My introduction to K-pop was 2NE1 and Bigbang‘s “Lollipop” way back in 2009. I’d never heard (or seen) anything like it, and it felt like a sugar rush — one that soon had me diving head first into a new world of music, chasing dopamine with each new group and song I discovered. Safe to say a decade and half later, though the cravings have died down a little bit, I keep coming back for more.
Out of all the flavors of K-pop, sweet is the undisputed champion. Sugar makes for an easy metaphor for love, chocolate it’s more sultry counterpart. But not all sugar rushes are sweet: some come with a bitter edge, others the anxiety of too much of a good thing. While K-pop often gets written off as bubble-gum pop, we all know it has so much too offer than it’s perfectly glazed surface.
So, this SB Mixtape is all about the sugar rush in the many forms it can take in K-pop over multiple generations. From the bubble-gum sweetness of NewJeans and IU to the edgier rush of Xdinary Heroes and Everglow, your sweet tooth is guaranteed to be satisfied one way or another.
Of course, this is only a small sampling, so be sure to leave your favorite sweet tracks in the comments!
English (US) · 