Part 2: Songs That Defined 2019

Based on a previous post, I’m back at it again to list songs I dance to when I can’t focus. Here’s the second installment of songs I bopped to throughout 2019 in no particular order.

“PIRI” by Dreamcatcher

As I’ve said in the previous post, my unwritten resolution was to listen to more k-pop girl groups. Dreamcatcher was no exception.

Honestly, 2019 was the year I became an Insomnia and on the cusp of their comeback for “Piri.” I watched Dreamcatcher’s music video for “You and I” a couple years ago and forgot about it. What I liked is that their dark concept and the rock-influenced sound. I know it’s not the most tasteful analogy but some of Dreamcatcher’s songs sound like anime openings but in Korean. And I think that’s what made me like them even more now, as opposed to then.

The song includes the piri, a Korean double reed pipe flute that’s used throughout the song to signal the end of loneliness and anxiety according to a live performance on Simply K-pop. I interpret it as an S.O.S. signal, or a cry to end the nightmare.

This comeback was the bomb. The music video featured horror elements like creepy hallways, JiU’s eerie twin, white nightgowns, and a doll that appears to be sentient or possessed. All things I loved.

The choreography was fast and active. And the costumes for this comeback were phenomenal. Dreamcatcher went above and beyond with this comeback. They had the same costume in several colors.

The live performances of “Piri” were off-the-charts. I used to binge through several videos of them performing. You could hear them singing over the backing track while dancing. There was intense eye contact with the camera. The embellished the choreography with every performance. Everything about the “Piri” era was perfect. They deserved a 1st-win but I won’t let that detract from how lit it was.

Dreamcatcher is an very talented group. Fans joke that they literally have no bad songs. There’s everything from ballads, to fast-dance tracks, and rock/metal-type songs. And they make content outside from music. They vlog through their comebacks and hiatuses. They choreograph dances to popular songs and make musical covers. They have everything talent-wise to be pretty big.

Their fandom is slowly growing. “Piri” and “Deja Vu” increased their exposure and popularity. While I’m a little sad no one’s given them that one win to push them over, I don’t think they need. They’re excellent. I have no other words to contribute. Just *chef’s kiss*.

“No” by CLC

K-pop girl group CLC has had a great year with comebacks that propelled them towards more exposure and success. The catalyst appears to be “No,” the title song for their 8th EP No. 1. The song is co-written by Soyeon from (G)-IDLE and CLC member Yeeun.

From the initial repetition of the chorus: “Red lip? No. Earrings? No. High heels? No. Handbag? No.” CLC is rejecting the standards of beauty applied to them and their fans in the form of ads, beauty campaigns, and idol image.

CLC literally holds a funeral procession for heels and handbags. Worrying about these accessories is literally trivial. They’re also rejecting an innocent image that’s expected of girl groups and deciding to dress however suits them best.

They explained it best during an episode of Weekly Idol while they were promoting “No.” In the video posted by IN. MY. M I N D T V , Yeeun explains why they’re saying “No” to the accessories they “buried” when they themselves wear them at 6:49.

“That is, the reason we said no is, these days the standard of beauty is so uniform. Instead, do something that fits you. Strangely though, everything fits us.

– Yeeun, Weekly Idol EP. 392

She ended on a cheeky note, but you get the gist. You don’t have to conform to a beauty standard, just do you. And I think that it’s amazing that CLC and more girl groups are able to slowly adopt this attitude within their music and image.

“Spring” by Park Bom

When I first began listening to k-pop in high school 2NE1 was the first group I “stanned” before I knew what that meant. I found their music 2011/2012-ish and have been a Blackjack ever since. The highlight of my year was former member Park Bom’s solo comeback.

In 2014 information resurfaced that Bom was taking medication she needed that wasn’t legal in Korea (but it was in the U.S.). It impacts her reputation. She lays low while being harassed online for this and her appearance. 2NE1 disbands a year or two later, not specifically because of Bom. And Bom retreats into a hiatus.

We didn’t hear much from her except for an occasional photo or Instagram live for fans. Within the first months of 2019, we got news of her signing to a new company and then the release date for “Spring” was announced. It was surreal to watch.

On March 13, I locked myself inside a study room in the midst of midterms and watched “Spring” for the first time. It was emotional and I was shocked that what I wished would happen for her became a reality.

The song embodies the vibes and hopefulness of spring, which is actually her name in Korean. It’s a good break-up song, but it also parallels her journey. She had been on hiatus for so long she wasn’t sure if she’d ever see the light of day without negative opinions hanging over her. Add on 2NE1’s disbandment and it’s understandable why she felt so low.

Since then that’s completely changed. She released a repackage of Spring that included a new song “4:44” feat. Wheein from MAMAMOO. She performed on Immortal Songs 2. Bom was a soloist on a competition show called Queendom alongside girl groups like (G)-IDLE, MAMAMOO, Oh My Girl, and AOA. She released a winter single with former 2NE1 group mate Sandara Park, “First Snow.”

I almost forgot that we were basically in a Park Bom drought, with barely any mention of her to her as an active solo artist. This alone was the highlight of my year outside of my personal life. Watching Bom come back made my year. I’ll shut up and end it there.

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If you made it down to the bottom of the page, you have the patience of a dormant volcano. I’m proud of you. And thank you for reading.

Part three, of Songs That Defined 2019 is coming tomorrow night. I’m excited to awkwardly rant about music I loved from this year. Until then, good night!