[Bonus] Best Of Sistar

Welp, the Kpop gods did not smile upon Sistar, and they'll be disbanding after their comeback with "Lonely." It's cheeky humorous timing because I had talked about how my top 4 girl group biases will likely remain there for forever and now next time I update the list Soyu and Bora will no longer be there. Even though groups like 2NE1 and Wonder Girls disbanded prior, this breakup will be the most painful for me. I really liked each member of this group (even Dasom heh), plus they had good music and good chemistry. Plus all of them are really good at variety. Hate seeing good things die. Granted, I saw it coming ever since news about Hyorin's contract discussions and even before that, but it still hurts nonetheless. I'm definitely reviewing their last comeback, that's for sure. Anyway, here are their best songs (that are title tracks).

#7. So Cool

The first entry on the list is also the oldest, as "So Cool" came out in 2011. This was the first of a string of solid releases for Sistar, and "So Cool" utilized many of the elements that produced great music. Catchy dance moves, snazzy instrumental, and high-flying vocals from Hyorin are (understandably) Sistar's recipe to success and this song embodies that. "So Cool" is also notable for having one of Bora's longest raps in their / her resume, which is great! Bora fans know the struggle of Bora's own struggle with lines in later releases.

#6. Ma Boy

Looks like I'll never get the Sistar19 comeback I wanted. This was an anticipated subunit and for good reason: Hyorin and Bora are amazing so putting the vocal juggernaut and rapper together is a good combination. While future songs would heavily imbalance line distribution ("Gone Not Around Any Longer"), they didn't make that mistake with "Ma Boy," and gave Bora some singing opportunities, or at least gave the impression or disguise that she was. You'll notice that this song also has another solid rap from Bora, which is always a plus. In fact her rap in "Ma Boy" is probably her best in a vacuum. And one does not think of "Ma Boy" without those glorious body rolls.

#5. Give It To Me

It's always important to have good follow-up after a breakout release, so "Give It To Me" was critical after the successes of "Alone." And it was a great song. It capitalized on what made "Alone" such a good song by upping the tempo and speed of everything. The choreography was fast-paced, the vocals more explosive, and rapping refined. Honestly I wonder if Sistar would've panned out differently if the order of these two songs were reversed. Since you haven't seen "Alone" on this list yet, you can imagine it's probably higher up the ranks.

#4. Loving U

"Loving U" is when Sistar became synonymous with summer jams. Filmed in Hawaii (I believe), this MV and song were all about the fun in the sun. As usual, Hyorin's divine vocals led the way and in general this was one of their more cutesy songs (a rarity in Sistar's title track history). Nonetheless, it marked Sistar taking over the summer block of the Kpop calendar, and even though future songs couldn't recapture the magic of this piece (though "I Swear" came close), it doesn't take away from the fun and energy that "Loving U" provided.

#3. One Way Love

It's both impressive and sad that Hyorin makes her way onto #3 here. Impressive because she was by herself but sad because of the same reasons, honestly. At the end of the day though, she deserves it. If there was anyone whose solo work could outshine their group works, it's Hyorin. She is a fireball of performance power and "One Way Love" was exactly that. The song was practically made for Sistar, which again is both a positive and negative for her. But at the end of the day, Hyorin performing this was amazing on so many levels and really showed what kind of artist she is.

#2. I Like That

At first, I didn't want to put a newer song so far up the list (almost resented). But "I Like That" made up for the lackluster sequence of summer songs by returning to form of "Alone" and "Give It To Me." Plus the curtain dance was really sweet. They went back to the drawing board escaping from the summer vibes and it worked out quite well. Sometimes I wonder if "I Like That" came after "Give It To Me," or if they had released music like this the whole way since "Alone" if their popularity would have been even higher. The only bad mark of the song is that Bora received a criminally short rap, for which their producers should be ashamed of. Thankfully she did her best with the hand she was dealt.

#1. Alone

No surprise, Sistar's most well-rounded song is their best song. There's so many things going right here: Soyu's breathy voice as lovely support to Hyorin, Bora having one of the better raps in 2012, Dasom beginning her climb out of group filler territory, and choreography that made everyone swoon. Everything about "Alone" was sexy done right, and it may be some time before we see another girl group conquer this like Sistar did here. "Loving U" established Sistar as the summer queens, but "Alone" made the group top 3 material.