The Top 20 K-pop Singles of 2020

This is the sixth year I've done this, which makes me like a grand old man of K-pop. I have now been a fan for nearly a decade, which has gone fast, and it seems amazing that so little remains of the scene that saved me from becoming a retro-indie bore, snoring on about how music peaked with the third Belle and Sebastian album or something. Anyway, in a totally too-old-to-be-hipster kind of way, it has been a bit sublime to see what felt like my own little world - one which took me to China for three years for the express purpose of blowing my wages on travel to a number of very costly concerts - now become so mainstream that I can find the albums in my local HMV. I usually mention the Dazed list in this introduction, but honestly - it's so disappointing this year (and I've always thought a list which in 2014 never even had Sugar Free in its top 20 eyebrow-raising anyway), I am not going to post a link. 

Anyone (and I know it will be just a few) reading this has probably stumbled upon my blog accidentally or has some interest in K-pop already, so you already know some of the story of 2020. Nonetheless, here is a quick summary...

BTS ruled supreme with Swan, which is not (at the risk of upsetting the 'army') especially remarkable, Mamamoo, whose 2020 singles were not as strong as usual, splintered into a number of solo presentations (I've listed Hwasa as the best) as did EXO, with Suho's superior effort threatening to sound like a Bends-era Radiohead song from those opening notes. COVID-19 compromised the MAMA Awards and, of course, concerts, whilst many of the major names had disappointing comebacks - I wasn't too taken by Stray Kids, it's fine and all but it sounds less grand than usual, or Seventeen. The latest bout of A-Pink sugary-pop (described as 'a sophisticated sound' by Dazed, dear lord) was far too sickly and Loona's big moment made my head hurt. Maybe I'm (finally) too old? Judge for yourself, after all I am the fella who thought BTS sounded like a less interesting version of B.A.P. when they first emerged. I did like A.C.E. - number one for Dazed - but it doesn't make my list whilst, four years later, and I am still not sold on Weki Meki. Otherwise, 2020 was a good, solid year for the Korean pop scene - not as strong as the pre-2016 era, but about as healthy and exciting as you could hope, with a number of mature and maudlin songs, which might surprise some who are listening for the first time. 

And The Guardian still doesn't list K-pop music in its best albums of the year, so we can at least have some comfort in the fact the 'establishment' remain slow to catch on. 

K-pop moves fast, but the true classics are songs that endure forever. I can't imagine anyone will remember Weki Meki in four year's time. But they will probably still be listening to my number one choice for 2020. So without further ado, and with all sarcasm now at a limit, let's see what this year had to offer...

20) Siyeon - 'Paradise'

What? Really? Yes, in totally unexpected fashion, I am starting this year off with a heart-wrenching  ballad, one that actually preceded the pandemic and which is just absolutely beautiful. Came along unexpectedly, pulled at the emotions and showed that Dreamcatcher are more than 'just' another leggy K-pop girl-group producing absolute bangers for over half a decade now. An exceptional 4.05 minutes of lovelorn emotion that, in the wake of such a sorry year, might provoke the feelings of even the biggest bigoted-Brexit buff (scrap that, this comment could be a little bit too hopeful, plus it's not got Liam Gallagher in it).

19) Hyo - 'Dessert' (featuring Loopy and Soyeon)

The solo(ish) career of Girls' Generation member Hyoyeon (or Hyo as she now prefers) has been glorious - her raspy voice reborn within a series of dance-orientated blinders that are usually released to capture the perfect flavour of summer abandon. This stomper was about as close as any of us got to imagining a drunken, late-night, second-wind in the tropics in 2020 but it captures a vision of a year that could have been, at least. Props to (G)I-DLE for lending Hyo their most charismatic member, Soyeon, to prop up not just the soundscape of this single but the attitude-infused music video. A triumph and enduring proof that SM Entertainment did well to keep those SNSD heavyweights on the payroll.

18) Treasure - 'I Love You’

YG Entertainment were looking forward to a glorious 2020 before the obvious. Big Bang were due to make a return at Coachella, without Seungri of course, which would indicate that the label - unlike rivals SM - were capable to keeping a unit together for longer than just a handful of years and Black Pink continued to rule the planet. However, obviously G-Dragon and company failed to make their long-awaited reappearance and that meant that the label was reduced back to its focus on their stadium-filling girl group. Then, finally, came Treasure - featuring 12 (!) members, far more than the five-man Big Bang - and opting for a very different, more traditionally K-pop EDM sound. It's good, not great, but solid, catchy, infinitely memorable... not sure how such a teen-orientated concept will grow to Big Bang levels of superstardom but then I never thought Black Pink had it in them to eclipse 2NE1 (and musically they haven't, but that's another argument for another day). And yes, that is 'I love you' they are chanting over the thudding chorus...

17) Oh My Girl - 'Nonstop' 

Pure bubblegum, but in the best sense of the word. I have come and gone with Oh My Girl, initially falling for the sound of their dream-trance classic Closer only to find out that they were never going to make anything nearly as good again (even the mini-album that it appears on defaults into more traditional uptempo chart-pop). This unashamedly thrilling bop doesn't change things but the band, still one member down since the dark and controversial departure of JinE, more than indicates that it can achieve a furiously accomplished pop landscape with the sort of tried and tested lananananana hook that promises to get lodged in your head and never leave. One of the year's most infuriatingly memorable hits.

16) SuperM - '100'

This is the best SuperM song yet, also managing to sound the closest to a new EXO single in the process - and, whilst the whole 'K-pop Avengers' concept has not really reset the genre (as some expected), there is no doubting that SM has treated this particular pet project with a shed-load of tender loving care. The visuals are as colourful and exemplary as anyone might anticipate, whilst the song feels like an anthem, something that could (and will, when better times arrive) fill a stadium. Not to diminish what has come before, but with '100' SuperM felt - to this listener at least - a far more interesting prospect than before: decidedly more aggressive and a little rockier than before, although if the slightly more sublime Tiger Inside is anything to judge by, this is a group still finding their sound. We clearly have a lot to look forward to.

15) Dreamcatcher - 'Scream'

It is strange to think that Dreamcatcher were initially written-off as little more than a South Korean spin on Japan's Babymetal when, all these years later, their sound has evolved into something that could be described as an even more epic Evanescence. This 2020 single, with the usual slicker-than-slick production, shows the vocal prowess of all members and the whole gob-smacking rock-opera is complimented by a video rich in horror and fantasy imagery. This ambitious concept is a widescreen vision of anger and torment accompanied by brief moments of quiet reflection and it sounds absolutely fabulous. Attesting to their changeability, the accompanying effort from this year, Boca, is quite different.

14) Gfriend - 'Mago'

I have been slow to catch onto GFriend, even, perhaps wrongly, dismissing them as purveyors of cutsie-pop, but 'Mago' is a toe-tapping classic and a single to fall in love with. K-pop has always enjoyed retro-sounding experimentation and this year brought us at least three high profile hits that adapted the synth-sonics of 1980s chart-pop, albeit bringing them crashing into the present day: 'Lovesick Girls' (see number 11) from Blackpink, 'I Can't Stop Me' (see number eight) from Twice and this welcome injection of disco nostalgia, which pulses with pastness from the opening beat. One listen and there is every chance you will find yourself repeating the 'tik tok' hook in your head, possibly in even your deepest sleep. A short-play to be proud of from a group that reached a peak in 2020. I will be listening in 2021.

13) Hwasa - 'Maria'

For 'Maria', read Hwasa - this is a mature, and even slightly macabre, exploration of life as a K-pop idol from one of the most respected figures of recent years. Hwasa would have every right to rest on her laurels as a member of Mamamoo, one of the greatest and most successful bands to emerge from the Korean pop scene (full stop), but as with last year's fabulous Twit, we instead get a bombastic solo spin-off that lets us a little deeper into one of the genre's most accomplished voices. Whilst there's no doubting the talent of all four members of her band, it seems doubtless that Hwasa might be the personality that heads to sonically bigger things when the veteran quartet inevitably, albeit sadly, call it quits.

12) Taeyeon - 'Happy'

Look, Taeyeon's voice is a weapon. It kills me. To prove this, she was even sent to Amsterdam and Berlin to 'busk' for South Korean TV last year as they recorded people breaking into tears (basically). Having been to Taeyeon concerts, and experienced her voice live, it is difficult to describe quite how it feels (I've seen people break and, yes, I was one). Certainly the best vocals I have ever heard (endured? At times, it feels painful to even listen without tearing up), this is one of her less brutalising singles - for that, see I or Fine or Signal - but it is still curiously downbeat and depressing. It's not her strongest tune, nor one of her greatest numbers, but it was kind of what 2020 deserved - a fantasy of happiness that is simply is not there. Still the most iconic figure in K-pop and the one that makes me most ashamed for thinking Morrissey was a legitimate representation of angst in my youth.

11) Blackpink - 'Lovesick Girls'

What can you say? YG's premiere group are now second only to BTS in terms of international prestige and their year included a collaboration with Lady Gaga, a (surprisingly insightful, if still-approved-by-the-record-label) Netflix documentary to accompany their long, long awaited debut full-length album. Hard to believe it took four years to get the first LP out on the market but it certainly did nothing but raise the profile of the entire Blackpink brand. 'Lovesick Girls' does not reinvent their sound but it does show how effortless they make this sort of thing seem: 'Hey ladies, can you seamlessly recreate the sort of anthem for loss that you might have heard on Top of the Pops circa about 1987?' And there it is. Brilliant.

10) Girlkind - 'Future' 

If your initial reaction to this video is 'what the fresh hell is this?' consider yourself not alone. Indeed, the first response to this, and indeed their brilliant Psycho4U, might also be wondering if this is some kind of project akin to the KLF, including with not entirely dissimilar vibes - this is the comedown. 'Future' itself is late 80s/ early 90s chill-out and somewhere between farce and genius in its video presentation ('have these kids even heard of the Hacienda?'). The band has yet to pick up much steam, amazingly, and yet this has to be one of the most experimental concepts and tunes of the year... it's just perfect. And just when you think you it cannot get anymore brilliant there is a rap at 1.57 that bridges no less than three subsequent changes in rhythm and then a dreamy outro that is swoon-some. One of the year's underrated gems.

9) Aespa - 'Black Mamba' 

SM Entertainment badly needed a new girl band after the Girl's Generation split of 2017, the break-up of F(x) a year previous and Red Velvet on a (sort of) hiatus in 2020. So it was that, after a few weeks of tease (not without criticism) we got this outstanding debut, a (yikes) far better, and decidedly more experimental, debut that the aforementioned groups received before they went on to conquer K-pop (and continents). If there is a problem here it is not the song but rather SM's 'back to the drawing board' reliance on young pin-ups for their first ever female quartet - which is a break from F(x) and - arguably - Red Velvet. There's nothing especially interesting about the Aespa look (the video hints at the concept, at least, of a group that will embrace the virtual, whatever that is going to look like and inform) but maybe that will come later (indeed, who could have predicted Taeyeon from watching the video to 'Into the New World?'). As it stands, this is still a job well done.

8) Twice - 'Can't Stop Me'

The best Twice song yet, and the best of the year's eighties throwbacks, this builds up to its breathless, exhausting, heart-racing chorus with the sort of aplomb and confidence one would expect from such a seasoned band. Try listening to this and not being awestruck by that 'awoowoowoo' that is like a time machine back to a pivotal scene in a high school movie from John Hughes (and so good, they use it again for the outro). The accompanying album was a further highlight of 2020 and shows that Twice, finally, are beginning to mature in sound and concept. And damn, some of these high notes are just thrilling.

7) (G)I-DLE - 'Oh my God'

A band that has yet to offer a duff single, 'Oh my God', which features songwriting from the group's Hyuna figure (to reference much-missed, old label-mate 4 Minute) Soyeon, is another blinder. The song begins with religious iconography and sounds - perhaps indicating the end-of-world horrors of 2020 - before breaking into a sweet-sounding ballad that then shatters into a pure pop-rock bridge and into a chorus that slows things down all over again. It is exhilarating to experience and proves that K-pop remains a format for mind-melting musical structures. As for the video - well, it's both delirious and disturbing whilst also downright curious, potentially offering symbolism of a group suffering for their art (or a video director just in love with horror cinema). Cherish this ensemble whilst we still have them, given Cube Entertainment's history with finding a way to mess up a good thing.

6) Ha:tfelt - 'Satellite (Feat. Ash Island)'

It feels like forever since we last heard from Ha:tfelt (aka Yeeun from The Wonder Girls) but her return this year with an astounding album, and a number of superb spin-off singles, really made up for her (much-missed) absence. This was one of the finest surprises of lockdown, her soaring, sumptuous vocals and tortured dreams evoked in this truly terrific number; a standout. It still feels, all these months later, like the small steps towards the beginning of summer. Perhaps that is what was intended. Beautiful.

5) Everglow - 'La Di Da'

My hunch is that if you asked someone 25 years ago what pop music would sound like in 2020 they would not have been able to predict this. From the first thumping beats, this is the sound of motorcycle-at-full-speed down a futuristic cityscape in a steampunk nightmare movie. The video itself uses Sin City as a reference, but they could have played this over a blank screen and, turned up loud, it would still be difficult to sit still. It's the smash-shit-up-song of the year. 

4) Irene and Seugli - 'Monster'

Two erstwhile Red Velvet members also do the 'horror movie' thing (call it the influence of 2020) with this slow-fast composition that creeps (and that could be interpreted literally) into your head-space with some careful pacing and an evocative, instantly effective chorus-crawl. This is indeed a monster of a hit - and proof again that SM Entertainment are still at the very top of their game. Suffice to say, the next Red Velvet album cannot come soon enough, but for a year without the fabulous five this more than made up for their absence.

3) NCT Dream - Ridin

SM again, but I will qualify by saying this that I have found the entire NCT system of groups one of their more inconsistent brain-farts. This absolute banger, however, is a work of genius, and an NCT moment that stands among the best. Turn that chorus up loud and discover for yourself that rare blessing in an otherwise terrible, tragic year - existing on a planet where new music this damn good is still being produced. To use an exhausted term, that is nonetheless especially fitting for this rollicking achievement, it just rocks.

2) Sunmi - Pporappippam

The formula to the perfect pop song is something that few have managed to locate, but if ever there was a modern example to be taught in music classes around the planet, it might just be this enormous-sounding burst of energy from Sunmi. The artist, a former member of The Wonder Girls, rarely disappoints but even by her standards this is an insanely lofty setting-the-bar-so-high-few-will-even-get-beyond-the-first-few-steps level of achievement. It does what great pop all-too-rarely manages - combining a character study of newfound love and heightened pleasure with a comedown into self-doubt and personal tragedy. You don't need the lyrics to even know this, such as Sunmi's talent with composition and her mesmerising vocal evocations, but damn - as I said - this is the sort of blitz on your senses that would probably make me quit if I was a rival songwriter. How do you top this?

Taemin - Two Kids

So what could be better than Sunmi's beloved summer single in 2020? How about a return from Taemin, a superb solo album and this shot-in-Paris music video that feels very much of the year (see these deserted streets?) and is a breathy journey through a spot of heartfelt personal trauma that is all too easy to believe, given he is just three years removed from the suicide from one of his best friends. Do we sense a little of these feelings coming to the surface here? It seems so. And it makes for a difficult listen, with the potential to push tears or muster goosebumps. But Taemin has long been a unique genius, shading his character and entire persona in performances that marry dance and voice to ever more ambitious aural landscapes. There's tragedy in this majestic presentation - trying to dance and sing out what has possibly been left unexpressed since Jonghyun's death. Or perhaps it is just about a long lost love. Whatever, it's also the finest achievements of the year... and, it goes without saying, one hell of a song.

Olga Karlatos interview

During these strange pandemic times, I've decided I'm going to try and find the time to upload some past interviews to this blog for you all to enjoy. The first is with Olga Karlatos, who I interviewed for the Arrow Video release of Lucio Fulci's all-time classic Zombie Flesh-Eaters (1979) back in 2012. This is the first and last time that the legendary actress has spoken about her career - she know resides in one of the few remaining British colonies, Bermuda, in North America and I have recently been in touch with her about, when this pandemic ends, going out there to film an interview with her. Sadly, she has told me she is not interested in doing another interview about the past. I think this is an enormous loss for fans and for me, of course, as an film academic and researcher - we really do have such a vital job to do in chronicling motion picture history and, as pretentious as this might sound, I take that responsibility very seriously. Whilst I hope that the great Olga Karlatos does change her mind one day, here - for now - is the only chat ever conducted with her. Enjoy!

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

Olga Karlatos lost her sight (and her guts) for Lucio Fulci but years later she has few regrets...

By Calum Waddell

Just who is that stunning actress with the rusty blonde hair that highlights one of the most iconic moments in horror history when her right eyeball meets a huge shard of wood almost 45 minutes into the living dead action of Zombie Flesh Eaters? The answer, as any Italian terror-junkie will surely know, is Olga Karlatos - a woman whose past career as a certified Scream Queen icon is in deep contrast to her present-day status as a lawyer-extraordinaire, located in the sunny climate of Bermuda (in 2010 she made the island's local news for sitting the Bermuda Bar at the tender age of 65). However, long before she swapped her acting accomplishments for courtroom dramatics, the Greek-born Karlatos was whipping up a storm in the likes of the classic spaghetti western Keoma (1976), the brutal police action-thriller Convoy Busters (1978) and, of course, Zombie Flesh Eaters. Following her role as the ill-fated Mrs. Menard in Fulci's meat-munching masterpiece, Karlatos took on the leading lady part in the Italian sex comedy Skin Deep (1979 - and not to be confused with the Blake Edwards movie of the same name), appeared in the ensemble of the hit television drama The Scarlet and the Black (1983) and tested her thespian metal against the likes of Anthony Perkins in The Sins of Dorian Grey (1983). A return to fright-flicks came with Fulci's underrated, New York-set giallo Murder Rock (1984) and our lady can also be seen in the same year's Prince vehicle Purple Rain. Yet, Karlatos has remained tight-lipped about her much-celebrated time in the splatter spotlight. At least, that is, until now...

Consequently, for this very special Blu Ray edition of Zombie Flesh Eaters, the great lady took the time to sit down with us and discuss her memories of the macabre...

First of all, can you talk about how you got your start as an actress?

Now this is a very long story [laughs]… I was not a "born" actress and I followed that path, not so much as a choice for myself, but as an act of defiance against others. The "others" in question were my parents, both of whom were orphans and were forced to remain uneducated. As a result, they transferred their frustrated dreams onto their children. I resented their overbearing demands for academic excellence and high performance so I ended up doing the opposite of what I was expected to do. By the age of 18, I had piled up many "laurels" as a student, including scholarships, so my announcement that I would go to drama school - as opposed to university - came as a terrible shock to everyone. However, although my "rebellious" move may have had the desired effect, I now had to live up to my choice. My only justification would be to completely embrace it and do this as best as I could. This probably explains why, in my retirement, I decided to go back to where I left off - which was to higher education…

Prior to working with Lucio Fulci, you were cast in all number of fondly remembered classics from the glory days of Italian genre cinema, such as Keoma and Convoy Busters. Can you give us an idea of how busy this chapter of your life was?

Well I had many different chapters in my life [laughs]. Lucio, for example, was part of the third chapter – what we can call the Italian one. Let me explain... The first chapter was in Greece, where I was born. I left my country at about 22, married the French-adopted director of my first movie and moved with him to Paris where I lived for about 10 years. Italy came after that. This was a very important "second" chapter for me because Italy is where I "grew up". I had been divorced by that point and I was on my own: having to support myself and my son, and also financially assisting my parents and my former husband. Thankfully, I built up a good reputation for myself and I was lucky to make some successful movies - as well as some very bad ones [laughs]. So the height of my acting career would probably be the "third" chapter and, yes, I was indeed kept busy - and I needed it. In fact, I can’t possibly put a number to the roles I was offered. Eventually, I was given the chance to work in the U.S. and I moved there permanently. This was the fourth chapter. This is also where I met my current husband who is a talented film producer. He was - or rather is - a Bermudian and this is how I discovered Bermuda, and eventually decided to quit show business. Bermuda is my fifth chapter. Who knows what’s next –if any [laughs].

Quite a life! So let's cut to the chase: how did you become cast in Zombie Flesh Eaters?

This is a question that only the late Lucio Fulci could possibly answer! I guess he just thought that I was right for the part… I also had a reputation as being reliable – I was always on the set when I was expected to be, always prepared, I never wasted production time... that sort of thing.

Can you describe Lucio Fulci as both a director and as a person?

I can only say that my encounters with Lucio were limited to the professional level. However, his human traits were obvious on the set, as evidenced by the way he treated his actors and his team in general. He was always firm but respectful, both demanding and kind, and, maybe surprisingly, he always faced everything, even complex situations, with a light touch of humour. This was actually one of his best qualities on the set given that many of the scenes in Zombie Flesh Eaters were meant to be really gory. I should also say that although I understand the focus of your attention is on Lucio as a person and as a director - and I can confirm that I remember him fondly in both of these capacities – I mainly knew him as the man behind the camera who was calling the shots. You see, I did not know Lucio outside of the set so I cannot contribute anything substantial to queries about him on a more personal level.

That said, those whom I have met, who worked with Lucio as an actor, state that he had great respect for intelligent women. Obviously - being extremely smart yourself - did you also encounter this level of esteem?

Well that is very kind of you to say - thanks. However, I couldn’t speak for Lucio and I have no way of knowing what he thought of me, much less about whether or not he deemed me to be intelligent [laughs]. We did get along extremely well though - and the fact that he cast me again in Murder Rock should confirm this.

Where were your scenes in Zombie Flesh Eaters shot? Did you get to travel to the Caribbean?

I don't think I did... So far as I can remember, my scenes were just shot in Italy but with all of my travels, I may be wrong.

Do you have any fond memories of your Zombie Flesh Eaters co-star Richard Johnson?

Apart from working together on the set and getting along fine - and I do recall he was very professional, a seasoned actor and a congenial person - unfortunately I have no specific memories that I could share…

What were your thoughts of the Zombie Flesh Eaters script? Did you ever expect the film to be considered a classic of the horror genre?

No [laughs]. It is never the case, while a movie is being made, that one can know anything about its future impact or success. One can like the idea, and hope that there will be an audience for the finished product, but little else. But, of course, every movie involves a lot of work and a serious investment and why would anyone bother unless they seriously believe in the project? Having said that, the routine answer is "nobody knows anything" in show business [laughs].

If I was to approach the film in a more scholarly manner - it could be surmised that the living dead in Zombie Flesh Eaters, and the third world setting, present an allegory of the exploited nations 'rising up' to consume the West. What do you think of this sort of retrospective academia?

You know, I enjoy this sort of "interpretation" – it is a process of thought that I find very creative, regardless of whether or not it corresponds to any intention on the part of the author. Everyone is free to read something into a subject. Sometimes the intention is there, sometimes it comes as a surprise, sometimes a reading can be frustrating if the intention was quite the opposite or none at all. Again, I cannot speak for Lucio, and his conceptualisation of his work, but I happen to like your suggested interpretation. It can’t be definitive, of course, because it is all subjective...

How did you feel about the splinter-in-the-eye scene? Some critics have read this as being especially misogynistic...

Again, this is another "interpretation" - albeit one which I happen to like less but which I also respect, nevertheless, as a free exercise of criticism. My own limited view is that this was just meant to be a horror movie and, personally speaking, I was happy that the victim was a woman because it meant that I got the part [laughs]. It could have been anyone though – a man, a child, a person of any age, gender, or appearance, depending on the overall story line…

Did you see the special effect for the splinter gag being produced on the set? How was the experience for you?

I remember vividly the excruciating experience of having a cast taken from my face – with the plaster poured all over me to create the mould for the head that served for the splinter gag. Even more uncomfortable was the post-splinter days when I had to live with an eye patch and undergo hours of make-up and wait for my scenes to be shot! Funnily enough, as much as I had trouble adjusting to being one-eyed, the day the patch finally came off, it took me even more time to re-adjust to binocular/ stereoscopic vision [laughs].

What about the sequence where your torso is torn apart by the living dead? Can you share some memories of this?

Ah yes, the scene where you see me being eaten, and boasting a cut-off leg no less, was not a lot of fun either [laughs]. I remember I had to lie down on the floor with one leg through a hole drilled into the floor, and hours of make-up for the "cut" leg without being able to move for the whole day. The cramps were killing me – and there was no break because the make-up application was so lengthy… I won't get into details but you can take it from me: it was tough! But, this is the life of an actor. And I have done things even more difficult and painful than that, if you can believe it…

You certainly suffered for your art - but did you know that, at the time, Zombie Flesh Eaters was taking a considerable bite out of the box office in the UK, the USA and all over the world?

No, to date I had no idea about any of the above [laughs]. I am actually surprised at hearing this news, after such a long time…

And were you pleased to be reunited with Fulci for Murder Rock?

Of course I was…. I got the job! And I knew that it was going to be another good, professional experience and that there would be a decent final product. What more can an actor hope for? Other than that I do not remember much about Murder Rock - even my character!

 Do you recall if there was any evidence of Fulci's growing health problems on the set of Murder Rock?

I never knew he had any health problems at the time. No one else did either - at least that I know of. It could be that they developed later, after I moved to the US and broke away from the film industry. I honestly don’t know.

Inevitable question - you gave up on acting: why?

As to the "why" - it is another long story. I guess I had enough by the time I found serenity in Bermuda. I was ready to do something else like… grow tomatoes [laughs]. Years later, I again decided to do something different and embarked into academic pursuits. Now, I have just started a new career as a lawyer. I am still pondering what to do when I grow up [laughs]…

And are you pleased to be remembered and have some of your past work recognised, reappraised and even rediscovered by new generations?

I am stunned every time someone remembers me - and my past. It is so long ago. I would lie if I said I am not pleased, but, if my work is "re-discovered" as you suggest, it will be because of some movie as a whole. Actors are only one of the elements, the authors and directors come first. An actor is as good as the final product is. It really is a team work. It so happens that it is in the nature of the job for actors to be exposed to the public eye. Still, it is first and foremost a job that requires hard work and commitment. Today, as a lawyer, I still do the best I can. Nothing has changed, except the nature of the job. Lawyers do not expect to be "re-discovered" or remembered. But you know what? This is fine with me [laughs].

Woohoo, my Top Twenty K-pop song of 2019

Anyone even out there?

It's been a year since I updated this. Sorry. I really do want to keep these Top Twenty K-pop lists of the year coming though. It seems strange writing this at the end of the decade. I've written about Korean films ever since I interviewed Park Chan-wook at the annual Edinburgh Film Festival back in 2004. However, my musical interests were always fairly plain - I had been an NME-junkie and token 'indie' music follower since my days as a student in the late 1990s. Never did I think, if you told me this a decade ago, that I would have binned my Morrissey CDs and have an iTunes playlist that is now almost entirely made-up of Korean music. I've even written about K-pop 'professionally' (i.e. I'm paid for it) over the past few years - with articles on the form in MYM, NEO and most recently in Anthem Publishing's BTS and Blackpink special edition magazines.

A decade ago I would turn up to gigs at the (now long-demolished) Edinburgh Picture House or the Liquid Rooms (where I once saw, yuck, Scouting for Girls play to about 150 people) and hope that something, anything, would reignite my passion for music - the same passion that once led me to bands such as Belle and Sebastian, Pulp and Suede. Little did I know that it would be a nine-member grouping called Girls' Generation that would solve the problem - but almost ten years ago it was songs such as 'Genie', 'Hoot' and 'Bad Girl' that would blow my mind and lead to my discovery of other outstanding bands such as 2NE1, Big Bang, Exo, T-ara and so many more. Suddenly I had a wealth of great young music to throw myself into - and my first visit to Seoul in December, 2013 was like experiencing a fresh new world entirely. The tunes blasted from every shop corner and inside every bar or coffee shop - the entire trip documented by the singles from that period which came from AOA, Block B, Crayon Pop, G-Dragon, SHINee, T.O.P and so many more. This was a city confident in its own grooves - and it made me fall in love with a strange, frequently experimental, pop music that eventually blew-up in the West with BTS (ironically one of the super-groups I never really became seduced by). And before that moment, I had to navigate all the usual Orientalist nonsense about 'liking the girl bands because they are hot' and/ or 'all these members look the same' (both conclusions which I personally found infuriating and xenophobic to the extreme).

In the interim I had moved to China for three years and got to see many of the biggest bands live for myself. Whilst the 'old me' would have been in a proverbial seventh heaven about The Stone Roses reforming, the 'new me' skipped their comeback entirely and instead saw full concerts from Big Bang, EXID, EXO (twice), G-Dragon, Girls' Generation (three times), Hyuna, SHINee, Taeyang, Taeyeon (twice), T-ara (twice) and two SM Towns (as well as a full-day K-pop celebration in Seoul that included Blackpink, Sunmi, Twice and other superstar names). Call it a (near) mid-life crisis if you want, but I felt young again - and K-pop is to blame/ congratulate for that.

So if there is a story from the past decade, for me, that has changed my life it has been many of the artists I've publicised and spoken about on this blog. As such, here's my usual Top Twenty list for 2019. If you have browsed this blog accidentally, for any reason, my hope is that there might be something here to give you the same 'mind-blowing' experience that I, myself, had not so long ago...

20) Tiffany Young - Magnetic Moon

Tiffany Hwang went through a name change on her transition from K-pop superstardom to California indie-girl, but her best American single to date affirms that she is probably destined to remain a fixture in the heart of many a fan from the trend's golden era. Whilst the former Girls' Generation member no longer has the sort of profile that was afforded to her via SM Entertainment, 'Magnetic Moon' is her best standalone project since the swoonsome 'Heartbreak Hotel' back in 2016. By rights this could have topped the charts across the planet but with Tiffany now falling between the cracks of 'legit' K-pop and mainstream chart 'success' she seems to have missed out on many of the 'Best of' lists from 2019. So consider this as at least one attempt to right this blatant wrong - the song is brilliant.

19) Infinite - Clock

The return of an old idol band favourite in 2019 with this absolutely rollicking early year single. A mid-tempo outing that builds into a classic, epic K-pop chorus of lovelorn pain. Yes, yes this does not really reinvent the wheel, but if you want a grand heartbreaker from the past 365 days (and if you love K-pop the chances are you live for this sort of thing) then 'Clock' is right up there with the best of them. Unfortunately, thanks to military service and contract negotiations running dry, it seems the band has concluded its run - but, to be fair, this superb short-play is a great way to go out.

18) Park Bom - Spring

Park Bom has had a turbulent year - with the solo idol tearing her heart out on the hit television show Queendom (more on that later), including one of the year's sweetest moments wherein she cried her eyes out after an encouraging video message from former 2NE1 bandmate Minzy. As part of a supergroup that split in 2016 but released its last album almost six years ago, it was always going to be tough for Park Bom to warm herself back into the iPads of younger K-pop obsessives and, so it was, that she came last of the Queendom lot whilst expressing her continued grief at the break-up of her old unit. Nevertheless, comeback ballad 'Spring' is a delight and a reminder of why Park Bom can easily claim to be one of the great voices of the K-pop revolution.

17) LOONA - Butterfly

There's a mesmerising early nineties-dance groove to this sublime opus that really captivates me - and, damn, it is good chill out music. Possibly the finest LOONA single to date - whilst the K-pop world (and end of year lists) seem to be more enthusiastic about the catchy but less adventurous, if similarly multi-membered, Twice, I'll happily toast to this understated gem.

16) Sunmi - Noir

I don't know if this flamboyant bop should be listed even higher, but Sunmi is her own worst enemy with her singles due to the exceptionally high standards of last year's Siren, the unforgettable fury of Gashina and her bombastic redux of Cheryl Cole with Heroine (yes really, this did happen). In comparison 'Noir' is not quite so instantly 'wow' but that does not make it anything less than first class and the video is, as expected, another gem from a singer who puts an exhaustive amount of effort into her music and persona. As with every Sunmi single you might want to turn this one up loud.

15) Stray Kids - Side Effects

This was listed as the best K-pop song of the year by Dazed, but my general impression of that list is that 1) Any list which does not have 'Lion' on it is not worth your attention and 2) I think that as smart and well put-together this mash-up is, it is not quite 'I Got a Boy' and Stray Kids have still to top the stadium-filling ambition of 'Hellavator'. With this said, make no mistake - this a brilliant piece of experimentalism and gives the lads a perfect rock-dance-pop palette in which to fuse a number of sudden pace-changing grooves with abrupt stop-start moments. On first listen it is both slightly annoying and, as it grows into itself and moves to its final crescendo, also totally euphoric. All these listens later I am not so sure that this is not the whole point. This is K-pop at its most challenging, insofar as 2019 goes anyway, and the end result reminds us that we are still in a glory period for new music.

14) CLC - No

The 'girl power' anthem of the year, this 'no means no' statement on toxic masculinity became a grower and a certified favourite of 2019. It blows-up into a celebratory, drunken chorus, of course, before pulling the wool out from under your feet and feeling rather more sombre. One of 2019's cleverest compositions, it is good to see CLC establish themselves as a force for the future of a less sexually problematic K-pop scene...

13) Hara - Midnight Queen

The suicide of Goo Hara was one of the year's most tragic happenings (especially since her attempt earlier in the year had been unsuccessful). The news made the mainstream (coming as it did so soon after the passing of her best friend Sulli), and some odious, paternalistic comments from the usual Western 'experts' (I'm not naming names) but rarely mentioned was the fact that the singer - who had reached K-pop superstardom with her former mega-group Kara - had been struggling to regain career ground as a solo starlet. The pressure of this, alongside her well-documented personal problems, was doubtlessly leading the performer down a very dark road. The Japanese single 'Midnight Queen', which allowed her a short tour before her death, went under the radar of many a K-pop fanatic (thanks to the fast-moving nature of the trend, Kara feels as 'yesterday' as 2NE1). In truth, the comeback was the most Kara-sounding pop epic since, well, Kara (and uses the same production staff behind-the-scenes which may explain this). Whilst this did not point towards a particularly original solo career for the troubled artist, it does mean that fans of Goo Hara got one last gem to treasure before the troubled artist left us far too early, aged just 28.

Note: the above is a fan-made video of the single as Hara only released an official video of the shortened cut - which can be seen here.

12) Dreamcatcher - Piri

Now this is how you stage a comeback. From the opening whistle, 'Piri' establishes itself as a force to be reckoned with. This is maybe the best attempt yet at perfecting that Dreamcatcher rock-pop crossover sound which has been ongoing for the past three years (they have been cruelly referred to as a South Korean attempt at Babymetal, which is sonically nonsense). This might be the best Dreamcatcher outing yet and, hopefully, a pointer for a group growing in its sophistication - let's hope that they continue to release scorchers of this quality.

11) Blackpink - Kill This Love

In our beloved K-pop world, Blackpink are now rivalled only by BTS in terms of global superstardom - but the foursome has achieved this stature without a single album to their name, three-and-a-half years after their debut. That in itself is mind-boggling. Perhaps it is the lesson of not overloading fans with material and keeping us all wanting, but it is difficult to imagine Blackpink sustaining their level of popularity with their current 'annual single' approach. Nonetheless, 'Kill This Love' is a perfectly uncomplicated dance floor stomper. It's not the outlet's greatest moment but it's still nearly flawless. To be fair, at this stage it is difficult to imagine Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie and Rosé putting a foot wrong - let's just hope the problems at record label YG don't see them tossed in the same direction as former labelmates 2NE1.

10) Mamamoo - Gleam

Arguably the best K-pop band currently in existence, Mamamoo had a fantastic 2019 - winning the Queendom television show and securing some acclaimed solo hits for the four band members (see below as well). 'Gleam' is another belter that in any other year would perhaps be even top five or top three. I mean, just listen to these vocals. As with Sunmi and 'Noir' the problem with Mamamoo is that their best moments are so perfect that it makes songs as fabulous as 'Gleam', which rate a 9/10, feel a little out of sync with the perfect tens that have come before. As Mamamoo come to that sixth year anniversary in 2020, let's all hope that this is a band in it for the long-term because a group this remarkable is a rare beast and it would be heart-breaking to lose them.

9) Exo - Obsession

Exo remains a group that explores sound-scapes that, just ten years ago (during the end days of my dingy indie music days) I would have found impossible to even imagine existing. Now down to six members (two military enrolments and Lay still hampered by the THAAD-missile stand-off between South Korea and China), Exo have not missed a beat in 2019. This is still the sonics of a band at the very peak of its powers - a grouping so formidable that I only wish they had been around when I was an undergraduate having to convince myself Oasis were worth buying into. Unsurprisingly, the subtle, sexy beauty of 'Obsession' is another work of genius in a year that has been packed with quality comebacks from veteran groups. Speaking of which...

8) Taemin - Want

With SHINee on hiatus due to that 'army' thing (and the ball is still out on whether or not, post-Jonghyun, a comeback should have been quite such a priority), Taemin had a packed 2019 what with SuperM and this smooth-as-fuck - if inevitably Michael Jackson-ish - sweeping rock-ballad. Taemin remains one of the most captivating, if mysterious (and even, I suspect, quite haunted), male K-gods - but with 'Want' he has his best anthem yet and a tune that stands tall as one of the most mesmerising and, frankly, fuckable of 2019.

7) Sulli - Goblin

This was always going to be a tough one to write about. When Sulli passed, at age 25, it was the biggest K-pop scandal since the death of SHINee's Jonghyun in December, 2017. Unlike the boy band hero, Sulli - who stopped promoting with SM band F(x) in 2014 - did not leave behind a posthumous album of gut-wrenching anthems such as Jonghyun - but, over the summer period, she dropped this unexpectedly sombre and slight single. It was widely acclaimed, but the intro and outro obviously pointed to a creative force that was disturbed if not outright exhausted. Whether or not SM just assumed Sulli to be playing a 'character' in her own fiction, time now indicates that 'Goblin' was something weightier and far more disturbing. With each month since her passing, it becomes less and less easy to listen to, but that should not diminish from its charms nor from its honesty...

6) Hwasa - Twit

Solo-power in the shape of Mamamoo's Hwasa - who had this superb single to showcase her stunning vocal range. Mamamoo have always had a slightly outré and eccentric feel to their music, which also made its way into Hwasa's solo debut which feels like a confident and relaxed (if still forceful) statement of loved-up confusion. Whilst the lyrics perhaps should have been stronger, especially given the quite dominant persona of the singer, 'Twit' remains as memorable as some of the best of Mamamoo and that in itself is one hell of a compliment.

5) ONEUS - Valkyrie

Getting the year off to a fine start was ONEUS - who can certainly boast about having the best opening riff to any tune of the year. What else is there to say? To steal a well-worn term... this just fucking rocks.

4) Red Velvet - 'Psycho'

Red Velvet's Christmas single may only have been with us for a week but it's so immediately catchy and kooky (in that now-classic Red Velvet way) that it has to be top five for 2019. I would even go so far as to argue that this is the heavenly fivesome's best release since the classic 'Red Flavour' two-and-a-half-years ago. Yes, it is this good and thus it easily lays claim to a position this far up my top twenty (and provides another argument for waiting until the end of 2019 before writing these lists!). Whilst Red Velvet may never overtake Girls' Generation's spot as the all-time greatest SM Entertainment femme-gathering, it is surely - at this stage - not without trying...

3) AOA - Sorry

AOA were one of the most unexpected joys of 2019. The band is now the oldest K-pop girl-group still in existence, being able to date back to 2012 (making them positively over-the-hill in the 'business') and looked done for after two members - including lead vocalist Choa - quit the line-up. Instead, the remaining five members used the show Queendom (yes, that again) to warm themselves to a new generation. It certainly worked - and whilst AOA did not win, official comeback single 'Come See Me' was a hit, whilst their live cover of Mamamoo's 'Egoistic', complete with cross-dressing dancers, raised eyebrows across their native nation. Wisely abandoning their 'risqué' presentation of old, the 'new' AOA seems to be finally doing things on their own terms. Whilst I could have easily placed the remarkable 'Come See Me' into this position, I've gone for 'Sorry' - which opens with a riff on Ennio Morricone before becoming a breathy-sexy pop classic - as it is the first new AOA single we got to hear (thanks to Queendom) and, frankly, it is a blinder.

It would be a sin if a group making music this exemplary were not to reach a bigger stage than ever before in the coming years...

2) ((G)I-DLE) - 'LION'

Another band that emerged from Queendom with an absolute belter of an anthem (in the final round each competing artist had to complete and release a new single). Unlike AOA with 'Sorry', the  participants gave us a fully-fledged (and quite eye-opening!) music video for this cracker. With February's release of 'Senorita'  this was a young group already staking a claim as one of the finest single bands of the year but 'Lion' takes the band to even higher heights - this is just such a beautifully orchestrated ditty... from that slow, sensual opening to the eventual fast-crash of different vocalists that makes the chorus feel like such an exhilarating celebration of sensuality... Now let's just hope that this (whisper it) slightly empowering tune, and this exciting new group, is not stuffed down the toilet in the way that Cube did with 4Minute just three years ago...


1) Taeyeon - Spark

Taeyeon remains one of K-pop's most fascinating enigmas. Musically, she has been in the shadow of her outstanding solo album 'My Voice' from 2017 - an LP that allowed the singer to step out of Girls' Generation once and for all and emerge as a solo star of remarkable talent and maturity. Since then, those of us who were at the 'Persona' tour, have been craving more outstanding moments - which have (and I hate admitting this) come in thin bursts (but when they arrive - wow, fuck me). Her second full-length LP was always going to be a tough cookie but Taeyeon returned with not just this frantically paced single but a number of accompanying heart-stopping moments. 'Spark' was a curveball of a comeback - not the big emotional ballad we all probably expected - but something quite radical and unique. It is not just a perfect example of K-pop's ability to keep us guessing but also my single of 2019 from my artist of the past decade.

MY TOP TWENTY K-POP SINGLES OF 2018

It seems I might only have the time and energy to update this blog once a year but, hey-ho, were you not all waiting for my annual top twenty K-pop singles of the year? It has been a phenomenal 2018, and there's so many songs that did not make the cut and I am already wishing were in there (Seventeen's 'Thanks' tops the list, but I also loved Jimin's 'Hey', EXO-CBX's 'Blooming Day', Hyoyeon's reinvention with 'Sober' and her 3LAU collaboration 'Punk Right Now'). There have also been some unexpected surprises - Hyomin's 'Mango' is her best solo single to date, SM Station collaboration 'Wow Thing' is a joy, Key from SHINee made a solid debut with 'One of These Nights' whilst his band incorporated a sound beamed from Southern African for the chorus to 'I Want You' and super-idol team up 'Honey Bee' offered a fine 'last drinks' anthem. Disappointments came along too. Last year I gave the top spot in my list to Taeyeon's sublime 'Fine' but her 2018 comebacks with 'Something New' and Japanese debut 'Stay' were disappointing and puzzlingly played down her stomach-knotting vocal prowess. Likewise EXO, whose 'Tempo' was not a patch on flamboyant album track 'Ooh La La', which I wish they had led-off their 2018 reappearance with. Established idol bands also made some puzzling diversions, goodness knows what the AOA brain trust were thinking with 'Bingle Bangle' or GOT7's sloshy 'Miracle'. At least Seungri took his Big Bang hiatus to give us the dashing '1,2, 3' - a solo comeback to applaud - and BoA led a year of enjoyable singles beginning with the retro-disco of 'One Shot, Two Shot'. BTS continued their domination of the globe, and it was great to see their success in bringing South Korean soft power to a grander stage than ever before. With that said, the band did not offer anything in 2018 that pushed the K-pop sound into new territory (see: Holland on this list). Their best was surely 'Idol' although I think 'DNA' remains their highlight to date. It has been a fascinating 365 days, then, and I have limited myself to just singles (so no album tracks) and also only one song per artist.

So, with that established, let's get on with the rundown...


20) Oh My Girl - Remember Me

I'm starting to conclude that nothing this band does will ever come close to their gobsmackingly gorgeous trance-pop classic Closer from 2015, still one of the very best K-pop shortplays of all time. 'Closer' was always going to be a hard act to follow, and subsequent singles attempted to branch out into different experiments - albeit not always with the best results. However, the band, which has not been without its scandals since lift-off, made a 2018 comeback with a joyously unpretentious, pulse-pounding slice of synth-pop that draws a line under past sounds and seems to start from scratch all over again. It is also the perfect, and unassuming, start to this top twenty and one hopes that the group continues with such less - how could it be put? - outre experiments in the future (as anyone who has endured this year's sub-unit effort might agree).

19) Apink - I'm So Sick

Driven by an emotion-fuelled lead vocal, and an autotuned catch that introduces the song and reappears throughout, this is undemanding pop escapism but with a healthy dose of maturity in its presentations and lyrics - something the more innocent and twee bubblegum of Apink has never really managed to achieve (with a largely young teen-focused intent). Finally reimagined as women with adult problems for this 2018 comeback, the new shortplay sounds a little like late-day T-ara (2015 - 2017) - but with more verve. A good bouncy chorus and some slick vocals make this a hard release to dislike and an easy one to love.

18) IU - BBIBBI

For her tenth anniversary IU gave us this relaxed little R&B number that proves infectiously catchy. I must admit that it took some time for last year's mellow-as-it-gets 'Palette', to grow on me, although when it did, it became a repeat-listen. The same is true for the artist's contribution to 2018. It's just... lovely. Bless her.

17) Black Pink - Ddu-Du Ddu-Du Du

Black Pink strutted into 2018 as one of the biggest K-pop bands on the planet and end the year unscathed, with an Asian (world?) stadium tour to embark on in 2019. The hopes were high for the follow-up to the outstanding 'As if it's Your Last' and whilst 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du Du' lacks the scale of the 2017 release, it shows YG's mainstay writer Teddy doing what he does best (and might even be doing in his sleep): a repetitive hip-hop beat matched with a jubilent chorus of repetitive chart-baiting pop. It is no insult to maintain that this is Black Pink's weakest single to date, because that only attests to the quality of what has come so far. It's good, if not quite great - but that first bridge at 53 seconds in is still to die for.

16) Suzy- Sober

Model, actress and general megastar, Suzy Bae probably never needs to do anything for the rest of her life given her unshakable status as one of Korea's biggest exported faces and all-round icon. Yet her mini-album, released in February, gained almost unanimously positive reviews and showed a solo force par excellence. The sexy strut of 'Sober' was one of the year's highlights, matched by a confident and colourful music video that announced Suzy as K-pop's latest standalone chart force. With a sound as great as this, don't count on that Miss A reunion ever taking place.

15) iKon Kiling Me

YG tried hard to recover from a departing Psy, a collapse in efforts to break CL in America and a defunct Big Bang in 2018, not only with Black Pink but with their relaunch of iKon. Thankfully, 'Killing Me' is a truly bombastic experiment - kicking-off as a routine bout of ballad-pop before going full blast into a pounding EDM chorus followed by a ferocious rap and then an interlude for some hip-hop grooves. There are too many 'catches' to keep up with in this single, and it has a brilliant ability to come-and-go with its build-up to the explosive chorus, but this is undoubtedly an audacious mix of sounds for one of K-pop's less exploited big label-names and an exciting primer for things to come.

14) Amber and Luna - Lower

Hopefully this early year anthem will not miss out on many lists due to its release date (January, 5th - an eternity ago in K-pop, meaning it might have slipped from a few minds). End of the night trance, mixed with sophisticated EDM beats and even a spot of nineties rave, this is a gorgeous satisfier as we all patiently hope that F(X) can eventually make that well deserved return to the spotlight. Luna, it bears noting, still has one of K-pop's most underrated and seductive voices.

13) Jonghyun - Shinin

It is difficult to listen to Jonghyun's final album, 'Poet | Artist', knowing that this was the singer's final statement before departing this planet. Standout track 'Take a Dive' was probably the LP's emotional peak but likely too intense for a posthumous single release from an artist whose suicide hit the international news. 'Shinin', however, was the sort of feel good single that was needed. Although it lacks the impact of 'She Is', his audacious 2016 single that features a falsetto which will surely go down in the ages, this was a bittersweet reminder of what a magnificent talent the world lost last December.

12) Yuri - Into You

Girls' Generation member Yuri has been kept away from the solo spotlight since the band debuted in 2007 (and at this point only Sunny has yet to get a chance to shine on her lonesome) but this hip-shaking effort was well worth the wait. A single inspired by the music of the Mediterrean was probably not what anyone expected from the SNSD icon and the result is effectively exotic and inevitably provocative.

11) (G)I-DLE - Latata

Fast becoming one of the year's 'sounds of the summer', this is so absolutely perfectly put together, and so slickly produced, that it boggles the mind how any mere mortal concocted something that becomes so instantaneously jammed in your skull. It is perhaps a bit too rich in sound (small complaint, I know) - it feels like pop beamed from another planet, with every voice auto-tuned and dusted to perfection, matching the delightfully unpredictable switch-and-stop-start tempo of the backing grooves, not to mention the sudden veer into a surreal Indian-inspired dance and sound, but... wow. Just wow. Only in Brexit Britain could a population be excited about The Spice Girls reforming when pop of this quality exists.

10) EXID - I Love You

Back as a fivesome for the first time in years, Exid's latest outing, there best since 'Lie' a whole 18 months ago, throws back to an 80s power-synth sound, complete with some dazzling vocals, whilst maintaining the band's usual 'big' dancefloor style. Worth noting that the single was part-penned by LE, whose rap here is a standout. Her contributions to the EXID story are often pushed into the background thanks to the superstar presence of Hani (who has less to do, vocally, here thanks to the return of Solji and her distinctive howl), but she gets some of the best moments in 'I Love You'. Also worth noting that this might be the most South Korean of all videos released this year. I've had nights like this in Seoul too (as has anyone who has tried to 'drink like a Korean').

9) Taemin - Under my Skin

Taemin's Japanese comebacks have been better than his homegrown ones, and it was no different with the ertshile SHINee member's 2018 opus. 'Under my Skin' is Taemin realising another deliciously widescreen project - like the crescendo to the end credits of a tragic film epic. It's outstanding and arguably his finest single to date. Still a top league player in K-pop, it will be curious to see how SHINee continues to move beyond Jonghyun's passing whilst still providing a platform, and the freedom, for its solo stars to excercise their demons. Currently, this feels like the most obvious attempt from any SHINee star to vocally address Jonghyun's passing - although, understandably, the lyrics are wide open for interpretation. Either way, this is the feel bad K-pop song of the year, and an essential listen.

8) Red Velvet - Bad Boy

'Bad Boy' came early in the year, just before Red Velvet seduced Kim Jong-un and scaled their highest heights of commercial success yet. It is flawless, obviously, from start to finish - and that is about all I have to say about Red Velvet's greatest contribution to 2018, but world domination is surely forthcoming.

7) Stray Kids - Voices

Stray Kids gained friction and fan favouritism this year, only their second on the scene, but obviously fell behind the fan conquering BTS. Both, to some extent, attempt a sound that oozes 'authenticity' (after criticising BTS on Twitter, I got a wealth of 'what other K-pop bands write their music?' tweets, although clearly some fan definitions of 'write' are, how should we say, loose to say the least) whilst a slick pop machine pulls the strings behind-the-scenes. Not that this is something to criticise in itself, obviously, and B.A.P probably set the stage for South Korean mass-manufactured bands that make an attempt to sound indier-than-thou (right down to epic 'edgy' videos and a 'straight-from-the-parent's-garage' succession of early singles) and fair play to BTS for making an international stage of it. Stray Kids are part stadium-rock and part this tradition, at least so far, and 'Voices' is a massive single. If this all pays off on a BTS scale is anyone's guess, but Stray Kids have a better chance than anyone of breaking in a big way outside of the Far East.

6) NCT U - Boss

Damn, this is suave. A handsome and assertive dance growl, NCT U stomped back into the public eye to reclaim their place as the best of the NCT units. And if you are losing count of which is which and with what member at this stage of SM's mind-melting NCT experiment then join the club. What is for sure is that 'Boss' continues a surge of upward quality for the entire shebang - and it is delicious to consider where the future might go...

5) Sunmi - Heroine

From a purely personal standpoint, this song was just a vital feel good much-needed early year anthem. It should also be noted that Sunmi's follow-up single this year is also well worth a spin (it might even be better, but 'Heroine' has more emotional relevance to your writer). Does this plagiarise Cheryl Cole? Quite probably. But don't let that make you hate on it too much.

4) Jennie - Solo

Even outdoing her mother band, Black Pink's Jennie Kim, who has long been one of YG's MVPs albeit as a background player before her 2016 breakthrough, gave listeners one of the annual best with this standalone effort. Longtime fans will be well-aware that she has a voice which holds up to some of the best, but applause to YG for giving her such a killer tune to get her tonsils around. One of the indiest-sounding efforts of 2018 - this is a defining moment for a band poised to be as big as BTS on a global scale (lets just hope they don't rise and fall as quick as former labelmates 2NE1, whom YG pushed into America at the eventual cost of the foursome's own stability).

3) Girls' Generation - Lil Touch

Down to five, and missing key vocalists Seohyun and Tiffany (who attempted a breakout with her lacklustre American debut in 2018, revealing the limitations of no longer having the SM machine at full force), Girls' Generation nevertheless came back with their best shortplay since Catch me if you Can in 2015. A remarkable reinvention, and a lovably aggressive pop tune with a breathless pace, the future for SNSD, now tipping into their thirties (only indicating their unique longevity) is evidently as vast as the remaining five members want it to be.

2) Mamamoo - Wind flower

Mamamoo had a delightfully diva-ish reinvention in 2018, kicking-off with the beauty of piano ballad 'Paint Me', a notable statement that this annum was going to take a very different direction for the foursome, who vocally remain one of the top tier bands in K-popdom (and in 2018 their management appears to have done everything to emphasise this, as a cursorary click on any of these links will indicate). Follow-ups such as the whispy ballad 'Starry Night' and the Spanish guitars of 'Egotistic' gave the group a lavish and mature sound that nevertheless retained aspects of their earlier pop experimentalism. It led to late-year entry 'Wind flower', which is far more subdued than the previous three singles but points to a band that is just as comfortable with an indie-guitar number as they are an epic pop production or piano-led bombast. There are some brilliant use of backing vocals and harmonies in 'Wind flower', and given K-pop's general consensus that when one member of a band drops out, the show goes on - it seems uncertain how Mamamoo can ever be anything without all four members (of which leader Solar has arguably the best set of lungs). Hats off to the music video as well, which captures some of the silent urban beauty of late night Hong Kong.

1) Holland - I'm So Afraid

Korea's first openly gay K-pop idol burst out with this epic soundscape that captures the sublime calm-before-the-storm, then the heightened apprehension and panic, of 'coming out'. A short dance-opera, that scales ambitious heights of expression in the shortplay format, this is absolutely spellblinding in design and execution. A testament to the evolving nature of South Korean pop music, even as the 'genre' (term used insanely loosely) reaches a decade since 'Gee', 'I'm So Afraid' came out of nowhere to be my most beloved moment in music this year.