[Bonus] Best Of 2012 Revisited

Here's a fun twist. I'm going to look at and revise my list of best songs from each of the past 4 years. Well, maybe. I'm going to start with the 2012 set for obvious reasons, and we'll see how I feel as it goes. Should be an interesting take and parallel to the Power Ranking pieces. Each entry will include a link to the MV, the original song in that position in parentheses (to make the list look prettier), and then some short comments about the song's rise, fall, or if it's a new addition to the list, why it deserves to be here and etc.

#12. B.A.P - Warrior (--)
Original: B.A.P - Warrior

Starting off the revisions with a lack of revision, B.A.P's "Warrior" remains one of the strongest and impressive debuts to date. The choreography was excellent and the rapping on another level (in terms of debuts anyway). While the team blonde look didn't help us get acquainted with the members, it's an iconic image if only for Zelo's ramen hairstyle. This introductory piece did a great job laying the foundation for B.A.P tracks to come.

#11. Juniel - Bad Man (-7)
Original: EXO-K - Angel

So I vastly overestimated Juniel back in 2012. She has had a good string of releases up until her departure from FNC, but "Bad Man" remains her best work. To put it in top 4 though was very very ambitious and as I found out over the years, Juniel's music is very niche and as a result doesn't have as much staying power as I'd want. Regardless, it's still good enough to not get outright dropped like other songs. And there's more to do with reevaluated songs being better than "Bad Man" being overhyped back then.

#10. AOA - Get Out (NEW)
Original: Sistar - Alone

This was definitely a late discovery. I only got into AOA for "Miniskirt" but their early stuff is no joke. Specifically, "Get Out" is probably their 2nd best overall song (behind the aforementioned "Miniskirt") because this song is sort of the perfect mix of the debut AOA and current AOA. The dance-pop sound is there, and Jimin commands attention with her rap, but at the same time "Get Out" showed early signs of Choa's talent and also incorporated pop rock vibes. The latter, of course, would lead to AOA's band subunit.

#9. Big Bang - Fantastic Baby (--)
Original: Big Bang - Fantastic Baby

Another unchanged member of the list is Big Bang's high-octane dance thriller. "Fantastic Baby" was indeed fantastic, and remains the group's signature crazy dance number. Various similar styles have come (and gone) since the days of this song but it's unique by itself and nothing has been able to match. "Boom shakalaka" is still a (hilarious) phrase that disappointingly hasn't had many throwback mentions, and the video was all sorts of Big Bang style: color, outfits, and tackiness.

#8. KARA - Pandora (NEW)

Original: Seungyeon - Guilty

The appearance of "Pandora" is half due to wanting to pay homage to KARA and half because the song does deserve to be here by itself. Consider this oversight during my 2012 writeup but let's see why "Pandora" is so good. Solid choreography, pleasant vocals, and stunning visuals are a potent combination and KARA pulled all three off masterfully. The only lacking category was the rap, but even that was still one of Nicole's finer performances, plus she had to share with Hara and Jiyoung.

#7. Primary - See-Through (NEW)
Original: J-Min - Stand Up

Korean Hip-hop was a much later discovery for me. It probably wasn't until late 2013 that I started getting into the artists, and Primary was an even later find. Their 2nd studio album was full of individual superstar tracks, and the leader of all was this glorious piece. Zion.T is a jewel with his dazzling voice and is exactly the type of guy you want singing this song. His partner in crime was Gaeko, and the formidable Dynamic Duo member smoothed out the song in both rapping and singing. This is a jam for many years into the future.

#6. Psy - Gangnam Style (--)
Original: Psy - Gangnam Style
Psy's legacy with "Gangnam Style" can't be tampered with and belongs in the top half. The universal appeal has withstood the test of time and while the craze has (obviously) died down, the song is still super catchy and super fun. Let's not forget the music video, which is still one of the very best in all of Kpop to this day. From the stacked roster of cameos: Hyuna, Yoo Jaesuk, etc. to the absolutely crazy shenanigans going on for the entirety of the video, "Gangnam Style" is right at home in this #6 slot.

#5. Sistar - Alone (+5)
Original: Girls' Generation-TTS - Twinkle
Man I really neglected Sistar when they were quite literally at their best. Part of this jump is indeed due to hindsight, as Sistar's more recent songs have left me yearning for the good ol' days, but without a doubt, "Alone" was executed with finesse. The sultry seductive vocals from each member were charming, and Bora provided one of her best raps period. Choreography-wise, "Alone" had one of the hottest dances of the year and rightfully so given their bodies and visuals. Having the 2nd best girl group release of the year is definitely accurate.

#4. Younha - Would We Have Changed (-2)
Original: Juniel - Bad Man
Along with EXO's "Angel," Younha's entry wasn't a title track. While this is something I would change (for the most part) in future Best Of 201X installments, this song isn't just one of the best ballad duets of 2012, but one of the best ballad duets ever. John Park and Younha make for a heavenly combination of voices, and "Would We Have Changed" puts all their skills on full display. All this nostalgia makes me excited for the new collab coming up with Younha, Yeeun, and Cheetah.

#3. Girls' Generation-TTS - Twinkle (+2)
Original: Big Bang - Blue
Girls' Generation was another underestimated group, though not as much as Sistar was. "Twinkle" was delightful all across the board, and the vocal prowess of Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun couldn't be emphasized enough. "Twinkle" was the spark in showing SNSD didn't need the full team to function (foreshadowing), and set the stage for Taeyeon and Tiffany's solo debuts. But the real question is, when is the next subunit coming?

#2. Big Bang - Blue (+1)
Original: Younha - Would We Have Changed
Because of the drop of the non-title tracks (and others), Big Bang would climb up to take silver medal. "Blue" is all kinds of wonderful and the poster boy of my "Greychill" playlist. Chill singing, chill rapping, and a chill instrumental makes "Blue" that damn good. As I would note in future Best Of writeups, boy groups weren't able to put up as many successful hits as girl groups over the years, but Big Bang maintained dominance when they could.

#1. Ailee - Heaven (--)
Original: Ailee - Heaven
There was no way any song, whether rediscovered or returning parties, would be able to usurp Ailee's debut with "Heaven." Without a doubt, she was the rookie of the year and arguably the female artist of the year, too. Beautiful vocals that could go from soft and emotional to explosive and powerful were a treat, and Ailee has touted this heavily since "Heaven." Oh and we can't forget the Jesus cameo, shoutouts to that guy.