I originally made the fourth category a “support” one, referencing vocalists best at transitions, or “gluing” the group so to speak. Afterward I would throw in a few honorable mentions, and this wild card group is a combination. Not only are some of the singers fantastic at transition, I also find a few underrated, or just very unique, they deserve their own group.
Dara is often scoffed at when talking about vocals because she’s not really that standout live or studio, but I think she’s overlooked in terms of her transitional voice. She works the bridges and seams really well in 2NE1’s music, something I don’t see too much of. Dara is the glue voice, holding the explosive Bom, strong CL, and young Minzy’s voices altogether to make 2NE1’s sound.
Narsha reserves a spot for Brown Eyed Girls here. I really like Gain’s voice, but it’s at best a supplement of IU’s voice (most evident in “Bloom”). Narsha has…an innocent voice, which is certainly a curious quality to have for someone who is 31. She has good control and the consistency is appealing, in contrast to the different appealing like say her wacky appearances, outfits, and personality. Overall she adds another pleasant BEG voice to the mix.
It certainly feels a little funny to be putting IU here, but I think it’s where she belongs amongst the other categories. Not quite the powerhouse vocalist or the evident leader, but unique enough to share her voice across ballads and pop alike. IU’s voice has a fluid air around it, instantly transforming anything she sings into a “IU-ified” version, whether it’s her covers of “Sorry Sorry” and “Gee”, it’s a lively thing that definitely sounds IU.
Suzy is the younger successor or equivalent to Dara, At first listen it’s nothing spectacular but she easily grows on you and soon her vocal work in choruses and transition is almost as good as Dara. On a side note, Suzy possesses some of the best English out of all 32 featured vocalists who aren’t fluent speakers. Suzy’s voice is innocent (“Love Alone”) and very lively (“Classic”).
Yoseob’s a member of B2ST which is…a more dance and rap-oriented group than anything. Yoseob is the vocal carry of the group, in similar fashion to Sistar’s Hyorin and Secret’s Ji Eun. His fluid voice moves from one line to another, standing out from the rest of B2ST or in solos like “Caffeine” or backing his member’s voices when they sing.
I consider Junsu (I refuse to call him Jun. K or whatever he changed his name to) the most underrated out of this set. He has this mysterious vibrating quality in his voice. It makes it appear shaky during long notes but it’s really a good “addition” to his voice, so to speak. Like Yoseob, Junsu helps liven up the vocal quality of 2PM, and has stepped up significantly post-Jaebeom.
Onew has a truly distinct voice, and only loses to Jonghyun in the vocals department because his range is lower / smaller, and some awkward sound that arises through certain melodies. It’s weird, because Jonghyun’s voice is similar but with less apparent awkwardness. Now, that sort of thing is mainly subjective but it’s worth noting when talking about SHINee’s lead vocalists. Onew excels in baritone ranges (“One Year Later”) and can sound fairly good in the louder electronic music (“Juliette”), but most certainly out of place in others (“Lucifer”).
Jinwoon’s known for his role in 2AM, where he’s typically a quality support voice while Seulong, Changmin, and Jo Kown do the bulk of work. However, recent solo expeditions and OST work like “Now Or Never” and “You Walking Towards Me” have shown that he is more than capable of providing an explosive yet charming voice. Hopefully, JYP / Big Hit will integrate Jinwoon’s ability into 2AM’s music in the future (and I pray that it not be rap-related).
