JCC The JCC Mixtape V: Here To Save 2025 ( - New Playlist - Now Playing: tom!)

Cool playlist, PG! Fresh. I voted for Far Away, great track.

 

Oh yeah so... What time should I be prepared to post then? I have my playlist ready I just need to type up my thoughts.

 

Oooh yeah it's tied huh. Very even list.

 

Heya sorry had a bit of a family emergency this morning that just got resolved. Lemme finish my notes and then I'll post here on my lunch break

 

Okay, I've titled this list "K-pop (?)" because while these artists are Korean, much of it isn't pop or isn't in Korean or is some mixture. The YouTube videos linked all have lyrics if cc is enabled. I thought I'd take you on a little journey of some mostly recent Korean music that's not necessarily all within the kpop mould.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qh8BlilfNUAX6yRrCTqJa?si=KkTDWV6VSsq7InWhAM5Gtw&pi=qjPAwGKCQRymy

YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQN2yMJ3nJ6vFObCYpqKaMjkiHQWMYBba&si=z7lmKjsadmXgcufO

Groin by RM
“Before I die from anger, let's say what I havе to say”

RM is the leader of BTS, but he was an underground rapper before that. This album has a lot of him getting back to his roots while also exploring different ways one can be “Right Place, Wrong Person” as the title of the album says. He collaborated with San Yawn, producer of Korean indie group Blaming Tiger for this album. Gonna tag @Ramza because he listens to them some.

Basically this is about how too much pressure has been put on him to be a national figurehead when he's just a rapper who reps himself not the nation.



Fri(end)s by V
“Friends don't say words that make friends feel like more than just friends”

Just a fun little down tempo r&b song that I like. V is a big band, jazz loving old soul and it shows.


Chasing That Feeling (English ver.) by Tomorrow x Together
“Time's a thief that keeps on stealing, I just keep on chasing that feeling”

The rare time an English version of a Korean song feels more authentic and has better lyrics even. Just a look back at how fast time flies and how we try to hold onto it with a bit of synth pop.


Standing Next to You by Jung Kook
“Screaming, I testify that we'll survive the test of time, they can't deny our love”

Jung Kook decided on an all English album for his solo debut and focused a lot on the west to great success. His song Seven is particularly a hit. But personally I love this one even more. A great Michael Jackson homage with this one, both vocally and with the dance.


Back to Me by The Rose
“Since you told me hit the road
I've been running on empty
If anything I know
It's how to ruin a happy ending”


The Rose are a Korean band who have switched to a lot of English songs more recently. Their front man Woosung is Korean-American so that helps that. This was a pretty cool breakout little pop rock song for them last year, which got them a spot at Coachella for a nice set.


Domodachi by RM ft. Little Simz
“Imma stay calm when they come up with that new ****”

Another song from “Right Place, Wrong Person”, this one is in three languages (English, Korean, Japanese) and features the incomparable Little Simz. It's an ode to feeling out of place and resisting bull**** and criticism with the help of your friends and peers. And it's just a really cool song.


Baby Don't Stop by NCT U
“It's only us now, baby, don't stop”

This is a collab between Taeyong, the Korean leader of the overall group NCT, and Ten, the Thai singer from NCT’s China-based pop group WayV. It's in Korean so I'd say it's properly kpop, but mostly I listen to WayV who are CPop/now identify as global pop because they sing in four languages and are mostly Chinese members.

This one is just a fun banger.


Another Level by Jin
“We'll bounce back and hit another level”

Jin is a freaking dork who included this super dramatic pop rock song on his first solo album after his release from his military service.

There's no two ways about it: this song is about video games. It's for us dorks.


Michelin Cypher by Epik High
“Three generations of your family copin' hard, wonderin' ‘When does he die?’
Because your kids' kids will be haters too”

Epik High have been one of Korea's top hip hop groups for over 20 years. Their leader Tablo has had some absolutely vile (and incredibly stupid) hate campaigns against him in Korea in the past. But the group came through it kinda against the odds of how canceling people normally goes in Korean society. I saw them in KC last year and they are fire.


Fatal Trouble by ENHYPEN
“It's unfamiliar, who are you?
Where is the one that I love’

This is a true kpop song by a kpop group. Enhypen’s concept is that they're vampires being mind wiped and born again throughout the centuries. There's a comic book that goes with it and everything. Very Korean, and very dramatic and fun. This song is cool.


Who (Acoustic Ver.) by Jimin
“We never met, but she's all I see at night
Never met, but she's always on my mind’

The regular version of this song is a big bit on the Hot 100, having just this week tied Gangnam Style as the longest running Korean soloist song on that chart. I like the song.

However, I've included the acoustic version because I like it even better. Jimin has a really unique naturally high tenor voice, which lends itself well IMHO to this song about yearning for the love of your life whom you haven't met yet.


Come Back to Me by RM
“You are my pain, divine, divine”

In the music documentary about this album, RM explains that this isn't a love song about someone returning to you. It was actually inspired by the myth of Sisyphus. It's about trying to roll your problems uphill, but them constantly coming back to you.

But in the end, RM accepts his trials and tribulations with this mantra of “you are my pain divine”. It's the artist’s burden to be heavy minded. In the end, then, RM reflects that maybe it is a love song
after all. (also the music video on this one from the director of Beef is pretty great)

 

Oh I thought you had and that's how it prevailed! Serendipity.

 

Bump

 

@heels1785 ’Chasing That Feeling’ isn’t on the poll, and it’s the song I’d like to vote for.

 

It's totally fine, I get it! I had a busy week as well and am counting down the seconds to the weekend.

 

@solojones I can certainly understand why K-Pop/K-Pop-ish music is very popular: lots of very good, greatly paced beats with some serious stuff mixed in here & there. To that end, it was a tough call between ‘Chase That Feeling’ and ‘The Rose’, ultimately going for ‘Chase’. It’s got a Swift-esque sound to it, and the message can work on different levels, but the passage of time is perhaps the ultimate mind ****.




Have lots of 25-year anniversaries this year: graduating from middle school, the first Shaq/Kobe-Laker championship (just mere days before said graduation! ), and signing up here on the JC. Also approaching 10-years at my Target, and I turn 40 next year… I’m freaked out slightly.

 

I know how you feel.... I just got info about my 20th high school class reunion being this fall. Oy.

I absolutely adore Chasing That Feeling for that reason yeah.

 

Don't mind me, I'm just sitting here laughing from the class of 84.

 

That's true, that's before I was born Sarge ha

 

Solo Jones I’m really enjoying listening to this mix. My vote will probably change as I keep listening and discovering more about the other songs that I like.

Excellent playlist.

 

man, there a lot of bangers in this mix. i tend to prefer the hip hoppy tracks to the more poppy ones, but i didn't skip any tracks. after one listen i'm really split between "groin", "domodachi" and "michelin cypher". gonna have to give those tracks a few more listens before i vote. really fun playlist sj, thanks for another k-pop lesson.

 

I figured you might like the hip hop tracks. Personally I've picked up several hip hop artists from your own lists.