OOPS! 2023 / #35 – 31: New K-Pop, An Odd Future Alum and A Fever…

I don’t tip too much into the weird in this section of the OOPS! list, but I touch on some records that I don’t know how I missed. Even though there were only a couple huge releases this year, there were a ton of well known artists releasing fire under the radar. Have a listen…

35. New Jeans: Super Shy

This five piece girl band is the latest K-Pop group to take the world by storm. I will still be a huge fan of BLACKPINK, but it pays to check out new bands. At over 380 million listens, this track is blowing up. With lush beats and vocals way up in the mix, this track is killer on head phones and will play really well in the club. Much like BLACKPINK, New Jeans brings the fun to pop and is your classic girl meets boy K-Pop fare. What it lacks in depth, the track more than makes up for in pure uncut pop energy.

34. Earl Sweatshirt: Making the Band (Danity Kane)

I don’t know how I missed a new Earl Sweatshirt record. A multiple top 50 artists and Odd Future alumni, Earl Sweatshirt can go from deep introspective bars to tracks where he just has fun playing with vocabulary. Earl harkens back to the old MTV reality shows and jumps around the track throwing out bars about money, Bruce Banner and Ditty. It’s like unleashing a thesaurus on a tight electro beat.

33. Anhoni and The Johnsons: It Must Change

Anhoni’s voice is both luxurious and fragile…it’s like going into Tiffany’s and seeing a beautiful watch made-up of rare gems and stained glass. An extravagant work of art that is both unattainable, but also inspiring. This track has Anhoni going more electric and soulful as they sing about respect, the need for love in the world and how we all must change in how we treat each other. It has definite Marvin Gaye vibes and touches on how the world is being dominated by hate towards LGBTIQA+ people and the need to move past intergenerational hate towards other. An inspiring track beautifully sung.

32. Fever Ray: Shiver

I know I said that I do not dip into the weird, but hear me out. I kept seeing this record popping up on Pitchfork and other blogs and I put off giving it a listen. The album cover paints a weird picture, but Shiver delivers some good old raw synth and sexy goodness that feels right at home. Lyrics about how touching your body will make you shiver is straight out of the Prince playbook and the avant-garde synth around that sexy core amplifies the track’s sense of lust. I love the vocals and I love the vibe.

31. Big Thief: Vampire Empire

Big Thief was on the top 50 last year with their acoustic triumph Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You. This track sees the band take on more of a country / folk jam band feel with some cool snares and electric guitar. Much like Fever Ray, this is a track about lusting after someone and falling under their spell…it just so happens that the subject in this track is a vampire. This track is raw and touches on the complexities and mixed messages that plays on your mind when you fall totally in love with someone. You don’t get many love songs about a vampire and this one is a killer….see what I did there…