My brother (who is a classical composer) has asked for kpop recommendations. As a somewhat noob in this land, what are some representative but also great and interesting kpop songs?

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    Ah Oop by Esna & Mamamoo with the music video.hints to the 1960ies & just dynamic. can´t not like.

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    He could look at the youtube channel reacttothek where classical musicians react to kpop. But for example musically interesting is Boots from Gugudan.

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    Do you know the YT channel Classical Musicians React? I used to watch them all the time and they loved the really weird kpop songs as well as the ones with clear Classical influence. Some that I remember them finding really interesting:

    LOONA 1/3 – Sonatine
    Red Velvet – One of These Nights
    Oh My Girl – Windy Day and The Fifth Season
    4minute – Hate
    Akdong Musician – Melted and Dinosaur
    SHINee – One Minute Back

    Hope he finds some of these interesting!! Most of them really like AKMU and Mamamoo in general, although Mamamoo is more because of their vocals than the music itself I think.

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    I like DooPiano. Its the classical piano version of BTS.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTY_2MjQ2CI

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    Explore Immortal Song. The programme is about rearranging and bringing the songs of yore into the 21st Century. You get to hear snippets of the original song and the new arrangement sung by a galore of artistes ever week.

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    I recommend Dope by BTS. Going off the channel Classical Musicians React, it may interest your brother

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    I’m a classical musician. One of the songs that blew me away when I heard it is is Jaejoong’s Mine. Super interesting structurally and rhythmically, not a typical pop song, so not representative, but I like it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYgTJ9D4Rgg

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    Is he obsessed with modulations? If so Reacttothek might be good at giving him some ideas. (although I personally think they’re biased as heck).

    Block B’s Jackpot does a lot of interesting things without being obnoxiously about it’s complexity. There’s also an instrumental version if he’s still not sold on the singing and rapping.
    Also Nillili Mambo is like a weird One Piece/Pirates of the Carribbean parody and has orchestral influences.

    What kind of music does he like outside of classical?

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      They’re biased! BTS lovers for sure.

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        Yeah… Well I mean their channel started because of the Wings album and reacting to that so it makes sense but… I have pretty strong opinions about their approach to things lol.

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          You have a strong opinion?! Can’t imagine. 😉

          I have never seen one of their BTS reactions. They seem pretty partial to Exo, Shinee (sometimes) and NCT these days.

          I actually have a dream to start a channel with my brother where he gives real analysis. This is all part of the plan.

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      He doesn’t haha. He is so into theory that he cant really listen to music for pleasure, since he automatically analyses it. So he doesn’t listen to music outside of classical usually. But he has taken courses on pop music and wants to understand why I keep taking about kpop these days haha. (He doesn’t look down on popular music, he just listens to music very differently)

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        (replying to both here)
        Oh very interesting. He sounds very interesting!! haha

        I thought about adding this yesterday but if he’s a composer, how about getting him into certain K-pop artists who compose and produce solely? A lot of Kpop is still mass produced by in house company song writers, and even though it’s becoming more popular to write your own music again, as Zico says “anyone can make a tune, but not everyone can make a tune well”.
        As far as individual composers go I would recommend Zico, GDragon and Youngguk (ex BAP) for sure. Get him to listen to Skidz too since Chan is up and coming.
        Woozi might be another one to look at.
        Wings and pre Wings BTS perhaps. (Anything post YNWA they have less to do with despite what people may say so I don’t really count it as their writing… Although getting him to analyse how BTS music has… Changed… Over time… Would be interesting hehehe)
        Of course there is good music that is still done by an in house song writer- but this could be another place to start.

        I should hook him up with my brother. Hahaha
        My brother is not a classical composer but he has excellent theory and plays four instruments.
        He said something very interesting the other day:
        “they often make chords and time sigs way too complicated just to make a song more “interesting” when really they make it more annoying and it ends up being just a series of notes not music”
        He said this about jazz and gospel “musos” but this is where I think Reacttothek is bias towards classical techniques without always understanding I guess, pop theory.

        They’re obsessed with modulations for example and think they’re the best thing since sliced bread, and the girl who runs it says she picks songs that have classical techniques in them, whatever that means, that will be interesting to listen to from a classical POV but then also has an excess of songs by her bias groups, even songs that aren’t that good, or random bsides for no reason, other than the fact they’re a certain group.

        So I used to watch them occasionally for songs or groups I was interested in, and now I don’t.

        Can you please start a channel? Another reason I don’t like rttk much is because they’re the only channel like it so people take things they say at face value, as if some random university kids out of all the Classical Musos in the world are an authority on the matter.
        (Although a word to the wise I don’t think reaction channels are that sustainable and they become stagnant very quickly so keep it as a relaxed hobby that you do occasionally not full time…)

        … A strong opinion? Moi? Never…

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