Big Bang's final hurrah came in the form of "Last Dance" and "Fxxk It." The latter was briefly mentioned in the recap piece, but the former is really the song worth talking about. Somber vocals from each member really set the tone for the song (and the year, to be honest). And then T.O.P started singing and it was beautiful. If nothing else, 2016 has proven that rappers deserve singing lines too! T.O.P and Yubin have made a statement with their voices. Also live performances of "Last Dance" are...interesting. Big Bang will leave us for military service on a good note in an illustrious career.
#7. Twice - Cheer Up
Only one girl group can claim to be the hottest in 2016. Twice dominated Youtube, hearts, and charts with "Cheer Up" and even their most stout critics were silenced by the success of "Cheer Up." This was a group finding their form: between the vocal leadership of Nayeon and Jihyo, the shared rap between Chaeyoung and Dahyun, and pretty bridges and aesthetics, this song (combined with "TT" later) cemented Twice's position as the best girl group of the year (oops, spoilers for the Kpop Awards). Throw in a fun choreography and dance break and this was Twice firing on all cylinders.
#6. Sistar - I Like That
While Twice was finding form, Sistar was regaining it. They had dropped off rather significantly over the last few years, but "I Like That" was a return to the golden days for the Sistar squad. Lively vocals from Hyorin were to be expected, and the same could be said for Soyu's support role, but nobody expected Dasom to impress us the way she did. Bora received the short end of the stick (for both her rap and her hair, ha) but otherwise this was a solid release that reminded us of the high-quality material Sistar are capable of promoting.
#5. Lee Hi - Breathe
2016 has been that kind of year - ballads and slower-paced songs have been extremely excellent from January to December. Lee Hi's "Seoulite" album was marvelous from the title tracks to underrated B-sides but it's "Breathe" that stands out above the rest. This song was needed to put Lee Hi back in the public eye, because she had been MIA for who knows how long prior to that point. She is nothing short of spectacular in "Breathe," and she rightfully gained plenty of attention for it. And to think, this is only the second-best ballad on this year's list.
Despite Cube falling apart with their established groups this year, they did much better with their younger groups. If Hyosung is the most surprising song in terms of quality, BTOB is the runner-up. They've been releasing songs of this style for a while now, but "I'll Be Your Man" is on another level. Insert some grumbling about song titles here, as I like "Pray" as the better title. Yes, the emotions coursing through the song are powerful, and the dance is neat, but there is no other song this year (maybe even in the history of Kpop) that has utilized three rappers and rap segments this seamlessly. Most groups can't even handle two. Massive props to BTOB.
#3. GFriend - Navillera
I never spell this song name right. Anyway, "Navillera" is really the song that put GFriend on a pedestal. This song has all the elements that made Hyosung's "Find Me" great. It's got a damn good instrumental, solid vocals, and energetic choreography (which is certainly a trademark quality of GFriend's by now). The special ingredient here is Yuju. "Navillera" makes the best use of Yuju's powerful voice compared to any of their previous hits, and that's what makes "Navillera" one of the best: Yuju doing a fantastic job leading the charge, backed not only by her group but also the instrumental as well.
#2. Red Velvet - One Of These Nights
As previously mentioned, this was a good year for the slower jams and ballads of the world. Red Velvet are certainly no stranger to that genre, and "One Of These Nights" is a gentle notice why. Like another Best Of track (Juniel's "Bad Man" from 2012), "One Of These Nights" carries an eerie air around it, which makes the song all the more beautiful. You can't even pick out a specific member who sang the best because they all did very well. Add top-of-the-line cinematography with a gorgeous MV and there's no doubt this fully deserving of being the best ballad in 2016.
#1. BTS - Save Me
Another year, another boy group takes the top spot for the best songs of the year. Not only does "Save Me" sound good from start to finish, but there are practically zero flaws with the song. The singing is spearheaded by V's falsetto (which isn't worth questioning at this point) and Jungkook, the choreography is exciting with plenty of spins, and the rapping lives up to the usual BTS standard. I know just earlier I talked about BTOB incorporating all their rappers so fluidly, and BTS does a fair job of that here as well. Though perhaps it's unfair to even try and compare the two. Either way, "Save Me" is the best song of 2016.
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