As we all know, allkpop covers everything related to Korean pop culture, especially K-Pop. Then what of the so-called 'under[ground]' music scene in South Korea? When do non-K-Pop artists get to see the light of day? Unfortunately, pop music dominates charts and radio time over in Korea much like it does here in the States. Artists without a major label backbone frequently go unnoticed and get silently buried underneath the plethora of boy bands and girl groups. However, thanks to our ever-so reliable pal, the internet, these underground artists can also share their lovely music sans big promotional budgets and lengthy contracts. If the web hasn't been too helpful a tool in discovering the backwaters of the Korean music industry, don't lose hope just yet! I will get you started on familiarizing yourself with some non-K-Pop/under sounds with five songs, each belonging to a different genre.
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Neon Bunny
Let's start with my all-time favorite synth-pop/electronica queen, Neon Bunny (oh, how I love you Yu Jin unniiiieee). Neon Bunny's music has undoubtedly evolved since she released her first album 'Seoulight' back in 2011. A mini-album and three years later, the synth queen returned with a single. And I nearly cried. The song, called "It's You," has an 80s dance theme to it, featuring Neon Bunny's throaty voice. Finding Neon Bunny will be like finding a bag of half-eaten Cheetos in the crevices of your couch when you are extremely hungry and don't want to get up to go make yourself a decent meal (or maybe it's just me that finds joy in such trifling things). It's that good. The Solutions
Next up is The Solutions. The Solutions consists of two solo acts: Park Sol and Naru. Both Park Sol and Naru have been pretty active in the Korean rock scene. Naru has released two solo albums and Park Sol has also released two—although one is a single album. The band's first album, which is self-titled, came out in August of 2012. What's interesting about this album is that most of the songs are sung in English, an uncommon phenomena for most Korean artists. If you are a fan that doesn't speak, understand, or read a lick of Korean, you might appreciate the band's efforts to reach a wider audience with English lyrics (they don't really make much sense but hey, they tried!).
Mayson the Soul
I will be discussing a fairly new R&B/soul act next. This singer is called Mayson the Soul and can I just say, Hallelujah praise the Lord Baby Jesus? This guy's voice is simply captivating. It is not deep or husky but rather, the complete opposite. His vocals climb quite high in "Holiday" (featuring Beenzino), the title track on his EP entitled 'Jackasoul.' His vocal range sounds a bit similar to The Weeknd, whose signature is also singing in falsettos. Earthlings like you and I will never be able to attain that level of vocal pitch.
Lil Cham
Lil Cham (pronounced Lil Sham) is the next artist to be introduced on this list. This rapper is somewhat of a rare gem in the under hip hop scene mainly because Korean hip hop in general lacks a female presence. Lil Cham is under Factory Boi Production, the same label that houses producer/rapper Fame-J, rapper i11evn, and the like. She debuted with a single called "Come to My Room" back in 2012. More recently, she returned with another song called "Bad." I have to say I prefer "Bad" over "Come to My Room" because Lil Cham doesn't sing—not her strong suit, sorry—in it. Rappers that can't sing shouldn't, you know…sing (I'm looking at you Drake).)
Lucia
I will finish off with Lucia (previously known by her actual name Shim Gyu Sun), an indie pop artist who specializes in crooning ballads. I gave one listen to "Savior" and instantly fell in love. Her jazz-infused piano ballads are so irresistibly saccharine, listening to them will make you feel a part of a sentimental melodrama. If you are a fan of either jazz or ballads, I enthusiastically recommend Lucia's first album 'One's Own Room.' The album's main composer/writer was actually Epitone Project, but Lucia composed a couple songs on there as well.
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