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.
#9. Girl's Day (--)
* New Releases: N/A
Even though Girl's Day has yet to release anything after "I'll Be Yours," it's difficult to justify putting them below Dreamcatcher. There's too much legacy behind them, deslite the two year gap between active promotions. Plus the same could really be said for Dreamcatcher's Minx days and they weren't close to the popularity and power of Girl's Day. Minah and Sojin are some of the best in their class for main and support vocalists, and they have Hyeri and Yura for strengths in the variety world. Rumors are that a comeback is slated for next month, which is awesome news. I'm also for a Minah solo comeback, but not gonna get greedy.
#8. EXID (-3)
* New Releases: Diet (Solji)
The toughest matchup this time around was EXID vs. Apink. Obviously these groups have very different styles, but EXID's pedestrian schedule this year ("Full Moon" hype though) should take a back seat to Apink's more active promotions. Great news is that Solji is back for the most part, as seen with her participation in Primary's new album with "Diet" (I linked the full audio because for whatever reason the official MV was only half the song...). I'm not entirely sure if she's gonna be active in their upcoming "Dul Dul Dul" release, but fingers are crossed that she'll be good to go. By the way, the entire world is still waiting on that LE mixtape / solo debut!
#7. Apink (--)
* New Releases: Manito (Eunji)
The time has come for Apink to get out of their comfort zone and do something special. I don't really mind what genre, just step out and away from the bubble gum pop sound. They have been quite active this year so they don't fall any ranks yet, but with their signature sound is losing its luster I fear they have hit their ceiling should they keep releasing the same type of music. To me, they've been on a slow (but small) decline in title tracks since "Mr. Chu" in 2014. On the bright side, Eunji continues to add to her solo resume with "Manito" and it's a delightful treat. This group is one of the most veteran on the list as they debuted in 2011, here's hoping they show off some versatility in future comebacks.
#6. Red Velvet (+4)
* New Releases: Red Flavor / Rebirth
With an extremely solid EP in "Red Summer," Red Velvet shoots up the rankings to 6th place. Even though they've gone for another hype dance track in "Red Flavor," it's a very well-constructed song and helped me forget about the issues I had with "Russian Roulette" and "Rookie." Maybe those latter two weren't my cup of tea, judging how popular they were with the average crowd. Anyways, I'm still waiting for the successor to "One Of These Nights," and I hope that S.M. will oblige with their next comeback. There's an upcoming Station song with Wendy and Seulgi, so that should be wonderful.
#5. GFriend (+1)
* New Releases: Love Whisper / Summer Rain, Hold Your Hand (Eunha), Heart Single (Yuju) (upcoming)
GFriend is perhaps even more like Apink than I originally thought. They both occupy the same bubblegum pop dance niche, and recently both groups haven't been able to recapture the same type of songs that made them rise in the past. With GFriend being younger in their career, their magic is rubbing off a little slower compared to Apink, as "Love Whisper" and "Summer Rain" are still good songs despite the lack of oomph. However that's not gonna be sustainable in the long run. Eunha and Yuju have some duets that are hitting the air this week so that'll be a nice change of pace from their group activities.
#4. Black Pink (--)
* New Releases: N/A
Despite the abysmal activity rate, Black Pink maintains their position from the summer. YG has never been prone to intense comeback schedules so it's not surprising to see them tucked away since "As If It's Your Last." They still have a capable lineup led by the best rapping duo out of any girl group and Rose's distinct voice. Plus, unlike other YG labelmates they've gotten early exposure in the variety world so that's something they can "fall back on" per se (and streaming, too). That being said, Red Velvet and GFriend - the two groups directly beneath them - have had plenty of activity and if their respective trends continue we might have a case of quantity vs. quality.
#3. Mamamoo (--)
* New Releases: Alone People / Autumn Letter (Solar)
While Mamamoo hasn't had anything new, Solar has quietly added to her solo folder with a pair of soothing ballads. They are almost hypnotic in their lullaby-esque nature and incredible picks for soft background music. Member for member they arguably have the best roster in all of Kpop: three extremely talented and versatile vocalists combined with a top three girl group rapper. Not to mention their music seems to incorporate both elements very well in every release. I expect we'll see more of individual activities as 2017 concludes before a full album next year.
#2. Twice (--)
* New Releases: Likey (upcoming)
Twice's activity has been mostly focused in Japan, but with a comeback slated for the 30th we'll get to see if they can redeem themselves after the awful "Signal" release. Seriously, the only thing I liked about that comeback was Momo's hips (they don't lie). Generally I don't put stock into teasers - especially from big companies which are usually the most likely to troll - but I can't ignore how good the teasers sound. And they've been going pretty all-out with the campaign thus far. If it sounds even remotely like the videos appear then this could be a huge step from them. But even if it isn't, they'll probably take the #1 spot next time around since...
#1. Girls' Generation (--)
* New Releases: Holiday / All Night, When The Wind Blows (Yoona), U&I (Sunny)
Unofficially, Girls' Generation is done and outside of a Brown Eyed Girls scenario where they still work together despite being under different companies, there's no real way they can stay together as a group. The numbers simply make this dream unrealistic. I'd love to be surprised though. Nonetheless, they've had another flurry of activity, including solo material for more of the roster (I never imagined Yoona singing in Chinese would sound so good) along with the much-anticipated 10th anniversary comeback Said comeback had pitifully short promotions, but the songs were solid and "All Night" in particular was really good. This is the last time we'll see SNSD on top, so cherish that.
Final Glance
H: Lovelyz
H: 9MUSES
10. Dreamcatcher
9. Girl's Day
8. EXID (-3)
7. Apink
6. Red Velvet (+4)
5. GFriend (+1)
4. Black Pink
3. Mamamoo
2. Twice
1. Girls' Generation
Previous Ranking (Summer 2017)
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