Dance songs and ballad are popular in K-Pop, but the big band sound that has recently been appearing every once in a while is worth taking note of. Some of the biggest acts in K-Pop, like TVXQ and IU, and rookies, like History, have released songs that are infused with old-school jazz elements.

The newest jazz-influenced song was released this past week, Eric Nam's "Ooh Ooh" featuring INFINITE's Hoya.

Eric Nam

Not only is the music video adorable, but also the recently released "Ooh Ooh" makes the most of a big bang sound. The musicians actually appear in the song, playing instruments like trumpets and guitars in the background of dance scenes. The song has a very modern feel to it, even featuring a rap by Hoya, but the overlying jazz sounds give the song a smooth, old-time feel to it.

HISTORY

Rookie group History debuted in April 2013 with "Dreamer," debuting as an alternative idol group who would release different types of songs from other boy bands debuting at the time. "Dreamer" stood out for it's old-school feel and was the first song in recent K-Pop memory where idols released a song with big band influences.

TVXQ

The duo's use of jazz and big band influences is the most high profile song of this type so far, thanks to TVXQ's popularity. One of the longest running groups in K-Pop today, TVXQ has a huge fanbase and when they released "Something" a few months ago it was a total switch from the duo's usual sound. "Something" has heavy swing influences, which provide a backdrop for the powerful vocal and dance talent of Yunho and Changmin.

IU

The only solo artist and the only female idol on this list, IU's "The Red Shoes" was influenced by 1930's big band swing music. IU's company, 1theK, explained that the band that worked on the song improvised in the same manner that 1930's bands would have, making "The Red Shoes" unique even amongst the other big band-influenced songs popping up in K-Pop nowadays.