Best Girl Group: Mamamoo
After the battles between Red Velvet and Twice (sorry Black Pink), Mamamoo come out on top of the girl group ladder. To call 2018 "the year of Mamamoo" is an understatement. Whatever you wanted from them, you got. Group comeback? How about the diverse tastes of "Starry Knight," "Egotistic," and "Wind Flower." Solo efforts? Solar continued to release soft ballads while Moonbyul and Wheein had strong debuts with "Selfish" and "Easy." Even though I predict they'll slow down a bit in 2019, their incredible 2018 campaign lands them as the best girl group of the year.
Best Boy Group: BTS
Goodness, BTS have won this award for four consecutive years. From this series' inception in 2015, no other boy group has been as dominant and as consistent as BTS. This was another year full of production from the squad. The R&B-infused "Fake Love" started their year while "Idol" was full of psychedelic elements in both song and video. So trippy in fact that there was a version with Nicki Minaj guesting. Individual stages were also plentiful, just check out the end of the year performances for proof. Huh, they're finishing up another album? Are we sure these dudes are human?
Best Soloist: Heize
Heize is killin' it. She has quickly and carefully carved out her own niche since the days of Unpretty Rapstar and she continues to work her magic in 2018. Another three quality tracks to add to her resume. "Jenga" and "First Sight" being the two big ones but you shouldn't sleep on the sweet beauty of "Didn't Know Me" either. She also had a few collaborations this year with friends like Kisum. Overall, a bountiful year for Heize and she'll likely continue working on her own pace going forward. We need some more Heize and Dean teamwork in 2019.
Best Rookie Group: (G)-IDLE
If Cube Entertainment needed controversy to unleash a new girl group with potential, then I suppose Hyuna and E'Dawn gave them what they wanted. Soyeon is their new female superstar who will replace Hyuna on their Mount Rushmore, and if we're talking pure talent one could argue Soyeon has her sunbae beat. You'll see I'm avoiding typing their group name outside of the title because god it's so bad. Anyway they had a fantastic debut year. "Latata" and "Hann" were not only good songs on their own, but the transition between songs showed a lot of growth in all the members.
Most Improved: iKON
Being under the shadow of Big Bang is tough, that's without question. For years Winner and iKON were more or less the little brothers of G-Dragon's band. And some would say that iKON was behind Winner too. But then "Love Scenario" happened and that changed everything. It kickstarted a really solid year for them. "Killing Me" and "Goodbye Road" were two great follow-ups and they've bound a rhythm. Since Big Bang is in the military, this is a good time to have a breakout year. The girl group equivalent would be gugudan, who have rebounded after their first two boring years. However their progress pales in comparison to iKON but they were worth mentioning here at least.
Best Music Video: Twice - What Is Love?
I'll be honest, I watched even fewer Kpop music videos this year than before. Was never an avid MV person anyway, and that characteristic deepens every year. So only the unorthodox, goofy, or extremely creative videos get my attention. Therefore, as the only MV to really "impress" me (use a loose imagination), Twice will take the prize with their "What Is Love?" video. The references are everywhere and my lazy ass isn't gonna specifically name any of them. Just know that Dahyun is the truth and she's hilarious.
Best Collaboration: Drunken Tiger & Rap Monster - Timeless
There was plenty of competition for the best collab. Baekhyun and Loco, Hyorin and Gray (or GOT7), etc. etc. But I'm a huge sucker for the rap teamwork and have plenty of history on my side. From Epik High to Dynamic Duo, when rappers come together there's usually some magic. This instance with Tiger JK is no different. And working with Rap Monster, one of the elite boy group rappers? Whoo baby "Timeless" is gonna be exactly that.
Best Choreography: Seventeen - Thanks
Ultimately, I'm gonna be biased because I covered this song but "Thanks" is a seriously fantastic choreography. First off there are many members so the various formation changes are both pleasing to the eye and flow seamlessly from one to another. The moves are a blend of powerful and graceful, and the non-uniformity is something that works well for it. That second chorus is insane and was my favorite (and the most hectic) part of the whole piece. People are lying on the ground, hurling themselves through the air, lifting people up, etc. This beautiful dance has us all saying "thanks" to Seventeen.
Best Meme: Took A Sample Of My Pasta
Originally I was going to pick isaymyeolchigr's "Horololo Makes Everything Better" video but apparently it has disappeared into the dark web. Thus we'll go with this bad lip reading of BTS. For starters everything that this channel does is absolute gold and if you haven't already checked them out it's high time you do so. The people behind Bad Lip Reading are geniuses. Almost everything fits so damn well and is ridiculous. Highlights include "I say no no, and then I say yes yes," the shark singing in the background, and of course the namesake line "you took a sample of my pasta."
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