This topic was an idea that I got while rifling through my library and purging some of the less desirable songs. A few of them made me hesitate, even though there is objectively little reason to. So here we are. Let's first define a guilty pleasure. It's a song that is bad, or one that I consider bad, but I still like listening to it. Now, the important thing to note is that this applies to the entire song. Whether the song is just bad or unbearable has no difference, but a song that has a specific part that is really good can't be on this list, because sometimes it's worth listening to just for that part (or skipping to it, heh). Conversely, a good song that just has a bad section (or multiple, I guess) can't be considered a guilty pleasure either. So for example, I think Secret's "Shy Boy" is pretty bad across the board, and would be in consideration if I liked it (I don't). On the other side, while EXO's "Wolf" is atrocious, the bridge is absolutely brilliant and won't be here. Alright I've rambled on long enough, let's take a look.
7. VIXX - Love Equation
Bubblegum pop songs from girl groups aren't my favorite. So naturally, a bubblegum pop song from a boy group would make this list. VIXX gained notoriety for their intriguing concepts behind their music videos, but "Love Equation" is nothing like that. The 1-2 vocal punch of Leo and Ken show their versatility with this song, showing they can be fun and carefree as much as they can be emotional and serious. Ravi is equally lightearted in his rap and N holds everything together. This is a poster child for happy-go-lucky pop tracks and definitely fits the description of a guilty pleasure.
6. Hyosung - Into You
The inclusion of this song is mainly due to surprise. It's easy for me to say now that I don't think this song is good at all, but apparently I praised it during my review. The complaints are still there: the rap break is gross, and the rest as a whole lacks exciting elements. But perhaps Hyosung's breathy voice and the similar extension from "Goodnight Kiss" was what tricked me in my early listens. With the newly released "Find Me" as her signature solo piece, Hyosung merits a spot with the far inferior "Into You."
5. Younha - 1,2,3
Disliking a Younha song goes against nearly every bone in my body. But since a guilty pleasure is similar to some degree, this Younha selection was predicated on the simple reason that "1,2,3" is sweet as candy. As you know, I don't really like sweets. I've removed and readded this track to and from my library many times. Sometimes her voice rings innocence and is just what I need to get through the day. Other times I react as I normally do to overly stressed cuteness in music (next song thanks). This love-hate relationship eventually ended with me giving up and holding onto "1,2,3."
4. Jay Park - GGG
Jay Park is the perfect example of an artist who is a guilty pleasure. If nothing else, it's because I've never liked Jay Park's voice. Back when he was in 2PM I considered him a better singer than rapper, and that still holds true now that he's a soloist. Should be a given that a rap piece would show up here. The obnoxious fanfare instrumental, Jay Park's voice, and the repetitive nature of "GGG" should make me cringe but I like it for some reason. Another possible candidate was "Appetizer," which is a hilarious rap track that shouldn't have as many plays as it does.
3. miss A - Breathe
Alright there's no reason to like "Breathe." Short of some promotional CF songs, this was miss A's worst leading song (and video, probably). The hook of this catchy song is rather stale, the chorus sounds squeaky, and there are no interesting vocal runs. Yet somehow, this ends up being unique enough to keep around. Although Min was the only noteworthy singer in the group at this time (Suzy had not yet developed into the vocalist she is now), the overall tackiness of the song drowned out the other members' weak voices. Hooray? Let's not forget the icing on the cake: Jia's punctual and quirky rap gets me every time.
2. f(x) - Chu
Oh boy, this song. Like miss A, f(x)'s "Chu" is by far the worst title track ever released by them. It's actually incredible to think that even with the boring "Danger" (weird titles were still a thing back then, given the Korean title was "Pinocchio") and awkward "Red Light," they'd have a song like "Chu" so early in their career. Anyways, the song tries to be cute and succeeds. At least, I think that's what it was trying to do? Given all the "chu" spam you'd think so. Also, Amber's rap is awful, and you can pinpoint this rap, among others, as to why she has yet to become a noteworthy rapper. But hey, I love Victoria and Luna, and much more so back in the day.
1. T-ARA N4 - Jeon Won Diary
T-ARA has been a surprising model of consistency in terms of their main songs. Everywhere you look, you have some quality options from "I Go Crazy Because Of You" to "Cry Cry," from "Sugar Free" to "So Crazy." But then there's the N4 subunit. The best comparison to "Jeon Won Diary" is SNSD's "I Got A Boy." Both are dance-focused songs that are all over the place. There's multiple sections embedded within the song, each with their own distinct style, and none of which mesh together very well. In T-ARA's case, they have an additional mess with Taewoon's rap segment. However, unlike "I Got A Boy," I always find "Jeon Won Diary" a welcome listen almost any day.
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