I took every main vocalist from 30 girl groups and limited each group to having one representative. Having to rank 30 members is gonna be enough work. Categories of evaluation included voice type, technical ability, versatility, and (title track) resume / career. Original drafts date back as far as like November of last year so some images and text are outdated, and will obviously include some girls who are no longer active. But like I said, it's (mostly) for the Girl Group Profiles. Let's go.
Suzy will start us off in last place. I'm surprised she's even on the list, because I don't understand how Min isn't the main vocalist, but I digress. Suzy's got the stereotypical girl group voice: soft and sweet. She's nothing special and that's precisely why shes here at #30. What Suzy does have going for her is that she has gotten much better over the years, but what with miss A's future very uncertain, I think this is as far as she will go. Check out "Dream" for some sweet Suzy sounds, that may be her last.
#29. Seungyeon (--)
This year has not been kind to Seungyeon. KARA disbands, her solo was dropped in Best Of 2012 Revisited, and now she's second last in this ranking. The reason she is so far down is because outside of "Guilty," she's not (or rather wasn't) really utilized much in KARA's music - to the point where I always thought Gyuri was the main vocalist because her voice is unique, and I find Seungyeon's voice very weak to begin with. We might not hear Hammie again for some time but I have my hopes it'll be sooner rather than later.
#28. Alice (--)
Honestly speaking, from here to about #18, everyone in between could be arranged in a million different ways (you could even make the argument for Suzy and Seungyeon, too). Every member has a pretty light voice, standard vocal quality, and usually average if not limited releases on their resume. Alice is certainly no exception to those criteria. She's really the only relevant member of Hello Venus singing-wise but doesn't really get to show it as songs like "I'm Ill" aren't exactly the cream of the crop in terms of vocal presence. But don't forget, every main vocalist on here is significantly better than the average idol anyway, so don't feel too bad.
#27. Hyemi (--)
I've never been sold on Hyemi as the main vocalist of 9MUSES. Truth be told I don't know if she was always a main or if this was gifted to her after Sera's departure but Kyungri and Hyuna seem more qualified on voice type alone. And yes, I'm aware I could've used Keumjo in her place here but c'mon! Respect your seniors please. Hyemi is rather generic with her crystal clear voice, and doesn't have any interesting traits to talk about. She was at her best in "Glue," but that was a long time ago, in more ways than one.
#26. Jihyo (--)
Many claim that the weakness of Twice is their lack of vocal prowess, and this would lay at least some evidence to that statement. Jihyo isn't particularly strong, and she has a touch of nasality to her voice (even though you hardly hear it in "Cheer Up") - and I'd like to take this time to point out that nasal voices are more problematic on singers than rappers - but I do see potential in her. And she will need to reach that potential. Twice is getting crazy popular crazy fast, and you don't want mediocre singing to be a persistent thorn in her side, or worse, have her spot snatched up by Nayeon.
One of the most well-recognized voices in Kpop has been dormant for a long time, but while her strength was that uniquely rich and colorful voice, her major weakness was that she often sounded very bad on stage. To her credit, she has gotten more stable over the years, which is why she wasn't immediately placed in the bottom three. It was tough trying to sell her for anything higher though, considering her magnum opus "You And I" was from 2009. But if 2NE1 really is coming back this summer, then Bom has a chance to impress me.
#24. Subin (--)
Did you know Subin released a digital single? And that "Hate You" showed a side to her musically that I never knew existed? It's a very interesting prospect to think about how Subin would fare as the main vocalist of a different group. Dal Shabet's music is quite safe and never reaches too far outside the box music-wise, and frankly even within her own group she doesn't often get the amount of lines she rightfully deserves. Like I said, trying to split hairs between #28-#18 was really difficult, but at least the two songs on her digital single give her a slight edge over the others ranked below her.
#23. Kei (--)
I still can't figure out who Kei reminds me of. Her voice is the essence of femininity and that sweet voice combined with even sweeter aegyo is a charming arsenal. She absolutely shines in "Goodnight Like Yesterday" and I've raved poetry about that song. What is holding Kei back and will probably continue to hold Kei back is her group's safe niche. I doubt we'll ever see Lovelyz drop electronic dance beats or other styles of that ilk so she will remain rooted in comfort but won't be able to advance much further up the list.
#22. High.D (--)
What makes High.D unique with the other people in the #30-#18 range is that she got to flaunt her talent right off the bat. Sure, the musical style of their debut was more geared for performance but she still got to sneak in a long note there, and much much more in "Cushion." If Sonamoo ever changes gears from dance-oriented music, High.D will lead them to salvation for whatever new genre they pursue. Her individual performance in "Cushion" is one of the very best out of any member on this list when they were rookie status.
#21. Raina (--)
Closing out the bottom third slice is Raina of After School. Famous for being more well-known in non-After School activities, Raina has made the most out of those opportunities and gained universal appeal with Orange Caramel, and pseudo-breakout status as a vocalist collaborating with San E in "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness." These would build up to a few solo efforts, which have definitely helped her resume. Speaking of, she and San E are working together again this summer, and I'm certainly looking forward to that.
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