September - December Rankings
14. Twice - Like Ooh-Ahh (70)
13. EXID - Hot Pink (77)
12. iKON - My Type (80)
11. Red Velvet - Dumb Dumb (80)
10. 9MUSES - Sleepless Night (83)
9. Lovelyz - Ah-Choo (84)
8. GOT7 - If You Do (85)
7. DAY6 - Congratulations (86)
6. Super Junior - Magic (87)
5. Kisum - Love Talk (90)
4. IU - Twenty Three (90)
3. Ailee - Mind Your Own Business (90)
2. Taeyeon - I (90)
1. f(x) - 4 Walls (90)
Actually, I reviewed the same number of songs from January to April. At least that's reaching status quo in a way. Consider me impressed, because literally 1/3rd of the reviewed tracks scored 90 points. Looking back I wasn't overzealous with them, either. These songs are simply that good. The only exception may be "Love Talk," given that the song as a whole was a little too late for the summer block. Still, really impressive top 5. The bottom songs were definitely the source for disappointment, as Twice failed to capitalize on their debut and EXID didn't gain momentum off the stupendous work that was "Ah Yeah." Oh yeah, for the instances where I reviewed albums (Taeyeon, IU, 9MUSES), I gave a rough estimation as to where the score would be for each song independent of the other songs on the album. So naturally, IU and Taeyeon leap forward due to the strength of the title tracks while 9MUSES has a slightly above average placement in terms of score.
Girl Group Power Rankings Update (Winter 2015)
I was originally going to write up another Girl Group Power Rankings piece but considering that half the groups haven't been active since the last time, it's best to wait about half a year before getting around to updating those rankings again (around March probably). Instead we'll just briefly look over the groups that have been somewhat active lately and talk about them moving forward. I will have another Girl Group Radar before the new year which may repeat some of the things said here.
Girls' Generation: I thought Tiffany was supposed to have a solo debut sometime before 2016. While the subunit's Christmas music isn't too much to write home about, Taeyeon's solo effort was everything we wanted from her for a while now. "I" did extremely well in all aspects and is even better a catalyst for the group than their "Lion Heart" studio album was. Like I said last time, Tiffany's solo debut will have to be just as good or in a completely different realm to not have to hold up to those expectations that Taeyeon has set.
EXID: Weeks after the release of "Hot Pink" and I still can't quite dig it. The song is simply inferior to the other great hits they have, even those predating the viral explosion of "Up & Down." The group is still in a good spot, so no cause for concern. I desperately crave a Dasoni comeback, and while we're on this topic, the remaining members should also have a subunit of their own (credit to slipz). That theory does seem to struggle in terms of stage presence, because LE would have to carry super hard. Junghwa would also need to step up and not get the crappy awkward transitions that she has been plagued with.
f(x): Despite losing Sulli, f(x) literally turned everything around because the "4 Walls" album was nothing short of spectacular. They proved they don't need Sulli for either mass appeal or musicality, and my goodness is "4 Walls" a good song or what. The severe f(x) drought was quenched, but they still need to return to releasing regular content to become relevant again in the girl group battle. At least they are no longer locked in the S.M dungeons anymore.
Fall 2015 Highlights
Since the "Best Of 2015" series is coming up, I won't pick my favourites from this trimester necessarily, but I will point out a few releases that were noteworthy either way.
Mamamoo - Girl Crush
Leave it to Mamamoo to deliver something exciting and addicting no matter what time of year it is. This OST is fresh, cute, and fun. The vocals are naturally exquisite and maintain Mamamoo standard. Moonbyul's one-liners are more entertaining than the ones in "Piano Man," and her actual rap is very good, too. I don't typically dive into too many of the OST stuff, even those from idols but this is certainly an exception that earns that.
Joo - Cry & Blow
S.M isn't the only company with people trapped within. Joo used to be under JYP, before moving to the house of Infinite and Lovelyz. This ballad is everything great about her and her voice. From graceful quiet to emotional yearning, Joo covers the whole spectrum and the piano and strings add another soothing element to the track. Considering how absent she was in the industry before signing with woollim, she is a welcome face and her vocal talent should show you why.
Dynamic Duo - Jam
KHip-Hop hardly ever disappoints, and that statement rings even more true for Dynamic Duo. "Jam" is quite the jam. The rapping is delicious and the MV is creative and funny. From Gaeko's portrayal of a young curious kid, to the hilarious costumes and cameos, and of course the Big Bang parody, everything about "Jam" is awesome. It's a relaxing hip-hop tune that will keep everything chill on a lazy afternoon or evening.
San E & Mad Clown - Sour Grapes
Speaking of hip-hop, here's a collaboration between Mad Clown & San E. Lyrical content aside (that video thumbnail should give some indication), this is a very entertaining track. Even though this is more in line with what San E has done in the past, it's new ground for Mad Clown and he played his part admirably well. The chorus is more addicting than you'd give it credit for, and their singing voices are not only surprisingly adequate, but match together well, too. How does this MV not have a 19+ rating though.Closing Thoughts
That's it for this recap. A few more goodies remain before 2015 closes out, like AOA Choa's solo debut. But until then, there will be the Best Of 2015 set and a few more girl group-related posts. Let's hope 2016 will be good start not just for Kpop, but for myself as well, as I've been slacking a little lately on the blogging. Until then, have a good one, and thanks for reading.
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