Alright, top 5 time. Initially, I was hesitant to put Apink so high on this list, but if Wonder Girls deserve #10 out of legacy, Apink surely requires a top 5 placement. Like I mentioned earlier, very pop-focused songs aren't my style. I enjoy them every once in a while, but that's about it. Luckily for Apink, the "every once in a while" pop song is more often than not one of their tracks. "Mr. Chu" and "Luv" are different styles of pop but they cater to the same audience. Outside of Mamamoo, Apink competes for the best / balanced vocal lineup, as everyone from Eunji to Naeun ranges excellent to passable. Naeun in particular has been making strides of improvement, and the support singers like Chorong and Namjoo really impress. "Remember" wasn't quite able to compete with some other summer songs but rest assured this group will carry on for a long, long time. What could really help Apink this fall would be an Eunji solo debut. Please make it happen!
4. Sistar
This was a heavily contested slot, but Hyorin can only carry so far. Sistar has been on the rise since as early as 2012. Sistar has Hyorin, the incredible juggernaut of an idol that makes being in the same group substantially more difficult (heck, she snagged a spot on a rapping show). Soyu has an impeccably clear voice that shines in some of their songs, but is most obvious in the various collaborations she's been a part of. Bora and Dasom are often overlooked for being an inferior rapper and essentially group filler, but the former certainly is capable and the latter has (like Naeun) been making improvement in her voice. While "Don't Be Such A Baby" was a delightful B-side to "Shake It," most of the past year of content has unfortunately paled in comparison to what Sistar was releasing back pre-2014 with "Alone" and "Give It To Me." The fact that consecutive summer songs "Touch My Body" and "Shake It" haven't been able to stand up to "Loving U" and were generally disappointing says a lot of Sistar lately. In the end, a slightly weaker series of releases places Sistar at #4.
3. Girls' Generation
The once unshakable queens of girl groups have (finally?) been dethroned. And in reality all it took was an average album followed by losing Jessica. Jessicagate shook the fandom to the core, given that the group used to be heralded as the pinnacle of member stability. Taeyeon and Tiffany are still 2 of the nation's best girl group vocalists, and the departure of Jessica has given the support vocalists in Sunny, Yuri, and Sooyoung more lines. Although the first release as 8 wasn't very appealing with "Catch Me If You Can," Girls' Generation are getting back into motion. "Lion Heart" was a versatile studio album that redeems the previously mediocre albums of "Mr. Mr." (and even "I Got A Boy" to an extent), no doubt thanks to having triple title tracks. Combined with the upcoming long-awaited solo debut of Taeyeon, as well as solo efforts from Tiffany and a TTS subunit comeback, Girls' Generation will be fighting back hard for their spot at #1.
2. AOA
Ace of Angels are everywhere. They're dominating the charts, from "Miniskirt" to "Heart Attack," the girls have been promoting vigorously with good success. While "Miniskirt" remains their strongest song to date, "Heart Attack" was one of the best tracks this summer and the album as a whole was very good. AOA is plenty active elsewhere, having a plethora of variety show appearances and acting in dramas. Seolhyun remains one of the nation's femme fatales, while MINABOYS dominate le reddit. Choa isn't necessarily top tier, but her voice carries the rest of the group on her back (though Yuna is commendable), and Jimin, much as I dislike her voice, has serious technical ability that cannot be ignored in her rapping. The visual game is almost unrivaled, having the quadruple threat of Seolhyun, Hyejeong, Choa, and Yuna. AOA is responsible for eye contact dance practice videos, which receive just hype for the all the right fanservice-y reasons I do feel sorry for Youkyung though. she and AOA Black haven't been around since 2013. Nonetheless, AOA has brought their A-game for the past year plus, and continue to reap the fruits of their labor.
1. Girl's Day
If there's anything the other groups on this ranking have shown, it's that a strong promotion cycle works wonders, and Girl's Day are the uncontested winners of having the best series of comebacks. "Expectation," "Female President," "Something," and "Darling" were an incredible sequence of title tracks that rivaled 9MUSES' run in 2013. If you include "I Miss You," then there was something for just about everyone. Following that, Minah made a pleasant solo debut with "I Am A Woman Too," showcasing her crystal clear voice with R&B ballads. Afterwards was "Ring My Bell," a good-enough track spearheading a better album. Hyeri is the 3rd and final member of the current "lead girls" in Kpop right now, along with Hani and Seolhyun. Her personality is a bit eccentric but perhaps that's simply more of her charm. While Yura is often glanced over, she doesn't suffer from rapper syndrome and gets a charitable amount of singing lines, not to mention her recent raps have shown some growth. This group's music can be considered safe, with Sojin and Minah doing the singing, but there isn't another group with such fair line distribution and they have covered plenty of genres, including going from cute to sexy then back to cute. 2015 may not have been as strong for Girl's Day as 2014, but the record still shows that they are the current girl group to beat.
Final Glance
10. Wonder Girls
9. 9MUSES
8. T-ARA
7. EXID
6. Mamamoo
5. Apink
4. Sistar
3. Girls' Generation
2. AOA
1. Girl's Day
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