#16. Brave Girls - Deepened
This song is the best slow dance track of 2016. Everything about it is sensual, which is reflected in both the singing and dancing. The vocals are soft and almost graceful, which is matched by the choreography. Hyeran's rap break was the best sequence of its kind this year, though unfortunately for her made her later appearances disappointing. Nonetheless this was a very complete song that helped bring Brave Girls back into relevancy. It almost made you forget that they had been inactive for three years before coming back.
#15. DAY6 - Letting Go
Nostalgia speaks to me strongly, and a group like Day6 is exactly what I'd have been obsessed about in my high school years. Rock is an old sweetheart of mine and these guys put their Kpop spin to it quite nicely. "Letting Go" is aptly named as the band had lost a member prior to release, and you can almost hear the emotional rift in their voices. I've yet to be sold on Younghyun's rapping, but perhaps that needs some time. After all, I've come to really enjoy rappers like Verbal Jint and Mad Clown and their unorthodox flow. Maybe Younghyun is next.
#14. Mamamoo - Decalcomanie
If you looked at my review of this song, you'd know that the song is quite good. It was the music video that was the culprit for such an average review score. While I've not changed my opinion on the loud instrumental, I do think the song flows well in retrospect (and listening to it about 50 more times since). The other benefits of "Decalcomanie" are that Moonbyul again flaunts a pair of raps by herself, and the visually-pleasing mirror dancing concept that they flirt with on occasion. Wrap it up in the usual pop vibe and you've got a quality Mamamoo track.
#13. Hyosung - Find Me (feat. D.Action)
Hyorin, Hyuna, and Hyoyeon might have dropped the collective ball this year, but Hyosung (and another member we'll see later) picked up the slack for girl group soloists. "Find Me" is my pick for most surprisingly good song this year - I simply didn't expect such a polished product given the failings of "Into You" and "Goodnight Kiss" prior. The energy of this song is fantastic and there's plenty of reason to love this song: Hyosung's voice and the awesome instrumental being a few of those reasons. The rap break could've been omitted but provided another layer of relief between the chorus and bridge.
This was Dean's year. After making his debut in 2015, "Half Moon" was but one of many spectacular efforts by this R&B artist. Because we don't see them all too often, it always feels like the hip-hop and R&B realms have so much more to offer on a regular basis. "Half Moon" is relaxing to the soul, because Dean's voice does just that. Oh yeah and having Gaeko as a rapping feature doesn't hurt anyone. Combined with collaboration efforts like "Starlight" and "Bermuda Triangle" with the likes of Taeyeon and Zico, Dean had a plentiful harvest in 2016.
#11. Davichi - Beside Me
Bless Korea for loving their ballads. It means Davichi will always keep coming back, and the populace will never tire of them, and why should they? Haeri and Minkyung possess amazing voices that they always use to the fullest. "Beside Me" is yet another take on the classic Davichi ballad formula that has persisted for what feels like eons now (actually about eight years to be precise). Might just be because I haven't listened to them in a while, but this chorus sounds one of the strongest they've ever had.
#10. Black Pink - Playing With Fire
Black Pink in your area! Black Pink have stepped up and exceeded expectations right from the start, releasing four songs in the span of three months. They have already made their impact as rookies. "Playing With Fire" is their most complete song of their collection thus far despite the lackluster ending. Every member makes solid contributions and Lisa getting a solo rap was a delightful opportunity for her to show off a little more. Black Pink is uncommon in that they don't have a weak link in terms of vocalists, not to mention two solid rappers as well. This group will fly in 2017.
#9. Eunji - Hopefully Sky
With a song title like "Hopefully Sky," most of us were excited to see what Eunji could bring to the table. And after Hyosung, Eunji continued to set the standard for girl group solo acts this year. Eunji's beautiful voice combined with a heartwarming message and music video makes for a pretty present to fans everywhere. Thanks to "Hopefully Sky," Eunji once again establishes herself as an expert vocalist, and reminds us that her potential solo career outside of Apink is extremely high.
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