#3: Ready to Love, Again

"Comeback" in k-pop refers to every album except the debut album of an artist.

Comeback albums this week include new music from Brave Girls and Lee Seung Yoon, both of whom re-entered the music scene by a bit of luck. If you don't already know the story of Brave Girls, let me tell you about it.

A song they released in 2017 went viral earlier this year, just as Brave Girls were about to break up. They struggled to find an audience, but performed regularly at military bases throughout Korea for the past 10 years. There were no perks or glamour to military gigs in these remote locations. Their label said they often lost more money than they made. Nevertheless, they were a great source of joy for men serving 18 months in service, who spoke fondly of the group after their stints were up. An ingenious YouTuber layered ex-servicemen comments over footage of Brave Girls' army concerts. The resulting video is both funny ("This song could reunite the Koreas!") and sweet ("This song saved my days when I was in the military."). You can watch it below -- hit CC to see the video with English translations.

So Brave Girls – a group only popular on the "Millboards" (that's military Billboard charts) –  got their first major hit. It only took 10 years, 100 small military base shows, and 21 million YouTube views to get them there. All of the groups below released comebacks, but theirs feels a little sweeter.

"Ready to Love" - SEVENTEEN from Your Choice
Released: 2021-06-18

I’ve said and thought a lot — a lot! -- about Your Choice last week. Most fan reactions first focused on the vocals - they were too low, mixed weirdly, etc., but I liked how they sounded. Plus that farty bass buzzing close to the surface is what you want to hear first, it’s what “Ready to Love” is supposed to sound like: overwhelming, breathless, on the edge of something. I'm reminded of M83. Their album's third track, "Anyone", reminds me even more of M83. In particular, I like the guitar accompaniment that accents the first half of each verse.

"Chi Mat Ba Ram" - Brave Girls from Summer Queen
Released: 2021-06-17

Brave Girls’ triumphant comeback story — all thanks to this fan-made video — was one of the brightest spots in k-pop this year. They sound carefree as they list off summer’s simple pleasures: hot sun, cool breezes, and blue waves. The only one stuck at work is lead vocalist Minyoung; her voice flies higher and brighter than the video’s fireworks. “Chi Mat Ba Ram” is very similar to their viral hit “Rollin’,” but they deserve the victory lap. Plus, now that we’ve seen Brave Girls through the eyes of their adoring military fans, it’s hard to see them any other way.

"Unspoken" - Lee Seung Yoon from Unspoken
Released: 2021-06-22

Like Brave Girls, Lee Seung Yoon has an irresistible comeback story. Earlier this year he won the JTBC’s music competition show, “Sing Again,” a Korean singing competition that gave second chances to 71 singers who never quite caught on. Lee sang covers for the competition, but called himself “a singer, who obsessively refused to sing cover songs because he was jealous.” “Unspoken” isn’t a cover. But it’ll sound familiar to anyone that loved early nineties alt-rock — the kind made outside of the Seattle city limits. Lee’s voice is bright and optimistic, mixing lovesick notes (“If I plant a song for you / Will it bloom as a fragrant rose?”) with self-awareness (“Gotta get the lyrics out of the way”). I’m mostly obsessed with the chorus though, which sounds just like “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure, and which is just fine by me.

"Kiss Me More" (Doja Cat cover) - STAYC
Released: 2021-5-08

STAYC are probably the rookies of the year (they debuted in November 2020). They’re known for their covers of k-pop and internet pop — Driver’s License, Juice, and now Kiss Me More. The original version sounds like pure airspun candy. But with STAYC’s voices it is even more gossamer and cobweb-light. The only thing that could ruin their version of “Kiss Me More” would be how they covered it. The girls do say “pussy”, and they replace their n-words with “baby” (though it sounds more like bebe — somehow even cuter!).