#12. G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live
G.NA has been mostly a miss during her career - which is quite awkward to say, given her career is basically over or on indefinite hiatus at this point. However, her debut was what caught my attention for being a really pretty song that framed her voice nicely. This song was probably one of the best debuts for a soloist I didn't know about. Unfortunately, subsequent releases from G.NA failed to live up the expectations she set for herself with "I'll Back Off So You Can Live."
#11. 2AM - I Can't Let You Go Even If I Die
Korea loves ballads, and 2AM is one of the best at delivering them. They were the premier ballad idol group and their long history shows their pedigree. "I Can't Let You Go Even If I Die" is a lengthy title, but who cares? The voices of 2AM are beautiful and each member got to shine in their own way. This was the song that really stood out to me in terms of both their individual talent and working together with each other for harmonies.
#10. Sistar - So Cool
Here to ruin the flow of the long titles is Sistar and "So Cool" - you'll see what I mean with #9. Sistar's formula was very raw, but laid the foundations for future pop song successes. Even though the song is littered with name repetition and extra voice clips, the super catchy nature of the song is unaffected and keeps momentum right up until the bridge, which is but a temporary relief. Bora also drops a fairly potent rap, and in hindsight is one of Sistar's cleanest releases.
#9. T-ARA - I Go Crazy Because Of You
Ah, back to the moutfuls. "I Go Crazy Because Of You" is basically the great-grandmother of the electronic dance aura that surrounds many groups and songs nowadays. The instrumental was intense and while the audio was heavily autotuned, you can still hear moments of greatness muffed by the exhilarating beats. "I Go Crazy Because Of You" also houses the infamous seizure-inducing music video, which would later become a pseudo-staple for T-ARA, so yay?
#8. CNBLUE - I'm A Loner
It's a shame, but despite starting off with a great track, CNBLUE was never really able to maintain my interest. They, like TRAX, showed signs of potential and their resumes have some highlights scattered throughout but I couldn't get invested. Regardless, "I'm A Loner" is a solid number that has one of the most memorable chorus / hooks in Kpop, and Yonghwa does the bulk of the heavy lifting (as always)."I'm A Loner" remains an underrated debut in terms of the quality.
#7. Girls' Generation - Run Devil Run
S.M.'s superstar girl group took a trip to the dark side in 2010. Everyone was so happy and peppy with "Oh!" but then "Run Devil Run" came out a few short months later and definitely cast a shadow over its predecessor in my eyes. This was SNSD dipping their does into the water and finding that it could suit them well. Looking back, the choreography contained many elements that would go on to become future staples in groups all across Korea, or at least it seems so in retrospect.
#6. 2PM - Without U
Like I mentioned with TVXQ in the Best Of 2011 piece, comebacks after internal troubles are very important. With that being said, 2PM did a wonderful job with "Without U." The song seamlessly blended the emotional sadness of a ballad with enough energy befitting a dance number. Support vocals were great and while Junsu didn't get much opportunity to shine, he did enough to lead the pack. Additionally, the rapping - which is usually laughable from these guys - was quite good. "Without U" was convincing in all aspects.
#5. 2NE1 - Go Away
This song made me want to do the opposite! "Go Away" featured a balanced output, smooth autotune, and a hype background. Autotune is usually a ridiculed component of a song but 2NE1 manages to make it work, mostly relegating it to the rapping from CL and Minzy. The chorus is nicely executed and shared between the members, and Bom sounds very comfortable (for the most part). Bridge aside, a very consistent song from start to finish.
#4. KARA - Lupin
"Halla halla halla" is one of the most ambiguous-sounding words in any Kpop song that I can remember, and I think I love it. KARA and "Lupin" were a force to be reckoned with, with an excellent song all-around. Everybody contributed, and Nicole's rap was a strong way to start off the track. On the other end, Hara's visuals were mesmerizing, and to be honest so was everyone else. "Lupin" is a trademark of the group and may even be more well-remembered (to me) than "Mister."
#3. Taeyang - I Need A Girl
Why is "I Need A Girl" important? Because this song proved Taeyang had more than enough potential to sustain himself as a solo artist. "Wedding Dress" was fawned over, but "I Need A Girl" was a more R&B-oriented twist to what Taeyang's solo library was at the time. Definitely one of the smoothest songs out there. The inclusion of Dara as a dancer and cameo was a nice touch, and shows that even back in the day, YG's cameo game was on point.
#2. Rainbow - A
Once upon a time in a land far far away, Rainbow was a top tier girl group candidate if only because "A" was such a fucking awesome song. With a super simple hook, delightful chorus, and potent rap from Woori, I was easily convinced Rainbow had plenty of staying power. Unfortunately that never really panned out. Awkward English and poor music video quality don't damage the song nearly enough to drop it as the best girl group song of 2010.
#1. IU - Good Day
The year 2010 and IU don't necessarily go hand-in-hand, as "Real" wasn't released until December, but "Good Day" rightfully takes the crown of 2010 based on IU's stellar performance. That series of high notes at the end alone should merit a top 5 placing, but of course IU does a wonderful job from start to finish. Given that I don't think IU has changed or matured much vocally since then (or rather, I can't tell), it only means she was already quite close to her skill ceiling from very early on.
No comments:
Post a Comment