Music is a big part of our lives whether we notice it or not. Many of us start our day with music by an alarm and then continue listening to it throughout the day, especially while driving. Studies have shown that "music has the ability to regulate a wide range of positive and negative emotions.” Listening to a sad song about a breakup can sometimes make you feel sad, but an upbeat joyful song can have a positive effect and brighten your mood. I’m sure we all can agree that we would much rather feel happy instead of sad. I would like to share with you a few happy K-Pop songs that always put me in a cheerful mood. Not only are the songs great, but the videos are also really enjoyable. "There is a natural tendency of synchronizing one’s body movements to music tempo," so don't be surprised if these songs make you want to dance.
1. "Shake That Brass" by Amber Liu
This song makes me feel like dancing with my friends, and that's actually what Amber does in her music video. She invited many of her friends, who are also K-Pop celebrities, to participate in "Shake That Brass." They are featured in the beginning attempting to play several different brass instruments and are shown dancing at a laundromat. I think including her friends in the video was a great idea because the end result was amazing. Friends always make things more fun. "Shake That Brass" is about having a good time, and I hope you have a good time while watching and listening to the video.
2. "Just Right" by Got7
I might be a little biased about this song and video because Got7 is one of my favorite Korean groups, but this song is what started my obsession with K-Pop. My sister and I were watching videos on YouTube when we came across this video. I fell in love immediately. I seriously watched it over and over again trying to see if I could notice anything new. Something else that sparked my interest was that the members of Got7 were all around my age.
This song is about being "just right" without having to change anything about yourself. I’m not going to speak for all women, but I would love to have a guy say the lyrics of the song to me. I love that this video shows how carefree the boys are. They are not worried about keeping a bad-boy or cool-guy image. This song and video are both really cute. You might want to prepare yourself for the adorableness before watching.
3. "Can't Help Myself" by Eric Nam
"Can't Help Myself" is about not being able to control your feelings for a crush. The video shows a geeky guy, portrayed by Eric Nam, trying several different ways to impress his crush. Some of his attempts include magic tricks, kindly offering her food, and singing to her. It might be because I'm a sucker for romance, but this is one of the most precious music videos that I've ever seen. I "can't help myself"; I smile every time I think of this song.
4. "G.R.8.U" by Vixx
"G.R.8.U" is another song about admiration. Something I find really interesting about this song is that the music video is played in reverse. It starts off with the house a mess, but the further you go into the music, it's as if they are cleaning up the mess they made instead of being in the process of making it. The beginning of the video shows their previous music video, "Hyde," on the TV-screen. Just from the preview you can tell that it was a dark concept however, "G.R.8.U" is a much softer and happier song and music video. This is one of the videos that should have the "don't try it at home" warning. I hope you enjoy the video and that it adds joy to your life, but please don't destroy your home. The mess won't be as easy to clean up as it looks in the music video!