Mid-Year Mini Song Review Pt. 1 (Jackson Wang, Lee Jin Ah, Lizzo, Dimash Qudaibergen)

Every year, there are at least a few songs that I miss. This feature is for those tracks, to spotlight the best of the best that I missed.

Jackson Wang - Blow

I would hardly have said so back in 2019, but Jackson Wang is one of the best soloists active at the moment. His dark and groovy pop R&B sound is both contemporary and gritty. Blow is dirty and rough at the edges, with loads of sensuality and edge to it. While indebted to 2000s R&B, Blow comes to its own with several moving parts, each acting as parts of a running cog. Jackson's vocal performance is half dirt half air, providing just enough charisma to get a song like this moving before hitting the instantly iconic drop chorus.

Rating: 9/10

Lee Jin Ah - Rum Pum Pum

Lee Jin Ah's fantastic art/experimental orchestral pop song missed me the first time around, but I think I have finally grown to appreciate this little K-Indie darling. Jin Ah's vocals go down like a perfectly uplifting and sweet listen, but it works amazingly with the surprisingly dense jazz and rock arrangement. Jin Ah's piano works great across from the rock guitar. There is a level of jazz-rock experimentation not too different from Dewa Budjana here, even if it forms its own identity with its own duality between the lighthearted and heavy segments. The song slowly balloons into something fantastic, and I expect to enjoy this song for years to come.

Rating: 9/10

Lizzo - About Damn Time

Mainstream American pop has had a surprisingly strong year, and About Damn Time is one of the best examples so far. From the wonderful flute usage to the surging to the nostalgic and fun disco beat, About Damn Time is a pure celebration rarely seen in modern pop. There is a reason it has been such a major hit.

Rating: 8.75/10

Dimash Qudaibergen - Okay

Dimash and Igor Krutoy's collaboration continues to be one of the best across Eurasia. With an MV set in Stalinist Russia (and a much better video than Dimash's previous attempt at a story), Okay is quite different from Dimash's usual exploding pieces, instant building, but never boiling over, subtlely growing through its entire runtime. Dimash is a surprisingly effective choice for such an atmospheric piece, performing with surprisingly high levels of emotional pathos.

Rating: 8.5/10

Image Source: GMA Network