[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Wild Cards

I originally made the fourth category a “support” one, referencing vocalists best at transitions, or “gluing” the group so to speak. Afterward I would throw in a few honorable mentions, and this wild card group is a combination. Not only are some of the singers fantastic at transition, I also find a few underrated, or just very unique, they deserve their own group.

Dara is often scoffed at when talking about vocals because she’s not really that standout live or studio, but I think she’s overlooked in terms of her transitional voice. She works the bridges and seams really well in 2NE1’s music, something I don’t see too much of. Dara is the glue voice, holding the explosive Bom, strong CL, and young Minzy’s voices altogether to make 2NE1’s sound.

Narsha reserves a spot for Brown Eyed Girls here. I really like Gain’s voice, but it’s at best a supplement of IU’s voice (most evident in “Bloom”). Narsha has…an innocent voice, which is certainly a curious quality to have for someone who is 31. She has good control and the consistency is appealing, in contrast to the different appealing like say her wacky appearances, outfits, and personality. Overall she adds another pleasant BEG voice to the mix.

It certainly feels a little funny to be putting IU here, but I think it’s where she belongs amongst the other categories. Not quite the powerhouse vocalist or the evident leader, but unique enough to share her voice across ballads and pop alike. IU’s voice has a fluid air around it, instantly transforming anything she sings into a “IU-ified” version, whether it’s her covers of “Sorry Sorry” and “Gee”, it’s a lively thing that definitely sounds IU.

Suzy is the younger successor or equivalent to Dara, At first listen it’s nothing spectacular but she easily grows on you and soon her vocal work in choruses and transition is almost as good as Dara. On a side note, Suzy possesses some of the best English out of all 32 featured vocalists who aren’t fluent speakers. Suzy’s voice is innocent (“Love Alone”) and very lively (“Classic”).

Yoseob’s a member of B2ST which is…a more dance and rap-oriented group than anything. Yoseob is the vocal carry of the group, in similar fashion to Sistar’s Hyorin and Secret’s Ji Eun. His fluid voice moves from one line to another, standing out from the rest of B2ST or in solos like “Caffeine” or backing his member’s voices when they sing.

I consider Junsu (I refuse to call him Jun. K or whatever he changed his name to) the most underrated out of this set. He has this mysterious vibrating quality in his voice. It makes it appear shaky during long notes but it’s really a good “addition” to his voice, so to speak. Like Yoseob, Junsu helps liven up the vocal quality of 2PM, and has stepped up significantly post-Jaebeom.

Onew has a truly distinct voice, and only loses to Jonghyun in the vocals department because his range is lower / smaller, and some awkward sound that arises through certain melodies. It’s weird, because Jonghyun’s voice is similar but with less apparent awkwardness. Now, that sort of thing is mainly subjective but it’s worth noting when talking about SHINee’s lead vocalists. Onew excels in baritone ranges (“One Year Later”) and can sound fairly good in the louder electronic music (“Juliette”), but most certainly out of place in others (“Lucifer”).

Jinwoon’s known for his role in 2AM, where he’s typically a quality support voice while Seulong, Changmin, and Jo Kown do the bulk of work. However, recent solo expeditions and OST work like “Now Or Never” and “You Walking Towards Me” have shown that he is more than capable of providing an explosive yet charming voice. Hopefully, JYP / Big Hit will integrate Jinwoon’s ability into 2AM’s music in the future (and I pray that it not be rap-related).

[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Specialists

Some may not have the widest range, some may not have the most powerful voice, but one thing is for sure. They’re incredibly talented at a specific aspect of music. Most of these people are members of very specialized groups, most notably main ballad singers (because I just fall for those easily), which only furthers their ability.

Minkyung is a member of Davichi, one of the best groups in terms of vocals. Their R&B ballads are amazing, and Minkyung’s solo appearances across shows are something to speak of. “Don’t Say Goodbye” is the main standout track that comes to mind, where she and Haeri pull off some consistent strings of graceful high notes. Minkyung kind of struggles in lower ranges, and sounds uncomfortable, but she makes up for it by having some rapping potential (“We Were In Love”).

If Taeyeon’s voice is “bright” and Park Bom’s voice is “vibrant”, then Juniel’s is certainly “sweet”. It’s a very soft and pretty voice, the epitome of sweetness and for that reason her ballad works (“Bad Guy”, “Illa Illa”). An apt comparison is to IU, but Juniel has a lighter voice and higher register. Like I mentioned for Juniel’s excerpt in the Best Of 2012 set, she has a magnificent ballad voice but not so much for other genres, so that makes her a specialist.

While it seems to have faded away with recent releases, Gayoon possesses an incredibly powerful voice. It’s not as husky as someone like Ailee or Hyorin, but it’s extremely sharp sounding, in nice relation to her image. Whether it’s a surprise high note belt (“I My Me Mine”) or a predictable climb (“Mirror Mirror”), Gayoon is still able to send shivers with her powerful notes.

As a queen of KPop, BoA is certainly perfect for pop music. Her voice is lively and rich, making even doubtful and mediocre pop songs like “Hurricane Venus” and “The Shadow” sound good and of course excel catchy music like “Copy & Paste”, amongst other old songs. Utility wise, BoA has a smooth voice for ballads but even then, her ad libs clearly give off a pop vibe, like the wondrous work in “Dear My Family”. How this woman meshes her voice with choreography live is beyond me; she’s incredible.

Ahh, there you are, Yesung! Even apart from splendid work in non-ballad songs like “Sorry Sorry” and other Super Junior works, your voice is perfect for ballads. Between performances on Immortal Song 2 and stuff like “It Has To Be You”, there is nothing like listening to a ballad of yours to give my daily dose of emotion. And of course, one cannot forget how unbelievable the last 45 seconds of Super Junior’s “It’s You” are.

Ryeowook joins Yesung to make three Super Junior members so far. Ryeowook’s voice is quite unique in sound, and his range is extremely expansive. I’ve heard some Michael Jackson comparisons in regards to his singing but I think it’s more distinct, a little more energetic (“Moves Like Jagger”). Being a member of the KRY subunit gives him plenty of work to show off his ballad prowess, and collaborative work like “Falling In Love With A Friend” has also done him good justice.

Lee Hyun is known for being a member of 8eight and project group Homme with 2AM’s Changmin. Among those, solo work has also highlighted his ability / smooth voice. Like Hongki, it’s a delightful mixture of clearness and husky sound which creates a unique vocal timbre. “Still Eating Well” and “You Are The Best Of My Life” are some of Lee Hyun’s most outstanding songs.

The only non-ballad master for the guys’ list, Changmin makes an appearance because his specialty isn’t tied to a specific genre, it’s his impressive ability to hit those high power notes he does all the time. Whether it’s “Mirotic” or “Catch Me”, Changmin is belting his head off and he sounds so good at it. Like Gayoon, his power notes are capable of impressing no matter where and what he sings.

[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Leads

Leads are responsible for helping shape and define the voice of the group. For the most part, anyway. Often, they have unique attributes which easily differentiate them from the crowd, and are powerful that you can hear them amongst a sea of other voices.

Is there another like Bom? Seriously, Park Bom’s voice is so vibrant. It’s colourful, bright, and unique. Okay, her control is a little shaky and live performance leaves quite a bit to be desired to this day, but that does not shake away from just how amazing she sounds when she sings. 2NE1’s music isn’t too strongly motivated by vocals, but various songs like “Follow Me” and of course her solo endeavors, really bring out her skill. Bom is certainly a top tier voice.

JeA is amazing at ballads. However, I think her voice is really strong, and absolutely the strongest out of Brown Eyed Girls. This quality truly defines the voice of Brown Eyed Girls, where the other members’ voices mesh to compliment and support hers. Performances on Immortal Song 2 are solid and I don’t think she gets enough attention or acknowledgment for what she does and how she does it. Hopefully her first solo album changes that.

Sunye is interesting for me. On one hand, she is probably the most emotional singer or at least most capable, but on the other, her higher range makes her sound out of place. Thankfully, Wonder Girls’ music isn’t too vocally focused so the latter isn’t too often an occasion, not a strike on Ye Eun or Sunye but their music typically doesn’t put a huge strain or emphasis when compared to say something like “Twinkle”, but the consistency, control, and balance of emotions make Sunye stand apart and be a leader.

I think Luna is really underappreciated. Partly because she hasn’t had too much time to show off her prowess and partly because S.M. is awful at marketing her ability. None of f(x)’s songs showcase what Luna can do at all (in fact non-f(x) projects like “It’s Me” and “Dear My Family” are more complimentary to her), and that’s a shame because she has a hella strong voice that is only going to keep improving as she gets older.

If Park Bom is the signature standout unique female voice, then Jonghyun is almost certainly the standout male counterpart. It’s practically impossible to listen to a SHINee song and not hear Jonghyun somewhere in the background. That alone is enough to show Jonghyun’s command of the SHINee sound, but it isn’t everything. He has one of the best control over high / power notes, and so the heavy dance electronic robotic supersonic music his group releases is perfect, and the tenure of S.M. The Ballad gave him a chance at softer songs which he sang admirably.

In a similar vein to his labelmate, EXO-M’s Jongdae (Chen is a really boring name, sorry) also has a powerful and unique sound that makes even ordinary lines sound polished and supreme. Highlights are easily from some of the fancy extended notes in “History”, “MAMA”, and “Dear My Family”. Unfortunately, he’s a rookie which means he has not put out a lot of content, so I’m eagerly waiting for more stuff, especially “Baby Don’t Cry”.

Hongki, Hongki, Hongki. What would putting you in a group be like? For sure, you’d still remain a main vocalist. His voice is raspy but soft, aggressive but soothing, like a chameleon, it’s able to adapt as necessary to the song, sort of like alternative to Kyuhyun’s. Additionally, Hongki has this technical quality of being able to fluctuate his voice (crescendos, etc.) really well, like in “I’ll Love Everything”. I think his voice would be really good to try trot, too!

The only solo to make this set, Wheesung is a true veteran in the entertainment world and has been pulling R&B ballads like it’s his job…which it kinda is. Regardless, Wheesung is quite the vocalist, with medium deep range but the striking ability to throw a lot of emotion in his music (“He Is Coming”). On top of that, Wheesung has very nice high notes which aren’t harshly strained (“Insomnia”), too.

[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Balanced

In this “Best Of” series, we’ll be taking a look at the various fields of talent in KPop. What kind of talent? Vocal talent, of course! I’ll bring up eight of my favourite singers across four different categories, while highlighting some of their most impressive works of course.

While none of these are particular rankings, these eight might just be the overall best, balanced in pretty much every way between control, pitch, range, utility, and more. While they are essentially capable of being leads, they’re just too strong at everything else to be labeled as such. 

Younha leads the pack as my favourite vocalist ever. She may not have the widest range or the most powerful voice, but the ability to put emotion, innocence, and consistency in her voice is unrivaled and her versatility is remarkable. Through the emotional “Broke Up Today”, energetic “Houki Boshi”, and the powerful “Hero”, Younha is allstar material.

Hyorin is known for carrying Sistar, who are at best mediocre singers without her. Her prowess in lower ranges is incredible, and her high notes and belts are something, too, if but a little airy. Hyorin’s voice is probably best described as “running velvet”, or “silvery”. It’s like methodical but precise, able to adapt to various styles at ease. Hyorin is hailed as Korea’s Beyonce, and justly so.

In contention for said title is rising rookie Ailee, whose explosive voice (“Girl On Fire”) is also the same lofting beautiful light ballads (“Evening Sky”). Throw on being a native English speaker and the ability to rap (Wheesung’s “He Is Coming”), and Ailee was my candidate for “Best Rookie 2012” or at the very least the solo artist recipient. If all else, Ailee will probably have one of the best covers ever (“Halo”).

Taeyeon finishes off the girls’ list in glory, as the most impressive female group vocalist with 5+ years in experience. Years have gone by and all Taeyeon has is matured since 2007. Complete versatility (“7898”, “Devil’s Cry”, “Hoot”) and angelic power notes (“O Holy Night”) are some of the best qualities.

Over on the males side, Kyuhyun tops out Yesung for Super Junior’s representative (don’t worry we’ll talk about Yesung later). While Yesung is definitely the expert at ballads and emotion, Kyuhyun isn’t that far off and is also stellar at various genres like rock (“Pretend Party”) and pop (“Rise & Shine”), too.

When one brings up DBSK, Junsu is the essence of prime vocal ability. The unique sound he possesses and quality control make Junsu instantly recognizable and with work like “In Heaven” and even older releases like the “Timeless” duet with Zhang LiYin (which was lovely, may I add), it’s not hard to see why. Since the DBSK / JYJ split, JYJ’s music has always tailored more to the vocal talents, and Junsu utilizes that as much as possible.

Seulong has the smoothest voice in 2AM and thus overall. Being a member of 2AM, most of his work is ballads (“You Wouldn’t Answer My Calls”, “Even If I Die I Can’t Let You Go”), he has branched off so to speak with collaboration work in “Nagging” with IU and even under “I Did Wrong”, too.

Originally, I thought of Daesung as a support role. While he does do the vocal work in Big Bang, it’s not typically expressive enough as some of the other singers on the group. However, going back through older stuff reminded me on just how brilliant he can be, with more recent things like “Baby Don’t Cry” and “Bad Boy” highlighting his smooth voice. The very fact that I feel his voice is more utility but at the same time omnipresent is proof enough of his skill.

[Review] 2YOON - 24/7

Vocals: 10 / 10

Okay, this was definitely something new for Korean music. Country is so distant a genre but Gayoon and Jiyoon do a standout job with their voices. 4Minute isn’t really too known for their vocals but 2Yoon is quite solid and this is no exception. The B.A.P reference was utilized nicely and perhaps because of that influence, I felt other parts of the song were also pieced from other songs. I heard parts of Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” and SHINee’s “Juliette” throughout the transitions and chorus. Regardless, everything comes together nicely to create this unique blend. Gayoon seemingly continues to lose her distinct voice but more than makes up for it in the bridge and her power note is fantastic. There’s actually a lot of underdiscovered adlibs and vocal work, it’s just shielded by the crazy banjo instrumentals and stock. The plethora of English was almost perfect, surprising me since nobody in 4minute is really English capable. The timing of “rodeo” was just too strange, in fact I thought it was Korean before looking at the lyrics.

Appearance: 10 / 10

Jiyoon’s hair is too short for my tastes but I can live through it. Gayoon looks awesome and both are for the most part, blended into the scenery as well as they can be. I was originally worried that Gayoon’s iconic sharp image would hurt her in a scenery like this but hat is off to her, she looked fabulous. What else is there to say? The outfits are also as basic as can be with regards to a country theme, and all the other supporting people (dancers isn’t really the right word) are the same. It would have been pretty hard to mess this one up, and I’m glad they didn’t.

Dance: 9 / 10

Well, along with the vocals, outfits, and setting, here is another fitting number. This isn’t some crazy intense hip hop movement or moves with loving emotion, this is just two girls dancing and having fun. Certainly not complex, but the choreography has some nice attributes that make it appealing. For example, they actually clap during the bridge, and the dance is just cute all around. “Boom, clap. Boom boom boom clap~”

Rap: 8 / 10

Firstly, this rap is probably one of the most appropriately used in all of KPop history, and this isn’t even pop! I figured if there was to be rap, Jiyoon would be the one to do it, since she’s got the lower and huskier voice but Gayoon doesn’t do too poorly. It’s essentially rap singing that meshes together with the instrumental as a makeshift verse. What first came off as sloppy execution or lazy decision making turned to innovative charm as I gave it more listens.

Music Video: 9 / 10

A strong message in the lyrics is iterated by the music video, where work turns to play at the lead of 2Yoon. They’re singing, dancing, drinking, and most importantly, having fun! The sets were stereotypical enough to match “country” as a theme, but I found the fog / light filters misplaced. The extra shenanigans of people around the neighborhood added to the MV’s fun factor. Interaction between 2Yoon and everyone else in terms of performance and dance reminded me of “Like This”, which is not a bad thing. More outside influences aside, the music video was still fresh, lively, and cute, if but a little claustrophobic. Also, random white guy in the background for the win.

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Overall: 92 / 100

This song is funky, energetic, weird, expressive…and I love everything about it. The recycling parts of familiar songs makes the music friendly and creative simultaneously. Even though I thought Jiyoon would’ve done the rapping and Gayoon the bulk of the vocal work, both executed their roles superbly. This theme is something no legit group or subunit would have thought “Hey maybe we should try this out” but 2Yoon takes the gold.

[Review] Super Junior-M - Break Down

Vocals: 6 / 10

There is just so much wrong in this song. Between the random breaks, bizarre melodies, and incredibly apparent amount of autotune, it’s not very easy to listen to. The chorus is bouncy and not in the good way. It’s not all bad though, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun are relatively strong, and some of Zhou Mi’s lines are also really nice. The enunciation of Chinese has also taken a step forward since the days of “Perfection”, but is still lacking when compared to psuedo counterpart EXO-M.

Appearance: 6 / 10

Remember last week when I said Siwon should not have long hair? Yeah, it’s not a good look. Continuing the trend, Donghae and Zhou Mi’s hairstyles that counter their usual handsome looks. Henry is, well, still unchanged since “Maxstep” and prior, looking as youthful as ever. Sungmin is probably the first and only guy that looks good with the blue / purple tint. Ryeowook and Kyuhyun look the usual. The outfits are also fairly reminiscent of those in “Perfection”, and that is not a good thing.

Dance: 6 / 10

The last time a Super Junior M choreography was impressive, catchy, and appealing was “Super Girl”. As for this, I spent 50% of the time writhing, 10% of the time nodding in approval at the nice moves at the dance bridge, and a final 40% of the time laughing because they looked absolutely stupid doing their dance. The only time the dance was worth paying attention to was during the break, where some integrated footwork looked good amongst the dancers. Also of note, the “move one by one in a straight line” seems to be a new favourite.

Rap: 4 / 10

Eunhyuk raps twice in different length segments and both of them are at best random interjections between the singing. The raps themselves are only mediocre, so I’m not impressed. The song had some serious dubstep sound so I understand the urge to insert rap, but Eunhyuk can hardly rap in Korean, let alone in Chinese. Next time, save it for something that could actually benefit from decent rap, a la “Superman”.

Music Video: 4 / 10

Eventually, I’ll just use a carbon copy of a music video description for every SM review and just change a couple words. That way it’ll be exactly like the differences in music videos! I could even use colours or something! Well, there’s certainly no plot, and the rooms are bright, fancy, whatever. Also, Siwon doesn’t appear in the choreography because he’s supposedly hella busy acting, etc. But seriously, his solo shots are literally the same stance / look except for one at the near end of the video. I don’t want to think it since Siwon’s awesome but he’s on track to becoming the next Kibum of the group.

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Overall: 52 / 100

I think this is the lowest score I’ve given any song so far? And as a statement to how S.M. has been doing in terms of music, it’s certainly not a good set of marks. Across the roster, I’ve continued to not be impressed with releases over the last year or so. With word that the SME machine plans to continue its march strongly into 2013, I think they need to step up their game and change a few gears.

[Review] JYP, 2PM, Miss A - Classic

Vocals: 9 / 10

I will always give credit to JYP because he doesn’t just interact with his stars through writing and composing music, he’ll also perform, too. He, along with Wooyoung and Suzy create a soothing trio of soft vocals, furthered by the excellent strings / piano instrumental. While a little on the higher side for JYP, he does a good job in transitions between the verses and chorus. I’ve not been too much a fan of Wooyoung’s voice but he definitely does well in this supportive role, and Suzy’s chorus and short adlibs are both lively and lovely. Suzy’s English is also solid, thankfully, since there is of course a handful of English. Excellent work.

Appearance: 8 / 10

At a glance, everything falls into place. Nobody is too wacky, or stands out, following the setting and theme. I wasn’t really a fan of Wooyoung’s bright blonde, but overall the cut doesn’t look bad on him. Coupled with the athletic wear, he looks just like a typical high school / university student. Suzy is of course perfect. I actually thought her face looked a little chubby, which is something I like. Being too skinny freaks me out. Goodness, Taecyeon, please go back to short hair. Taecyeon’s part of that illustrious group of male visuals who should never have long hair: Siwon, T.O.P, Yunho to name a few others. JYP and Chansung earn a bonus point I guess?

Rap: 7 / 10

I’ve seen better, and I’ve certainly seen worse out of Taecyeon. While the vocals were soft and complimentary, Taecyeon’s low harsh voice cuts through the bridge with his lines. Using him to open and close the song with the same line was also a solid touch. But oh my, using “plastic” to rhyme with “classic” has got to earn a place on the list of “Worst Engrish” ever, alongside “Sexy, free, and single I’m ready too, bingo.”

Music Video: 10 / 10

Let me first note for the people who criticized the acting in the MV, that I did not find the acting bad at all. And truth be told, the fact there is actual acting in a music video is already leaps and bounds ahead of the current metagame of MV’s. The last time I remembered relevant acting in music videos was JYJ’s “In Heaven” (Song Jihyo <3). The “Romeo and Juliet” basic plot was certainly well executed, and there were actually many nice touches that I did not notice until a few more watches. The party in which Wooyoung and Suzy meet for the first time is the celebration of the engagement between Suzy and Chansung. The connections between all the characters. Taecyeon decides early, bringing Suzy the running shoes for her to GTFO. The quality of the story being memorable for the characters to watch it together again and again. It’s a lovely music video.

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Overall: 85 / 100

I didn’t want to make the title “JYP, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Suzy” since that’d be too lengthy, but in the end it’s a solid collaboration effort for Reebok and puts a certain SM collab work to shame. The vocals are standout and the story, while overused, is more than a reason in itself for such a nice music video. Taecyeon’s rap is okay, I guess they had to have him rap, otherwise what else would he do? Let’s not use the word “plastic” ever again though. 

[Review] Girls' Generation - I Got A Boy

Vocals: 7 / 10

This song has around four phases, all with different tempo, melodies, etc. and the transitions are mediocre at best. Some of the earlier transitions are good, but towards the end everything seems to fall apart and collapse on itself. I don’t know why but S.M. really struggles with effective transitions compared to YG (2NE1’s “I Love You”) and JYP (JJ Project’s “Bounce”). I’d much prefer so called “plain” songs if it means bypassing the feel of three very different songs hashed together. Don’t forget there’s rap, which also really hurts the flow of the already choppy song. Line distribution, however, is at its best in “I Got A Boy”, with all the usual vocalists getting everything and everyone else just rapping, and since there’s a good amount of the latter, it feels even. A lack of adlibs, power notes, really anything interesting keeps this score average.

Appearance: 9 / 10

I can’t give this a perfect score because Sunny decided to dump large amounts of ice cream into her hair and then shape it into a bush. I cringe every single time she shows up in the MV. Ughh. That said, everyone else is flawless. Yuri, Taeyeon, and Jessica in particular stand at the top. Seohyun’s bangs look good, and definitely make her look younger (maknae forever). I noticed the use of coloured contacts to I guess intensify the eyes? The problem is I only really noticed the positive effects on Seohyun (everyone else just looked a little strange), and secondly, this is really KARA’s ype of thing, and SNSD kinda shows only KARA can pull it off well every time. The outfits were colourful enough, in comparison to the sets and energy of the song. Fix Sunny’s atrocity on her head and I’d be able to say no one stood out for good or bad.

Dance: 10 / 10

Confidence, and lots of! Everything was powerful and crisp. There’s plenty of synchronized moves and a healthy amount of individual and group bits. When Hyoyeon did not get a dance break I was disappointed, honestly but I guess the highlight of the choreography is the extended “Ohhh (you’re something else / you’re crazy)”. There’s even a little aegyo thrown in rather timely. Certainly feels rather strange to be praising the choreography of SNSD as the best part, but that’s what it is: the best part.

Rap: 7 / 10

The segments of rap were okay. Not awful, not amazing. I think had they been used at the end I’d have probably given this a much lower score since the end was messier. The English transitions by Tiffany and Jessica were probably the better ones but mehh not impressed. I’m not a fan of extended uses of random rap unless it’s either used full time in a verse or is rap singing and like I said, SNSD is okay at best when it comes to rapping. Tiffany’s description of “explosive rap” was misleading, I think “bright” or “energetic” was the more accurate term.

Music Video: 5 / 10

The girls were not lying when they said “I got a boy.” There’s only one, and there’s no additional material to the plot / non-dance parts that wasn’t shown in the teaser save the first 30 seconds. What was the point of all the clips of them sharing the single boyfriend? They kinda just hide together and leave him hanging after he shows up, perhaps unaware they all live in the same house? Are they angry at him for being probably the best playa in the world? Denying? More questions than answers with this one. Oh and S.M. really had to fucking use the slowmo pan because it’s apparently the coolest thing since canned bread. Guarantee you Super Junior M’s upcoming “Break Down” will have it, too.

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Overall: 76 / 100

Girls’ Generation is back with confidence and charisma, certainly, but the song truly is underwhelming. The transitions are not “Flower Power” level awful but still leave much to be desired. The rapping and choreography definitely help make up for what is essentially three songs rolled together without much vocal showing. “Genie” remains uncontested as the top SNSD song for me. If S.M. had stuck with one theme (the “Ooohhhh” one preferably) I think the success would have skyrocketed, but hey it’s GG, it’ll probably skyrocket anyway.

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 (#4-#1)

4. Juniel - Bad Man

Juniel’s Korean debut with “Illa Illa” immediately gave her a unique position amongst solo debuts. I thought of her like a pleasant combination of Younha and IU, two who also happen to be standout vocalists. However, “Bad Man” is more along the lines of ranking Juniel along with the prestigious high note ballad masters, like Joo, Minkyung, and Jessica. While Juniel has such a pretty voice, I think she’ll probably be limited to this type of music, since I don’t see her being able to hold her own in anything requiring more power. Regardless, she’s flawless and the adlibs are delicious. The ending is a perfect “picture” of the song, with innocent Juniel’s extremely pretty voice singing “You are such a mean person, you are such a bad person”, it’s almost eerie.

3. Big Bang - Blue

This song is amazing because Big Bang doesn’t typically release this style of music. What is even more amazing is the perfect execution by all the members. Yes, even T.O.P pulls his own impressive weight in this soft medium tempo ballad. Everyone’s notes are mellow, the tune is relaxing and soft, and the rap singing isn’t out of place, a culmination of something we don’t expect to see coming out of this loud and electric group. The most interesting part of the song is the chorus, since at first listen Seungri and G-Dragon seemed to merge. I think since “Blue” was released first, I had increased my expectations for the other two title tracks which (for the most part) did not fail to disappoint.

2. Younha - Would We Have Changed (feat. John Park)

You saw glimpses of my praise for this song in “Best Of Younha”, so you already know what I’ll be saying. The harmonization work between Younha and John Park is practically unrivaled. While 2012 did bring out some other really strong harmony showings (Kyuhyun and Tiffany in “Rise And Shine”), this song sets a standard far above what many singers can reach. The emotion and synchronization is flawless, making “Would We Have Changed” easily the best song of Younha’s 4th album and propelled “Supersonic” to one of my favourite overall albums.

1. Ailee - Heaven

Since the days of her Youtube channel, Ailee has shown off beautiful talent which has not lingered through her path to stardom. With the debut of “Heaven”, the incredible performances on Y’s Sketchbook and Immortal Song 2, to the comeback with “I Will Show You”, Ailee proved she isn’t merely a Korean American soloist but carries much stronger potential than most people thought. While her covers of “Halo” and later, “Girl On Fire” have showcased her power, “Heaven” brought out and perfected the “power ballad” genre, mixing explosive high / power notes with soothing verses and bridging crescendos. Ailee even utilized her husky voice at the end, truly standout work.
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So there you have it, my list of the top 12 songs in this bright and explosive year. Essentially, to me ballads are too strong for the singers with incredible voices for the dance pop genre to put up a serious fight. For 2013, I will be changing up the schedule a little, mainly releasing the weekly review on Sundays, optionally followed by either bonus writings or a retro review on Wednesdays and Fridays. Stay tuned and happy New Years

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 (#8-#5)

8. Seungyeon - Guilty

By leaps and bounds, Seungyeon’s “Guilty” outplayed all the individual songs by the other members of KARA, and is good enough to find itself at #8. Seungyeon’s voice was a little underwhelming for some parts but very strong otherwise, and the high note is very clean. The instrumentals were also excellent, especially during the parts where the intense bass and strings brought a delightful contrast to Seungyeon’s whispering. For bonus, the music video was also beautifully crafted. The scenery and effects were awesome, Seungyeon looked awesome, and the use of explosions at the chorus were awesome.

7. J-Min - Stand Up

The decision between whether Seungyeon or J-Min would rank 7th was my most difficult decision in this review. Yeah, it’s merely OST work, but J-Min’s voice is probably one of the best to sync this style of music, and the ending was swift and strong. While the ending of “Guilty” was more dramatic, this had better execution. J-Min’s high notes and power notes do not fail to disappoint, and she used energy to stand more apart from the instrumental, whereas Seungyeon’s soothing notes blended. The guitar solo / instrumental was classy, and while the music video paled in comparison to “Guilty” save for Jungmo’s appearance, keep in mind “Stand Up” is just a OST and, this isn’t a rank of music videos to begin with.

6. Psy - Gangnam Style

Yes, the Gangnam phenomenon is crazily overhyped by now, but I feel neglecting a song that has become Youtube’s most viewed ever, and brought more knowledge of Psy who was rather quiet seems unreasonable. At least placing “Gangnam Style” in the upper half does it justice if only for sheer popularity. But you’re forgetting this song is hilarious, too. Psy’s heartful rapping and singing will bring smiles to your face as you watch it alongside the music video, and my what a glorious music video. Quite simply one of the best if not the best MV I have ever laid eyes upon. One billion views have been reached, what is next?

5. Girls’ Generation 태티서 - Twinkle

S.M. proved whether it’s 9 or 3, or anything in between, SNSD will always be on the top. The first variant of the subunit system delivered a delightfully catchy pop song with excellent showing from the main vocalists Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun. It’s lighter than “Genie” but more serious than “Gee”, and the choreography is pretty cute and catchy, too. Taeyeon is nothing short of perfection, Tiffany absolutely killed it with her low husky adlibs, and I’m one of many shocked by maknae’s fierceness and charisma. The belts were so obviously strained but is only a minor error in light of such a nice song. The next subunit has some shoes to fill, in the footsteps of “Twinkle”, but I believe the members will bring more than enough hype for the song.

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 (#12-#9)

2012 was yet another busy year for the Korean music industry. It saw the emergence of even more groups, the explosiveness of Psy, the T-Ara crisis, IU / Eunhyuk shenanigans, among others. Of course the year also brought some crazy good releases. As it is 2012, I selected 12 of my favourites, the best of the best, previewing four a piece for the next three weeks.

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12. B.A.P - Warrior

Like previously mentioned in the specific review, “Warrior” was a breakout release for a debut because the song was so out of the ordinary. The aggression, confidence, and power in the song were unrivaled (or for some not even attempted) by other male group debuts that give them a place on the best. What It lacks in vocal talent is more than recovered by flashy choreography and very impressive rapping segments. With only a debut song, B.A.P makes it to the top 12.

11. EXO-K - Angel

Similarly to “Warrior”, EXO-K’s “Angel” places on the list from a debut group. While “MAMA” was aesthetically unique and all, I was drawn to “Angel” by the impressive vocal presentation between D.O, Baekhyun, and Suho. Baekhyun’s voice was perfectly at home here, and while I enjoyed “What Is Love” just as much, “Angel” gets the nod for including Suho, whose smooth vocals are a welcome addition.  Note that I didn’t list this as “EXO - Angel” even though EXO-M’s version is the exact same song. Quite frankly, EXO-M has a lack of good singers. Chen is the standout, but Luhan, Lay, and Xiumin are all “good”, at best. Sometimes I think Chen was included in EXO-M so EXO-K wouldn’t hog all the best vocalists of the members.

10. Sistar - Alone

“Alone” was probably the earliest catalyst of 2012’s “sexy but classy” theme so many girl groups used. Along with that, it also helped propel Sistar’s popularity skyward and handed them a nice cushion for the summer release of “Loving U”. Ignoring the atrocious music video lacking any substance, Dasom and Soyou really stepped up providing soft transition vocals and Hyorin is nothing short of stellar, of course. Bora’s rap provides good transition and the execution is quite solid. Fantastic work.

9. Big Bang - Fantastic Baby

Speaking of fantastic, what is the best 12 songs of 2012 without one of Big Bang’s signature bombastic releases. “Fantastic Baby” was all sorts of bizarre awesome from the funky verse structure, “BOOM SHAKALAKA”, everybody’s crazy hair in the music video, and just the music video in general. If you were at all surprised by anything in the Big Bang video, it probably means you don’t know this group all too well as of the past couple of years. This song is pretty much everything we have come to expect and enjoy from Big Bang, and so it ranks 9th.

[Review] Son Dambi - Dripping Tears

Vocals: 8 / 10

Son Dambi has always had an underrated voice in my opinion. It’s not standout power vocalist but it’s perfect for songs like this and past hit “Crazy”. A very smooth and soothing voice, which is great for fast to medium tempo ballads. The only high notes are ones comfortably within her range and I really like the articulation on the main chorus “Tears are falling, rain is falling, love is falling”. Either her vocals could’ve been ramped up or the electric parts of the instrumental toned down since it seemed to overtake her voice at points. The piano background was excellent though.

Appearance: 7 / 10

I’ll be honest here, Son Dambi has never really impressed me with her looks. She looks really nice at some angles and at others her eyes really bug me. The best description is a sort of cross between Narsha, Jiyeon, and UEE. But please get rid of the blonde wig. I can’t recall if Son Dambi has gone blonde in the past but this specific style looks awful. Part of it is being too short for her, part of it being how it frames her face, but yeah a pretty huge nono. However, it does showcase a uniqueness along with the funky orange eyeliner. The appearance along with the setting really reminded me of Miryo’s “Dirty” but I’ll touch upon that later.

Dance: 8 / 10

For a video that was mainly enveloped in plot(?) the choreography was mainly at the beginning to middle of the song. Continuing on with the “classy but sexy” theme, Son Dambi shows off her curves and all that. I couldn’t take her seriously in the sequences with the blonde wig though, so I kinda laughed when those came up. Like I said, it’s not subtle in any way but definitely less “severe” compared to the choreography of “Crazy”. All in all I paid more attention to the other content of the MV than the dance.

Music Video: 9 / 10

This music video first struck out like a hybrid of SHINee’s “Juliette” and Miryo’s “Dirty”. More specifically, the hospital scenes where she’s laid out in the stretcher with a confused look on her face, wearing a funky hairstyle and eye makeup. Yeah that screams “Dirty” all over it. The drowning was different, though, and the backup dancers for that part had full on body suits. A little strange, but I can appreciate it. The ending is also completely random. How the heck did Son Dambi go from that hospital room out into the ocean? Beats me. Maybe there was a magical unicorn I missed in transition.

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Overall: 82 / 100

Son Dambi’s vocals do a lot for this song, making it very pleasant on the ears. Everything else is just kinda there. The dancing is okay, the looks are okay, and the music video is okay. Bonus points for breaking the hell out of that chandelier though. Woman got muscle.

[Review] Secret - Talk That

Vocals: 9 / 10

This time around, Ji Eun doesn’t get anything extraordinary to make this score perfect, but everything about the vocals falls in line for every member. Hyosung and Sunhwa show a little more than mere transitional voices and Zinger even makes her debut(?) with a healthy amount of lines for the second verse. While she doesn’t have the greatest voice, it’s still pleasant to listen to and compliments everyone else. The setup and structure is not anything extremely impressive, but that’s precisely why their score is near perfect. The execution and emotion is perfect for the mood and tempo of the song.

Appearance: 10 / 10

I expected colour and style changes since it has been two months since “Poison”, but the only one who did was Ji Eun, and thankfully so. She looks so much better and the colour is not bad for her. Seems like the major vocalists of girl groups have tried the crimson red at some point: Park Bom, Tiffany, Ji Eun, Seungyeon. Nobody really changed aside from the hair colour for Zinger, so this remains perfect. Was hoping for a return of Sunhwa’s glorious eye smiles but it’s a ballad. Oh well.

Dance: 7 / 10

Honestly after watching the music video, the dance barely crosses my mind. Perhaps because there was just so little emphasis on it, or that TS Entertainment had the shadow backup dancers be the focal point of the choreography, but either way the dance is something light piggybacked along by the vocals. Hyosung gets a short solo and everyone drools over her, but other than that standard stuff.

Music Video: 8 / 10

Couple a simplistic set of vocals with simplistic visuals and music video and you’re bound to have a good score. Since the dance was so light, it was practically taken out of the equation, leaving solos and group shots where the scenery is pristine and everyone looks great. Emotions matched well with the song, and Ji Eun even gets some smooch time in there. While certainly not the standout ballad like 2AM’s “Can’t Let You Go Even If I Die”, the formula for the music video is the same and so a good one.

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Overall: 86 / 100

When you first listen to it, the muffles and filters of “Talk that” seem way too repetitive and unnecessary, but after multiple listens you can hardly even tell they are there (except for in the beginning, of course). What you’re left with is a beautiful melody and moving vocals, all in all making “Talk That” an excellent ballad.

[Review] TVXQ - Humanoids

Vocals: 7 / 10

Honestly, this song doesn’t have many impressive things happening in terms of vocals. Sure, the chorus is relatively high but other than that, it’s pretty ordinary. What I do like though, is the experiment S.M. did with abnormal vocal rhythm and patterns which we haven’t really seen. While the disastrous “Flower Power” of SNSD was just messy all around, this song’s mechanics work well together, but a lack of anything powerful out of Changmin keeps this score average.

Appearance: 9 / 10

Yunho’s hair got shorter, right? I can’t really tell but at least the style certainly looks like it’s shorter than when it was in “Catch Me”. Changmin looks solid per usual, but god everything is just too boring (see the music video portion) so I can’t really talk about much. In contrast to the similar uniforms of “Catch Me”, this gives Yunho and Changmin unique outfits in the colourful shirts as opposed to the blank / plain ones of the backup dancers.

Dance: 8 / 10

Now this dance I like, mostly because the type of movements matches the song (or at least the music video set anyway) with the sharp robotic movements. The integrated choreographies in “Catch Me” were cool but this style is more appealing in my opinion. On a side note to that though, since the choreography is very linear (nothing different from what the backup dancers are doing, excluding dance breaks), it was weird to try and make both members stand out with the different / bright coloured shirts.

Music Video: 4 / 10

Oh look, Yunho and Changmin are wearing fancy clothes. Oh look, Yunho and Changmin are locked in a fancy room. Oh look, all they’re doing is dancing and having close-ups. Oh look, they both have the same room in the solo shots. What else isn’t new? I’m just going to keep this section at that, because there really isn’t anything else to talk about.

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Overall: 70 / 100

S.M. has been pretty disappointing lately. “Maxstep” was okay at best, and “Flower Power” a disaster I never want to speak of, “Humanoids” falls in line and it’s just a decent song with a boring ass MV. Supposedly two more groups are to come from S.M. during 2013, so I hope they at least attempt to make some higher quality stuff. Then again, seems like S.M. has always been about quantity and not quality.

[Review] Lee Hi - 1,2,3,4

Vocals: 10 / 10

Lee Hi has a kickass voice! Not necessarily through emotion and power, but distinctive in the sound. The kind of voice that would rock songs like “Lady Marmalade” and other sassy type songs. That said, this song definitely has the Lady Marmalade vibe to it, so Lee Hi sounds fantastic. Her English is also really refined, something I didn’t expect. There’s a variety of English thrown around (required by the Korean music order) and not a single word is mispronounced. A solid range, pretty expression, and flawless English give Lee Hi a perfect score for vocals.

Appearance: 8 / 10

For such a young one, she looks way older, but I suppose that’s a trait shared by a variety of idols. I had no idea she was to be a member of YG’s upcoming girl group, so that threw me off in age guessing. At most angles, she looks like a younger Miryo (especially the ones with her hair back) and that is not a bad look at all. If she wasn’t so awkward in the music video, I probably would’ve given her a 9 or even a 10. Oh well, next time, Lee Hi!

Dance: 7 / 10

This song doesn’t place much emphasis on choreography (or the music video either, har har) and there isn’t much focused choreography until the second chorus. There’s no real theme to the dance either, just your typical shenanigans here and there. I probably should be ranking this out of 5 or not ranking it at all since it’s less focused but whatever. This will tie into what I have to say about the music videos later, but since Lee Hi is clearly the vocal dominant type, I think she should just forgo dance altogether (save it for the debut with the girl group) and just have a mic on set, and go from there (similar to Younha’s work).

Music Video: 4 / 10

Awkward does not begin to describe this video. I understand Lee Hi is young, and a rookie, but other rookies like EXO and B.A.P were pretty much flawless with their debut appearances in terms of energy, charisma, and most importantly lipsyncing. Lee Hi is to put it bluntly awful at lipsynching, in an eerie resemblance to YG labelmates Park Bom and T.O.P. Maybe it’s a trend: at least one member of each group has to (purposely or not) be terrible at lipsyncing. Does this mean T.O.P is actually good at singing?! The world may never know. Outside of really bad lipsyncing, her acting / energy in the music was lackluster, too. She looked stiff for pretty much the entire video except for miniscule seconds of emotion like a smile or wink. Hope she loosens up for the future!

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Overall: 75 / 100

Out of the blue, YG delivers Lee Hi with a catchy debut track full of soul and great vocals. While not something YG would normally release (I suppose save for 2NE1), it is very pleasant to listen to. Lee Hi is sure to be a standout vocalist in YG’s new girl group that’ll debut soon…right?

[Bonus] Best Of Younha

Younha is one of the originals who contributed to the success of current Hallyu stars today. Younha along with BoA were some of the first Korean artists to become popular in Japan. Fluent in both Japanese and Korean, Younha possesses an extremely underestimated and versatile voice (#1 in my heart). While her work is predominantly pop rock, I’ll be introducing a varying ten of Younha’s songs which I find just too good, in this writeup. I tried to include many different varieties of Younha’s work, since pop rock / ballads may not be your cup of tea. If you have never heard of this singer, you will definitely want to check these out and see what you like.
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10. Password 486 (The Perfect Day To Say I Love You)

- Password 486 is probably the staple of Younha’s pop rock style. With the standard instrumentals in the background, Younha doesn’t do anything too out of the ordinary with her voice, but it’s one of the more catchy choruses and easy on the ears. If I were to fault the song it’d be for the lackluster ending which seemed strange and was repetitive.

9. Please Take Care Of My Boyfriend (Lost In Love)

- This release is one of my overall favourite ballads in terms of vocal performance. The emotion and high range of notes is truly impressive. I think the drums could be toned down a little though, especially during the bridge (right before the final chorus).

8. Memory (feat. Tablo) (2집 Someday)

- One of two songs on the list with features, Tablo joins in for a fast paced ballad. Tablo’s raps start off slow and increase in tempo and complexity as the song goes on which is a nice touch. The slow verses countered with the upbeat and almost frantic chorus sound strong together.

7. Telepathy (2집 Someday)

- Take the style of Password 486, now intensify everything: the instrumental, the voice, the speed, the power, and throw in a sassy piano solo, and that’s what Telepathy is in essence. As a bonus, the music video is absolutely hilarious.

6. Delete (The Perfect Day To Say I Love You)

- I’m not really sure how I would describe Delete. It comes off as a medium paced ballad that suddenly explodes into a frenzy of drums and high notes at the chorus, before transitioning back to the slower tempo. This song seemed to be one of the earlier songs in which Younha experimented with various options and arrived at quite the pleasant result. The increasing usage of power notes at the end are the highlight of this song.

5. I Like You (3집 Part B: Growing Season)

- While Password 486 is a staple, I Like You is the epitome of Younha’s pop rock releases.Trading in piano for strong electric guitar riffs,Younha sings her heart out from beginning to end. The muffled voice in transition between chorus and verse is a tad strange, but is offset by the great high note and adlibs following.

4. My Song And (2집 Someday)

- The first full English song, Younha shows off her perfect English. There were no flaws whatsoever. The instrumental is very soft which compliments the softness and innocence of her vocals. This song paved the way for future English covers and hopefully more English songs.

3. Would We Have Changed (feat. John Park) (4집 Supersonic)

- This song boasts really amazing harmonization work between Younha and John Park. John Park’s smooth baritone notes compliment Younha’s higher pure notes. While Younha excels at slow emotional ballads (and everything else), I think she perfects this specific style of ballad, and easily rocketed to a high rank on this list.

2. Broke Up Today (3집 Part B: Growing Season)

- One of Younha’s most prized ballads, Broke Up Today combines the simple instrumentals of My Song And with the smooth and moving vocals in Memory. The chorus structure is very pretty and also relatively catchy, a trait I find not many ballads have. I’m not one for the background vocals who make short appearances, even if it was Younha’s voice, they still sounded funny.

1. Hero (2집 Someday)

- Hero is Younha’s gold and hands down one of the best songs ever. Right from the start, Younha brings power, emotion, and stability to the table and the intense instrumental is with her all the way. And how can you say that the piano solo was not one of the best you have ever heard. The song was so amazing that upon my first listen years ago, I thought this had to be the title track, simply because of how good it was. To quote a certain someone “absolutely sublime from start to finish and I will jam forks into my eyes if I ever use those words to describe anything else ever again.”
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“Honorable Mentions”

Houki Boshi (Go! Younha)

Time2Rock (Audition)

Ima Ga Daisuki (Single)

Gossip Boy (2집 Someday)

“Everything Younha has.” -Miharu hyung
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So get out there and discover the brilliance of Younha and which songs / style you like most!

[Review] B.A.P - Warrior

Vocals: 5 / 10

The vocal showing was rather lackluster to unimpressive. The chorus was good since the parts were low and such but everything else was, for a lack of a more interesting word, bad. All the other lines resulted in strained vocals, members reaching for their notes which really turned me off from the song. The bridge leading to the finale was the most obvious example of this with the stretched high note. If you’re going to debut a group which isn’t known for their vocal talent (which isn’t even the case with B.A.P with Daehyun and Youngjae), it’d be wise to release songs which don’t have too much vocal strain.

Appearance: 7 / 10

So I know I have said before that I appreciate singularity or a state of togetherness witihn a group. It irks me when a group has one or two members who have a different hair colour which makes them stand out randomly. However, when every member has the same hair colour and hairstyle, I think it tends to get a little confusing. Especially when this is a group’s debut and nobody (except for the insane creeper fans who have inside sources) knows who they are yet, it becomes extremely difficult to determine who is who. When this song was first released, I saw pages upon pages of comments like “Who is when?” to “I like the blonde one” simply because it was just so goddamn difficult differentiating between each member. I suppose the slight variation in colour of their jackets and pants could help if you were paying that much attention for the 0.5 seconds they were on screen. I feel the blonde took away from the punk aggro style they were going for but I guess the cut and outfits helped everything be okay.

Dance: 10 / 10

This choreography is aggressive, flashy, and downright awesome. The dance 100% matches the style of the song, and while there are other songs with solid dances to compliment them, this one is by far one of the best performances I’ve seen. Choreographies lately have been more focused on catchy moves for fans / others to imitate, dances like this really power B.A.P to being a standout group in terms of dancing skill. The choreography of “Warrior” is a perfect blend of synchronized movements and unique / individual parts (like the fantastic puppet master bits), which is quite literally amazing considering the trend is typically one or the other. The dance break (or at least parts of the break) was by far the most impressive of the choreography. Really impressive work by B.A.P.

Rap: 10 / 10

Whoo does this pair of rappers put others to shame, and they are rookies, no less! Yongguk and Zelo deliver a powerful performance to match the song. Never having followed the releases of either rapper beforehand, I didn’t really know what to expect from these two (or in a sense I did in that I assumed neither would be impressive since there aren’t many good rappers out there) but they shut me up (or at least Yongguk did) right away. Yongguk easily reminds everyone of Korea’s resident badass rapper in T.O.P but with an even lower voice(?) and not quite as good looking (huehue). Zelo’s young but he’s definitely got the skill as his bursts of lines shocked me the most. While both rappers’ parts were aggressive and matching in beat, Yongguk’s rap was more powerful while Zelo’s more quick. I’m excited to see what future work for these two will bring.

Music Video: 8 / 10

This music video is not much different than the standard, but there are differences worth noting. For one, the deadmau5 appearance is strange but neat at the same time, mainly because not many groups have a logo and I think it’s good enough. Of course the aggressiveness of the video and various images / effects added flavour to the video. Camerawork (which I don’t really touch upon) was really good, too. I suppose since nothing else could have come from this theme the execution for the music video was close to perfect.

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Overall: 80 / 100

This was an extremely impressive debut for a group amongst the sea of newbies, showing off rappers and choreography which blew many away. Like others, if I hadn’t known any better I would have never guessed this was a debut. I have yet to follow up on any of B.A.P’s other releases (because there are so many!) but if they are more or less the same style and flavour of “Warrior”, I can come to enjoy them.