out and I'm a little late to the party posting this, but whatever. I did enjoy it when it came out and it kinda made up for that underwhelming comeback under YG. I really enjoy concepts that involve the 7 deadly sins, especially when they're done well. Even though the aspect ratio of this video might bother me for the first couple minutes, it doesn't take long for the content and lyrics to distract me from it. I look forward to listening to their material on this album, thanks to this video.



"War of Hormone" by BTS
Ever since their debut, I've been very impressed with this group and I'm looking forward to sharing my full thoughts about them in a special post I've been working on for a few days. Let me zoom in on this video though. I can easily see Block B doing this same video, but it still feels very fresh and super enjoyable. The song is fun and the boys look like they're having a blast with the choreography. I enjoy the semi-monochrome color scheme of the video and the faux one-shot shooting of the guys showing off their charm and personality as they sing and rap to us in different scenes. This definitely is a video and song I could listen and watch over and over again.