12. INFINITE - Back
To me, Infinite is the male group equivalent or counterpart to A-Pink, at least musically. Both groups have a very specific sound that jumps right at you, and the vocal distribution of voices on the roster certainly speak to that. However, "Back" was a little unorthodox and different for the group, but artistically "Back" is expertly crafted and the execution is just as good. Woohyun and Sunggyu do a solid job leading the pack, but you can also see (hear) the growth in the weaker vocals like L and Sungyeol. Lastly, Dongwoo and Hoya don't need a rap to show presence as they have more than adequate lines, too. "Back" was just what Infinite needed for the repackage album.
11. Wheesung - Night & Day
The soul king returned from the military to drop a beautiful power ballad on us. "Night & Day" is as powerful as it is beautiful. Wheesung delivers power and emotion right from the beginning, and his belts at the end are really damn good. The instrumental is underappreciated in my opinion, and the MV is descriptive with good support acting from Yura and CAP. The last 30 seconds or so (starting from the last chorus) is really strong, and stands out for other music that as mentioned before, have not had good finishes or consistency. Not to be outdone by all the youngsters debuting, Wheesung really made a returning impact with "Night & Day."
10. Juniel - I Think I'm In Love
See what I said about this list being all over the place? Juniel graces us with "I Think I'm In Love," and as I noted in my bias list, she's the only genuinely sweet girl that I just love. Her sweet voice does wonders for this track and unlike last year's "Pretty Boy," the instrumental doesn't sound out of place and subsequently doesn't interfere with the song. This means you can enjoy "I Think I'm In Love" from start to finish, and the acoustic versions aren't all that different (still wonderful). The MV is just about as sweet as Juniel, and if I ever wanted to have a date with Juniel, this video sums it up pretty nicely. Compared to past releases, this song is a bit more poppy, and the versatility of Juniel and the guitar make this song a good listen on any kind of day.
9. AOA - Miniskirt
And now onto something entirely different (again). AOA saw their biggest climb in popularity and on the charts, with Brave Sound at their side. "Miniskirt" is all sorts of classy, sassy, and sexy. They may just have dethroned KARA as the premier butt-shaking crew, and that dethroning was more like a revolutionary coup. "Miniskirt" scores high in all the right places, from the delicious eye candy to the short and punctual rap, from the fanservice hook and synchronized sound to Choa's powerful belts. As far as debuting on my radar goes, AOA set the standards very high, placing within the top 10 with their first song.
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