Music I Liked: July 2023 (NewJeans, X Japan, Olivia Rodrigo, TXT, Travis Japan and More)

Music I Liked: July 2023

This is the longest monthly round-up so far, so strap in.

Conan Gray - Never Ending Song (Song of the Month)

Conan Gray may never release a hit like Heather again, but he still remains one of the most eclectic young pop stars in the Western world. Never Ending Song may be one of his best in years. Gray has completely evolved for Never Ending Song, singing in a much deeper baritone compared to his more high-pitched earlier tracks. The upbeat nu-synth-pop has been traded for an accurate '80s beat. The end result is invigorating, with Gray standing at the center of eclectic emotional drama.

EXO - Cream Soda

Cream Soda sees EXO return after messy contract disputes, a lengthy hiatus, and a complicated string of military enlistments. All of this overshadows the actual music, and Cream Soda never provides a statement unique enough to call it one of EXO's best. The main appeal here is EXO's golden vocal harmonies (resulting in a fantastic Killing Voice performance), and they drive Cream Soda completely. If Cream Soda is worth the price of entry, it's just due to the falsettos.

Fall Out Boy - We Didn't Start the Fire

The original We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel is one of the greatest songs of the '80s, and a deserved classic. Ever since I first heard it, I wanted a sequel, but I'm not sure Fall Out Boy's sequel is the one I was looking for. Their choices for the events are solid enough but are shockingly more Western-centric than the original. The decision to go non-chronologically does lead to a chilling 9/11 moment, but other than that, the structure just causes more confusion, and ruins the storytelling that made Joel's version so endearing. The end result is a decent cover, but one that remains much weaker than its inspiration.

From20 - Beat It

Bigstar's Raehwan's solo career as From20 has been one of the best unsung highlights of the 2020s, and Beat It is the latest synth-pop hit added to his catalog, along with Weol, Chemical, Bad Revenge, and From20. While its melody could be strong, the clanging percussion makes it worth the cost of entry.

Hyde - Taking Them Down

Hyde is a J-Rock legend for a reason, and even if January's The Last Rockstars collaboration was confusing, his evergreen vocals impressed ever more than before, as he showed why he deserved to be in the collection of legends. Taking Them Down doesn't have the emotive hand of Yoshiki composing, but it is still engaging with its speedy thrasher rock melody, one Hyde is more than willing to tackle. Now if only Psycho Love could get released.

NewJeans - Super Shy

NewJeans have completely embraced the 2020s Drums & Bass revival and for all the better. Last December's Ditto has slowly become one of my favorite songs as of late, blending nostalgic themes with an incredible melody. Super Shy acts as an upbeat counterpoint to the aforementioned Ditto. While not nearly as transcendent as that track, Super Shy creates an addictive groove based on a few melodic touchstones. Repetition can sometimes kill a track, but Super Shy thrives off its repetitive hooks, and its few unique hooks are actually the song's weakest moments. NewJeans have a unique blend in their songs, taking one of two basic items/themes, and sticking to them for three to four minutes, and creating something unique.

NewJeans - Cool With You

NewJeans' EP doesn't have nearly as electric track as Super Shy, but there are some highlights. ETA would be much better without the incessant brass samples, ASAP is fun, but doesn't quite stick a hook that lasts, and New Jeans is a fun little jam. The most interesting track in the EP for me is Cool With You, with its snazzy UK Garage groove. Additionally, the MV (featuring Jung Ho Yeon and Tony Leung) with a funky reinterpretation of the tale of Eros and Psyche (with a tragic end, instead of the original).

Ninety One - Gap

I feel... confused by the second Ninety One LP. On one hand, it is consistent, almost to a fault, and it features some stellar tracks such as Biz, Ego, Aperem Ai, and Blue. On the other hand, its consistency leads to a lack of highlights. I feel like this problem could have been easily solved had they included their album pre-promo tracks in the LP. Imagine a second disc, maybe only released physically, if they wanted to drive up sales, consisting of Suraqtar, Abuse, Drift, Darn, Qiyalman, and more. That would have instantly been a candidate for album of the year. As is, however, Gap is a solid release, and will likely grow with time.

Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire

It has been a long wait after Olivia Rodrigo's Sour, but Vampire is a fantastic track, and one of her best yet. Starting out as a slow ballad, Vampire soon grows into a full-on musical moment, from Rodrigo's emotional tugging performance, over the fantastic instrumental growth, culminating in a fantastic finale. This only leaves me curious as to where Rodrigo goes next.

Travis Japan - Candy Kiss

Released in the middle of some much-needed spotlight over the darker side of Johnny's Entertainment, rookie group Travis Japan have finally released a song worth your time, and it is accomplished by copying Michael Jackson's homework. Candy Kiss sounds like its based on Off The Wall era Jackson's dance tracks. The end result is both groovy and cool, even if stronger vocal moments would make it an all-time highlight.

Troye Sivan - Rush

Rush's verses are kind of generic, carried by a fun little '90s club beat, but everything comes together for a catchy chorus that improves everything, with a strong melody and catchy hook over a thundering dance beat.

TXT & Jonas Brothers - Do It Like That

I have spent too much time wondering who benefits more from this collaboration. TXT have a passionate fandom throughout the world, but they are not quite an A-List act yet, and their fandom is highly unlikely to enter a Jonas Brothers deep dive any time soon. And the Jonas Brothers are a little too beyond their prime to help TXT enter the American mainstream. Do It Like That also blends both bands' sounds to a basic funky blend, making the song unoriginal. That said, the hooks are really catchy, creating one of the best songs for the bands in a while. 

U-KISS - Wonderful Escape

I already gave some thoughts on Wonderful Escape in my ranking of all U-KISS singles, my thoughts haven't changed much since then. The song could use some grit and contrast to make it a classic, but on its own, it stands as a nostalgic return for one of K-Pop's oft-forgotten legends, with a killer EDM beat.

X Japan - Angel

After eight years, X Japan finally return with a single from their (still) upcoming album. I was initially worried about how Angel would sound, but my fears proved unfounded. Toshi's vocal skills have only improved with age, and he adds much depth to every note from Angel's melody. Yoshiki's compositional skills are absolutely at their peak, with a rock segment midway through adding much heart to the piano ballad. While Conan Gray has scored the song of the week, expect Angel to only improve with time.

XY - Crazy Love

Yoshiki might be the world's greatest procrastinator. His band X Japan's sixth album was supposed to come out in 2008 but has yet to be released. At least with the single Angel an album release looks likely. His latest side-project is idol group XY. Their debut, Crazy Love, has all the classic Yoshiki elements. From the melodramatic piano-led ballad segments to the intense rock interludes, it almost acts as an aural sequel to 2020's Imitation Rain by SixTONES. Crazy Love may not be that great just yet, due to the awkward rock segments, but the vocal centerpiece of the tracks is led by a fantastic hook, one which sees Yoshiki at his very best.

Zhou Shen - Floating

This is a few months old, but it has been a solid addition to my playlist. Zhou Shen is a fantastic vocalist, and Floating sees him reach the absolute highs of his vocal range, with the chorus that I could almost believe it was a high-pitched female. The production hits quite hard too, resulting is one of the best C-Drama OST tracks this year.

Image Source: American Songwriter