Honorable Mention: Girl's Day
* New Releases: N/A
Like I said, inactivity will have to be a more serious offence. Girl's Day have done nothing since late March 2017 and have been focusing on individual non-music activities. Therefore they'll drop out into Honorable Mentions, but not entirely off the chart. Despite the lack of promotions, they are still one of the best groups in recent years. While you could say the same for Girls' Generation, the fractured group structure prevents them from getting to the same level as Girl's Day.
Honorable Mention: Loona (NEW)
* New Releases: Egoist (Olivia), love4eva (yyxy)
Man, Loona has got things going. There's plenty of hype surrounding this group. Their official debut will either be one of the greatest in the current era of Kpop or completely underwhelm and bust. Given their extensive track record of solid "predebut" songs though, they should at least do admirably. My favorites so far have been Jinsoul's "Singing In The Rain," Kim Lip's "Eclipse," and Olivia Hye's "Egoist." With so many different styles showcased by their members, who knows what genre they'll debut with.
#10. Black Pink (--)
* New Releases: Ddu-du Ddu-du
Given how much I disliked their comeback, Loona ranking above Black Pink was a real possibility. But their performance numbers-wise is very impressive. I suppose that's what happens when a fandom is so starved. Being the fastest group MV to reach 200 million views counts for something. Jennie was hilarious on Running Man and their Instagram have been popping off. Regardless, I'm going to keep ranking them low until they either get out of the dungeon more or comeback with a bomb track.
#9. Oh My Girl (-1)
* New Releases: Banana Allergy Monkey (Banhana)
Last time I didn't realize that Oh My Girl's funny-sounding comeback was a subunit. While I didn't particularly like the song, I didn't hate it either. Plus subunits are gaining traction this year so this was a smart move by their label. Compared to the other girl groups here they have the weakest discography overall, but promote relatively frequently and thus are placed ahead of YG's newest jailmates. Not much else to say here other than I hope Mimi's gonna spit some fire before the end of the year.
#8. Lovelyz (--)
* New Releases: That Day / Wag-zak
Technically not a new entrant, but this is Lovelyz' first placement (they were an Honorable Mention last fall) in the ranked portion. This group has quietly built a library with star power: from "Goodnight Like Yesterday" to the addictive "Twinkle" to the recent "Wag-zak" which is the best summer song out there so far. Though it does pain me a little to see three groups cut from essentially the same cloth (Apink, Lovelyz, GFriend) on the ranking, leaving them all out would be a disservice to the quality and consistency they've shown.
#7. Dreamcatcher (--)
* New Releases: You And I
Dreamcatcher is one of three groups that kept the same spot from the spring. They've done so thanks to a strong recent history and the (relative) lack of excitement from the groups below. "You And I" rocked their usual concept and makes their revival run one for the ages. While not as impressive as the runs of say, Girl's Day or 9MUSES, but it's been an important one for the ex-Minx crew. They can't climb any higher for now since this is appears to be the last stop on the Jpop / rock fusion train. God forbid they do some cute shit next.
#6. GFriend (-1)
* New Releases: Time For The Moon Night / Sunny Summer
Although GFriend haven't hit a grand slam (or a home run, even) lately, they are still a model of consistency that must be applauded. The worst songs in their discography ("Love Whisper," "Glass Bead") are still quite passable - for example, I'd take them over most of Twice's arsenal. And of course their best music has been incredible. They honestly could do no wrong but I'd love if they went for another song like "Fingertip." The public didn't appreciate it as much as I did but whatever who needs those guys' opinions anyway.
#5. Apink (+1)
* New Releases: Miracle / I'm So Sick
"I'm So Sick" is so good that for the song alone, I'll swap Apink and GFriend's places. This could be a turning point in Apink's career if they continue with this mature-sounding direction. Or, they'll immediately drop back down if their next song is a cute dance pop track. GFriend has proven to be a superior group in that concept so if Plan A Entertainment is smart they'll avoid doing so. An Apink BnN comeback wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Or perhaps a Bomi solo debut?
#4. EXID (--)
* New Releases: Lady
It seems safe to label EXID as the fourth best girl group in Korea for now. They're in that slightly awkward position where they're definitely better than the groups below them but not amazing enough to surpass the trinity of Red Velvet / Twice / Mamamoo. "Lady" was yet another strong addition to their library but really the dealbreaker for their future is 100% on Solji. If she's able to fully recover and return to group activities I could see them riding that high into strong performances. If she has to leave the group, EXID could fall into a rut. They'd still be good, but would never recapture the levels of "Ah Yeah" and "L.I.E" again.
#3. Red Velvet (-1)
* New Releases: N/A
Through no fault of their own, Red Velvet drops to the bronze spot. Both their styles have prominent lead singles and solid backup, and each member continues to contribute to the group in big ways. They had KCON and fan meetings which is why there hasn't been any new music (Japanese promotions are not included / considered so no "Cookie Jar") but their legacy is already cemented. Speaking of, news broke of a comeback next month and that will be a marquee moment for them. I could easily see Red Velvet surpassing Twice if the former has another spectacular track and the latter continues the chain of mediocrity. It's really like SNSD vs. Wonder Girls again, fun times.
#2. Twice (-1)
* New Releases: What Is Love? / Dance The Night Away
I still have to respect the numbers Twice are putting up, but when does one draw the line? Since "TT" they've completely plateau'd with meh songs from "Knock Knock" to "Dance The Night Away." Don't get me wrong they are really good at this type of music but the songs themselves could be so much...better. I dunno man. MV-wise they've been doing well but unfortunately for them that does not translate to song quality. Even the dances have been better than the actual audio. The public will continue to eat everything up but I'll remain the skeptic until a successor to "TT" is found.
#1. Mamamoo (+2)
* New Releases: Easy (Wheein), Nada Sou Sou (Solar), Selfish (Moonbyul), Egotistic
There's a new queen group in town. They said a vocalist-oriented group could never win. CJSH tried and failed, and SPICA tried and failed. However the third time is the charm and Mamamoo have risen above. Mamamoo have become more than idols and it shows in their production. Their 2018 campaign is beyond words and fans aren't calling this "the year of Mamamoo" for nothing. Solo activities are booming and "Egotistic" was yet another strong group showing. Mamamoo has quickly and deservedly usurped Twice's brief reign as the #1 girl group.
Final Glance
H: Girl's Day
H: Loona (NEW)
10. Black Pink
9. Oh My Girl (-1)
8. Lovelyz
7. Dreamcatcher
6. GFriend (-1)
5. Apink (+1)
4. EXID
3. Red Velvet (-1)
2. Twice (-1)
1. Mamamoo (+2)
Previous Ranking (Spring 2018)
No comments:
Post a Comment