English versions of 10 KPOP songs

Vanda Nur Ilmi on Saturday, August 18, 2012 9:00PM

$2ne1 can\'t nobody mv$ In order to reach more international fans, KPOP groups release their Korean tracks in other languages. Japanese is the classical way, since many go to the Japanese market to expand their success, while some other take it further and do English versions of their tracks. In case you want to take your friends to the KPOP world, but they don’t want to listen to songs in a language they don’t even understand, you can try to show them that your KPOP idols also sing in English. Maybe that could be the first step of your friends being a KPOP fan if they like the music. Check out these 10 KPOP songs in English!

2NE1 - ‘Can’t Nobody’

2NE1 included the English version of their fierce track ‘Can’t Nobody‘ in their first full album ‘To Anyone.’ Written and produced by Teddy Park, the energetic track is one of 2NE1’s typical songs, showing off their confidence and style.

Big Bang - ‘So Beautiful’ (’Wrong Number’)

I think Big Bang did a good job with ‘So Beautiful,’ the English version of their Korean song ‘Wrong Number.’ It was released in their first Japan mini-album ‘For the World,’ along with seven other English songs. I actually prefer ‘So Beautiful’ than ‘Wrong Number,’ with the raps flowing well with the beat. G-Dragon and TOP have it down pat!

Brian Joo - ‘Let This Die’

Brian Joo is one of the few Korean idols who speak English fluently and uses it to thank his international fans for the massive support. While the Korean version of ‘Let This Die‘ features Tiger JK’s raps, Aziatix’s Flowsik lent his signature low voice for the English version.

G.NA - ‘I’ll Back Off So You Can Live Better’

G.NA debuted back in 2010 with her gorgeous track ‘I’ll Back Off So You Can Live Better‘ and she released the English version in her third mini-album ‘Bloom.’ The lyrics were written by the Korean-Canadian singer herself and she had performed it in various events before, so the official release is a nice treat for her international fans. Unfortunately the raps part by Beast’s Junhyung is kept in Korean.

SNSD - ‘The Boys’

SNSD released the English version of their track ‘The Boys‘ as their first single in the US. Produced by Grammy Award winning Teddy Riley, the track was created for a global roll-out. Even though I still prefer the Korean version, I’m quite impressed by the group’s attempt at singing in English.

One Way - ‘Rainy Days’

One Way’s ‘Rainy Days‘ is a song for a yearning mood, and I think its English version is even better to get into that mood. You can perfectly understand their English and the acoustic is pleasant on the ears. 2PM’s Junsu comes out at the end of the music video as a short teaser before the original Korean version was released.

Rain - ‘Love Song’

The English version of Rain’s ballad track ‘Love Song‘ was released along with its Korean version in his special mini-album ‘Back to the Basic’ in 2010. The track shows off Rain’s amazing singing abilities with a soothing soft piano melody. Rain reportedly wrote the beautiful lyrics by himself, proving that he deserves the title as a world star.

Rania - ‘Dr. Feel Good’

Producer Teddy Riley also created an English version of Rania’s catchy debut track ‘Dr. Feel Good.’ The sexy concept displayed the girls as a powerful rookie group right when they debuted. Well, maybe the track just wasn’t right for the Korean audience as it unfortunately got criticized quite a lot for its provocative lyrics and image.

DBSK - ‘Hug’

I’m a Cassie but I must say that the English version of DBSK’s debut track ‘Hug‘ is not the best English version among others. It was also released in Mandarin and Japanese, but I think the Korean version is still the best and it will remain special as their debut song.

Wonder Girls - ‘Nobody’

The English version of JYP-produced dance-pop track ‘Nobody‘ by the Wonder Girls was recorded for a US release as their debut single there. The song brought the girls into Billboard Hot 100, making them become the first Korean group to enter the chart.

Which one is your favorite English version?

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