Honorable Mention: Sonamoo
* New Releases: I (Knew It)
After flailing around in concept inconsistency Sonamoo have appeared to settle down in a zone. "Friday Night" and "I (Knew It)" are solid tracks that deviated from the much less enjoyable bubblegum dance pop they had throughout 2016 and early 2017. Currently the group is watching Euijin take center stage with UNI.T which could be a turning point in their group's career path. This will either give them a jolt of life or be the beginning of the end. Considering their label is TS Entertainment, I'm keeping them on my radar but not trusting their label until they prove otherwise.
Honorable Mention: CLC
* New Releases: Black Dress
Similar to Sonamoo, I can't trust CLC because of Cube. They're already planning another girl group despite CLC not yet having a stable foothold in the industry yet. "Black Dress" was a great track but last time we were treated to a tougher, girl crush concept they immediately heel turned into "Where Are You?" which was the exact opposite. With both label and genre uncertainty, I'll place them in the Honorable Mentions for now. Fun fact: three out of five groups that started in Honorable Mentions went on to join the official list so maybe there's hope for them yet (and Sonamoo).
#10. Black Pink (-6)
* New Releases: N/A
Live footage of Yang Hyunsuk working on Black Pink. Seriously, what a joke. They are the least active high-profile girl group and it's not even close. Even 2NE1 out the gate was not this pathetic discography-wise. What's that? Black Pink has an album coming up soon? Nice! Oh, it's merely their prior five songs in Japanese. Fuck off outta here YG, this is some bullshit. The only reason they're not in Honorable Mentions (or off the list entirely) is that their worst song is still better than CLC and Sonamoo's best song.
#9. Girl's Day (--)
* New Releases: N/A
Really gonna start punishing inactivity more, especially with the fervor that younger groups are promoting at. One song a year that ranges from good to amazing can't beat the value of multiple mediocre to okay songs in that same stretch. Girl's Day trumps Black Pink because of their history and series of top-tier songs ("Expectation," "Something," and "Darling"). It's almost been one year since "I'll Be Yours" and there hasn't been much music activity that I'm aware of. Praying that they aren't going right back to the abyss and we'll have some news soon.
#8. Oh My Girl (NEW)
* New Releases: Secret Garden / Banhana (upcoming)
Oh My Girl are the newest addition to the list. They earned a strong push thanks to the magnificent piece that is "Closer," fan favorite members in Yooa and Arin, and the deathball of rapping talent that is Mimi. "Secret Garden" was the spiritual successor to "Closer" and their ethereal style, and while their April comeback is probably not gonna follow that trend, that's okay. All I'm saying that if this new song is gonna be more "A-ing" than "Closer," it damn well better have a fire Mimi rap. Then again, that's redundant if this is Mimi we're talking about.
#7. Dreamcatcher (+3)
* New Releases: N/A
While there's nothing new in Dreamcatcher's library, their future is bright and got even brighter when older sister group Dal Shabet split up from their label. Now that they're the main and only attraction, they should be managed even better. They've been busy doing concerts for the time being, but I image once they're back and rested that we'll be seeing some new material from them soon. Like I wrote about them last time, with the trilogy under their belts I'm really interested to see where they'll go from here. They also named their fanclub "Insomnia" which is definitely one of the best fandom names out there. Not that the competition in this category is very stiff to begin with, but.
#6. Apink (+1)
* New Releases: N/A
Besides an anniversary song that has been Apink tradition, there's not been much on the board for the girls since extremely underwhelming group releases. With spring and summer around the corner, you'd imagine something is on the way whether it be a group comeback or another pretty Eunji solo track. They've not done much but have been consistent - and if GFriend is gonna be ranked above them then Apink should be getting similar respect from me. The pessimist in me is already thinking about Eunji as a solo act once the Apink flames officially burn out. She's well prepared for the future, but her groupmates besides Naeun...not so much.
#5. GFriend
* New Releases: Heart Signal / First Love (Yuju)
Like Dreamcatcher, GFriend have been working through concerts and are focused on making their debut in Japan. Reports say that's scheduled for May so looks like their Korean front will be quiet for a while. Yuju dabbled in some duets here and there but we'll have to wait for new music. With the inactivity of other veteran groups it makes sense to put the budding GFriend ahead of the pack. They remain above their direct competition in Apink and have been since the various 2017 rankings. The cold truth is GFriend are the younger, better version of Apink. Catchier music, two strong vocalists, and the livestreaming era have all been huge benefits that this group has utilized.
#4. EXID (+4)
* New Releases: DDD / Do Tomorrow (upcoming)
As I wrote in the introduction, there are the top few groups, and then there's everyone else. EXID previously sat in the latter category but managed to climb out onto the 4th spot. They had a pretty good "DDD" comeback (with an equally hilarious part switch version that you need to watch, now) and an upcoming track with no official English name yet (the Korean works out to something like "Do It Tomorrow"). Unfortunately, these continue to be without Solji who is still recovering. My desire for her to be 100% healthy is more than my desire for her to return to EXID and grace us with her voice again. As r/NFL fans will know / say, bless all the thyroids and keep them healthy!
#3. Mamamoo (--)
* New Releases: Paint Me / Starry Night
Originally, "Paint Me" wasn't included in the new releases part but since it did act as the prelude to the "Yellow Flower" EP I kept it there. Anyway Mamamoo are still sailing strong. The groups younger than them have not yet built up a history or discography that can rival theirs, and the groups older than them have been struggling to maintain relevance. Pound for pound, vocalist for vocalist nobody can hold a candle to this team and Moonbyul being the potent rapper she is is like the cherry on top. Great talent, music, and consistency will keep Mamamoo going for a long time.
#2. Red Velvet (+4)
* New Releases: Doll (Wendy & Seulgi), Peek-A-Boo / Bad Boy
Red Velvet is on fire, y'all. After "Red Summer," they dropped the "Perfect Velvet" studio album and immediately followed up with a repackage in January. "Peek-A-Boo" has risen as their best dance track to date, while "Bad Boy" is an amazing R&B number that has already made its mark in 2018. The former was a top 4 song last year, and the latter will no doubt follow those footsteps. When you combine their last three songs with the success of the "Rookie" and "Russian Roulette" pair before them, and Red Velvet have quietly assembled an all-star diverse library.
#1. Twice (+1)
* New Releases: Likey / Heart Shaker / What Is Love (upcoming)
If this were purely about the songs, then Red Velvet would've blown Twice out of the water ages ago. But numbers don't lie, and Twice's numbers are off the charts (heh). All the #1 placings on charts and streams are often difficult to comprehend as mere peasants. With the popularity of "Likey" and simplicity of "Heart Shaker," they've continued their methodical advance and now that Girls' Generation has stepped off the stage nobody stands in their way. With yet another comeback soon to hit the shelves, Twice are looking to rule over the girl group landscape with an iron fist.
Final Glance
H: Sonamoo
H: CLC
10. Black Pink (-6)
9. Girl's Day
8. Oh My Girl (NEW)
7. Dreamcatcher (+3)
6. Apink (+1)
5. GFriend
4. EXID (+4)
3. Mamamoo
2. Red Velvet (+4)
1. Twice (+1)
Previous Ranking (Fall 2017)
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