These were released as a series of digital singles. I thought there was going to be a full album, but apparently it's only four songs? Either way, they're good. <3 I think the idea of using basically the same cover image but with different colours, all very bright and summery, is fantastic, which is why I've uploaded all the different cover images, haha.
Please comment or leave a rating if taking!
- Haruhi
2009 Summer SM Town!
Korean | Pop
o1. Seaside 휴게소 (Boom Boom) - DBSK, Super Junior, SHINee
I'm generally not a fan of SM Town songs that have like 20 people in one song and each person gets like one line. I have no idea who's who in this song, but it's tropical, light-hearted, and fun - in other words, a perfect summer song. Brought to life by acoustic guitars, brassy riffs, and an upbeat percussion, it's breezy and energetic.
o2. 12시 34분 (Nothing Better) - Dong Bang Shin Ki
A gorgeous ballad from DBSK. I have to admit, when I first got into K-pop, I didn't like them much - but they've really impressed me and changed my mind, they're one of my favourite groups now. 12시 34분 (Nothing Better) is refreshing, smooth, and light, but extremely warm and sincere. I've heard people refer to "winter ballads" and "spring ballads", is there such a thing as a summer ballad? If so, 12시 34분 is a perfect fit. Vocally it's fantastic, its flowing and their cleanly layered harmonies float overtop a piano-based arrangement.
o3. 카니발 (Carnival) - Super Junior
A cheerful, sugary song - what else did you expect from Super Junior? It has some tropical elements reminiscent of Seaside 휴게소 (Boom Boom), but definitely has its own flavor. It's cute, sweet, and SuJu sounds like they're having a blast - but, not a favourite of mine.
o4. SCAR - SHINee
SCAR has a bit of a darker tone. It's heavily electronica-influenced and reminds me a bit of Big Bang for some reason. Their dense harmonies and powerful vocal work really impressed me. It doesn't really say "summer" to me, but a great song nonetheless.
Labels: Dong Bang Shin Ki, Shinee, Super Junior
