[Bonus] Best Of The 2010's

Back in early 2016 I made a post highlighting the best picks of the first five years of the decade. And of course there was the timeline post, too. But now with the 2010's behind us, it's time to see which of the top songs of each year would come out on top in a battle of the best. To make things simple, each year brings one candidate to the table. I contemplated giving some of the runner-ups a chance (because there have been some damn good #2 picks over the years) but that wouldn't be fair to all the songs who claimed the gold medal. This was arguably the hardest song ranking piece I've ever had to write. Let's see how the stars of the 2010's match up against each other.

#10. Ailee - Heaven (2012)

Make no mistake, the fact that "Heaven" is a debut track making a top 10 such as this is impressive. Plus, it's the only debut track to have accomplished such a feat. Some debuts have been good, but never this good. "Heaven" is a sublime power ballad that showcases Ailee's technique, power, and range all in one song. Ailee's powerful vocals have always been the center of attention for obvious reasons and her career started off on quite the introduction.

#9. 2NE1 - Ugly (2011)

The only knock I really have on "Ugly" in the context of the rest of these songs is that it's decidedly safe in most respects. Don't get me wrong it's still an emphatic dance number. I also love the lyrics and message that this song delivers, but some of the traditional YG mannerisms show up - in particular the chant-esque bridge - which by themselves are not bad, but fail to stand out compared to others here.

#8. IU - Blueming (2019)

The trouble with writing a list like this so soon after 2019 ended is there hasn't been enough time for the newest song to simmer in the ol' library you know? Because while "Blueming" is brilliant, it loses out against other tracks simply because it came out the latest. Still, IU's switch of styles provides a relaxing and soothing listen. No doubt after a couple years we will look back upon its legacy like some of the other songs here but for now it'll nestle itself at 8th place.

[Bonus] Best Of 2010-2015

Now that we've looked at some of the best songs of each year for the past 6 years, it's time to look at the bigger picture: who will come out on top overall? To find out the best song(s) from 2010-2016, only the top 3 of each year will be candidates. After all, it would be unfair (and also too much work, admittedly) to look at the top 5, or each full list. Anyway, if you want a refresher, here are the candidates.

2010: Taeyang - I Need A Girl, Rainbow - A, IU - Good Day
2011: Big Bang - Love Song, Davichi - Don't Say Goodbye, 2NE1 - Ugly
2012: Girls' Generation-TTS - Twinkle, Big Bang - Blue, Ailee - Heaven
2013: Girl's Day - Expectation, SPICA - Tonight, 9MUSES - Wild
2014: AOA - Miniskirt, Girl's Day - Something, Soyu & Junggigo - Some
2015: INFINITE - Bad, FIESTAR - You're Pitiful, EXO - Call Me Baby

I'll only list the top 10 for simplicity sake, and because I've talked about many of these songs a number of times already, the conversation will revolve around why one song is better (or worse) than another. It's another simple piece of writing as I prepare for another week of midterms and the new Twice review.

[Bonus] Best Of 2013 Revisited

As a heads up, I'm gonna be pretty busy over the next few weeks. Apparently my next online course is no joke with the amount of reading materials, and I'll be traveling to Korea for a week (which is gonna be awesome!). I have a plethora of writing I want (and started) to do - as evidenced by the "Coming Soon" section, but no idea if they'll come to completion or not. Anyway, here's a look back at my picks in 2013 and how the list would look like now in hindsight.

#12. Davichi - Turtle (NEW)
Original: Davichi - Be Warmed
Davichi's original two tracks have been dropped and replaced by the lovely "Turtle." I consider "Turtle" the medium between "Be Warmed" and "Because I'm Missing You Today." It possesses the lighthearted feel of the latter while still maintaining an intensity in the powerful vocals of the former. Sure there's no Verbal Jint appearance but he's already a bonus to begin with. The vocal work between Minkyung and Haeri is divine in "Turtle," and has over the years risen to be my 2nd favorite Davichi track (behind "Don't Say Goodbye," naturally).

#11. Gaeko - Rhythm Is Life (NEW)
Original: JeA - Days & Nights
In the first list, Dynamic Duo was the sole male representation. This time around, only Gaeko returns (though there is another male artist later). Like I mentioned in Best Of 2012 Revisited, Korean hip-hop didn't fly onto the radar until 2013, and this was one of the pioneering tracks. Gaeko's "Rhythm Is Life" is a straight masterpiece in terms of the execution of lyrics. His delivery is pretty close to flawless and the replay value is through the roof. Gaeko and Dynamic Duo helped pave the way for other hip-hop artists to join my library.

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 Revisited

Here's a fun twist. I'm going to look at and revise my list of best songs from each of the past 4 years. Well, maybe. I'm going to start with the 2012 set for obvious reasons, and we'll see how I feel as it goes. Should be an interesting take and parallel to the Power Ranking pieces. Each entry will include a link to the MV, the original song in that position in parentheses (to make the list look prettier), and then some short comments about the song's rise, fall, or if it's a new addition to the list, why it deserves to be here and etc.

#12. B.A.P - Warrior (--)
Original: B.A.P - Warrior

Starting off the revisions with a lack of revision, B.A.P's "Warrior" remains one of the strongest and impressive debuts to date. The choreography was excellent and the rapping on another level (in terms of debuts anyway). While the team blonde look didn't help us get acquainted with the members, it's an iconic image if only for Zelo's ramen hairstyle. This introductory piece did a great job laying the foundation for B.A.P tracks to come.

#11. Juniel - Bad Man (-7)
Original: EXO-K - Angel

So I vastly overestimated Juniel back in 2012. She has had a good string of releases up until her departure from FNC, but "Bad Man" remains her best work. To put it in top 4 though was very very ambitious and as I found out over the years, Juniel's music is very niche and as a result doesn't have as much staying power as I'd want. Regardless, it's still good enough to not get outright dropped like other songs. And there's more to do with reevaluated songs being better than "Bad Man" being overhyped back then.

[Review] Ailee - Mind Your Own Business

Ailee returns while fighting a leg injury and graces with her first studio album "Vivid." Boasting double title tracks, Ailee looks to capitalize on the mediocre releases of soloists thus far. At the very least we'll see how "Mind Your Own Business" fares, while praying that she has a speedy recovery, as well. Ailee sure loves her serious titles: "I Will Show You," "Don't Touch Me," etc.

[Review] Ailee - Don't Touch Me

The diva who competes for the title of “Korea’s Beyonce” returns with “Don’t Touch Me,” and as a follow-up to the likes of “I’ll Show You” and “U&I,” I’m…somewhat disappointed.

Ailee is known for the explosive vocals that we’ve seen from her since even before debut. However, I think this is one of her weakest showings yet, but let me clarify. The problems i have with this song are all in the chorus. It’s usually a distinct line between when a singer is hitting the notes and when she (or he!) is reaching for them, but to me almost all of the high notes in this chorus are reaches, and they are not graceful reaches. To be honest, there may be and probably are other factors to why I feel this way. Her high notes in previous songs like “I’ll Show You” were also reaches, but I never really had problems with them. It’s interesting, to say the least.

The verses are absolutely divine. Ailee’s least impressive area had always been her lower register, and “Don’t Touch Me” brings out her lower notes powerfully and smoothly. The bridge is also pretty solid, in a year where I consider a majority of the songs to have stronger starts and weaker finishes, Ailee comes in the middle for both.

As for the video, it’s nothing special. The set for the first chorus reminded me of some of the backgrounds in “U&I” which unfortunately reminds me of how much weaker I think this song is in comparison. But the key difference in this video and the others is how damn skinny Ailee has gotten. Apparently she lost 22 pounds for this comeback? Why? Ailee always possessed a healthy image, and like Hyosung, there was no real reason to lose the weight. Her appearance is much more frail, almost to the point where it’s unsettling. This is especially true during the bridge, I could hardly bring myself to watch. Please bring that weight back!

I do not think this was Ailee at her best. The chorus is unstable and the bridge is forgettable. Curious weight loss hurts her image and makes the supposed standard eye candy a little painful. That being said, she’s made impressive progress with her low range and that manages to hold the song together.

[ Score: 80 / 100 ]

[Bonus] Best Of 2013 (#4-#1)

4, Girl’s Day - Expectation

Girl’s Day made a sexy splash this year with leading titles “Expectation” and “Female President”, and “Expectation” is certainly the better of many. The “overalls” choreography turned heads and the vocal work out of Minah and especially Sojin really caught my attention. Minah had been praised for her voice but I was really attracted to Sojin’s lines throughout the song. The support vocals from Hyeri and Yura were also rather impressive, again, considering that all I had heard out of Girl’s Day’s vocals prior to this was how Minah was the “star singer”. The vocals certainly make this song, giving “Expectation” that “sexy but classy” theme that’s becoming ever more popular. The rather atrocious rap bridge however, should be nothing more than a bad memory. If Yura had a more solid rap, I’d have been more considerate in possibly placing Girl’s Day in the top 3. This song definitely exceeded expectations for Girl’s Day, and helped catapault them forward into the upper echelons of girl groups.

3. Ailee - U&I

While I classify the list by fours for aesthetics, the final 3 songs are in a tier of their own on this setlist. Ever since the earliest drafts, I had these 3 standing together at the very top and for good reason. Ailee will start us off with powerful vocals and a main focus in choreography, the latter of which is something we just don’t usually see out of Ailee, but excellent nonetheless. Regarding the vocals, what more is there to say about this girl? Ailee has already established herself as one of the most powerful and versatile voices in Kpop, and “U&I” certainly brought her absolute strongest points into the light. As a supplement, the music video is full of colour and bling, but what makes the MV is Ailee’s acting and charisma coupled with her sassy use of English. “U&I” helped lead off a very successful “A’s Doll House” album.

2. SPICA - Tonight

There are few groups who can boast having a talented vocal roster all around, and SPICA is one of them. Not many other than SPICA could pull off “Tonight” into the extremely impressive track like they did. No other song (or group, for that matter) can take the opening and build up into the explosive chorus quite like how “Tonight” and SPICA did. That alone is incredibly impressive but the hype doesn’t stop there, as each member takes part in keeping the energy and momentum to the very last line. The surprise rapping is used as a good transition between more high energy vocals and has a solid rhyme scheme / addicting aura around it (mysteriously akin to the rapping in EXO’s “Baby Don’t Cry”). The execution in “Tonight” is perfect bar none, and even the muffled “Hey hey hey” during the chorus doesn’t make me cringe or put this song away.

1. 9MUSES - Wild

You’ll notice a recurring theme in the final 3 songs on this list. And that theme revolves around the power, energy, and execution of the vocals. 9MUSES were extremely busy this year, and the catalyst for their success and growth in popularity was the mid-year release of “Wild”, There are plethora of reasons why I believe this song is the best this year. “Wild” has extremely exciting vocals from start to finish, from the high energy singing all around to the tricky bridge that jumps into the final chorus. The instrumental for this track is one of the best, with aggression and a sound which compliments and augments the high level vocals and fast-paced rapping. Speaking of, Erin easily takes the title of “Best Rapper 2013” with the break in “Wild”, and teammate Eunji doesn’t disappoint with her part, either. Lastly, the fanservice is off the charts. The lip shots were extremely odd, but everything else got “Wild” banned by MOGEF faster than haters could even say anything about. With the best long-range energetic vocals, incredible execution, beast rap breaks, aggressive instrumentals, and uncontrollable fanservice, “Wild” pushes 9MUSES into the #1 song of 2013.
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The list this year, in my opinion, isn’t as impressive at the set from 2012, but the finesse of the upper half or upper third really steps up and way above. Unlike last year’s ballad overflow, this year’s music has much more power and energy while still being vocal-centric. 2014 is gonna be quite the exciting year, since groups like Girls’ Generation and Dal Shabet are making comebacks, and with the departure of the contemporary KARA and Wonder Girls, rising groups like 9MUSES, Girl’s Day, and Sistar are really going to grow and establish themselves. Next month (in less than a week, actually), I’ll be going to Hong Kong for school, so there may be a lull in some early January reviews pending on if I can get some bonus writings out and pre-publish them on Tumblr.

Above all, Merry Christmas, and keep on Kpoppin’.

[Bonus] Kpop Free Agency: Soloists

We’ve all imagined idol group shuffling, where members get exchanged for some dream, interesting, or just downright wacky new groups. But what about solo artists? What if they had the choice to join groups? Would they go for something that they’re right at home with, or try something entirely different?
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Ailee

There’s no secret that Ailee wouldn’t mind being in a group. Ailee has stated in interviews that she gets lonely at times and thus would love being in a group. Ailee named 2NE1 as the “dream” group she would like to be in. While Ailee’s powerhouse vocals and fluency in English would certainly help out 2NE1′s foray into the US (and the thought of listening to her in songs like “I Am The Best” and “Falling In Love” are highly entertaining), there is another group more tailored to her skills. Imagine if you will, Hyorin and Ailee the powerful juggernaut vocals of Sistar’s music, with Dasom and Soyu providing supportive transitions with their lighter voices. Ailee’s addition into Sistar would not only improve the already excellent vocal quality of Sistar, but also bring some more diversity in terms of the rapping. Bora and Ailee can share parts, which will either bring more exposure to Bora or force Starship to give Bora some singing lines.

IU

While a little behind on the timing, IU’s maturity from (bubblegum) pop to more serious songs really strikes a tune with Girl’s Day’s transition to “Expectation” and “Female President.” Girl’s Day has always been one of the girl groups with better line distribution, so including IU in the mix will not leave her overshadowed or underrepresented at all. IU’s voice brings another layer to Girl’s Day’s vocals, with her higher register meshing well with Minah. IU’s distinct voice will also provide a blend from members like Sojin and Yura who have lower voices. The primary difference that would result from being in a group like Girl’s Day is the outfits in MVs which are more revealing in contrast to IU’s more conservative outfits. All in all, IU’s unique voice and charm could help bring Girl’s Day into the spotlight with the recent releases.

Lee Hi

When first brainstorming this topic, Ailee and Lee Hi were the first two that came to mind. Ailee easily found a home with Sistar, but for Lee Hi, something was different. Her rich voice certainly appeared to be a valuable asset and could appeal to any group, but when you look at her music, it is so very much “YG” that it was difficult to think of a complementing group. A group like Brown Eyed Girls would bring challenges for Lee Hi as she tackles different genres, but joining 15& would accentuate the distinct voices of the girls already in the group. Something not yet mentioned thus far is age, which Lee Hi not only fits in age-wise, but also by the age of their careers, both having debuted in October of 2012. This also was the more interesting choice since she’s going from YG to JYP, but Lee Hi’s proficiency in English enunciation will only help her with the plethora of English found in most JYP songs.
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This was just a few ideas amongst a multitude of solo artists. I didn’t mention more seasoned singers like BoA and Younha, while neglecting male solo artists like Huh Gak and Se7en entirely (although for the latter, that may the better choice). The world of group theory is a diverse and interesting one. Who are some solo artists you could see fitting into groups, and which groups are they?

[Review] Ailee - U&I

Vocals: 25 / 25

Honestly, anything less than a perfect score is really a disappointment coming from Ailee. She’s a native English speaker so the lines are perfectly pronounced, and the high level of energy in the vocals is maintained from start to finish (almost!). I also liked the use of layering her voice to add some thickness / richness so it comes off a little more powerful. Wasn’t the biggest fan of the trumpets at the beginning but with some more listens they kinda melt into the background thanks to the awesome chorus. In contrast to the opening of the song, I felt the ending was a little weak / lacking, but it’s just a small misstep of an otherwise powerful showing.

Music Video: 17 / 25

This music video is supposed to be dance-centric, and it is. At the very least, every couple of transitions is to a dance part, whether solo or with backup dancers. In and out of the dance, Ailee is showing off her charm and energy. I did not like some of the lighting choices at the beginning. Specifically, the dark grey made her look really pale / like some sort of vampire so I was relieving when the video switched to brighter scenes. The box sets aren’t anything special, and the one with all the bright flashy signs reminded me of Girls’ Generation’s “Paparazzi” but that’s just flavor if nothing else. Average music video is average.

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Overall: 85 / 100

The vocals far surpass what a number will have to say about the song. “U&I” is a strong comeback for a standout vocalist. Ailee continues to leave her mark with solid title tracks left and right. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if she’ll try a different genre for the future, just because we’ve become accustomed to what she’s released before.

[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Balanced

In this “Best Of” series, we’ll be taking a look at the various fields of talent in KPop. What kind of talent? Vocal talent, of course! I’ll bring up eight of my favourite singers across four different categories, while highlighting some of their most impressive works of course.

While none of these are particular rankings, these eight might just be the overall best, balanced in pretty much every way between control, pitch, range, utility, and more. While they are essentially capable of being leads, they’re just too strong at everything else to be labeled as such. 

Younha leads the pack as my favourite vocalist ever. She may not have the widest range or the most powerful voice, but the ability to put emotion, innocence, and consistency in her voice is unrivaled and her versatility is remarkable. Through the emotional “Broke Up Today”, energetic “Houki Boshi”, and the powerful “Hero”, Younha is allstar material.

Hyorin is known for carrying Sistar, who are at best mediocre singers without her. Her prowess in lower ranges is incredible, and her high notes and belts are something, too, if but a little airy. Hyorin’s voice is probably best described as “running velvet”, or “silvery”. It’s like methodical but precise, able to adapt to various styles at ease. Hyorin is hailed as Korea’s Beyonce, and justly so.

In contention for said title is rising rookie Ailee, whose explosive voice (“Girl On Fire”) is also the same lofting beautiful light ballads (“Evening Sky”). Throw on being a native English speaker and the ability to rap (Wheesung’s “He Is Coming”), and Ailee was my candidate for “Best Rookie 2012” or at the very least the solo artist recipient. If all else, Ailee will probably have one of the best covers ever (“Halo”).

Taeyeon finishes off the girls’ list in glory, as the most impressive female group vocalist with 5+ years in experience. Years have gone by and all Taeyeon has is matured since 2007. Complete versatility (“7898”, “Devil’s Cry”, “Hoot”) and angelic power notes (“O Holy Night”) are some of the best qualities.

Over on the males side, Kyuhyun tops out Yesung for Super Junior’s representative (don’t worry we’ll talk about Yesung later). While Yesung is definitely the expert at ballads and emotion, Kyuhyun isn’t that far off and is also stellar at various genres like rock (“Pretend Party”) and pop (“Rise & Shine”), too.

When one brings up DBSK, Junsu is the essence of prime vocal ability. The unique sound he possesses and quality control make Junsu instantly recognizable and with work like “In Heaven” and even older releases like the “Timeless” duet with Zhang LiYin (which was lovely, may I add), it’s not hard to see why. Since the DBSK / JYJ split, JYJ’s music has always tailored more to the vocal talents, and Junsu utilizes that as much as possible.

Seulong has the smoothest voice in 2AM and thus overall. Being a member of 2AM, most of his work is ballads (“You Wouldn’t Answer My Calls”, “Even If I Die I Can’t Let You Go”), he has branched off so to speak with collaboration work in “Nagging” with IU and even under “I Did Wrong”, too.

Originally, I thought of Daesung as a support role. While he does do the vocal work in Big Bang, it’s not typically expressive enough as some of the other singers on the group. However, going back through older stuff reminded me on just how brilliant he can be, with more recent things like “Baby Don’t Cry” and “Bad Boy” highlighting his smooth voice. The very fact that I feel his voice is more utility but at the same time omnipresent is proof enough of his skill.

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 (#4-#1)

4. Juniel - Bad Man

Juniel’s Korean debut with “Illa Illa” immediately gave her a unique position amongst solo debuts. I thought of her like a pleasant combination of Younha and IU, two who also happen to be standout vocalists. However, “Bad Man” is more along the lines of ranking Juniel along with the prestigious high note ballad masters, like Joo, Minkyung, and Jessica. While Juniel has such a pretty voice, I think she’ll probably be limited to this type of music, since I don’t see her being able to hold her own in anything requiring more power. Regardless, she’s flawless and the adlibs are delicious. The ending is a perfect “picture” of the song, with innocent Juniel’s extremely pretty voice singing “You are such a mean person, you are such a bad person”, it’s almost eerie.

3. Big Bang - Blue

This song is amazing because Big Bang doesn’t typically release this style of music. What is even more amazing is the perfect execution by all the members. Yes, even T.O.P pulls his own impressive weight in this soft medium tempo ballad. Everyone’s notes are mellow, the tune is relaxing and soft, and the rap singing isn’t out of place, a culmination of something we don’t expect to see coming out of this loud and electric group. The most interesting part of the song is the chorus, since at first listen Seungri and G-Dragon seemed to merge. I think since “Blue” was released first, I had increased my expectations for the other two title tracks which (for the most part) did not fail to disappoint.

2. Younha - Would We Have Changed (feat. John Park)

You saw glimpses of my praise for this song in “Best Of Younha”, so you already know what I’ll be saying. The harmonization work between Younha and John Park is practically unrivaled. While 2012 did bring out some other really strong harmony showings (Kyuhyun and Tiffany in “Rise And Shine”), this song sets a standard far above what many singers can reach. The emotion and synchronization is flawless, making “Would We Have Changed” easily the best song of Younha’s 4th album and propelled “Supersonic” to one of my favourite overall albums.

1. Ailee - Heaven

Since the days of her Youtube channel, Ailee has shown off beautiful talent which has not lingered through her path to stardom. With the debut of “Heaven”, the incredible performances on Y’s Sketchbook and Immortal Song 2, to the comeback with “I Will Show You”, Ailee proved she isn’t merely a Korean American soloist but carries much stronger potential than most people thought. While her covers of “Halo” and later, “Girl On Fire” have showcased her power, “Heaven” brought out and perfected the “power ballad” genre, mixing explosive high / power notes with soothing verses and bridging crescendos. Ailee even utilized her husky voice at the end, truly standout work.
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So there you have it, my list of the top 12 songs in this bright and explosive year. Essentially, to me ballads are too strong for the singers with incredible voices for the dance pop genre to put up a serious fight. For 2013, I will be changing up the schedule a little, mainly releasing the weekly review on Sundays, optionally followed by either bonus writings or a retro review on Wednesdays and Fridays. Stay tuned and happy New Years

[Review] Ailee - I Will Show You

Vocals: 10 / 10

Was there ever any doubt? Even if you don’t follow Ailee’s escapades on Immortal Song 2 and don’t know of her talent, Ailee’s work in this song is amazing. Like everyone else, I was tricked into thinking this would be a slow, emotional ballad from the beginning. Pleasantly surprised by the breakout chorus, Ailee put out a dominating performance, consisting of high powerful belts, sorrowful notes, low husky lines, Ailee does a lot in this song. While I thought the bridge (which sounds mysteriously similar to “I Will Survive”) was out of place at first, I came to like it as a marker between the more confident Ailee in the prior choruses and the weaker and emotional Ailee in the final chorus. The transition from the second chorus to the start of the bridge could’ve been executed more smoothly, though. Everything is perfectly within range, the English is acceptable, and nothing is extraneous or unnecessary. 10점 만점에 10점!

Appearance: 10 / 10

Am I the only one who thinks that the only difference between the “ugly” Ailee and the “pretty” Ailee is that the former is just ridiculously cute in the pigtails and the latter is just downright attractive? Goodness G.O. You have no tastes. Ailee’s eyes are the highlight when she “transforms” shining bright blue and I was staring at her eyes with every close-up. Ailee’s hair is also flawless even in the more goofy styles (like the one particularly reminiscent of Dara).

Dance: 8 / 10

Choreography is never the focus of Ailee’s songs / music videos, but for what it is worth it’s simple and that’s enough to make me like it. Maybe in the future we’ll see some crazy choreography out of Ailee to show us that she’s indeed one of the best all around artists there is. Some of the sequences where there’d be one or two backup dancers standing still was weird. Usually I’d leave Ailee / whoever is the main stand in place while the others move around but hmm what do I know I’m not a choreographer.

Music Video: 8 / 10

This is a straightforward music video. See what I did there?! The setting looks good minus the rather creepy hospital-esque location at the beginning and bridge. All the people who previously ignored her (while she was so freaking adorable) suddenly drool over her asking for dates and marriage. Ailee initially rejects the now serious G.O. and talks about wanting better, described by the chorus but eventually seems to break down, showing the emotional rift and finally smiles after being hugged by G.O. (that lucky man). All in all it’s a good compliment. Extra credit to G.O. for some of the most stupidly forced and hilarious facial expressions I have ever seen in any music video ever.

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Overall: 90 / 100

This is a strong message backed by powerful vocals and a solid instrumental. Honestly, no one would ever recognize Ailee for the rookie that she is. But that is only by definition, and Ailee has proven time and time again she is no ordinary rookie solo amongst a sea of new groups.