[Review] Solji - I'm Here With You

The end of this blog is near. Kpop as a whole has never been further down on my list of interests, and keeping up with releases and that nature. Combine that with the continuous frustration of Blogger's bullshit means it's unlikely I make it to the nine year mark. We'll have to see what happens. Regardless, I promise to keep y'all in the loop no matter the situation.

[Misc] The Late Report: December 2020

Short but sweet comes the December Late Report. Can't wait to still be pissed off about how Blogger fucks with my formatting. It's been months now and it still won't play nice with when I try to insert images or Youtube videos. I also may or may not have consumed a copious amount of alcohol while writing this. But as the young kids these days say, poggers or whatever.

This DLC Fucks

I don't care what the people say: CLC + Dreamcatcher = DLC. There's no better nickname for that combination. Anyway watch this choreography. It's not like I could comment on it in any way, shape, or form but like... They do be slayin' though. It's a damn shame CLC is fucking finished thanks to Cube's incompetence because who knows that the future holds for Seungyeon. She deserves better. The whole of CLC likely deserves better, but man. Seungyeon hopefully won't flame out because she's a goddamn star.

[Review] EXID - Hot Pink (Revisited)

Doing a revisited piece for a disbanded group is like sadness and nostalgia rolled up into a burrito. Even though EXID technically are not defunct, in terms of mainstream media they pretty much are. Anyway, if not for the linked video I'd have forgotten this song existed. In 2020, I don't think it holds up well. Let's see how right my prediction is.

• For starters, "Hot Pink" has deviated itself far from the "Up & Down" formula that gave EXID their chance at glory. The only instance of similarity was at 1:12 right before Solji's part. You could probably insert the latter half of the "Up & Down" chorus from there and that'd be a seamless transition but outside of that the comparisons are lacking. This is good, since we want EXID to find success on their own without the need to piggyback of their "ultimate" song.

Yeah as far as "Up & Down" goes, EXID and their various producers milked that shit for everything possible when it came to future comebacks. In some cases it worked out quite nicely ("Ah Yeah") and in others, not as much ("Hot Pink"). It's different from a group like Dreamcatcher because at least DC has much more variation in song structure and style while staying within their signature sound.

[Bonus] The Late Report: July 2020

Well shit, The Late Report is late once again. Unfortunately for my OCD's sake I refuse to cheat and place this post at the end of July. Over the next couple of days I'll have an update type of post trying to streamline the plans for the remainder of 2020. This year has been all sorts of fucked up, and my blog has been no exception. Anyway here are some treats from July that I'm sharing in August.

Chungha - Play (feat. Changmo)

I feel like I've said Chungha's name a thousand times over the last couple of months. She's been working hard and the results speak for themselves. "Play" was quite the loud comeback and I gotta say that I didn't really dig the song at first. However after a few more listens, the artistry and choreography got me hooked and even though I haven't been listening to too much Kpop in recent months this song got repeated a few times. Props to Chungha for continuing to develop herself as a singer, dancer, and artist. Through her work and talent she has joined the pantheon of great female solo acts.

[Review] EXID - Me & You

Not sure exactly how the song name is supposed to be stylized but whatever. EXID are here for their final act, as Hani and Junghwa will be leaving Banana Culture. Sure the group might not be officially disbanded, but those two members are gonna be looking for new agencies, so the group will have some time before they reunite for more music. As another group bites the dust, we'll see how "Me & You" fares in the competition of closing performances.

[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.

[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] 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] 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.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings VII: Spring 2018

This was actually a difficult piece to write. Outside of an obvious top 3-4 groups, the rest of the rankings were murky for a long time. I tried using some "sophisticated algorithms" to help look at each group from a music and activity perspective but even then I still changed the final list like five times at least. In any case, these are the best girl groups right now based on their lineup, recent showings, and where they're headed, with some legacy points tacked on. Also a reminder that "new releases" covers anything that was released since the last ranking, and that even goes for groups that are appearing on the list for the first time.

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.

[Bonus] Best Of B-Sides III: 2017 Edition

Rather than make another Best Of B-Sides installment and having to refer to the list of ineligible artists, I figured I could use this one to highlight some B-sides that were some of my favorites of the year. It'll keep things recent while still providing some quality tracks that will segue nicely into next week's post about the best overall songs of the year. Treat this almost like a prologue to the Best Of 2017, if you will.

Primary - Drama (feat. Sunggyu)

Primary always drops amazing music. Even though they always trigger me because the featured artist is the only singer, I can forgive them for the quality songs. What's up with releasing half of a music video though? They did it with Solji, too. Anyway Sunggyu rocks "Drama," his voice stretches all across his range in this song and works very well on either end. Sunggyu has historically been great at conveying emotion when he sings, and that's evident throughout Infinite's discography and any collaborations like this one. With a group comeback in the work (sans Hoya) it'll be good to hear his voice some more.

Taeyeon - Fire

This is the best song with the title of "Fire." Get at me 2NE1 and BTS. Anyway "My Voice" is one of the best albums of the year (surprise) so it's not surprising to find the tracklist extraordinary. Much like Sunggyu in "Drama," Taeyeon runs her voice everywhere and sounds wonderful doing so. What's special about "Fire" is that the chorus comes in super fast: 35 seconds in but the song as a whole never feels rushed. That bridge is therapeutic, too. I'd love to hear like a heavy rock variation on this piece, or even with just a heavier drums influence.

[Review] EXID - DDD

EXID is back. Back again. Brand new song, tell a friend! Okay moving along: EXID has made another appearance in 2017, with team mom Solji having further recovered from sickness (hyperthyroidism or whatever). Unfortunately, she isn't 100% back and by proxy probably not 100% healthy either. She isn't participating in any live performances, and also didn't film for the MV. Nonetheless I'm glad she's back. "Night Rather Than Day" was a temporary relief effort without Solji but EXID music being void of Solji's voice makes me sad. And I don't wanna be sad. Not all the time, anyway.

The electrifying instrumental that has been so crucial for many EXID songs continues to light up the background air. Those buzzing noises sound odd and grating at first, but they eventually sink into the rest of the beat and you hardly notice them until when it's blatant. I'm displeased with Hani's start to the song. She has good range but she sounds so much better in her lower register. Honestly, if I was less familiar with EXID I wouldn't have even thought it was her singing that intro. On the other hand, Junghwa is making huge strides in her support vocals and has really come a long way from the awkward transition parts like in "Hot Pink" and "Ah Yeah." She sounds far more in her element than Hani with their high notes. Her case really proves that bad parts can obscure even an average voice.

[Bonus] Wild Kpop Episode II: EXID & BESTie Edition

"What if BESTie went viral in 2014?"

This series is inspired by the Reckless Speculation posts over on the NFL subreddit, which in turn was inspired by the "N-if-L" series by Dave Dameshek. The "wild" is a reference to the wild format of Hearthstone where any and all cards are available. In short, it theorizes how a single decision or event being altered would create a series of domino effects and change the future. Granted, the world of Kpop is more rigid than the world of football (there's no free agency, different contracts, etc.), but it's all for fun speculation and puts my imagination to the test, and that's precisely why I decided to take a crack at it. In today's episode (that's been sloppily pushed back month after month), we look at what could've happened to the careers of two "sister" groups if some fortunes had been reversed.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings VI: Fall 2017

Originally, I was going to have a late November installment of the Girl Group Power Rankings. However with the SNSD news and my desire to put out rankings on a more regular basis (somewhat) means we'll have a new edition a few weeks early. I think having at least three or four installments per year for girl groups can show how the landscape changes every few months. Let's look at the girl group ladder for what may be Girls' Generation's last ride. Remember: this is my list, not yours! Music, roster, and consistency are my go-to attributes when determining rankings.

Honorable Mention: Lovelyz
* New Releases: N/A
As much as I dislike the idea of putting three bubblegum pop groups on the list, Lovelyz is probably the next best group to join the Honorable Mentions section. They've been pretty consistent since their debut, and "Goodnight Like Yesterday" is still an elite ballad. This year they've had a handful of releases (which unfortunately don't get included since the last writeup was in late June) and are looking to wrap up a solid year with an upcoming November comeback. I'm hoping for something more experimental rather than a traditional pop dance track but I'd be open to another high quality ballad, too.

Honorable Mention: 9MUSES
* New Releases: Love City
9MUSES remains on the outside looking in. While they haven't lost any more members since the last time we checked them out, their successor to a fantastic "Remember" comeback was the mediocre "Love City." The song was a little too all over the place and particularly disappointing was Sojin. Her encore performance to the spectacular rap from "Remember" was boring and repetitive. It's doubtful we'll see any new action from them in 2017, but I'd say this was a good rebound year for them, "resetting" the subunit as the full team and all that. Now if only Sungah could come back from hiatus...

#10. Dreamcatcher (--)
* New Releases: Fly High
They're not technically new as they made an appearance under Honorable Mentions but now they've moved into the top 10. Fusing rock and dance, they really give off Jpop vibes and their trio of releases this year reflects that. Even though it lacked a true rap segment, "Fly High" might actually be my favorite of the set. The high tempo of the song is awesome and makes for an exhilarating listen. Now that they've sort of settled into their niche, it'll be interesting to see what direction they try and tackle in 2018. Other groups might have had bigger numbers and more production, but Dreamcatcher's turnaround story is the best of the year.

[Bonus] Best Of EXID

After sitting out of a few discussions, we're back with more r/kpop's Top Ten Tuesdays mixed with Best Of pieces. I really like writing for these because it not only keeps me to another schedule, but also (potentially) generates discussion both here and on reddit. This week we have EXID on the block. With Solji recovering and getting active again it's the perfect time to look back on some of their best music. Let's get started with #10.

#10. L.I.E

What "L.I.E" did was breakup the usual formula that we saw out of EXID during their rise to superstar status. Junghwa's normal-sounding lines, LE's incredible rap verse, and the electric instrumental used in the snazzy dance break all contributed to the song moving away from the "Up & Down" shell which was good. Solji, Hani and Hyerin continued to do their thing as the vocals were also quite comfortable. When I look at EXID in terms of their title tracks, I treat "L.I.E" as the baseline for quality.

#9. 3%

Another track from the "Street" album, Solji's solo makes it onto my list. Coupled with a simple guitar, Solji's voice does the rest. She sings across her range - listen to that contrast between her verses and chorus - and sounds really good throughout all of it. I think I've said this before about Solji but when she reaches / strains for notes it doesn't sound as bad compared to other singers. Maybe that's just another aspect that makes her great.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings V: Summer 2017

With summer in full swing it's time to once again look at the state of the girl group ladder. There's been plenty of activity to go around, and that includes positive and negative moves. Sistar and Wonder Girls depart from the rankings, and T-ARA will soon follow, even though the latter has not made an appearance on this list in a long time. The younger groups have been promoting with fervor (hopefully I updated new releases as accurately as possible) and you can see the new generation of girl groups staking their claim in the industry. As always, we're looking at their main releases, the roster and talent, along with consistency (less of the past, more of the present). Since many of these comebacks have been recent it'll be fun to see what my early impressions are and how they influence placements.

Honorable Mention: Dreamcatcher (NEW)
* New Releases: Chase Me / Good Night
The rebranded Minx made a name for themselves early on in 2017, with "Chase Me" bringing a powerful sound uncommon for girl groups (and arguably boy groups, too). Both "Chase Me" and "Good Night" have Jpop influences and they're definitely darker than your typical girl group (reddit sure loves their MVs). Powerful instrumentals and choreography drive their music and they've rightfully been getting praised for that. I'd only heard of Minx by name before the rebranding so it really was like finding a new group for the first time. Having music with heavy rock elements that remind of Younha's early days is absolutely keeping this group on my radar. As long as they keep releasing quality content and sweet dance clips consistently, Dreamcatcher will enjoy new success to go with their new name.

Honorable Mention: 9MUSES
* New Releases: Talk About You (Kyungri), Remember
Frankly, "Remember" is one of the best songs this year thus far, and arguably 9MUSES' best song since the days of "Wild" and "Glue." Man how I miss those days... The dark concept and electric instrumental pair excellently and the balanced vocal attack continue to do work. Hyemi has never sounded better and the same could be said for Kyungri and Keumjo. Sojin's rap is also extremely impressive considering it's many steps above what she showed us in "Lip 2 Lip." "Remember" was everything I could've hoped for. Of course this is all fun and good, but 9MUSES - or rather Star Empire - can't be trusted. They've risen up so many times only to fall apart an equal number of times. The inconsistency with this group will continue to plague them as they move forward so they'll stay just outside the top 10.

#10. Red Velvet (--)
* New Releases: Rookie / Would U, Darling U / Our Story (Seulgi)
Red Velvet officially makes their appearance within the top 10. After sitting in the Honorable Mentions section for the last two times, a flurry of activity and departure of Sistar leads them to the 10th spot. "Rookie" really wasn't my cup of tea, and so I'll await their next slower song comeback ("Would U" sort of counts but sort of doesn't since it was through Station). What has also helped RV is Joy's collection of OST work for her drama which is bordering an entire library of its own. As you've noticed I've omitted them from the new releases line because that would take up unnecessary amounts of space. They are one of the few girl groups on the list that possess average vocalists at the worst, something their music generally utilizes well.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings IV: Early 2017

Quick, before AOA makes their comeback! Too late? Okay, quick! Before I review their comeback! Here are my Girl Group Power Rankings going into the start of 2017. As per usual(?), the main components of each group I'll be look at are the quality of their music, consistency (both music-wise and promotion-wise), potential and talent. Stuff like chart placings, show winnings, variety appearances, and general popularity aren't as important to me, because if they don't have good music I don't really care how popular they are. But they do still play a factor, of course. The music factor will only be accounted for the period between the previous Power Ranking. So for this series, only content from around July was considered, but will also include anything I may have missed. Alright no more introductions, let's get cracking.

Honorable Mention: Girl's Day
* New Releases: N/A
Enough is enough. Girl's Day is the only group on this list that has not released anything in over a year. They can only go by on their legacy for so long. Thankfully they haven't reached After School-levels of a disappearing act, with members still being productive through acting adventures and variety show appearances. Hyeri is still making it rain and their ever-elusive comeback should help bring them back into the spotlight. They have plummeted from the #1 spot in September of 2015, but with a comeback in January, they'll look to go on a revenge tour for all the ranks they've dropped.

Honorable Mention: Red Velvet
* New Releases: Russian Roulette, Always In My Heart (Joy)
Red Velvet retain their Honorable Mention placing from the summer. This is mostly due to the ineffectiveness of "Russian Roulette," which in my eyes is their worst showing since their dreadful debut. It's still a solid C- song but that ain't quite good enough to push themselves into the top 10. Joy also had an opportunity with Station that she took full advantage of, which highlights one thing about Red Velvet that often goes underappreciated: they have solid voices from top to bottom. The duet with Seulong proves it. Better news / hype is that we should be slated for a Velvet comeback, which will have more soft tunes in store.

#10. Wonder Girls (--)
* New Releases: Why So Lonely
Wonder Girls aren't new to the #10 spot, which was their previous location back in fall of 2015. They had inhabited one of the Honorable Mention placings for most of last year but thanks to the wonderful "Why So Lonely" EP, they've managed to get back to this spot. Wonder Girls are extremely well-balanced. They have Yubin who is one of the best girl group rappers, Sunmi and Yeeun who are solid vocalists (with established material as individuals to boot), and a retro band theme that they own (when was the last time you saw a girl group band in Kpop). Dance is no longer their emphasis as it was back in the day but that's to be expected when everyone is playing instruments now.

[Bonus] Best Of B-Sides: Part I

Sometimes, the title track is poorly chosen, or is simply a bad song. Thankfully, there are other songs around to help it out. These posts will highlight some of my favorite songs off albums that weren't title tracks. B-sides are often difficult to compile if only because nobody has all the time in the world to scour every album and every tracklist. However I have my fair share of albums in my library, so this should be an easy task. The songs themselves won't be ranked, mostly because these posts will be recurring - as they essentially give me an outlet to write on any given day even if I'm stuck on a review or can't get ideas flowing.

BTS - Butterfly

Perhaps the hottest boy group right now is BTS. And while they're often known for their insane choreography and in-your-face energy, they have some really great stuff on the slower side of the spectrum. "Butterfly" is a classic example and both the singers and rappers restrain themselves wonderfully. Despite the mass amount of falsetto, it's a rare instance where it works given the pace of the song. BTS shows that you don't need excellent vocalists to have excellent ballads.

Younha - Realize After Breakup (feat. Kim Bumsoo)

As mentioned previously, Younha has seen her fair share of strong collaborations. This was a top-end ballad of 2009, and the names alone reveal why. Contrasting Kim Bumsoo's sharp voice is Younha's more clear and rounded one. They combine for wonderful harmonies throughout the song and easily make this piece a karaoke classic. Neither singer overpowers the other, which is a quality I really love seeing in duets (even if it's rather uncommon). Impressive singing from start to finish, what more could you ask for?

[Bonus] Best Of 2015 Revisited

The finale to the Best 201X Revisited is probably premature, considering we're only barely halfway through 2016, but I committed to it and wanted this one written before anything like a Best Of 2011 so here's another look. Unlike other installments, I'm pretty satisfied with my 2015 set (and part of that is certainly due to the shorter time between revisions) so there are relatively few changes across the board. With the said, it'll likely prove difficult to write anything substantial about the songs that I didn't already say before in December. Still, we'll give it a go and wrap up this series today.

#12. Big Bang - Loser (-2)
Original: 9MUSES - Hurt Locker
Simplicity is key, and Big Bang capitalize on that statement with the quiet and calming track that is very much the successor to "Blue." However, while no one can question the quality, it simply loses out to other songs based on their general noise and energy. When you need some relaxing tunes, or want to emo out for a bit, "Loser" has your back. "Loser" falls to 12th not because it's a loser - it is very much a winner, but because it's the most boring song on the list.

#11. Mad Clown - Fire (NEW)
Original: IU - Twenty Three
Honestly, Mad Clown has some transcendent stuff. He has a pretty unique flow and his voice can sometimes be grating, but it's never really turned me away from his music. With "Stupid In Love" having placed him on the radar, Mad Clown joined forces this time with the less known Jinsil for "Fire." Jinsil has a sultry seductive voice, which is a pleasant counter to Mad Clown's explosive rapping. By all means this song should've catapulted both into stardom but that hasn't happened quite yet.

[Bonus] Best Of 2014 Revisited

Continuing the revisited series, we stop at a shy two years back in 2014. This was one of the more diverse years and I expect a handful of new entries to join the fun. Writing these redos have been fun and I may go in reverse after doing the 2015 set, although I'll probably only write 2011 and 2010 because my memory doesn't go much further back. At some point, I even plan for a "Best Of 2010-2015" and basically pit the top 5 of each year against each other to see which songs come out on top.

#12. INFINITE - Back (--)
Original: INFINITE - Back
Zero changes here. Infinite's "Back" was a reliable release with all the trademarks of the group in tow. Solid vocal showing from Sunggyu and Woohyun, and a dance performance that lives up to the Infinite name. In terms of the individual categories they all did well and came together well, too. There were some boy group songs competing for this spot (namely Block B's "Her") but at the end of the day the consistency of Infinite's track record proved stronger.

#11. Lovelyz - Goodnight Like Yesterday (NEW)
Original: Wheesung - Night & Day
Lovelyz kicks off five consecutive new entries to the 2014 list. Most of the songs that were replaced were ones that didn't have staying power, whether through the songs not being as good as initially interpreted, novelty wearing off, or a combination of those and other factors. "Goodnight Like Yesterday" is a premier ballad and helps out Jieun in that genre's representation. Soft soothing voices led by Kei make this a lullaby for the ages. The best part? "Destiny" showed that this wasn't a one-trick-wonder either, this style could be their bread and butter if they wanted.