16. SPICA - You Don't Love Me
SPICA are talented. Almost everyone knows this, and yet time after time they come back with a new song that blows me away. "You Don't Love Me" arguably boasts the most vocal power on the list, with Bohyung continuing to melt my heart with her voice. It's rich and powerful, and even Boa (who I usually am not a fan of) shines. Considering this is a retro track, I wasn't really paying attention to the choreography because this music video is just fantastic. All of it. From the hilarious outfits, to popping up behind doors, to flawlessly throwing laundry on yourself, this MV is all kinds of great and the 2nd best MV of the year.
15. Super Junior-M - Swing
I realize that this may be a bit of a cheat, but since this song has been released in both Korean and Mandarin "Swing" qualifies to be on the list. "Swing" is a energetic dance number and man this dance is awesome. Even during the dubstep break, Eunhyuk and friends command attention with the choreography. Kyuhyun and Ryeowook continue to deliver with vocals that are just right for this dance song and wrapped in an aesthetically pleasing MV and you have all aspects covered. Similar to CL and "MTBD," Super Junior-M's "Swing" is a welcome return to form. During the years where "Sorry Sorry" and "Super Girl" dominated, "Swing" gives us a friendly reminder of the good ol' days of Super Junior strength.
14. Younha - What Does My Heart Become
Younha had a good year, though most of that goodness was actually from feature work. Still, "What Does My Heart Become" is an excellent addition to Younha's "Songs with Long English Titles that are Awesome." See "The Real Reason We Broke Up" and "Would We Have Changed" for reference. Anyway, everything about this song is very serene, from the enhancing instrumental to Younha's soft and delicate voice. The buildup into the final chorus is also very strong and beautiful. In a year where most songs were characterized by strong starts and weak finishes / bridges, "What Does My Heart Become" remains consistent from start to finish with Younha's trademark sound.
13. Girls' Generation-TTS - Stay
Girls' Generation had a tough year. "Mr. Mr" was rather quiet and "Holler" was a bit too loud in the wrong way, but the rest of the album had promise. And of this promise was "Stay." This is the highlight of the album, and the prime reason you put Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun together in a subunit. This song is amazing and doesn't disappoint. All the girls show off their skills, and even Tiffany has a rapping segment. Now naturally such a thing should never happen, but truth be told Tiffany is the only girl (in the group) who can put that amount of pizzazz and spark with her California accent and make the rap work, which I can respect her for that. "Stay" clearly should have been the title track on "Holler," but I will forgive Soshi this once considering the crazy year they had.
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