My top 10 Kpop videos of 2018, chosen on the basis of their visuals, storytelling, songwriting and musicality:
10. #Cookie Jar (Red Velvet)
Red Velvet are one of the few girl groups to successfully switch between the girl crush and cute concepts. #Cookie Jar, their single from their first Japanese EP, combines the sweet & sour, the good & the bad in a memorable way.
9. Feeling (UNB)
While the music video may have been too long and didn’t show off the members’ performance skills adequately, it is a visual treat and one of my favourite songs of 2018. UNB should have done better in the charts.
8. Chain (NCT127)
Another Japanese release that I preferred to Korean (and English language) releases. With a mise-en -scene reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, NCT127 pose seductively with chainsaws & other ‘manly’ tools of destruction and reconstruction.
7. Egoistic (Mamamoo)
From one of the few KPOP girl groups that I do see as empowering, Egoistic is seductive without being exploitative and the lyrics of which can be seen as a critique of patriarchal privilege.
6. Hann ((G)-Idle)
The Music Video of the second single from the rookie girl group with a terrible name, Hann is beautifully composed and shot, capturing the senses and smells of the desert which provides a frame to the richness of their costumes.
5=. Scentist (VIXX)
The lead track from their 3rd studio album, Scentist brought the uncanniness and sensory dissonance of ‘Perfume: The Story of a Murderer’ (Patrick Süskind, Germany, 1985) to life with stunning choreography, against a beautifully designed set.
5=. Daydream (J-Hope)
An exquisite music video which evokes the retro-1980s vibe of ‘Hope World’. The popping colours, the transitions between the waking and the dream worlds, the use of optical illusion captures the very essence of J-Hope’s uniqueness.
4. The Light (IMFACT)
There are many KPOP groups that I think should be doing better than they are with IMFACT one of them. The interplay between light and dark and growth and decay here which provide an evocative setting for this song of unrequited love.
3. Neverland (Holland)
Debuting this year, Holland stole hearts with his biographical debut, the narrative of boy meets boy, falls in love with boy, but faces ostracization because of the repressive nature of Korean society echoed with many. My review of Neverland can be found here.
2. Forever Rain (RM)
Beautiful monochromatic animated video whose imagery perfectly captures the struggle to love oneself and the desire for the world to slow down so the moment can be appreciated in and off itself. My review of Mono can be found here.
1. Fake Love (BTS)
I choose this over IDOL for its storytelling, expansion of the BTS Universe, and lyrical choreography. And, well, for Taeyang rocking a mullet. A detailed review of this can be found here.
People’s choice
And the bonus extra – the most-watched Kpop video of 2018, Blackpink’s Ddu Du Ddu Du.
This list originally appeared on Colette’s Twitter feed and is reproduced here with her permission.