Nothing wrong with a little June speculation. Here are my picks for the best songs released so far in 2018. Obviously I'll have missed some artists (especially the more recent ones) but we're in the middle of the year so we can see who is winning so far. It'll be interesting to see how the selections here last when December rolls around and everything gets reevaluated with new songs in the second half of the year. They will be grouped loosely, and don't really serve a purpose since I believe trying to rank them right now would be silly.
Block B - Don't Leave
Block B have yet to break into a Best Of 20XX post, but here's their unofficial debut. "Don't Leave" shows off the melancholy side of Block B that they've perfected nearly as well as their hyperactive dance numbers. Block B were kind of one of the early groups to have two distinct sides to their title track game. Zico and P.O deliver flawless moments and both share the high point(s) of the song.
iKON - Love Scenario
Like Block B, iKON have been less of a main act and more of a disappearing one. They're more Winner and less Big Bang, if we're to use labelmate descriptions. But "Love Scenario" is their best song to date and their crazy chart successes mirror that. It's catchy, enjoyable, and has a good hook. Previous iKON releases have felt like a reach in some way or another. Sometimes the song was mediocre and other times the song had cringe moments. "Love Scenario" covers those weaknesses and has more of Junhoe's special voice.
Heize - Jenga
After "Don't Know You" last year, Heize drops another treat in "Jenga." This time she teams up with Gaeko and gives us another smooth tour of the Heize mansion. Her voice prettily glides through the track while Gaeko's rap gives us a nice boost of energy. I'll keep it short here since I previously reviewed it. That instrumental break is amazing and one of the best of all time. Between the bridge here and in Younha's "Hero," I can't quite think of other similar greats.
Mamamoo - Starry Night
Another song I've talked about before so let's get moving. "Starry Night" is a new spin on the usual Mamamoo formula many have come to love, and the new twists include a more Latin vibe plus Moonbyul's voice finally getting to the spotlight. The visuals and scenery were also on top of their game but those are beside the point. Mamamoo continue to do well with what they've got and it's easily seen here.
Wheein - Easy
Speaking of easy, here's Wheein's solo debut. We Mamamoo fans are eating great this year. Wheein's voice is made for this genre! Sensual R&B with that slightest touch of bass in the background, mm. Don't really like the short blonde look though. There seems to be a collection of seemingly random male rappers that make appearances in solo efforts. They've popped up here and there, but Sik-K might have one of my favorite features. Probably because he effortlessly transitions in and out of the track and doesn't disrupt Wheein's flow.
Dreamcatcher - You & I
Dreamcatcher have amassed an impressive library of title tracks after the rebranding. "You & I" is another entry in their rock-heavy dance style. Dami's straight up doing magic tricks in the middle of the choreography. They own this concept and the only reason I was hesitant putting them on the list was because this is supposedly the end of this style for Dreamcatcher. While I can understand their label's thought process, they were excelling where so few other groups were that I feel this is changing gears that don't need to be adjusted. Time will tell if the new Dreamcatcher will be just as good.
gugudan - The Boots
Truth be told, I don't like how Sejeong's backup dancers take up so much of the video. Only kidding...sort of? Sejeong dominates the audio of "The Boots" and while that's not bad here because the final product was a solid dance track, it paints concerns over the future of this group should the others not step up. We could be seeing a sequel to Hyuna's 4minute and Hyorin's Sistar. It's too early to call either gugudan a waste or Sejeong a bona fide superstar, but "The Boots" is their first song I've genuinely enjoyed.
Pristin V - Get It
Subgroups haven't really been Kpop's thing lately but Pristin managed to fix that quickly. They also fixed the whole "having a song I don't hate" cliche that so many of the next generation girl groups seem to gravitate towards. "Get It" is confident, sexy, and powerful. The girls strut their stuff without a care in the world and they look very good doing so. Vocals from Eunwoo are a velvet delight and the whole team turns in a strong performance. Rena's rap was forgetful but thankfully she got some singing in so that wasn't the only thing on her plate. "Get It" straight up gives me hope for Pristin's future if they can drop more stuff like this.
Seventeen - Thanks
Thanks to Seventeen, they own (without question) the signature dance anthem of the year so far. Personally, I don't think it's even close between them and the next best selection. "Thanks" is powerful from start to finish but isn't afraid to throw in some calm moments either. The blend and contrast between the difficult chorus and more soothing verses is done wonderfully and the mediocre rapping is kept to short bursts. Seventeen's efforts are not overlooked and if only one song survives through to Best Of 2018, it'll be this one.
Red Velvet - Bad Boy
Or is it? Red Velvet have been setting the stages on fire with their recent run. "Red Flavor" to "Peek-A-Boo" to "Bad Boy:" two super strong dance numbers into the R&B soundtrack of the year. This is what happens when you mix both sides of Red Velvet together. Smooth and mature, Seulgi and Wendy carry you on clouds with their voices. Also thank god there's no rap because that would've ruined this song without question. When will we get the sequel to "One Of These Nights?" Anyway those are my top choices for 2018's best songs so far. We'll see this list in some form come December.
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