K-Pop Double Take: Giriboy Tackles The Awkward Aspects Of Dating On 'Back And Forth 30min' Featuring Shin Jisu [VIDEO]

K-Pop Double Take is a weekly review column highlighting recent releases that have yet to receive the attention we feel they deserve.

When we last checked in with South Korean rapper-singer Giriboy, he was exploring Prince-style synthesizer nastiness with collaborators C-Jamm and Black Nut on the track "Like As Fixed" from his album "Sexual Perceptions," released on March 17.

But another song from that album that deserves it's own space in this column is the single "Back And Forth 30min" featuring vocalist Shin Jisu. In the lyrics, Shin and Giriboy portray the challenging aspects of dating in a light-hearted way that is difficult not to be charmed by.

Shin, whose vocal performance is mainly reserved for the end of "Back And Forth 30min," is an excellent addition to the track, with her sunny, melodious vocals brightening up the proceedings considerably. Why this talented vocalist is not better known outside of South Korea is anyone's guess.

Thankfully, Giriboy is still clearly channeling the Purple Rainmaker on "Back And Forth 30min," not just in his addition of prominent female lead vocals to his sound, but also in the blend of R&B, jazz, rock and funk that Prince has always done so well.

Yet, as a vocalist, Giriboy undeniably has his own thing. His rapping recalls the Kanye West or Jay Z's confident ability to rhyme over everything, while his singing is something else completely. When he combines them both, as he does around the 100-second mark of "Back And Forth 30min," the results are something distinctive.

It's not easy to make a lament about the awkward parts of courtship fun and even danceable, but with the finesse these two singers possess they nail it without much difficulty.

Watch the music video for Giriboy's "Back And Forth 30min" featuring Shin Jisu RIGHT HERE

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