Given there is still a draft sitting in my folder from 2014
my resolution this year was to actually finish my Best of 2015 blog.
As a quick run down:
- To prevent this list basically being entirely made up of Red Velvet’s The Red album, no b-sides and each artist is limited to one song only.
- 2015 was one of my favourite years from kpop in my entire time of following the genre (since 2011), which made finalising a Top 20 extremely difficult. As such if your fave isn’t on here, it’s not because I don’t like it, I probably do, I just liked other songs more.
- And finally, this list is just a personal rank of bops I enjoyed the most and is no way a musically sound analysis or anything pretentiously stupid, so for the love of god don’t take it seriously.
With that out of the way let's begin...
20. F(x) - 4 Walls / SHINee - View
So I can't even list the first song without cheating, but to be fair they were both written by the same production team (LDN Noise) and even the singers acknowledge the similarities between the 2 songs.
To me, they give relaxed summer vibes. The kind of song you can listen to whilst going for a drive to the beach or sitting on your porch in a loose singlet later at night watching the stars. True to SM's high standards, the music videos are well shot and extremely visually pleasing. Filled with beautiful people and scenery, along with mood-board-esque colour schemes, it feels like both MVs were pulled from the dreams of a tumblr aesthetic blog.
As SHINee and FX are both becoming veterans in the kpop world it's natural for their style to evolve. Whilst it's a bit more of a mature concept and sound than what I'm used to from Kpop, both songs are still enjoyable none the less.
19. SNSD - Lion Heart
Fun trivia about your beloved blogger, I work in a clothing shop where the brand's concept is inspired by a vintage style. We often play older music in the store such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to name a few examples.
As such I have an appreciation of the retro vibe and enjoyed the sound and visuals of Girls Generation's Lion Heart. Compared to the much louder Catch Me If You Can or aggressive You Think, Lion Heart channels a much simpler 50s sound that I find a lot easier to listen to and sing along with. Whilst some were bored by the song's simplicity, after the sheer what-the-fuckery that was I Got A Boy, I consider a coherent basic structure to be a vast improvement.
18. Big Bang - We Like 2 Party
Used as the encore to their M.A.D.E. World Tour (You can find my VIP Pit Experience Review Here: CLICK HERE) We Like 2 Party is a return to peak form for Big Bang. Whilst a lot of YG fans have enjoyed the "swag" direction Big Bang have taken since Gdragon met Justin Bieber in 2013 (Jbiebz... not even once) I'm someone who prefers their earlier sound.
Based around an acoustic guitar for an instrumental (rather than GD's typical "WUBWUBWUWWUB" obsession) the song features neat effects such as the champagne being poured in the background or the sounds of people faintly talking as if giving the impression of actually being in a party (as the song title suggests). The chorus is the song's highlight, catchy and infectious it's nearly impossible not to burst out with "WE LIKE TO PARTAAAAAAYYY EH EE YEAH EH YEAAAAH EEEE YEAAAAAHH" no matter where you're listening.
The song that saved the Listerine brand from certain bankruptcy thanks to Jonghyun and his colourful suits. Starting out slowly with a simple muted keyboard, the song then builds to a mid tempo beat drop that instantly inspires head nodding and feet tapping to the beat. The instrumental is quite unpredictable throughout the song, going from the "Deja-boo" chorus to a slowed down "la-la-la" segment and then beginning the second verse by cutting the music all together. As someone who hasn't really gotten on board with the Korean rap phase I'll admit Zion T. is a solid addition, fitting well with the flow of the song.
All in all it's a brilliant arrangement that managed to take a potentially boring slow song (I generally don't care for slow songs) and make it engaging the entire duration.
16. Got7 - Just Right
Whilst I wasn't a fan of Girl Girl Girls, Got7 have otherwise been quite consistent with title track quality. Last year I enjoyed A and this year Just Right was my favourite of their releases, I generally enjoy the 90s throwback that seems to be prominent in their material. Given all the members are younger than me the song's fluffy lyrics don't have any impact personally, but the concept of singing to your fans and telling them they're perfect as they are is pretty nice.
As a note for the future I'm seeing a bunch of gifs regularly appear on my twitter feed of the members throwing down flips and shit. So I hope their choreographies can step up to showcase their skills more often. (but then again injury risks so... I won't hold my breath)
15. EXO - Love Me Right
I get similar vibes form EXO's music to Got7 in the sense they channel a 90s vibe in their releases. However whilst Got7 have a vague R&B/hip hop influence, EXO goes the traditional preppy and pop boyband route.
From the first album Call Me D̶a̶d̶d̶y̶ Baby was decent, but I felt it was upstaged by b-side El Dorado. However when it came to the repackage Love Me Right stood out as a the clear title. Featuring the iconic "Shawty Imma party till the sundown" , Chen/D.O's vocals, and the final chorus where the instrumental fades away to simply a clapped beat and all the members singing before picking up again, Love Me Right is a fun track that is also surprisingly addictive (it often ends with me looping for an hour when it randomly comes on shuffle).
14. APink - Remember
Remember is basically exactly what you would expect if I were to say "APink song specifically written for summer". The song follow's the group's bubble gum pop formula whilst adding in the sound of waves crashing and seagulls squawking in the background.
If you don't like APink's image and sound, this song isn't going to convert you, but if you're already a fan then it should be right up your alley.
The music video matches the brightness of the song perfectly with shots of the beach combined with a NoNoNo reminiscent house party. However a moment of silence for blonde Bomi's bleach damaged hair which resulted in her chopping off half the length as soon as promotions ended.
13. IU - Twenty Three
I've been an avid fan of IU since her brilliant Last Fantasy album back in 2012. You and I was a great song to the level that I would have been her fan anyway, but the album as a whole was fantastically structured in the sense it told the story of her shedding her child like image with the aim of progressing into a mature adult in the future. Follow up releases continued that progress with self compositions and more input into her image creation culminating in the Chat-shire release.
Whilst Kfans have been absolute morons who can't interpret something that has been virtually spelled out to them; The entire concept is based around IU's struggle of wanting to shed her childish image as a now twenty three year old woman. However idiots took her references of personal self experience from being portrayed as a lolita concept in her teenage years to market at creepy uncle fans, and instead got the idea that she is the pedophile instead.
But for anyone with an IQ higher than a sack of potatoes (unfortunately a very small number of people it seems, but this is kpop fans we're talking about) Twenty Three (and the rest of the Chat-shire release) demonstrates further growth in IU's ongoing struggle to be taken seriously as an adult woman.
12. Taeyeon - I
From her stand out vocals in SNSD, leading the TTS unit, to powerful O.S.T. tracks combined with her visuals and long standing popularity, Taeyeon's solo was always a matter of not if but when.
SM finally delivered in 2015 with Taeyeon's debut mini album. The girl who cried over how much she hated Gee was finally able to spread her wings with a concept that showcased her vocals and style. The music video was a visual gem featuring plenty of wide and open natural scenery from New Zealand, which matched the tone and lyrical content of the song's theme of freedom.
Not to mention the high note at the end where I cry every time.
11. Miss A - Only You
For whatever stupid reason I can't attach the music video above so here's a LINK
Unfortunate comeback timing saw Only You slept on due to it's release at the same time as EXO. Whilst EXO succeeded vastly with physicals Only You did see considerable success in Korea's digital charts along with accumulating over 40 million views on Youtube.
Originally hearing the song I wasn't blown away but it's the kind that grows over time as an ear worm. I often found myself singing "Nam-ja Malgo~" unknowingly, not even realising the song was stuck in my head till it was too late.
Only You is another quality title track in a long list from Miss A. It's just unfortunate that JYPE doesn't seem to have any idea what to do with them as a group ever since Suzy hit it big.
10. Lovelyz - For You
Finally breaking out of box sets and being set free from their school uniforms, For You sees Lovelyz take off to Okinawa, Japan to film their first outdoor music video in more casual streetwear. Released from their single album Lovelinus (pronounced Loveliness, not "Love- Linus" as I usually mess it up) For You is a pure bubble gum pop song aimed generally at their fans with the lyrical content based around wanting to be a source of happiness and strength.
There is plenty of imagery throughout the video to suggest this correlates with the recent return of member Jisoo after rumours were proven false and the case settled out of court (though trust Woollim not to media play anything about this resolution).
The music video in short tells the story of the girls bottling memories before they go to visit a girl in apartment. Whilst Lovelyz are all happy having a good time the girl in the apartment appears lonely. Matching the lyrics, the idea seems to be Lovelyz wanting to share their positive experiences with their friend left behind (heavily implied as Jisoo). Additionally there are plenty of OT8 cues throughout the video. With the girls all partnering up (the group needs all 8 members for everyone to have a partner) along with 8 passports being highlighted in one scene, 8 cans of soda in another and 8 jars, one for each member.
For You rounds out a rough year for Woollim's rookie girl group on a positive note, celebrating the permanent return of Jisoo, and finally having a fan club name.
9. INFINITE - Bad
I'm so biased to this song after seeing it live and winning first place at Mnet Countdown (Fancam: HERE) and getting fan service from Hoya. Honestly this could actually be INFINITE belching the alphabet and it would be in my top 10.
Objectively speaking it's a decent song but not the peak level that I know INFINITE are capable of reaching.
After the dark period post The Chaser I feel INFINITE have struggled to maintain their sound that makes them recognisable but also reinvent themselves so they don't become stale. SweetTune have unfortunately proven themselves as one trick 80s synth ponies and have been unable to come remotely close to their glory days. Last Romeo was a rehash which didn't do well on the charts and they've since been banished by Woollim, where they have gone on to now struggle trying to make Romeo relevant (with no success).
Enter in-house composers Rphabet. Whilst I did not like their work on LOUD NOISES AND WUBWUBWUBWUWB aka Destiny, they showed vast improvement last year with Back (which would have ranked 2nd on my best of list if I had finished it). Bad is their latest offering and it's not awful, but I still feel something lacking.
INFINITE as performers are enough to cover most flaws; Dongwoo and Hoya's raps are well delivered as usual (not to mention their additional vocal capabilities as singers), Sunggyu's voice is always consistent and hard to fault, Woohyun nails his high note and Sungyeol/Sungjong/L all show huge growth when contrasted against their debut.
But it's really worth noting that at the KBS Gayo when INFINITE performed a Rock version the song fell a lot more into place.
Personally I think if Rhpabet could tone things down a notch and focus more on the instrumentals rather than the distortion and computer generated effects they could really be onto something.
8. Twice - Ooh Ahh
Again I couldn't insert the real MV so here's another LINK
JYPE have done really well to debut a girl group in an already oversaturated and competitive field late this year and still have them achieve incredible success in such a short period of time. They haven't had their first win on a music show but they did pick up rookie of the year and a tonne of CFs (where the real money in Kpop is). Not to mention 22 million views on the music video and that Ooh Ahh is still charting highly in the top 20 on melon months after release.
There's been a lot of debate on twitter over Twice's vocals but personally I think that's redundant as a song like Ooh Ahh is clearly focussed more on dance (as is their concept as a group). Written by the same team from Hyuna's Bubble Pop (which explains why it's so damn catchy) Ooh Ahh is an energetic release set to some impressive choreography.
7. Oh My Girl - Closer
Looking at these adorable girls in pictures it would be extremely easy to dismiss them as a generic cute concept but Closer honestly is a huge step up from being labelled 'cute'.
The music video is set to a fantasy theme with Binnie dressed as red riding hood and YooA taking a journey across an ethereal lake. The choreography is deceivingly complex as when viewed from overhead the members create the formation of zodiac constellations.
Despite my complaints of "WUBWUB music" and warbled backing tracks, Closer shows that you can distort the instruments without it overpowering the vocals or turning into a bunch of loud noise. Seunghee's voice is allowed to shine, the members come together in a harmonic chorus of "Closer~" and Mimi's rap is well placed at the end to help slow the track down after building to such a high climax.
Additionally the song was written by the same person behind SNSD's Lion Heart and I have no doubt if Girls Generation had released this song instead it would have dominated charts the same way Lion Heart did. Whilst it's unfortunate that Oh My Girl don't have the established fanbase to be able to carry a song like Closer to the top, it has worked in their favour with plenty of deserved compliments, helping their fanbase to grow and create anticipation for their next comeback.
6. Seventeen - Mansae
Another boy group song on my list with a 90s influence and I'm detecting a slight pattern in my personal taste.
There's not much for me to analyse or explain with Mansae as the whole reason I like the song is for being an upbeat fun jam. It's coherent and flows well, the rap breaks aren't offensive or out of place. The chorus is catchy and easy to remember and the highlight is (as the song name suggests) the repetition of "MANSAE MANSAE MANSAE YEAH" which features a killer dance move to go along with it.
On that note the choreography for the song is also impressive, featuring a tonne of slick footwork, synchronisation and member interactions. Ie using one member's arm as a pump to raise those in the middle of the circle like an elevator, the "slam dunk" mime and the swaying/spinning around part at the end to name a few highlights.
Bit of a weird music video where Vernon gets slapped but ok?
5. Kim Sunggyu - The Answer
Released as a double title track with Kontrol, The Answer narrowly wins between the two as my preferred release from Sunggyu's second solo album 27.
The Answer at first seems like typical break up song with the repetition of the lyrics "I want you back". However the song can also be interpreted as missing a loved one that doesn't necessarily have to have a romantic connotation. The more general interpretation of missing a loved one is portrayed in the music video where he is shown trying to find a sister-like character. There has been circulated comments in the fandom that the music video is actually in honour of an Inspirit who passed away in the Sewol ferry. Visual clues include the sister having short hair as did the young girl, Sunggyu carrying a fish bowl (water) and the featuring of a yellow ribbon (yellow ribbons were used in mourning for the ferry victims).
Sunggyu's voice carries the emotions of the song well. He conveys the longing and regretful message, but also does so in a way that doesn't resort to cliche 'sad' techniques such as over dramatic vocal runs/pained high notes.
The entire 27 mini album is well put together and something that anyone else who has been waiting for a follow up from 2012's Another Me would appreciate. Sunggyu's solos are quite different from INFINITE's 80s/obsessive/powerful concepts, slowing down for a more acoustic based rock influence (inspired by Nell). The only complaint I would have though is the unnecessary autotune in some of the b-sides on 27. Sunggyu's voice carries the emotions in his songs, autotune to the level of distortion is borderline criminal given it kills his greatest strength. But other than that, it's one of my favourite releases this year.
4. BTS - I Need You
As a group I barely followed, BTS have come a very long way in getting me to take notice of them this year. Lucking out with free TRB concert tickets (Review: Here) I was impressed by their live skills first hand and properly introduced to their The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Part 1 mini album.
The album is full of great songs. Not only was it a toss up between I Need You and Dope for my favourite BTS track, I had to ban myself from posting B-sides otherwise I would have also had to struggle with Boyz With Fun.
Generally speaking I don't have much of an interest with hip-hop influenced idol groups and that's why BTS haven't caught my attention very much before this year. However I Need You showed a more public friendly image. As someone with no proper music knowledge it's difficult to explain accurately but I enjoy the way they were able to keep the rap element the group is so heavily built on, but combine it with a hook/pop chorus.
The lyrics deal with a love/hate relationship of not being able to let go of a past love but hating the person for how they make them feel. The love elements are portrayed through the desperate croons of "I need you girl~" with other sung lyrics focussing more on their feelings and describing the partner heartbreaking lovingly as "so beautiful". However this is then contrasted with the rap sections where the members then angrily spit their hatred of themselves, the person for making them feel this way and the entire "round and round" situation as a whole.
It's a brilliant contrast and somehow manages to showcases the conflicting inner turmoils in a cohesive way.
3. Red Velvet - Ice Cream Cake
Red Velvet have has a stellar break out year, following up from their solid debut with the addition of new member Yeri (my actual daughter). Yeri was always intended to join the group from their pre debut planning but had to be delayed due to the South Korean age laws for performers. So when she did take her spot in the group she didn't look out of place and if anything it felt like she completed them.
If this list were based upon the quality of whole albums Red Velvet would easily be my number one by a landslide, as both the Ice Cream Cake mini and The Red full album were start to finish excellence. The Red in particular was the kind of album where any song could have passed for a title and all of them deserve to be performed live at some stage. From the iconic "Stay in bed today" of Time Slip to underrated self love anthem of 2015 Cool World, It's a start to finish classic I can loop the whole way through and not skip a single track.
Tossing up between Ice Cream Cake, Automatic and Dumb Dumb as my representative Red Velvet title was a task in itself. Automatic encompasses their 'velvet' image as soft and sensual. Meanwhile Dumb Dumb is catchy as hell and snatches weaves from start to end with it's fast pace and Wendy's vocal runs. But in the end I went with Ice Cream Cake as I feel like no other song released this year sounded anything like it. The ice cream van music tune and repetitious "lalalala" are haunting but with the beat drops and teasing "it's so tasty, come and chase me~" combine for a unique and memorable mix... Also "Never get me wrong my boo I have no gwanshim in the bag"
2. 4Minute - Crazy
When 4Minute dropped Crazy at the beginning of the year I honestly thought that nothing would even be able to come close, but the fact it's number 2 on my list shows how fantastic Kpop was this year.
I had not been this excited about a song since INFINITE prevented the 2012 apocalypse by releasing The Chaser. Initially I was iffy on 4Minute's return after being let down post Volume Up by a string of basic Brave Sound loud noise wubwubs. But Crazy saw them ditch Brave Sound and a return to their absolute prime with a song that showcases the members in their element as a strong, sexy and powerful girl group.
I have no idea what the instrument is that makes recurring hook is but I haven't heard it in any other pop release lately and the unique aspect totally works for them, especially when combined with the hip hop influenced beat. All the members showcased their strengths and did more in this comeback than any other that I've seen from them to fight the label of "Hyuna's back up dancers".
Hyuna delivers with her always on point charisma (and ongoing improvement with her rap skills), Gayoon's vocals carried the bridges brilliantly, maknae Sohyun matures every comeback, Jihyun finally got a decent amount of lines and the centre spot in a group photo and Jiyoon once again got to rap in a song again.
Reports about their upcoming comeback claim the group plans to comeback with a similar style after realising how well Crazy worked for them and if it's half as good then I can't wait to add it to my best of 2016 list.
1. GFriend - Me Gustas Tu
I stumbled upon this song when in the crowd for Mnet countdown during my trip to Korea. The week INFINITE won was also GFriend's comeback stage. I knew the group from Glass Bead (which I liked) so was vaguely interested when they came onto the stage. Then as soon as the beat dropped the girls went hard right from the first second. The 'leap frog split' dance move is in the first twenty seconds of the choreography, so before they had even started singing I was already screaming and after that point I spent the rest of the performance with my jaw dropped.
The next week I was back at Mnet countdown again, aware of the song and totally a fan of it, and still found myself absolutely floored when watching it in person for a second time.
Everything about this song is borderline perfect (except maybe the cheap outfits, ok I admit that). The choreography is high power and intense the entire routine. There's no relaxed breaks, the members are always moving around the stage at an extremely rapid pace. Full of kicks, splits, twirling, and more it's a non-stop display of athleticism and energy. (check out their dance practise HERE if you haven't already)
Some people criticise their vocals but Yuju as the main is flawless for someone who goes from sliding around in the splits to immediately joining the chorus and later nailing high notes after 2 minutes of high intensity dancing. Eunha is also underrated as a vocalist (oversadowed by Yuju's abilities). Whilst the other girls all share a decent amount of equal line division and are as on key as you could expect for a professional who is jumping around a stage non-stop the whole song. Not to mention the girls are teenage rookies who debuted this year. Even "Ate the CD" groups such as SHINee and INFINITE all struggled during their debut periods and look how they turned out. Gfriend are still beginning and are displaying tonnes of potential.
As for Me Gustas Tu as a song it's a upbeat classic kpop throwback of a girl's first love crush on a boy, singing about the desire to confess her feelings and dreaming of their would be relationship. It's hardly an original idea but the lyrics are written in such a sweet way and the song's instrumental arrangement work so well it's like you can't help but find it uplifting. Listening to the song invokes the emotions that the girls sing about and it's easy to imagine the feelings again of what it's like to fall in love for the first time.
I've listened to this song every day since it's release and it's just the kind of track that refuses to grow old.
Uplifting, energetic, positive and a non stop bop, Me Gustas Tu is the epitome of a perfect pop song and is hands down my absolute favourite girl group song to have ever been released by any kpop group ever.
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