#12. After School - Because Of You
This song is great at describing 2009 Kpop. The beat, the dance pop, the haircuts (...) and the MV quality all scream 2009. It might not be the best song from that year but "Because Of You" is one of the most iconic, without a doubt. After School is a group that you can really see the evolution of, mostly thanks to the graduation system (that was somewhat legit then). Bekah Raina, and Kahi were the driving forces of After School in this era and the microscopic amount of lines from Jungah, Jooyeon, and Nana highlight that.
#11. Davichi - 8282
Davichi has been killing it for years. I can't imagine that they have been even more underrated back in the day than they are now. "8282" The switcheroo that occurs going into the first chorus is a hilarious wake-up call because you're sitting there thinking this is another traditional Davichi power ballad but instead you could dance during the first chorus. They even include a pseudo-dance break that cuts immediately back to a slower second verse. It's a classic Davichi track through and through.
#10. 2PM - Again & Again
Oh man the memories. Picks from this year are truly a trip down memory lane. The original 2PM lineup doing original 2PM things? Even though this sort of deviated from the "10 Out Of 10" style they had during debut it was still a good change of pace. The vocal work from Junsu and Jay at the end was autotuned sweetness, I tell you what. Yeah the rap was pretty lackluster but back in the day not everyone was your Zico or Rap Monster or Yongguk for boy group rappers. Crazy to see how the split between 2PM and Jay worked out so well for both parties years down the line.
#9. 2NE1 - Fire
The girl group landscape is so sickly obsessed with cuteness that if 2NE1 were to debut right here right now in the year 2017 they'd be an instant success much like they were back in 2009. The energy, attitude, and charisma that they had was never seen like this thanks to the attraction to eye smiles and aegyo. "Fire" was aptly named because it was lit as fuck The reggae vibes were funky and the rapping flighty. Can you name a better girl group debut for a 15-year old other than Minzy? I mean she rocked it here. CL was her crazy, swaggy self back then, too. God the more I think about 2NE1 the more upset I get that they're done.
#8. T-ARA - Bo Peep Bo Peep
So nowadays T-ARA is mostly forgotten in girl group lore (granted some of their...issues don't help) but make no mistake, they have an insane streak of consistent title tracks which all started with "Bo Peep Bo Peep." This song somehow blended cute and sexy together in both the song and video, which is something girl groups tend to specialize in rather then try and cover both ends of the spectrum. An admirable effort that paid off, I'd say. Even back in 2009, T-ARA loved to have an obnoxious epileptic quality to their MVs. Oh and hard to miss the butts in this choreography, but that wasn't even the premier butt dance of the year.
#7. 2NE1 - I Don't Care
"Fire" is what sets 2NE1 apart from other girl groups across all generations but "I Don't Care" was the better track in 2009. Unlike the brash attitude of "Fire," "I Don't Care" showed a softer side to the then-rookie group, an early illustration of their ability as a dual threat. The song is catchy, fun, and also sends a message. It's a sound track and underrated when talking about groups and their rookie releases. Every member contributes to "I Don't Care" and that's quite wholesome. What more could you want?
#6. Bom - You & I
Although solo member releases have almost oversaturated the market in recent years, Park Bom was an early pioneer of the movement (even though that makes little sense). Her solo debut came at a crucial timing, as 2NE1 was heading into their heyday. "You And I" does everything in its power to frame Bom's unique voice perfectly, and it sure does that. Every solo act afterward (and those that don't exist yet) will always be held to the standard of "You And I" in terms of the delivery and the strong start it provided for Bom. Had to repost this since I bamboozled myself and somehow thought this came out in 2011, for shame...
#5. Girls' Generation - Gee
Somehow I've only written about this song two or three times in my blog's history but nonetheless let's get through this one quickly. The song is painfully cute and painfully catchy. "Gee" was the hallmark of Kpop in those couple years and to this day the crowning achievement of SNSD. While the song isn't my cup of tea (save for Taeyeon), the legendary status would be tarnished if kept outside the top five. Also the MV is almost to 200 million views, so that's pretty awesome.
#4. KARA - Mister
Apparently the Korean version of this MV disappeared? I can't find it anywhere, so here's the Japanese version instead I guess. Before songs / dances like AOA's "Miniskirt" and Brave Girls' "Rollin'," there was KARA and "Mister." As soon as those opening notes queue in you know exactly what's coming. Hypnotic butt-shaking is abundant in this song and whenever any girl group has a butt-focused choreography it's always traced back to "Mister." Combined with the stream of "lalala" KARA worked multiple layers of addiction into listeners around the world. Let's not forget that the chorus is quite catchy, too.
#3. Girls' Generation - Genie
As you've heard me say before, "Genie" is the superior '09 Girls' Generation song. It surpasses "Gee" and not simply because the latter was infused with too much aegyo. Everything about "Genie" is better. The outfits, the choreography, and the vocals. My gosh. Taeyeon's magnificence at the final chorus is one of the best runs I've ever heard in any song - to this day I get chills listening to her. The only true fault is the girlish laughter during the dance break, but that's a small price to pay for the completeness of the rest of the track. "Gee" might have been their crowning achievement, but "Genie" is their magnum opus.
#2. Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra
Despite all that, the ultimate girl group track of 2009 belongs to Brown Eyed Girls. "Abracadabra" is marvelous from beginning to end. It's tough finding another song as balanced as this was. Everything was on point: instrumentals, vocals, rapping, and choreography. They were sexy before all the modern generation girl groups were sexy, and this dance is simple yet so damn attractive. BEG slays all with their hips and their chic stage presence is no joke. Miryo's rap break is brilliant as one of the best of all time, rounding out "Abracadabra" as one of the most complete songs in the last ten years of Kpop.
#1. Super Junior - Sorry Sorry
This was Super Junior at the peak of their powers. Yeah their numbers weren't as explosive as "Gee" and the song not as perfect as "Abracadabra" but this song still propelled the group to new heights. Hands down the best instrumental of the year, plus an emphatic vocal performance from the likes of Yesung and Kyuhyun. Like many other entries on this list, the choreography of "Sorry Sorry" is timeless and remains a powerful classic to this day. Plus with 13 members their dances were always a treat. "Sorry Sorry" was so dominant that Super Junior tried to model their next two comebacks after it. I'm all for the girl groups but there's no denying this was the best track of 2009.
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