From Netflix's Squid Game shaking up top trends on social media and breaking viewing records on streaming sites, to K-pop acts touring (and some even visiting the UAE), it's safe to say that the South Korean entertainment industry has had a busy year.
South Korean artists continued to push the genre's boundaries by incorporating global elements ranging from Latin and R&B to rock and electropop. Now, we look back at some of the best and trendiest songs in a year that was challenging for many, but inspiring for others:
'LaLisa' and 'Money' by Lisa
Blackpink's Lisa broke out of her shell this year as she made her debut as a solo artist. Her project LaLisa, after her full first name, consists of two songs: LaLisa and Money. The single album has broken records on Spotify while LaLisa has also gathered 383 million views on YouTube.
Meanwhile, anyone scrolling through TikTok will be familar with Money, which has a contemporary American rap music style. This song also has more than 360 million views on YouTube. Lisa was ranked among Spotify’s top 30 K-pop artists of 2021 globally.
'Butter' by BTS
Butter, the second English-language track from BTS, was the song of the year. The jam from the K-pop boy band had everyone dancing and, well, craving butter. It dominated radio stations globally, including the UAE, and social media platforms.
With 649 million views on YouTube, the dance pop track has taken home several achievements including topping the charts in South Korea’s K-pop 100 and peaking at No 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The single won a number of awards including "Song of the Year" at the Asia Artist Awards, Melon Music Awards and Mnet Asian Music Awards.
'House Party' by Super Junior
The group, with more than 15 years of experience in the music scene, came to the UAE in October to perform at The Palm Fountain in Dubai as part of the Korean Festival. During their concert, they premiered their newest song, House Party.
The track, with more than 27 million views on YouTube, is the second from the group’s latest album, The Renaissance.
Its music video has received positive feedback for its pandemic and social distancing-friendly theme that many found to be creative and easily relatable.
“Whenever the pandemic kind of slows down and we do have the opportunity to tour, you can probably expect another Super Junior album," Kyuhyun told The National in an exclusive interview.
'Don’t Call Me' by SHINee
The four-member boy band, who made their debut in 2008 as five members, is one of South Korea’s most beloved groups.
The Don’t Call Me album is their seventh and the first not to feature their late member Jonghyun, who died in 2017. The title track has 58 million views on YouTube and reached No 1 on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart.
'What Type of X' and 'Coldblooded' by Jessi
Jessi, whose real name is Ho Hyun-joo, is a soloist in South Korea but originally from America. Her song What Type of X has shaken up social media with many taking to TikTok and Instagram to emulate her dance moves from the music video, which has also gathered more than 60 million views.
The sensational rapper has also released a song called Cold Blooded for the show Street Women Fighter, where Korean dancers compete to be crowned the country's best dancer. Jessi is under P Nation entertainment which is owned by famed Gangnam star, Psy.
'Rollin' by Brave Girls
Brave Girls, a group consisting of four members, had a particularly memorable year. Their song Rollin’, originally released in 2017, suddenly gained popularity thanks to YouTube.
A compilation video of the group performing the track for the South Korean military went viral, causing a surge in popularity and the song to rise in the music charts.
It became a nationwide hit, and hit No 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart and the K-pop Hot 100. The members have mentioned that they were close to disbanding right before their luck changed.
The clip stands out because of its unique dance moves, which had whole of South Korea, including entertainment channels, rolling along.
'Alcohol-free' by Twice
Alcohol-Free from Twice's 10th EP, Taste of Love, is about what it means to fall in love. The summer track, which has elements of bossa nova and hip-hop, peaked at No 41 on the Billboard Global 200 where it spent eight weeks.
The also song reached No 6 on the Gaon Digital Chart and at No 7 on the K-pop Hot 100. The video has more than 200 million views on YouTube. The diverse, nine-member girl band made its debut under JYP entertainment in 2015.
'I Am Not Cool' by Hyuna
Kim Hyun-ah, famously known as Hyuna, has had a very busy year. I'm Not Cool is her seventh extended play and she released a single of the same name.
The colourful song has a fast upbeat tempo. I'm Not Cool has been nominated for Best Album at the 2021 Asian Pop Music Awards.
The singer released several songs and performances this year, solo and with her boyfriend Dawn, who is under the same label, P Nation. She made her debut as a member of Wonder Girls in 2007.
'Bicycle' by Chungha
Bicycle, a song about moving ahead, is off Chungha’s first studio album, Querencia. The song has R&B, trap and dance-pop beats, which is perfect for those who need to get hyped up or get through an intense workout at the gym.
The music video has more than 38 million views on YouTube and made its debut on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart at No 11.
'Next Level' by Aespa
Of all the groups listed, Aespa is one of the newest, yet also the quickest to create a name for themselves in the K-pop industry and around the world. From their dance moves to the lyrics, the group stands out.
They won Best Dance Performance at this year's Mnet Asian Music Awards, and were nominated for TikTok's Song of The Year. Spotify also named Next Level the best K-pop song of 2021.
The dance and hip-hop infused track is a continuation of the group's story from their debut single Black Mamba.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
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Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The five pillars of Islam
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
More on animal trafficking
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
