Five k-pop songs for your Korean Summer

**So I realize this post is a bit out of date but I found it, half finished of course, on my drive so thought I'd throw it up here anyway. Maybe some of you still have some Indian Summer days left.**

It's summer in Korea...
It can get pretty hot here during the summer and, lucky for me, I just happen to live in the hottest city in Korea. If Korea is hot in the summer- Daegu is positively sweltering. I'm not sure I've ever lived somewhere with this level of heat and humidity (and I grew up in South Georgia, went to summer camps in Florida... none of that compares to the heat and humidity here!!).

With how hot it is I have honestly given up on doing little more than moving, at a rather slow pace, from point A to point B while I'm outside. And even that ends with me being nothing more than a gross, sweaty mess.  The only relief it seems I can find (other than aircon filled coffee shops with an ice latte in hand!) is finding just the right beat pumping in the headphones to put enough spring in my step to get me down the street!

So, in an effort to spread the love, here are five k-pop songs that I've been using to get myself motivated and out the door into the painful heat (really, I'm not kidding, it SO freakin' hot here!)

MBLAQ- Smoky Girl
The summer started with my boys *finally*, after over a year (which in k-pop land means they basically disappeared for an eternity!), making a comeback with Smoky Girl.

Now, I realize the simple fact that they are my group, my favorite above all others, makes me inherently biased but... it's just a damn good song. It's clean, cool,  all parts lead well from one to the other (too often in k-pop a great song is ruined by some random rap, dance, dubstep moment that just doesn't flow), the dance is sharp and crisp, and the suits... the suits, people... *ahem* wait, what was I saying? Oh, right. Smoky Girl was a great way to start the summer. Well done boys, well done!

*side note* I recently went to the opening ceremony for a sporting event here in Daegu. MBLAQ just so happened to be part of the ceremony festivities along with several other k-pop artists. Which means... I SAW THEM... in real life... preforming... they were fabulous and blew all the other groups out of the water. And yes, yes there was squealing and fangirling. Say what you will but sometimes it's nice to act 13 again ;)

MIB- Dash
This is a group that I have just recently discovered. They have been around for a while but have yet to make it really huge. They are one of those groups that are interesting in fact that they are 'technically' k-pop but don't necessarily follow all the rules- they are made up of three rappers and one vocalist, they can't dance (really, not at all), and tend to not follow your typical k-pop flowerboy (although to me they still fall in pretty boy territory) trends.

It's one of those songs that, as soon as I heard it, was addicted too. And it's got the perfect beat to make you feel like you've got swag even as you sweat your way down the street! Also, the suits, people!... I'm sensing a theme here, hmm....

Crayon Pop- BarBarBar
This is the song of the summer here in Korea.

It. Was. Everywhere.

I personally adore it. Its fun, cute, and the dance is fairly simple and doable (in some fashion) by everyone. And it's always nice to see a k-pop group that doesn't take themselves too seriously and, as a result, actually produces something fairly unique to the rest of what's currently out there.

EXO- Growl
Ok, I hate that I'm putting this group on the list.

I do not like them.

There are way to many of them (I paid my dues early on learning all 15 Super Junior member's names and am NOT doing that again), they look like those bratty kids in the back of class that don't care (not that I've had any of those), and they are one of the most popular groups in Korea right now having, in my opinion, not produced much quality (their last song contained actual howling like a wolf, come on boys, really?)... but...

... I have to be honest and say it was one of my favorite songs of the summer and, even more, the choreography and music video were just well done.  Ok, I've confessed... moving on...

Roy Kim- Love, Love, Love
I had a hard time picking the last song. There were a few other songs that I listened to a lot this summer but this one actually had one of the highest play counts on iTunes.

It's simple, sweet, and has the feeling of a cool, fresh breeze which is really all I've wanted this summer.


So there you have it. I hope these help to get you motivated and outside even in this crazy summer heat!

Bonus: MBLAQ- No Love
Because... aren't they just the cutest things ever?!?! I mean... *sigh* seriously, they kill me *^^*