[Misc] Merry Holidays

Help. I've been sick since last Thursday. Of course the one time I get sick in the year 2018 is during Christmas. Needless to say I haven't been writing much at all. I just want to be 100% by next week so we can get started on the right foot. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas or Boxing Day or whatever you celebrate. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay beautiful.

[Bonus] Best Of 2018

Hey I had to work on Christmas Eve haha! Who needs an introduction? These are my picks for the top songs in 2018. Let's fucking get it.

#10. Pristin V - Get It

Apparently people slept on "Get It" but it's the best ever released by Pristin (even though this is a subunit). It's kinda sad, but this is what optimal Pristin looks like. The song matches the instrumental in the hard-hitting nature, while everyone serves up that femme fatale look. From Eunwoo's vocals to Rena's rapping, each member puts in a solid performance for a well-rounded track. Without any aegyo bullshit or unnecessary moments, it's easy to see why "Get It" earned a spot on this list. Hopefully the rest of Pristin can get on this level for the future.

#9. Stray Kids - I Am You

Stray Kids are the new kids on the block, and they've amassed quite the early portfolio. "I Am You" is a refreshing take on the typical energetic dance track mixed with some powerful rapping. Like SM, JYP finally has some solid rappers with this generation of groups. As far as first impressions go, they remind me of GOT7 if GOT7 had actual rappers. Changbin, Han, and Felix make the highlight reel (though the latter is mostly on voice alone) and the singers aren't bad either. I imagine they will pan out nicely thanks to their rapping and composition abilities.

[Bonus] Best Of 2018: Honorable Mentions

Here come the Best Of 2018! Well, the ones that didn't make the final cut anyway. With five selections, they serve as a teaser to the final Best Of 2018 list. But unlike that list coming later this week, these will remain unranked. They may not necessarily even be the best outside choices (when are they ever?) but they certainly made a strong case throughout the year. May they wet your palette before the official best drops on Friday or something.

LOONA - Favorite

Not enough BRRRRA in Kpop honestly so thank goodness for Loona. The styling of group names is something I've struggled to get consistently in writing and tagging posts, and still haven't found a working ground for. Anyway "Favorite" is like EXO's "Mama:" a debut track that isn't really a debut track. Still there's a lot to like here. The choreography is strong, the instrumental is bangin', and the energy is through the roof. With this and "Hi High" as their official "debut," Loona is giving us plenty to look forward to.

[Bonus] Best Of TWICE

Should this be a Best Of Twice or Worst Of Twice? Pessimism is strong with me but for the sake of holiday cheer and good spirits we'll take a positive spin. Then again, given that I only use title tracks for these posts every Best Of is mostly a reverse Worst Of. That's why the first Worst Of post wasn't about a single artist. Anyway here is Twice. They've got yet another comeback - which I haven't listened to yet because thus far they have exactly ten tracks - and have made rigorous progress over the years. How do their title tracks fare against each other?

#10. Signal

I can't even start with this shit. You know why this song isn't good. Won't even stomach another listen. That dance has its moments though. Next!

#9. Knock Knock

This was the first song where Twice found their rhythm or groove so to speak. The pop dance style became their bread and butter after "Knock Knock" and they really took off. Both this and "Signal" don't have many redeeming qualities (if any) in my eyes but at least there was the funny JYP cameo troll moment.

[Bonus] The Late Report: November 2018

New series before the end of the year? Sure why not. Short or long, these posts will highlight something amazing, terrible, or simply interesting in Kpop of the previous month. Though they will primarily be focused on music, there may be a clip or two from a concert or a variety show (been a while since I've watched those). Starting from November is weird but (a) I'll have some October inserts and (b) who cares let's go.

gugudan - Not That Type

Briefly alluded to in Girl Group Power Rankings IX, gugudan's "Not That Type" was a strong dance number that seemed like a breath of fresh air from the Sejeong and her backup dancers motif that plagues the group. Even if the statistics show that Sejeong still dominates the line distribution, the song is setup in a way that masks that issue. So despite "The Boots" being a more well-rounded song, I like "Not That Type" more and have new faith in this young group.

[Misc] BTS Power Ranking

There's a first time for everything. Member ranks have always been on girl groups since I follow them more, but like I said in Thought Corner gender equality is happening. I nearly started the boy group series with Super Junior, one of the earliest groups in my Kpop discoveries but I'll save that for another time.

#7. Jin
Jin is so awkward. So fucking awkward. And it's not like one specific thing about him either. His voice, facial expressions, character...all of it is weird. I'm not even hating. The common trope is that there's always a member that's the outlier or odd one out. In the case of BTS that's been Jin more often than not. Sorry brother, maybe next time.

#6. Jimin
BTS aren't exactly known for their vocals, no matter how delusional you might be. Jimin is the lead vocalist after Jungkook but both are average on their best day. On almost any other boy group they'd be relegated to nothing in terms of lines. His voice isn't bad but the strain he exerts is not too flattering. Or maybe I simply dislike his higher tones. Take your pick, but I'll leave mine here.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings IX: Winter 2018

The final chapter of the 2018 Group Power Rankings was more difficult than most. I had over 15+ groups that kept bouncing on and off the list before settling down at the 11th hour. Obviously the upper echelons were pretty easy to separate from the rest of the pack but Honorable Mentions and the lower end gave me headaches. Either way, I powered through and here we are.

Honorable Mention: gugudan
* New Releases: Not That Type
Making their debut on the group rankings is gugudan, who narrowly beat out (G)-IDLE for this spot. And thankfully they did because I would have loathed writing that name over and over. Anyways, gugudan have lost a member but gained plenty momentum in 2018. Subunit and full group activities were seen since the summer and while "Not That Type" wasn't perfect, it was a solid dance number that really impressed me. That and "The Boots" give me plenty of hope for the future of gugudan.

Honorable Mention: Black Pink
* New Releases: Solo (Jennie)
Black Pink has not been in our area, but Jennie did drop a solo on us out of nowhere. I'm in the group that thinks a solo debut for a group that has less than ten total songs in their discography is odd if not desperate, but at least the song itself was serviceable. Her rapping was better than her singing, though the choreography was powerful and for a debut piece especially so. I considered dropping them off the list entirely but other groups don't have the luxury of having YG as their label, which theoretically bodes well for their future endeavors.

#10. Lovelyz (-2)
* New Releases: Lost N Found
When it ain't broke, don't fix it. Lovelyz have a formula for innocence and continue to display it with "Lost N Found." That chorus is magnificent while the rest of the song is competing for that coveted ethereal sound that Cosmic Girls mostly hogs to themselves. Kei, Yein, and Mijoo lead this team with all sorts of success, and the visual combo of Mijoo and Jisoo is devastating. With Infinite members enlisting left and right, Woollim will focus their efforts on Lovelyz as their main attraction - I don't exactly know how popular Golden Child is but Lovelyz is the only girl group regardless.

[Misc] Bias Power Rankings XI: Winter 2018

And we're back with 2018's last Bias Power Ranking. Like with Girl Group Power Rankings, I believe having three releases a year is appropriate. Not much else to say so let's dive in.

#12. Sojin (-2) / #11. Soyeon (NEW) / #10. Hwasa (+2) / #9. Eunji

Sojin and Eunji haven't been too active but the latter is actually likely to comeback either as a solo or group so I'll keep her at 9th. Soyeon makes her debut on this list as her group has been very impressive in their first year. It's rare that I like a pure rapper like her because I usually drift towards the vocalists so I know she has something special. I'm really looking forward to the Mamamoo comeback so Hwasa gets bumped up on that alone.

[Bonus] Best Of 2008 (And Earlier)

If I was hardcore I'd have remembered the exact day and month I got into Kpop but as a scrub I only know fall 2009 is when I started really getting into this field. Thus anything here is primarily thanks to history, legacy, and lore. Here are the best of what Kpop offered during the mid-2000's.

#10. Younha - Password 486

Even though her "Someday" album is the true masterpiece of the early Younha era, I had to go with "Password 486" because it's more iconic. Younha was already doing work in Japan but this release put her on the spotlight in her native country. The pop rock elements and her strong voice are the driving forces behind a cute song. Check out Younha killing it with some younger stars earlier this year.

#9. Kim Jongkook - One Man

Ballads used to be king back in the day. Gummy, Davichi, etc. Kim Jongkook was no exception and his "mosquito voice" works its magic here. I never talk about lyrics but that last chorus, damn. It's honestly one of the most memorable ballads in Korean music history. Kim Jongkook has stayed relevant over the years doing music and variety, so his longevity is impressive. Too bad the MV isn't found anywhere on Youtube. This breaks the continuity early on, oh well.

[Misc] Thought Corner: Fall Cleaning

Ayo it's that time of the year. Winter is coming and the house needs cleaning. Fall cleaning doesn't quite have the same ring to it as spring cleaning, does it? Anyway here's some word salad.

With Season 9 underway, I'm going to go back and proofread all posts from July 2018 and on - I do this every couple of months for minor fixes like spelling, grammar, and etc. I won't go back earlier than July because that was my vacation in Hong Kong so setting the "gate" there seems like a good spot.

[Bonus] Worst Of Unnecessary Rap Breaks

Here's another Worst Of that was previously alluded to poorly (both in terms of mechanics and time). There are always songs that are good (or even just average) that suddenly nosedive because of a rap section that is not only bad, but also unwanted and unneeded. Lots of songs fit this category so it wasn't easy to choose a small handful - because I really did try to pick the five biggest offenders - but I ended up with these selections. They are presented in a rough order but that doesn't mean much. I despise all these rap breaks equally.

#5. Verbal Jint, in Taeyeon - I

Even though this piece is 5th, it's easily the instance that comes to mind when I think of unnecessary rap breaks. Verbal Jint is a god, I know, but that doesn't stop him from having mediocre moments. And his entrance into Taeyeon's solo debut was definitely one of them. Not only is the rap itself in a strange section of the song, the rapping is not memorable either (or only memorable for being unneeded). The English is also strange, though I could say the same for the rest of the song. What exactly does "my life is a beauty" mean?

[Misc] Love Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher are quickly moving up in the world. Stan talent. That's all. Here's to a fruitful November.

[Review] BoA - Woman

Your queen has returned. There's not much else to say about BoA's career. She has done anything and everything, in Korea and Japan, on the stage and in the booth. She could call it quits right now and we'd still be talking about her for years to come. But enough of that, let's talk about the headliner of her 9th album: "Woman." After the powerful comeback from IU, BoA now checks in with a return of her own.

[Misc] EXID Power Ranking

October has been busy. Long hours at work, tournament weekends, etc. But unlike previous moments, I'm not going down quietly. We'll get back into action as October comes to a close. Here is a short EXID piece that I haven't thought about much lately, but Solji's resurgence and return from health issues give us reason to rejoice.

#5. Hyerin
Sorry Hyerin, your wonderful potato-ness can't get you out of last place. She's always been hilarious but doesn't quite do much else. I've always thought of her as the odd member out which isn't really any fault of her own. Everyone else has more pizzazz surrounding them so it's hard for her to stand out. Hani and Junghwa's visuals, LE and Solji's skills leave her awkwardly in the middle of it all. Massive props to her for stepping up in Solji's absence though, leading the team in the vocals department.

[Bonus] Best Of B-Sides IV: Season 9 Pilot

Prepare for a return to forgotten (or simply old) series as Season 9 gets underway. Today we'll have a new installment to the Best Of B-Sides with a small collection of picks. Let's jump right in.

KARD - Trust Me

Both versions are gold, but I linked the J.Seph / Jiwoo version because having the drums in the background driving the song is nicer. And there's J.Seph, whose verse is really fucking good. The English verse that BM delivers is solid - arguably his best performance yet - but there's no denying J.Seph's mastery here. Jiwoo and Somin continue to be consistent in their vocals and Jiwoo's unique voice gives her the edge. This is a beautiful double version that gives any others like it a run for their money.

[Review] Yuri - Into You

Welcome to Season 9. I feel that with a two week break in the blog it's time to usher in yet another new season. I had / have other pieces nearly ready to go but felt that Season 9 should start with a full song review. This will be edited later with new banners but basically there will only be: introduction, review, and verdict. No score or artist-related images either, because I've gotten tired and lazy of needing them every song. Plus I have less time now what with long work hours and other responsibilities. Previously I've kept a rough count on words per review - something magnified in Blitz pieces - but will be abolishing that moving forward. If I feel like I'm done writing for the post, then I'm done. Not gonna worry about consistency in volume too much. Blitz reviews may end as a result but for now undecided. That's enough chatter let's get to the song.

[Misc] Red Velvet & Black Pink Power Ranking

Since I haven't done Power Rankings for Red Velvet or Black Pink, why not combine the two? Originally I had two separate ranks for each group, but thought it'd be more interesting to see them mashed together. With Twice's Power Ranking already out there, maybe there'll be another installment with all three groups.

#9. Yeri
It's a shame I almost always start these lists from the bottom because I knew who would be dead last right away. Yeri's inclusion to Red Velvet was met with neutral reactions from yours truly so it's not that. She just doesn't strike me as interesting in any facet of Red Velvet's music. And while I do appreciate her savagery, that's a gem for the variety world. Plus lately she started stealing Irene's rapping lines. Not that Irene would've been amazing with those lines but still.

#8. Rose
Yeah I'm not gonna add the accent on her letter, sue me. Usually the primary vocalist draws me to a group but that wasn't the case for Rose and Black Pink. She immediately reminded me of her senior Park Bom which carries both positive and negative connotations. Personality-wise, she's my least favorite of the Black Pink members. Oh well. The good thing about any list is that there's opportunities to turn it around.

[Recap] 2018 May-August: Shenanigans

Fashionably late again to the Recap post. You'll see some developments in that area later on in the read. There's been a mixture of good and bad music through the summer, including hyped pieces that didn't live up to expectations and underrated sleeper picks. Maybe you'll see some of those in the highlights section. If you think I'm slowing down, you're probably right...but that doesn't mean I won't fight it!

[Review] Oh My Girl - Remember Me (Blitz)

As we hit full stride in September, Oh My Girl returns adding "Remember Me" to their 2018 campaign. I am immediately captivated by that instrumental because good GOD that bass hits hard. But the singing is soft and elegant, which creates a beautiful contrast. I appreciated the MV where the lyrics "when I close my eyes" is matched in the video. There have been plenty of inconsistencies from other artists so I appreciated that. The lack of a true chorus isn't missed too badly by my ears and honestly after two listens I'm definitely okay with it. However, things would've taken an even better turn if not for the non-singing parts of the song. In the surprise move of the year, Mimi's return to rapping has results that are less than satisfactory. She gets two verses but both are very out of place compared to how smooth the vocals are elsewhere, and don't sound great. Then half the squad has an awkward chant break right before the bridge which is equally as awkward. This is some Twice rapping straight up. Mimi is absolutely capable of better raps and it's a damn shame because I really like the rest of the track. Keep everyone else off her turf, seriously. Thankfully we get to end on a positive note because that bridge plus finale help soothe the pain - Seunghee and Yooa really shine in this type of music. "Remember Me" will be remembered for both the good and bad.

Word Count: 247

[Misc] Thought Corner: Cube's Conundrum

Should probably have had some more of these throughout the years - they're simple, easy to write, and have basically no restrictions on what or how I want to write. Anyway, Kpop has had an...interesting week. All kinds of news and most of it is not the good kind. The main headline is of course that Hyuna and E'Dawn would be leaving Cube Entertainment. This comes a month after their revealed relationship which has been a thing for over two years. Buckle up because this is quite the doozy.

[Review] Sunmi - Siren (Blitz)

Here's a big moment. Sunmi could do something rare: have five consecutive standout releases. "24 Hours," "Full Moon," "Gashina," and "Heroine" were all high-quality songs and this could be a historic addition. "Siren" brings another top instrumental and Sunmi's comforting voice to the stage, and these two elements drive the track much like how they have in past hits. The chorus provides an English hook fans can sing along to and serves as a contrast to her huskier tones in the verses. An underrated section of the song is that flawless transition from the verse to prechorus. It's so seamless that you might've thought "Siren" jumped directly to chorus from verse. In an era where songs have predictable changes and shifts, this is definitely something less common. The part that completely kills hype for the song - and the flow of the song itself - is the "lalala" part following the chorus. It's so awkward and serves no purpose. While I understand it's a dance break, the instrumental alone would suffice. The MV is whatever, though we do get to see some goofy Sunmi which was nice. Also, Sunmi is really skinny. Like, freakishly so. I know most Kpop girls are super thin but this is another level - it's uncomfortable. I like "Siren" more than "Heroine" early, but the latter was a grower and the former has little replay value. Despite her best efforts, "Siren" ultimately falls short of joining the club that its predecessors enjoyed being in.

Word Count: 246

[Bonus] Worst Of SM Entertainment

This ought to be fun. Time for some motherfucking negativity up in here! Keeping with the S.M Entertainment theme, we're going to look at some of the worst selections (that are title tracks of course) to ever come out of that company. I did rank them, but that really means little when we're looking at the bottom of the barrel here. Some of the reasons are music-related, and some are purely hate-based. If something sounds bad, then it's bad. Simple as that. Let's see the worst material from one of the top entertainment labels in Korea.

#10. BoA - Nega Dola

Remember we're talking about bad songs so it's better to be up here than down there. Boy it feels bad to list BoA but I gotta do it. "Nega Dola" isn't even a below average song, but it would've been a great song if not for the horrific decision to make BoA rap. There are some things that you should never do. Giving BoA some pitiful rap lines in every verse leaves an awful taste in your mouth, and an awful sound in your ears. SME hardly has the rapping profile with their members, I don't know what they were thinking making BoA do that. Literally ruined the song for everyone.

#9. Super Junior - Mamacita

It's like "Mamacita" was a stepping stone or experiment to figure out how to incorporate international beats. Clearly needed some trial and error since "Lo Siento" was solid whereas "Mamacita" was...not. Everything about this track just feels awkward, like it's going through puberty or something. Even the typically sweet vocals from Kyuhyun and Ryeowook seem off. That rap break by Eunhyuk and Shindong is atrocious, so it's exactly like the average Super Junior rap! "Close your lips, shut your tongue" will always be associated with their cringe rap moments.

#8. TVXQ - Humanoids

TVXQ has had some magnificent highs and dreadful lows. They certainly support those type of eclectic tastes. I reviewed "Humanoids" on the blog before and it only scored a 70 thanks to appearance points and me liking the choreography at the time. Now with a refined taste in Kpop dances I can say it's not a strong dance. The chorus isn't half-bad...if all they were doing was singing. Too much chanting and rambling random shit. A hodge podge of mediocrity creates a mediocre product.

[Review] (G)-IDLE - Hann (Blitz)

With Visual Power Rankings out of the way (and class ending) I can write actual content. Also this group's name puts them at the very top on Blogger's labels which pisses me off. Anyways, here's their first comeback with "Hann" and those verses are fucking gold. The English "do you remember what you said" flows super well unlike other tracks and goes right into the Korean. The rest of the English in the song...not so much (mostly because of pronunciation). The verses are drawn out so each member gets plenty of singing time. Miyeon and Soojin benefit heavily and sound amazing in lead roles. Soojin in particular leveled up since "Latata" with her mannerisms and stood out more - having bright red hair certainly helps. The song builds well on itself throughout but "Hann" struggles in the chorus game, leaving much to be desired. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend where they have really solid verses with lackluster choruses. They've been too repetitive and dull. I wasn't floored by this choreography either but the formations of an even membered group are enough to hold it down. Soyeon delivers another solid performance though it's not as impressive as her debut with "Latata." Like the verses, the bridge is also really good and builds into...an awkward dance break by Shuhua. Huh. Not what I was expecting but it'll do I guess. That break and the choruses hurt this song's chances of being better than "Latata." Plus Yuqi got ruined by those bangs, goddammit.

Word Count: 250

[Misc] Girl Group Visual Power Rankings IV: Battle Royale (Finale)

In traditional fashion, this got delayed because of work and other life struggles but here we are. The final eight will duke it out until one visual stands alone on top of the competition. Here's the matchups and seeding which I based loosely on their original brackets. We'll go right through with "details" on each matchup and we'll conclude with sunshine and rainbows.

Quarterfinals
1. Hyejeong (AOA) vs. 8. Jerry (Tahiti)
This is easily the most mismatched pair in the quarterfinals. Hyejeong is a stunner that has been consistent for forever while Jerry is sort of the reluctant pick out of her group. It was a tall order to even get this far so props to Jerry for a good run nonetheless. Hyejeong obliterates Jerry here and as the #1 seed is the favorite to go all the way.
* Winner: Hyejeong

2. Hyosung (Secret) vs. 7. Jaekyung (Rainbow)
Well look at that. The two nominees from the Relic Bracket are immediately up against each other. Both are from opposite ends of the group spectrum. Hyosung is the popular vote as her status as a bagel girl has been discussed for years. Meanwhile, Jaekyung is underrated from within her own group with members like Hyunyoung. In a move that will surprise many - myself included - Jaekyung will move on.
* Winner: Jaekyung

[Misc] Girl Group Visual Power Rankings IV: Battle Royale (Part II)

With four heavyweight candidates already in the finals, it's time to discover the underdog participants. Rising and Nugu Brackets are inferior but only in name and status. Attractiveness is not bound to a group or their success. But what am I doing this is too much effort and writing for a fucking beauty contest. Continuing on, here's Rising Bracket.

[Misc] Girl Group Visual Power Rankings IV: Battle Royale (Part I)

Here's the first part. Sorry this didn't get posted earlier. I actually had most of part I complete when the introductory post was published but have been busy with work and an online course. Anyways, Queen and Relic Brackets will go until there are two representatives each moving onto the final bracket. I'll post all contestants / matchups, then with the actual bracket. Instead of doing each matchup or round, I'm gonna show the entirety of the fights including the two "winners" of each set. Some filler text will go in each to highlight some of the marquee moments in my decision making (such a difficult task, I know), and we'll wrap it up rather quickly. Let's go.

[Misc] Girl Group Visual Power Rankings IV: Battle Royale (Introduction)

For this edition of Visual Power Rankings, I've decided to go 200% with my most ambitious piece of writing for any rankings yet. This will either be super fun or mentally exhausting...hopefully the former. Anyway what we have here is a pure cheese post as visuals are the most subjective thing to look at in Kpop. We have visual representatives from 64 groups here. I've done some cheating because I had to use defunct groups and duos. The whole "visual vs. face" of the group is kinda silly but in those cases I defaulted to the visual unless it was very extreme. If a group has either no listed visual or multiple visuals, it was my choice of member. For disbanded groups or visuals that left, I usually went with the legacy choice over the most recent visual. An example would be Wonder Girls, where Sohee is the representative as she was the visual longer than Yubin was.

There are four brackets of 16 visuals each. The reason behind using four brackets is so some nugu visual doesn't go up against Naeun early on - makes for more interesting developments within each bracket. They'll combine once a top two are selected from each bracket and make the final bracket. This introductory post will show each set and brackets, as well as each visual's seed within the bracket. To determine seeding, I did a very loose Power Ranking of each group within each bracket. Like any bracket, the 1st seed goes against the 16th seed, the 2nd seed against the 15th, and so on. As for actual content besides picking winners, I don't have much in store. Talking about visual competition is as exciting as talking about the stereotypical Kpop MV: it's boring and repetitive, ultimately serving no purpose besides taking up space. The seeding reads as the #1 to #8 seed from left to right, then #16 to #9 from left to right directly below them so you know what the matchups are.  With all that out of the way, here are the contestants for Visual Power Rankings IV: Battle Royale.

[Bonus] Best Of GFriend

It's been a while since the last Best Of Artist post (five months) so here's GFriend's entry into that series. They have nine title tracks to their name so one extra song will get promoted into the competition. You know what most of the songs on here will be but what's the mystery track? Keep reading to find out. Here's the best of GFriend's title track game plus one.

#10. Love Whisper

Starting off the list is "Love Whisper." This song was very boring and their most bland since "Glass Bead." Considering the latter was a debut song, it gets away with being more simple in nature. "Love Whisper" on the other hand, came right after "Fingertip" so the disparity between the two was quite jarring. I understand the public didn't enjoy "Fingertip" as much but that's no reason for having such a lackluster song.

#9. Sunny Summer

The name of the game so far is "bland." These aren't bad songs per se, but they don't use much imagination and are even more cookie cutter than the MVs that accompany them. "Sunny Summer" is a stereotypical summer dance track through and through. Nice right now during the season, but will become forgettable rather quickly. Also hurting them is that this has to compete with the likes of Hyorin's "See Sea" and Lovelyz' "Wag-zak" which are both better summer jams.

#8. Summer Rain

With "Summer Rain," the summer trilogy concludes and all three songs rank at the bottom of the set. What "Summer Rain" has going for it is a more melancholy sound and the instrumental. It is still pedestrian as a whole, but since GFriend don't usually have sad songs as titles, it deserves to be the best of the worst we've seen so far. The bridge is also super pretty and helps elevate the song further against "Love Whisper" and "Sunny Summer."

[Review] iKON - Killing Me (Blitz)

"Love Scenario" did awesome on the charts for iKON. Let's see if the subsequent follow-up "Killing Me" will do the same. With a title like that you figured it would be a little darker and that's reflected in the song and video. It's harder-hitting, and the instrumental chops away the background almost eerily. Bobby and B.I do a great job setting up the track and their presence in the rest of "Killing Me" is substantial without being overpowering (something they previously struggled with). The supporting cast pull their weight with vocals - Jinhwan and Donghyuk. Oh yeah I can't buy the whole stage name thing. The names they debuted with are the names I use. I'm not a fan of the instrumentals during the dance breaks. There's too much going on and it sounds like a hot mess. Actually, if the distorted vocals were removed I think that would fix the problem. Too bad we'll never know. Besides that, the only other major complaint I have is that Junhoe's magical voice gets clouded here. Doesn't sound as distinct as he usually does in iKON's music. Like in "Love Scenario" they bring the whole group for the final chorus. In both cases, it works really well. Gives the song an exciting closure without changing much, and makes for a good party banger. "Killing Me" is a strong release of a darker kind and it's about time they actually started having some good music as part of the YG crew.

Word Count: 247

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings VIII: Summer 2018

It's time for another round of Girl Group Power Rankings! There's only been four months since the last episode but the summer has been bountiful and thus more shuffling of the girl group ladder had to commence. Minor switches more often is better than major switches less often, especially on a list that only has ten ranked groups. Here's who's hotest during the summer of 2018.

Honorable Mention: Girl's Day
* New Releases: N/A
Like I said, inactivity will have to be a more serious offence. Girl's Day have done nothing since late March 2017 and have been focusing on individual non-music activities. Therefore they'll drop out into Honorable Mentions, but not entirely off the chart. Despite the lack of promotions, they are still one of the best groups in recent years. While you could say the same for Girls' Generation, the fractured group structure prevents them from getting to the same level as Girl's Day.

Honorable Mention: Loona (NEW)
* New Releases: Egoist (Olivia), love4eva (yyxy)
Man, Loona has got things going. There's plenty of hype surrounding this group. Their official debut will either be one of the greatest in the current era of Kpop or completely underwhelm and bust. Given their extensive track record of solid "predebut" songs though, they should at least do admirably. My favorites so far have been Jinsoul's "Singing In The Rain," Kim Lip's "Eclipse," and Olivia Hye's "Egoist." With so many different styles showcased by their members, who knows what genre they'll debut with.

#10. Black Pink (--)
* New Releases: Ddu-du Ddu-du
Given how much I disliked their comeback, Loona ranking above Black Pink was a real possibility. But their performance numbers-wise is very impressive. I suppose that's what happens when a fandom is so starved. Being the fastest group MV to reach 200 million views counts for something. Jennie was hilarious on Running Man and their Instagram have been popping off. Regardless, I'm going to keep ranking them low until they either get out of the dungeon more or comeback with a bomb track.

[Review] Apink - I'm So Sick

This is the make-or-break point for Apink for me. It's been four years since "Mr. Chu" - which I consider their best hit - was released, and they've yet to recapture that magic since. It's actually concerning how many mediocre songs they've had during that time. Not that they had terrible songs per se, just nothing that really stuck. However, teasers for "I'm So Sick" showed plenty of promise, and actually got me excited about Apink for once. Would that hold?

With "I'm So Sick," Apink have (for the first time in a long while) abandoned the cutesy dance pop theme and instead shifted to a more mature sound. This is clearly a win in my book because I've always liked that style more across all girl groups. They also have the vocal ability to not make it sound terrible, which is a plus. Honestly the prechorus and chorus are gorgeous, while the instrumental and background vocals during the dance breaks are splendid as well. However, the structure of an Apink song has gotten so incredibly stale: Chorong gets an early part, Eunji and Bomi sing the chorus while everyone else mops up the rest. It really wouldn't hurt to mix things up during each comeback...

[Bonus] Best Of Debuts: SME Edition

They're the only label with such a large assortment of artists to even do this for, so here is SM Entertainment's version of the Best Of Debuts (which has only one prior post). Some of this will overlap with said post because a handful of their groups made it on this list. However, times change and not only that, but this is only having their debut tracks in direct competition with each other. How good the song is / was overall matters most, but I also took into account relevancy at the time and if it withstood the modernization of Kpop. Because we wanna see each of their main superstars go head-to-head, TRAX and Zhang Liyin will be absent from this list, as will subunits and project groups like S.M. The Ballad and EXO-CBX. That could make for an entertaining revisit in the future though.

#10. Red Velvet - Happiness

Yeah...there's no way that Red Velvet wouldn't be last on a list like this. I still have nightmares about this song. From the awkward pronunciation of "happiness" to the terrible rapping heard throughout, there was a lot to forget about this debut. There was also the MV and the many issues there. Not much else to say other than thank heavens they turned it quite the ways around.

#9. Super Junior - Twins (Knock Out)

Despite not needing to compare with modern era boy groups, Super Junior 05's debut simply lacked the knock out capability their title claimed. I just don't think "Twins" is that good a song. Unremarkable in all facets, this was only impressive in the sheer number of members, as having 12 members was and still is unusual to see. In retrospect they almost had a fusion element to their early songs (almost like Dreamcatcher but a little more intense) and that's probably why I didn't like their pre-breakout era music.

#8. CSJH - Too Good

Before Mamamoo, there was SPICA. And before SPICA, there was CSJH. Pure vocalist groups can all trace their ancestry to the girls of CSJH The Grace. Their debut video has nothing but powerful voices and closeups to focus on the faces behind the voices. All these girls could sing and would dominate the competition today. Stephanie left and they've basically been dead but Dana's still kicking it today! Or at least, she did a ways back with "Touch You." Oh fuck that was two years ago...

[Review] JJ Project - Bounce (Revisited)

These revisits will temporarily conclude now that I've looked at the first three reviews on the blog. Plus with a plethora of July releases on the way there'll be no shortage of material to talk about, though time will be another story. Here's my thoughts about my thoughts on JYP's newest project at the time - a duo that would eventually lead to the core of GOT7.

• JB’s pink mix with blonde is interesting, definitely not something I see other singers pulling off so props to him. Also something to note: there were no hairstyle changes throughout the music video, only costume switches. Speaking of which, their outfits are also not anything amazing, which matches their schoolboy appearance and subsequently the MV set location.

Back in the day, I talked about appearances in my reviews because - and let's be honest - visuals are very much a driving force in Kpop and the younger me was even more easily swayed in my early Kpop years. Which of course made it weird talking about boy groups but alas.

• I love this choreography, partially because it is reminiscent of 2PM’s early stuff and I miss seeing variety. Also, this dance absolutely destroys anything 2TVXQ had (at least for now, S.M. may surprise me).

While "love" seems like a strong choice in retrospect, I had no idea about the skill ranges of choreography back then. But that's why I'm looking back in the first place, to see how times and opinions have changed. It's still a fun dance with plenty of energy that matches the song. The headbanging is definitely a solid touch, and the dance moves themselves aren't too difficult while still being neat.

Recurring Series Directory

Hello. This will be the central hub for any series that I've got on the blog: Bias Power Rankings, Rapper Power Rankings, etc. Those will be the bulk of the series since I love writing them, but will also have other stuff like Best Of B-Sides. Future new series will also get added here. For series that were broken up, I'll link the first section of each installment. It's a place to see how certain series have evolved and how my writing style has changed over the years. Maybe they'll get replaced with some cute banners. too. Assuming that I can pin this somewhere on the sidebar, this will be a solid addition to the blog.

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV
Timeline (IX)

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI

I | II | III

I | II | III | IV | V

I | II | III | IV

2008+ | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019
2010's | Timeline ('17)

I | II | III | IV

I | II | III?

[Bonus] Best Of 2018...So Far

Nothing wrong with a little June speculation. Here are my picks for the best songs released so far in 2018. Obviously I'll have missed some artists (especially the more recent ones) but we're in the middle of the year so we can see who is winning so far.  It'll be interesting to see how the selections here last when December rolls around and everything gets reevaluated with new songs in the second half of the year. They will be grouped loosely, and don't really serve a purpose since I believe trying to rank them right now would be silly.

Block B - Don't Leave

Block B have yet to break into a Best Of 20XX post, but here's their unofficial debut. "Don't Leave" shows off the melancholy side of Block B that they've perfected nearly as well as their hyperactive dance numbers. Block B were kind of one of the early groups to have two distinct sides to their title track game. Zico and P.O deliver flawless moments and both share the high point(s) of the song.

iKON - Love Scenario

Like Block B, iKON have been less of a main act and more of a disappearing one. They're more Winner and less Big Bang, if we're to use labelmate descriptions. But "Love Scenario" is their best song to date and their crazy chart successes mirror that. It's catchy, enjoyable, and has a good hook. Previous iKON releases have felt like a reach in some way or another. Sometimes the song was mediocre and other times the song had cringe moments. "Love Scenario" covers those weaknesses and has more of Junhoe's special voice.

Heize - Jenga

After "Don't Know You" last year, Heize drops another treat in "Jenga." This time she teams up with Gaeko and gives us another smooth tour of the Heize mansion. Her voice prettily glides through the track while Gaeko's rap gives us a nice boost of energy. I'll keep it short here since I previously reviewed it. That instrumental break is amazing and one of the best of all time. Between the bridge here and in Younha's "Hero," I can't quite think of other similar greats.

[Review] f(x) - Electric Shock (Revisited)

The problem with mobile Blogger is that it doesn't translate to when you post from a computer. There are differences font-wise, spacing, etc. that will irritate my OCD. As I'm back next Monday this will be the last post from Asia - and I can fix everything that was posted previously. Today, it will be another revisit to a review from my humble Tumblr beginnings in 2012. Here's a group we haven't seen or heard from in a long ass time.

• So S.M. finally decided to show Amber some love and gave her singing lines! What a pleasant surprise! Sulli and Victoria’s vocals continue to improve and refine, and Krystal’s is nothing short of fantastic.

Come to think of it, f(x) was really the first girl group to have their rapper do some singing in title track releases. Amber was originally recruited as a vocalist anyway but still they set the precedent way back then. Surprising that I give Krystal's voice a lot of love. I always had liked her voice more than her sister's, but not to that extent.

• Is it strange that I thought Luna’s “I’m in shock, electric shock” sounded better than Krystal’s, even though Krystal is the fluent English speaker?

No, it's not strange because Luna's English isn't bad. This was a case of underplaying Luna's language skills and overplaying Krystal's.

[Review] Black Pink - Ddu-du Ddu-du (Blitz)

Black Pink is lucky I'm only doing a Blitz, for their sake. I can't rip them too hard for this comeback knowing there's a word limit. First off the title of the song is poorly formatted and looks dumb. It rivals Cube's new girl group's name in terms of how awful it is on the eyes, I won't refer to it at all. This song itself is so mediocre I can't believe I got hyped over their return after an entire year. It's really just...the sequel to "As If It's Your Last" in how each member's lines act as independent sections and barely string together at all. We do get to hear Jisoo improve on her vocals and that's good. Opposite her, Rose continues to struggle and I'm convinced she'll simply end up as Bom's successor in the singing department with the constant straining. Jennie's return to rapping "saves" the song and like Lisa in  "AIIWYL" is the only good part - if this track makes it to my library it will be thanks to fierce Jennie. The chorus' beat is utterly wasted by the lack of energy or emotion in the choreography and it's almost insulting to think all that time waiting was for this weak of a dance. They are Black Pink and I'm happy for their current success with this song but I'm still pissed. They deserve better. Fuck YG.

Word Count: 232

[Review] Wonder Girls - Like This (Revisited)

Well, assuming I can format correctly via mobile here's an idea that I can write while on vacation - albeit sparingly, as to save that precious phone battery. Plus it can be a recurring post even after my trip. In this blog's younger days I wanted to review songs of years past every now and then. What this series will do is let me revisit these songs and writings, to not only see my opinions then, but also how they've held up over time (and be irked with how I used to write). Because of this weird combination, I'll figure out how to properly categorize them. As I'm on mobile, there won't be any links, videos, or pictures. I'll have to create and edit them in later. But they should pretty brief with commentary on excerpts from the original piece of writing. What better review to revisit than my very first song on the blog back in 2012: Wonder Girls' "Like This!"

• The variation in vocals of the Wonder Girls has always impressed me, just within the last couple of releases.

This was never something I truly focused on. Just things you notice coincidentally. But it does help prevent songs from sounding stale. Recently VIXX' "Scentist" did just that and I noted the change as a nice touch. Same here.

•  I would like to see some Yubin lines in the future, because I’m assuming she’s had some vocal training.

Man, 2012 me would have loved to see this timeline play out. I mean, not the whole Wonder Girls disbanding part, but the Yubin getting to sing in a couple releases. Sidenote: have you heard her solo debut yet? She sings the entire song without a rap break. Truly inspirational.

[Recap] 2018 January-April: Power Start

Honestly I forgot about this whole Recap business. Have a dingo channel video instead of a banner. I nearly considered scrapping it - or at least the first 2018 installment - because of being one month late but enough of giving up / being lazy. Funnily enough, last year's first Recap also got published in June because I got busy with school. So there's that coincidence. Anyway I'm also leaving next week for Taiwan and Hong Kong, and likely won't be able to write much outside of Blitz reviews via mobile. What I'll likely do is write shorter pieces and edit them with images when I get back in early July.

[Review] Katie - Remember (Blitz)

Getting a new YG release might as well be winning the lottery. Then to have the song be entirely in English, too? We must be in an alternate universe for today. I understand that Axis isn't under YG but this was still released on their main Youtube channel. Anyway, Katie Kim makes her debut nearly three years after winning Kpop Star 4. As someone who never watched an episode of this series, I had no idea what to expect. Yet another fluent English singer is added to the YG* ranks. Her voice definitely matches the smooth R&B style that many other YG singers have. The song also frames her voice and talents beautifully, at least for a first impression. It's a relaxing R&B number and Katie's English glides us through the journey. The problem with music videos for soloists that don't have a choreography is showcased here. "Remember" has a collection of wannabe-gangsters and Katie just hanging around, and outside of some strange special effects and Katie solo shots, there's nothing of value. I get that this is her debut but you'd think after waiting so long she'd have a video with a little more substance. Also she was born in 1993. This seems a little late to be "starting" your Kpop career (at least compared to her contemporaries) but what can you do when YG locks you in the dungeon for years without a single promotion. Honestly, good for her on escaping and finally making that debut.

Word Count: 248

[Review] AOA - Bingle Bangle (Blitz)

The whole point of Blitz pieces was to let me write about songs more frequently, even if the length was shorter. So with that said, we're onto AOA's return in a world without Choa.  "Bingle Bangle" is a cute dance number that ushers in the summer season of Kpop. The simple chanting chorus backed by the whistle hook helps alleviate the absence of a main vocalist. Yuna does do her part, and as a winner in the post-Choa lineup. Chanmi is another, and shines in her parts. She probably tripled her production from past songs. If you can believe it, Jimin actually had no presence in the song until her rap break at the end. What's more, she didn't say "HEY" a single time. The rap itself was underwhelming, and I gotta say I expected better. Most people thought Jimin would step up in Choa's absence. But that could also be a byproduct of a cuter song. This is certainly the least AOA-sounding track in their discography and I'm not really feeling this one so far, doubly so with the cuter sound and scattered English. The MV is cute with the videogame motif and tons of CGI and special effects, plus Mina is definitely the member who plays the most videogames. Shoutouts to the GCN controller at the beginning, what a nostalgia trip that gave me. "Bingle Bangle" might not have much bang, but it gives fans hope that they can do alright as six - and that's what matters.

Word Count: 249

[Misc] 9MUSES Power Ranking

What a rollercoaster career it's been for 9MUSES. High highs, low lows, and member additions / departures like no other group in Kpop history. That is precisely why I wouldn't be able to do a proper power ranking timeline. Anyway here's some nostalgia writing. I debated adding Sojin and Keumjo to the list but opted against it. At the end of the day I do what I want, and will only consider their best lineup - y'know, when they were actually nine muses.

#9. Eunji
At one point, I loved every member of this group. Of course that doesn't matter in a ranking. Eunji will have to take last though not really her own fault. Then again, she did leave after "Glue" which cut her longevity. The irrational part of me disliked her for taking away more of Erin's rapping greatness but she needed a role. Plus she didn't do half-bad in the secondary rapping role either. It would've been interesting to see how 9MUSES would've shaped up had she stayed, but that goes without saying.

#8. Sem
Sem the giant follows Eunji at the bottom of the pile. She departed early compared to the rest of the members and she didn't have a clear identity within the group besides "be tall and gorgeous." Her beauty is striking and her short hairstyles distinguished her from the rest of the gang. The more members a group has, the more difficult it is to stand out appearance-wise but 9M were always able to do that no matter what their lineups were.

[Review] BTS - Fake Love (Blitz)

It has been over a year since I've reviewed BTS. Let's do something out of character and start by talking about the MV of "Fake Love." How far BTS has come. Compare this video (and song) to their debut and it's two different universes. How could the 2013 BTS afford all those Snickers?! Jokes aside, the quality is certainly top-notch here. Unfortunately the outfits are not. The only reasonably dressed member is Suga and it's not even close. Like, surely they had better outfits than these? Whatever the plot is supposed to be - if there's even one at all - is impossible to decipher so I'll pass on that. The song itself appears to be a mixture of "DNA" and "Blood Sweat & Tears" with smooth R&B tones and a strong dance theme (especially during the chorus). Problem is it doesn't fully commit to one or the other and is left awkwardly in the middle. Both styles do flow in and out of each other quite well, so that's a positive. The rap parts were extremely underwhelming (disappointing even) and despite Suga's best efforts I'd give the rapping a generous C+ grade. And truth be told the rest of the song doesn't stray far from that. Don't let the final score deceive you, "Fake Love" is actually quite forgettable and the only reason the points are so high is because of the MV production. There's always next time, and with BTS that will probably be in two months.

Word Count: 247

[Misc] Top 10 Girl Group Members Of The Future

Not sure how I'll categorize this post. Anyway I'm going to highlight the next big stars in the Kpop world. This will talk about ten girl (group) members who I believe will hit jackpot over the early years of their career. Whether it's to the level of IU and Suzy, or to general acknowledgement as one of the best / talented group members, the girls on this list all can make a claim. I'm pretty much calling my shot with some of them. When they are super popular in a few years I can look back here and claim I was a prophet.

Yuju
We'll get some obvious members out of the way first. Yuju made quite the impression early with GFriend, and has continued to be the driving force in their music. As one reddit user put it best, "it's not a GFriend song until Yuju hits the sixth octave." Yuju is currently a top 10 girl group vocalist, and definitely the #1 of the current generation of idols. She might not end up being the most hyped on the list but she'll always have plenty of power behind her.

Soyeon
As far as new rappers go, Soyeon ranks pretty high up there. Of course her debut just missed the latest installment of Girl Group Rapper Power Rankings, but I'd estimate she would be in the top 12. Her skills are reminiscent of LE, and her charisma of CL. Those are two names that any rookie wouldn't mind being attached or compared to. Soyeon is the carry of her group (not gonna type their name out) and that will come with both the good and the bad.

Tzuyu
This is a lil' bit of a cheat, as Tzuyu is arguably on that pedestal level already. Her youthful beauty lends to her popularity and if she isn't on the same realm as Suzy, Hani, and Seolhyun then she's only a little behind. She's certainly got the looks to compete, and being in such a popular group like Twice only helps her. Other members might be more talented than her, but the one with breakout potential will always be Tzuyu.

[Misc] AOA Power Ranking

With AOA's comeback on the way, here's another group list. Looks like they'll be on roller skates? Should be an interesting video and choreography, at least. One would hope. AOA is gonna need all the help it can get to make up for lost time and the loss of Choa. Yuna is gonna have to put this team on her back, or else Jimin and her army of "hey" will drown the skies in despair. Speaking of which...

#7. Jimin
Jimin will forever be in the shadow of Jimin of BTS. Nowhere near as popular, and doesn't rank as highly within her own group. She's the leader, but that position has held less and less weight over the years. Definitely a solid rapper (ranked #5 on the latest Girl Group Rapper Power Rankings), but her voice is too high-pitched for my liking. She tends to be super energetic in AOA songs and I prefer the more relaxed rapping from her. That and the recent plastic surgery are huge negatives in my book.

#6. Yuna
It is troubling to see the two likely primary forces of the new AOA at the bottom spots, but it is what it is. I know I said earlier that Yuna is gonna have to carry AOA, but it's pretty obvious that isn't gonna be possible. Realistically speaking, Yuna is an average vocalist at best and was only the secondary singer behind Choa because everyone else on the group is forgettable. Put her on groups like Girl's Day, GFriend, 9MUSES, and she would disappear down the depth chart. Pretty consistent visual though.

[Review] (G)I-DLE - Latata

 Three years after CLC, Cube Entertainment is bringing us another girl group with the tragically-named (G)I-DLE. I'm honestly going to avoid typing their group name out as much as possible, it's that bad. The Korean name isn't much better, either. Anyway this new squad is headlined by Soyeon, a young rapping talent that did extremely well on Produce 101 and Unpretty Rapstar Season 3. My immediate fears are that this is the start of a new Hyuna and friends but that may be the 4minute PTSD in me talking. Can't think negatively about a new group already, let's check out their debut song "Latata."

You can tell right away that this song is similar to other Cube girl group releases. That's because Big Sancho is behind "Latata." He also worked on past Cube hits like Hyuna's "How's This" and CLC's "Hobgoblin." It's a lot slower-paced than those examples, but the similar sound persists. Both the bridge and rap break helped mix things up while still maintaining the same speed of the song. Almost nothing feels out of place. Minnie's part was very awkward and definitely the weakest part of the song, though thankfully for her Yuqi makes up for it immediately afterward (more on her after the jump). There's nothing intricate here. "Latata" is a simple, balanced, and effective song. It's a good safe choice out of Cube's third girl group.