Scanning the current South Korean pop offerings, one can feel a bit like Goldie Locks, surveying the Three Bears' kitchen.
"This song is too hot. This one's too cool. This track is too in-your-face. This ballad is putting me to sleep."
Which is precisely why "I Am You, You Are Me," released on Jan. 25 by Block B frontman Zico, stands out from the rest.
With production and hooky songcraftsmanship that walks the tightrope of being soothing while still funky and exhilarating, "I Am You, You Are Me" is one of the Hallyu highpoints of 2016, so far.
So often, classic R&B and hip-hop styles can feel forced or gimmicky outside of the US. But Zico has clearly has carved out his own niche within these genres that is as natural as anything being produced in the West. It's not just that he is an incredibly competent MC with a style as creative as it is versatile. It isn't just that he has a knack for collaborating with great musicians (not just vocalists, but everyone playing on his records).
But Zico, at his best, seems to have an innate sense of what makes a fresh dance single that you don't want to stop listening to.
The chord progressions and voicings are hip; the arrangement is hip, with enough starts and stops to keep the listener involved in it. Melding the worlds of soul and rap is a deceptively difficult task that many gifted groups have fallen short of achieving.
Zico's greatest strength on "I Am You, You Are Me" is that he doesn't seem distracted by shooting for one particular categorization. It is this search for his own voice that makes him one of the K-pop scene's most impressive artists to watch.
Watch the music video for the new single "I Am You, You Are Me" by Zico from the K-pop boy band Block B RIGHT HERE
