TORONTO

By: Sarah Luca 

There’s no doubt that this summer belonged to girl groups. They dominated the charts and the critics with their sexy, smooth and steamy tunes. But for us fangirls that prefer male groups, we had to be a bit more patient with our boys. Compiling this list was no easy feat. The research was gruelling as I watched almost every boy group MV released this summer. There was a lack of definitive summer jams, but a couple groups stood out above the others.

Here are my Top 10 picks for Male Group Releases for this Summer

10. History – Psycho

This video opens with a somewhat melodramatic scene. The monochrome tone sets the mood that something unfortunate is going to happen with these looming figures. However, what we actually get is an unexpected taste of 80s new wave-inspired melodies, which is incredibly popular this summer as we’ll see in other videos. “Psycho” is sexy and dangerous, with clean scene changes between choreography and the attempt at a story. Although the MV sticks to the mediocre formula of the “box” dance and the pretty girl, the song itself manages to save itself by being catchy and worthy of humming. With a conceptually better video, “Psycho” could have been a breakaway hit.

9. Boy’s Republic – Dress Up

Last year, Boys Republic debuted with “Party Rock”, a true summer jam. This year, they offer up “Dress Up”, a cute story of a girlfriend’s makeover. And this MV is exactly that. It’s cute. The MV showcases clean sets and the boys dressed in typical audacious outfits that would not work in real life, but are perfectly on-point in kpop style. The song is simple and has no real surprises in store. “Dress Up” is typically-kpop and although that isn’t a bad thing, it’s cliched in plot, tone, and execution. But for a light-hearted summer sing-along, these cliches work.

8. B1A4 – Solo Day

With recent singles and releases, B1A4 has managed to surprise me with their brand of quirky but stunning imagery. “Solo Day” is a sweet summertime song for cruising in a convertible or having a drink on the patio. The choreography is equal parts comic and beautiful, highlighting what we love about summer—long drives and beach strolls. The song is an easy and slow melody that’s easy to sing along to. With a twist at the end of this video, B1A4 takes the right approach to remind us that summertime is all about living out fantasies.

7. Boyfriend – Obsession

I’ll admit that when Boyfriend first came into the kpop scene, I was immediately skeptical. And for good reason since their debut was sugar-coated flower boy averageness. After the pleasant surprise “Janus”, I started to take note. “Obsession” is another progression in the evolution of Boyfriend. There is nothing groundbreaking about the MV and song, but together they deliver a solid package. The plot is easy enough to follow when a young girl is stolen by an abusive man and the boys of Boyfriend are determined to save her. But in the context of your next summer party, it’s a clean and visually impressive video with bright contrasts between the rusty hangout of the boyfriends, and the crisp whites surrounding the girl. While it lacks a little something that would cement it as a party song, this obsession will last long past summer.

6. C-Clown – Let’s Love

If you’re familiar with 90s street rap, “Let’s Love” will sound familiar to you. The song opens with a slick call-out introduction that leads into an unexpected big, sexy hook and accompanying chorus before falling back on a solid rap verse. The layered harmonies are reminiscent of 90’s style r&b and the MV setting reflects this theme. What we get is a street setting, gritty but still youthful reflected in the choice of street-style clothing and bright colours. Aside from the off-beat shirtless dancing scene, the sets click together under a common theme; street hood party! I especially like the larger than life texts behind the dance scenes. Once you throw in some English gibberish, you’ve got a hit on your hands.

5. Infinite – Back

There are two major types of kpop music video. The feel-good silly colours-and-ridiculousness everywhere type, and the serious, broody and dramatic type. And with recent releases, Infinite has found their category. This group never disappoints and when they go big, they go all or nothing. This MV isn’t necessarily summer-based, but it boasts a slick retro throwback that wouldn’t be out of place on a movie soundtrack. “Back” opens with rich, but flighty piano chords that are juxtaposed against brutal on-screen violence, and that theme continues through to the last scene. This is a decidedly more grim release that lacks a summer vibe. But based on cinematography, “Back” just rounds up the top 5.

4. Beast – Good Luck

Beast was the first kpop group that I fell in love with. Even though I find myself disappointed with some of their later singles, “Good Luck” reminds me of what drew me in the first place. The boys have grown up and it’s obvious in the way they approach videos. “Good Luck” is a pleasant surprise as it returns to Beast’s electro-pop roots but with a darker theme. Soundwise, I was hooked from the intro, but the chorus fell slightly flat as I expected something with a heavier sound. Visually, the monochrome matches the clean sound, and is even amplified by the neon set in the second half, which adds to the feeling of a hot summer’s night. Even if some of the interior scenes felt too classy in comparison, the overall clean composition of the song and video make for a great summer dance classic.

3. Homme – It Girl

Despite my heavy metal roots, I was a huge fan of the swing-genre that invaded kpop earlier this year. Sadly, it didn’t last long, but “It Girl” is an example of the style done completely right. It’s a sexy, smooth tune that relies primarily on the strong vocal talents of its singers. There is a distinct lack of over-produced clicks and whistles. The MV reflects this sentiment with soft pale colours and simplistic sets where the actors are highlighted. The props are simple, and somewhat cheeky without being overtly sexual.

2. Nolza – Bubi Boom

This release is placed higher on my list than I originally thought. Think “Gangnam Style” but a thousand times more awkward. This video features four unlucky guys working at an amusement park in the heat of summer who throw off their responsibilities and dance. That’s it. Right from the opening note, the song packs an unexpected punch and that energy continues throughout. What really makes this MV work is that it’s not trying to be sexy or glamorous. There are no matching outfits here, just tie-dyed football padding and choreography that is so simple, it borders on dumb. It’s genuine without being intimidating, forgoing slick production for shots of the members having a really good time in bumper cars and on roller coasters. This is the stuff that summer is made of. I would jump into that pool and party too!

1. Block B – Her

Of course, this comes as no surprise. I found myself going back to watch this MV several times in a row and for good reason. From the opening gospel-like chorus, we know that this video is going to be a high-energy and upbeat treat. We see the boys’ typical brand of goofy, energetic, ridiculous humour and we want to share it with them because the weather is hot and we want to celebrate too. Visually, the colours and patterns are bright and the soft pastels are on-point with summer trends. How cool and original are the melted, cut-out pop art cut-aways? The crisp scene changes punctuate the strong opening beats and chorus of the song and match the summer vibe without resorting to the typical beach-bikini combo. Good job, boys!

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