Songs in Japanese, Chinese, English or (more recently!) Spanish by our favourite KPOP artists are continually being pumped out this year, especially since the appeal of these artists internationally are growing exponentially. So much so that I am still behind. I am taking a break from covering some slightly older releases from earlier on this year, and look forward to cover some more recent non-Korean language releases – Stray Kids’ SOCIAL PATH, TXT’s Back For More, Jung Kook’s 3D and aespa’s Better Things. Last weekend, I looked at songs from SEVENTEEN’s VERNON, ATEEZ, TWICE and IVE.

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Social Path – Stray Kids ft. LiSA

Language: Japanese
Release Date: 6 September 2023
Release Type: Social Path / Super Bowl (1st Japanese Mini Album)

Social Path is one of two songs in this post that has reached the top of my personal Weekly KPOP Charts, which is uncommon for non-Korean tracks given I do dedicate most of my music-listening time towards KPOP releases. Social Path is actually more English, with the rapping only featuring Japanese. Social Path features rock influences on top of the usual presence of synths in Stray Kids, and does so in such a straightforwardly manner. With the chorus being the most recognisable, the rock influences comes off very cleanly. Talking about the chorus, I had the vocal melodies of the central piece stuck in my brain, leading me to humming and revisiting Social Path quite often. Similarly, I found the vocals and rapping from all members of Stray Kids to be very clean and straightforward, as well. LiSA’s featuring in the track really helps adds more vibrancy and to the song, and she balances out the song quite well with her sharp vocals. But ultimately, the best part of Social Path is when both Stray Kids and LiSA joins forces to lead into the final chorus. It is a such a simple yet effective highlight of the song, worthwhile after such a strong buildup.

Despite it being an intense and energetic track, Social Path speaks to what they had to sacrifice in order to be where they are now (i.e. their younger years, freedom, privacy etc.). To me, the lyrics hits hard, especially when you consider the recent stories of privacy invasion and their companies basically owning their lives. Throughout the video, we see the members struggle with being followed, chased and surrounded by people who has their face covered in paper bags with question marks on them, which most likely represents the negative comments and haters on the internet. LiSA is trapped in a cage for most of her parts. But Stray Kids come together to fight this nightmare and join LiSA to rise to the top and conquer the fiery world. The choreography was pretty good. The chorus routine is memorable and I really like the huddle just before the final chorus.

Overall Rating – 8.8/10

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Back For More – TXT ft. Anitta

Language: English
Release Date: 15 September 2023
Release Type: The Name Chapter: FREEFALL (3rd Korean Studio Album)

Back For More is the second song that has risen to the top of my Weekly KPOP Charts. It was also first performed at the MTV Video Music Awards that occurred mid-September and serves as a pre-release single for their upcoming third Korean studio album, The Name Chapter: FREEFALL (which will be released later this month). Back For More is a solid pop track, featuring a funky underlay throughout the track and some really cool cymbal flourishes as we head into the main parts of the song. The melodies and hooks are also quite straightforward, but catchy and addictive. Just like the song, their vocals are very solid throughout Back For More, coming off as alluring the more you listen to Back For More. I also really like their vocal homage to Michael Jackson towards the end of Back For More via the ad-libs. As for Anitta, I do like how her part attempts to change up the momentum slightly and create a different atmosphere. It is what I thought Back For More needed to avoid the overly consistent issue (that is until I heard the TXT version, which my preferred version now). But Anitta herself just seems to be plugged in and doesn’t really meld with the rest of song. I also really dislike the soft taps in the background of her part, distracting me away from the song.

I thought the music video for Back For More was simple, with the members performing the track on stage and ‘behind the scenes’ in the music video in navy suits. I guess I would wish for a bit more variety, maybe different coloured suits, just to give the music video a bit more depth. The choreography for the comeback was super cool, with the members showcasing a bit more of a mature and sleek energy in the routine. The best bit is the Michael Jackson sequence in the choreography, which they all pull off effortlessly.

Overall Rating – 8.7/10

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3D – Jung Kook (BTS) ft. Jack Harlow

Language: English
Release Date: 29 September 2023
Release Type: 3D (2nd Solo Digital Single)

Jung Kook’s solo release, once again, is the most recent release in this post. I really like the early 2000s influence that is going on in 3D, throwing us back to when Justin Timberlake was starting out as a solo artist. It is the era that I grew up in, and so 3D plays towards the nostalgia I have for that era. The percussion and soft beats make it an easy listen. Jung Kook himself sounds very charismatic throughout 3D and pulls you into the track further. The whispery pre-choruses were an excellent shift in vocals, adding to the momentum of the track in a subtle and soft manner that fits the rest of the song. We also see the return of rapper Jung Kook in 3D, which is exactly what I had hoped for when I passed the first verse and entered the chorus for the first time. I did think he could have incorporated something with a little more definition as the song tracks along, just to give 3D some more oomph and flair. Jack Harlow features in the song and also brings adds more rapping to 3D. While I do like the flow and added rapping, I did think Jack Harlow’s section was quite cringy. But for the most part, I really liked 3D and that Jung Kook is definitely psyching us up for his solo album (which he has said is coming out later this year).

As for the music video, I found it a bit boring. Jung Kook obviously looks fantastic in the video and I am sure fans are swooning over his visuals and style in the video. And the early 2000s style is pretty strong in this video. But I do like my music videos with a bit more to them than just visuals, and I don’t see anything more but visuals in this video. Also, someone pointed out that Jack Harlow mentions ABG in his rap, but there were no ABG in the shot at that particular moment. As for the choreography, it is another great routine from Jung Kook. This one has an edge over Seven, with both Jung Kook and the dancers doing a lot more interesting moves for 3D.

Overall Rating – 8/1`0

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Better Things – aespa

Language: English
Release Date: 18 August 2023
Release Type: Better Things (1st English Digital Single)

Better Things isn’t aespa’s first full English track, but it is their first original English single for the Western market. I do like how refreshing the instrumentation feels, which makes it a good release for the Summer season that it was released in. It is quite a rhythmic background piece, but I did think it needed some flourishes or a bold element to it. It just chugs along in the background and doesn’t really go or do anything further than that. As such, Better Things does become dull and dry towards the end. The melodies and hooks share a similar issue, but I don’t think it was as bad as the instrumentation. At first, they are catchy and simple, making Better Things another easy listen. But as the song goes on, it just feels like a repeat of what we had heard earlier from the girl group. But the addition of the sleek rap-speak in the bridge and the added vibrancy to the vocals throughout does add more to the track, and this helps makes it less repetitive. Overall, Better Things is a fair track from the group. Not as striking as I wished it could be, but pleasant enough.

The music video follows on from the Better Things sitcom that was released in the lead to the release of this track. I somehow missed this, so I am going off what I understand. The fish that appears from in the video comes from a device that appears in the sitcom. From there, the members follow the fish and discover brand new worlds in a rainforest, under the sea and on an island. I do like the summery colours that featured in the video and the striking blue of the choreography set that offsets these warmer colours. Complementing the more mellow sounds of Better Things, the choreography features softer moves. While it isn’t as bold or sharp as compared to their other works, the routine is just as captivating and pairs well with the song.

Overall Rating – 8/10