[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings IX: Winter 2018

The final chapter of the 2018 Group Power Rankings was more difficult than most. I had over 15+ groups that kept bouncing on and off the list before settling down at the 11th hour. Obviously the upper echelons were pretty easy to separate from the rest of the pack but Honorable Mentions and the lower end gave me headaches. Either way, I powered through and here we are.

Honorable Mention: gugudan
* New Releases: Not That Type
Making their debut on the group rankings is gugudan, who narrowly beat out (G)-IDLE for this spot. And thankfully they did because I would have loathed writing that name over and over. Anyways, gugudan have lost a member but gained plenty momentum in 2018. Subunit and full group activities were seen since the summer and while "Not That Type" wasn't perfect, it was a solid dance number that really impressed me. That and "The Boots" give me plenty of hope for the future of gugudan.

Honorable Mention: Black Pink
* New Releases: Solo (Jennie)
Black Pink has not been in our area, but Jennie did drop a solo on us out of nowhere. I'm in the group that thinks a solo debut for a group that has less than ten total songs in their discography is odd if not desperate, but at least the song itself was serviceable. Her rapping was better than her singing, though the choreography was powerful and for a debut piece especially so. I considered dropping them off the list entirely but other groups don't have the luxury of having YG as their label, which theoretically bodes well for their future endeavors.

#10. Lovelyz (-2)
* New Releases: Lost N Found
When it ain't broke, don't fix it. Lovelyz have a formula for innocence and continue to display it with "Lost N Found." That chorus is magnificent while the rest of the song is competing for that coveted ethereal sound that Cosmic Girls mostly hogs to themselves. Kei, Yein, and Mijoo lead this team with all sorts of success, and the visual combo of Mijoo and Jisoo is devastating. With Infinite members enlisting left and right, Woollim will focus their efforts on Lovelyz as their main attraction - I don't exactly know how popular Golden Child is but Lovelyz is the only girl group regardless.

[Misc] Bias Power Rankings XI: Winter 2018

And we're back with 2018's last Bias Power Ranking. Like with Girl Group Power Rankings, I believe having three releases a year is appropriate. Not much else to say so let's dive in.

#12. Sojin (-2) / #11. Soyeon (NEW) / #10. Hwasa (+2) / #9. Eunji

Sojin and Eunji haven't been too active but the latter is actually likely to comeback either as a solo or group so I'll keep her at 9th. Soyeon makes her debut on this list as her group has been very impressive in their first year. It's rare that I like a pure rapper like her because I usually drift towards the vocalists so I know she has something special. I'm really looking forward to the Mamamoo comeback so Hwasa gets bumped up on that alone.

[Bonus] Best Of 2008 (And Earlier)

If I was hardcore I'd have remembered the exact day and month I got into Kpop but as a scrub I only know fall 2009 is when I started really getting into this field. Thus anything here is primarily thanks to history, legacy, and lore. Here are the best of what Kpop offered during the mid-2000's.

#10. Younha - Password 486

Even though her "Someday" album is the true masterpiece of the early Younha era, I had to go with "Password 486" because it's more iconic. Younha was already doing work in Japan but this release put her on the spotlight in her native country. The pop rock elements and her strong voice are the driving forces behind a cute song. Check out Younha killing it with some younger stars earlier this year.

#9. Kim Jongkook - One Man

Ballads used to be king back in the day. Gummy, Davichi, etc. Kim Jongkook was no exception and his "mosquito voice" works its magic here. I never talk about lyrics but that last chorus, damn. It's honestly one of the most memorable ballads in Korean music history. Kim Jongkook has stayed relevant over the years doing music and variety, so his longevity is impressive. Too bad the MV isn't found anywhere on Youtube. This breaks the continuity early on, oh well.

[Misc] Thought Corner: Fall Cleaning

Ayo it's that time of the year. Winter is coming and the house needs cleaning. Fall cleaning doesn't quite have the same ring to it as spring cleaning, does it? Anyway here's some word salad.

With Season 9 underway, I'm going to go back and proofread all posts from July 2018 and on - I do this every couple of months for minor fixes like spelling, grammar, and etc. I won't go back earlier than July because that was my vacation in Hong Kong so setting the "gate" there seems like a good spot.

[Bonus] Worst Of Unnecessary Rap Breaks

Here's another Worst Of that was previously alluded to poorly (both in terms of mechanics and time). There are always songs that are good (or even just average) that suddenly nosedive because of a rap section that is not only bad, but also unwanted and unneeded. Lots of songs fit this category so it wasn't easy to choose a small handful - because I really did try to pick the five biggest offenders - but I ended up with these selections. They are presented in a rough order but that doesn't mean much. I despise all these rap breaks equally.

#5. Verbal Jint, in Taeyeon - I

Even though this piece is 5th, it's easily the instance that comes to mind when I think of unnecessary rap breaks. Verbal Jint is a god, I know, but that doesn't stop him from having mediocre moments. And his entrance into Taeyeon's solo debut was definitely one of them. Not only is the rap itself in a strange section of the song, the rapping is not memorable either (or only memorable for being unneeded). The English is also strange, though I could say the same for the rest of the song. What exactly does "my life is a beauty" mean?

[Misc] Love Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher are quickly moving up in the world. Stan talent. That's all. Here's to a fruitful November.