Millie’s Top Ten June K-Pop Music Videos

Without a doubt, June was the month for the ladies as so many K-pop girl groups and solo artists made returns with sexy singles to bring in the summer heat. I tried hard not to be bias, however, many of my favorite songs for this month came from (the few) boy groups that made comebacks. None the less, June brought my attention to a lot of new groups that I had never heard of before, but have now made a permanent place in my i-pod.

10. Rainbow – Sunshine

Rainbow made a return with “Sunshine”, a cute concept among the sexy returns from girl groups this month.  This song should be more appropriately titled as “Tell Me, Tell Me Ver. 2” since the song if very similar to Rainbow’s comeback earlier this year. It’s one thing to have a similar style but this song seemed to be cut from the exact same cloth with only slight adjustments to the track. None the less, if you enjoyed “Tell Me, Tell Me” then you will also enjoy “Sunshine”. The music video is quite simple but very adorable, and is sure to make all their fanboys pleased.

9. Dal Shabet – Be Ambitious

The charming girls of Dal Shabet came back with their sexy single “Be Ambitious” that has already hit many warning signs with broadcasts. Why? Because the girls are not shy or trying to hide the message of the song. They sing about a girl in a relationship who is unhappy because the guy is not making any gestures to move their relationship towards something more…sexual. They claim they wear shirts and shorts all day but the boy still won’t let at her legs and they want their boy to be more “ambitious”. Of course this kind of song sent off red flags, but I was glad that K-pop was finally coming out with more mature concepts. As long as it is correctly labeled for the proper rating, then I don’t see why these girls cannot sing about “getting it on” when there are guy groups that already have.

8. MBLAQ – Smoky Girl

MBLAQ came back with “Smoky Girl”, a complete 180 degrees from their last song “It’s War” that revealed their tough sides. “Smoky Girl” however is smooth and silky, giving off a Justin Timberlake sort of feel to the song. The boys are wearing suits, and are lounging on elegant furniture in black and white shots. The song is definitely one of the best ones of year, with my only complaint being the overuse of the phrase “smoky girl”, but otherwise than that an excellent track. The dance is quick and has very complicated dance moves, but the boys make it look easy with flawless movements.

7. Henry – Trap

Super Junior M member Henry recently made his solo debut with the single track “Trap”, which featured Super Junior member Kyuhyun and Shinee member Taemin as added vocalists.  This solo debut was long overdue since Henry is undeniably a talented singer, rapper, dancer and composer. This song didn’t even seem like it came from SME, it had a different unique style that matched Henry perfectly. Overall his debut did not disappoint me, the song was beautiful, the music video was simple, and the choreography was great. My only complaint is why the company felt the need to add Kyuhyun and Taemin. I love those two but their vocals were not even needed in this song, Henry could have carried them out perfectly and he even sung the high note for his own song. I feel like they were only there to make sure Henry’s debut received attention, but they underestimated how popular Henry already is, especially among the international fans.

6. Roy Kim – Love, Love, Love

Following the success of “Bom, Bom, Bom”, Roy Kim tells his fans to “Love, Love, Love” with his latest summer single. Roy Kim delivers another beautiful, acoustic sweet song about, you guessed it, Love! The music video is very interactive with his fans as the entire thing is filmed on the streets of Seoul as Roy Kim is walking around with his guitar, serenading all the lucky girls around him. The song is just as infectious as “Bom, Bom, Bom”, with the “happy-go-lucky” feels that Roy Kim expresses effortlessly. Even more impressive was than this video was the vast number of smartphones; almost everyone who witnessed this spontaneous filming had their phones out either taking pictures of the handsome Roy Kim or was recording this moment for future fangirl spazzings.

5. B.A.P – Coffee Shop

B.A.P barely made it on the list with their latest single “Coffee Shop” that was released on the last couple days of the month, but the song became an instant hit for me with its soft tone. The song is classy, with hints of jazz. And even though this song is very slow, and seems like it would be overlook with the hustle and bustle of modern day K-pop, the fact that is so different makes it refreshing. Especially since this song is coming from B.A.P, who always comes out with loud hip/hop tracks. The music video was filmed in scenic locations along the West Coast of U.S: San Francisco, L.A, Venice Beach, and Santa Monica Pier.

4. 2Eyes – Don’t Mess With Me

Rookie girl group “2eyes” debuted on June 20th with “Don’t Mess With Me”. The song gives a warning to all guys who hit on taken girls. The girls insist that a player’s tricks and false words won’t work on them because they stay faithful to the boy they are with. The music video for this group was quite ordinary and fit with the standards of any K-Pop music video; however the choreography matched the tough lyrics with the girls showing off dance moves one usually sees on boy groups. The five member girl group dresses quite boyishly but they radiate a hidden sexy nature. 2eyes caught my attention with their debut, but can they keep it?

3. Led Apple – Bad Boys

Led Apple made their return with “Bad Boys”, bringing a fun and exciting song that has a strong Latin beat and hints of Bossa Nova, and tributes to Latinos with phrases like “Viva la loca loca” and “Ole, Ole, Ole”. I was pleasantly surprised with this track, especially since it stands out among the other comebacks this month with its fresh concept and different feel. The song is about a “bad boy” who wants to seduce women in the club and just have fun. In the music video, the boys are performing on stage at a club when a beautiful woman (actress Kang Ye Bin) catches the lead singer’s eye, and invites him down from the stage for a dance.

2. After School – First Love

After School turned heads with their new music video “First Love” – a sorrowful track about missing your first love. The after school girls portrayed the elegance of this track with “pole dancing” choreography. Note that by pole dancing I don’t meet they were grinding up against a pole and stripping, but they were performing intense acrobatics. The girls trained six months for this comeback and the effort seems to have paid off for they have delivered an amazing performance. The song itself seemed rather ordinary compared to their previous tracks, but paired with the choreography made the song shine even brighter.

1. BTS – No More Dream

BTS (Bangtan Boys) aka “Bulletproof Boyscouts” is one of new rookie groups that came out in June yet made an amazing impression on me and many other K-pop fans. They debuted with “No More Dream” on June 12^th, and brought forth a tough and hardcore image that reminded me a lot B.A.P and Block B’s debuts. Their song “No More Dream” is quite forceful as they tell high school students to take a step back and look at their “dreams” – are they really theirs or is it something society (or their parents) is telling them to do?  They hit the ground running with an intense choreography that showed off their impressive skills, already setting the bar high for themselves, and leaving me very curious on what we are going to see next from them.

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These are other Music Videos that came out in June but did not make the Top Ten list. If there are enough extra ones, then I shall be adding them at the bottom for viewers to check out. As you can, the ones I didn’t cover are all songs sung by females (that’s how many there were! I just couldn’t cover them all).

4minute – Is it Poppin?

Chocolat – Black Tinkerbell

Sistar – Give it to Me

Ivy – I dance

Girl’s Day – Female President

Two Months – All Right

Sunny Hill – Darling of All Hearts

Baek Ah Yeon – A Good Boy