[Blog] 2NE1 & Girl Group Roster Changes

I couldn't really come up with a more clever or interesting title. Anyway I wanted to talk about the next "era" of some girl groups. The world of Kpop isn't like the world of esports, where people join different teams every so often, even though that would make Kpop way more interesting. The closest we have to that is just idols signing with different agencies and the like after contracts expire. Over the past year, we've seen the rising stars like f(x) lose members, and other previous titan groups like KARA fall away in disbandment.

[Review] NCT U - The 7th Sense & Without You

We got a double review today! A 2-for-1, doubleheader, whatever you want to call it. I'll be looking at both the digital singles of S.M's newest product NCT. Part of me didn't want to have separate posts just for a debut, and part of me planned to be lazy so I can (possibly) cheat the system by writing less for each song. In traditional S.M fashion, they always alternate between debuting boy and girl groups. With Red Velvet being the previous debut, it's a new boy group. NCT, or "New Culture Technology" is part of the company's new plans to expand business take over the world. Let's see if they can hold up to their sunbae's high standards of debuts.

Quick sidenote: I'm not really gonna talk about the whole subunit concepts and rotating members and all that. It's honestly either the best or worst decision for the group, with plans to promote in multiple countries. Anyways, "The 7th Sense" was the first track released. As soon as the music starts you knew this was gonna be trippy. This choreography is pretty awesome. When you consider that S.M houses dancers like Taemin, Eunhyuk, Hyoyeon, Luna, etc. these rookies have some excellent teachers available to them. The movements are all fluid and flow into the next very well. Rather than focus on synchronization (an S.M strongsuit), there's plenty of individuality and that works with a smaller group like this. The dance matches the instrumental, and all in all this is yet another impressive showing of S.M choreography.

[Review] Oh My Girl - Liar Liar

I'm a few weeks late, but it's been a while since I've last written about a new group. Oh My Girl is a rookie group that debuted last year with "Cupid." Along with their youthful innocence that so many other girl groups seem to have these days, they were also accompanied by a bizarre customs debacle of which they couldn't enter the United States, and "Closer," one of 2015's better (and undiscovered) songs. While their debut was relatively pedestrian and catered to the standard masses, "Closer" was quite special and could help the group stand apart if they continue to release similar music down the line.

[Bonus] Best Of Guilty Pleasures

This topic was an idea that I got while rifling through my library and purging some of the less desirable songs. A few of them made me hesitate, even though there is objectively little reason to. So here we are. Let's first define a guilty pleasure. It's a song that is bad, or one that I consider bad, but I still like listening to it. Now, the important thing to note is that this applies to the entire song. Whether the song is just bad or unbearable has no difference, but a song that has a specific part that is really good can't be on this list, because sometimes it's worth listening to just for that part (or skipping to it, heh). Conversely, a good song that just has a bad section (or multiple, I guess) can't be considered a guilty pleasure either. So for example, I think Secret's "Shy Boy" is pretty bad across the board, and would be in consideration if I liked it (I don't). On the other side, while EXO's "Wolf" is atrocious, the bridge is absolutely brilliant and won't be here. Alright I've rambled on long enough, let's take a look.

7. VIXX - Love Equation

Bubblegum pop songs from girl groups aren't my favorite. So naturally, a bubblegum pop song from a boy group would make this list. VIXX gained notoriety for their intriguing concepts behind their music videos, but "Love Equation" is nothing like that. The 1-2 vocal punch of Leo and Ken show their versatility with this song, showing they can be fun and carefree as much as they can be emotional and serious. Ravi is equally lightearted in his rap and N holds everything together. This is a poster child for happy-go-lucky pop tracks and definitely fits the description of a guilty pleasure.

6. Hyosung - Into You

The inclusion of this song is mainly due to surprise. It's easy for me to say now that I don't think this song is good at all, but apparently I praised it during my review. The complaints are still there: the rap break is gross, and the rest as a whole lacks exciting elements. But perhaps Hyosung's breathy voice and the similar extension from "Goodnight Kiss" was what tricked me in my early listens. With the newly released "Find Me" as her signature solo piece, Hyosung merits a spot with the far inferior "Into You."

[Bonus] Best Of 2NE1

In January we watched KARA come to an end. Now in April, it's 2NE1's turn. Well, not exactly. Minzy has decided not to resign with YG and 2NE1 will continue with Dara, CL, and Bom. I may write a blog post on Minzy's (and 2NE1's) future, since she did (still does, really) have a spot in my heart. For now, I'll take the same path I did for KARA's disbandment, and reminisce on the very best of 2NE1. And no, "I Am The Best" will not be making an appearance on this list, sorry.

7. Go Away

2NE1 dropped a monstrous triple title track thread for the "To Anyone" album, before everyone else started joining the multiple title track bandwagon. At the forefront was "Go Away," the best out of the set and the rest of the album. There's some serious autotune action, but I never found it too overbearing to the point where the song would be unlistenable. 2NE1 has a few songs with that autotune disorder but this isn't one of them. This was a great example of a song with line parity. Everybody contributed (near) equal amounts, something groups of all sizes continue to struggle with present day. Oh and the video has explosions, and 2NE1 walking away from explosions.

6. You And I

It's been an eternity since we've heard from 2NE1, and even more of an eternity since we've heard Park Bom's unique voice. Considering that this was released in 2009, it's understandable some people forget or never knew about Bom's solo career, which started off with this fantastic track. Bom glides through the verses and overall isn't stretching her voice too much. In the few instances she is, she adds harmony to help distract which is good. The song is catchy, and was easily one of the best solo efforts during the 2009-2010 era of Kpop.

[Misc] Bias Power Rankings IV: Spring 2016

Time to drop another Bias Power Ranking! It's more interesting to write these up every few months, as it's both a fun piece and caters to my inner statistical self that loves power rankings. This spring edition features a pair of new faces, and a myriad of shuffles. A change I have made in these rankings is that I will only include girl group members from here on out, meaning with that, we unfortunately won't see the likes of Ailee, IU, and Juniel again on the lists, and Younha will relinquish her #1 spot, as well. In my mind, this lets the girl group members have a more fair fight, instead of worrying about how to take down Younha.

12. Irene (NEW) / 11. Sojin (-2) / 10. Eunji / 9. Choa (+2)

Irene makes her debut on the rankings with her motherly instincts and general gorgeousness. We'll hopefully get to some Visual Power Rankings for shits and giggles but Irene will probably place in top 5 there. Meanwhile, Sojin continues her descent down the ladder. Last time I talked about how I didn't think Sojin would drop below 10th but here we are. Whether she'll suffer the same fate as Suzy and drop off the list remains to be seen. I pray Girl's Day does something soon. Eunji keeps her spot, while Choa swaps with Sojin. These few ranks are all taken by vocalists, so it's really down to the type of music they release and how relevant they are elsewhere to see who can get ahead of the others.

8. Hyejeong (-1) / 7. Hwasa (+1) / 6. Kyungri (-1) / 5. Hani (NEW)

The shuffling may seem trivial and there's probably some truth to that, but the fact of the matter is, only one out of Hyejeong / Hwasa / Kyungri has released anything since this year started, so she is coincidentally the only member to have gotten bumped up a little. Hyejeong is still the lead lady of AOA for me, though Choa is doing her best to catch up, while Kyungri is losing ground against the rise of Hyuna just within 9MUSES. Hani becomes the highest placing girl immediately, taking #5. Let's embrace our Hani oppa and her unstoppable personality that leaves all forms of variety in her wake. She doesn't give any fucks and stays true to herself, which is way more than what other girl group members can say. Plus, she has one of the sultriest voices in all of Kpop (girl groups) and we need to hear it more.

4. Soyu / 3. Wheein (+3) / 2. Bora (+1) / 1. Taeyeon (+1)

Soyu may not be long for top 4, but we'll see what happens when Sistar comes back. And again, hopefully not with a summer song. If variety is the spice of life, then Sistar have been dead since 2014. We need some smooth jams like "Alone" again, pretty please. Anyway, with the "dethroning" of Younha, Bora and Taeyeon both enjoy the slight boost, and now Taeyeon proudly wears the crown of #1 for the first (and probably not last) time. Finally, we have Wheein. I love Wheein. She can do anything and everything, and her stealing #3 is a testament to how much she's grown on me ever since their debut. This is the beginning of a new era, the new trinity of Taeyeon, Bora, and Wheein has taken all control. Bless up.

[Review] Hyosung - Find Me (feat. D.Action)

Even though her career with Secret has stagnated, Hyosung has become a soloist with a prolific resume. Since "Goodnight Kiss" in 2014, she's released something good (decent) every year, and always to a dance-happy track. Teasers for "Find Me" would show no likely change to the formula. Classic Hyosung visuals with a good-enough choreography are likely in order.

I didn't expect that kind of start. Hyosung is not what you would label as a "power vocalist," and she has always operated under Jieun's shadow in Secret, so seeing such a strong showing from her is a pleasant surprise. Even outside of that, this is Hyosung at her finest. The entire song is well within her range and she sounds great from start to finish. She's barely reaching for anything, which is another good sign. Often we see members that take on solo efforts try too hard (heck even Girl's Day's own Minah had too much strain in her solo debut), so good job there. Structure-wise it's not very interesting, but Hyosung's sultry vocals combined with the nice pace of the song will always make this an enjoyable listen when you're looking for something upbeat.

While the song started off well, and everything else that followed was just as good, the nagging fear that I had was that the issues from her previous solo efforts would surface. Those would be a really bad rap of some sort that would ruin the otherwise perfect tempo of the song ("Into You") or some silly chant gimmick (or super awkward dance break) that would also do the same type of damage ("Goodnight Kiss"). Thankfully, D.Action's inclusion offered both a new voice and a way to escape those worries. For someone I've never heard of, he's not a bad rapper by any stretch of the imagination, and does a nice job linking his rap to the bridge.

The video is the usual Hyosung photoshoot. She tries on a few outfits for the camera and flaunts her beauty. Nothing we haven't seen before. Mixed with various dance shots and a small portion of prop usage, and these are really Hyosung's extra photoshoots she gets to do from time to time. Oh yeah, and she (unfortunately) does the whole "bare back and look vulnerably at the camera" deal that we just saw Hyomin do a week ago. Then there was Hyuna before that. These girls need to pay respect to the OG Jungah, who started this in 2013 with "First Love." Moving on, the choreography isn't all that exciting, and at a glance looks to be just a handful of flailing around (lots of arms moving above the head and such). Still it's more than likely on par with "Into You" and "Goodnight Kiss" in the dance department which is considerable enough. Not everyone can be BoA, after all.

"Find Me" is "Goodnight Kiss" in a more comfortable vocal setting, and drops the most glaring issues in the debut song had. There's no awkward chanting, nor is there an ugly bridge separating the chorus from the next verse. Everything flows together nicely, and a respectable vocal performance from Hyosung glues it all together. I can't help but get that sinking feeling about Secret's future, though. Hyosung already overshadowed the rest of the group well before she embarked on her solo path. Let's hope there's at least a Secret comeback before the end of this year.

[ Overall: 88 / 100 ]

[Review] Red Velvet - One Of These Nights

Funnily enough, last time I reviewed a Red Velvet song was right after a Girl Group Power Ranking article. Coincidence or not, we're here with the title track of Red Velvet's "The Velvet," which I'm assuming is some counterpart to their previous album "The Red." Teasers showed the girls slowing down, so we're up for something along the lines of "Automatic," which I can definitely appreciate. Their slower songs are some of my favorite, after all.

Gosh darn it. "One Of These Nights" is another instance of the weird translation titles. The Korean is either "7 Months 7 Days" or "July 7th" but at least the English title is not that far off (looking at you, GFriend). I thought maybe there was some significance to the date if that indeed is the purpose but as far as I know I can't find anything that would support that claim. If anything, the fact that "one of these nights" is a line in the song is more confusing when you look at the Korean title. All that jargon aside, looks like girl groups are really killing the slow tracks so far this year. "One Of These Nights" is a very calming song that soothes the soul. The girls do a wonderful job with their voices that are both relaxing and uplifting at the same time. I get chills every time the line "let's meet again" at 1:40. Everything is just perfectly smooth. This is more of a testament to the song itself, since everyone in Red Velvet has a passable voice. Admittedly, I've always been more attracted to Seulgi's voice than Wendy's. Yeri is for sure the "weak link" but isn't that far off from the Dasom's and Hara's of the industry. Plus she's much younger too, and will have plenty more room to grow. And again, she doesn't sound anywhere near out of place in songs like this.

Red Velvet is no stranger to jam-packed MVs. From the tacky factories of "Dumb Dumb" and the curious colours of "Ice Cream Cake," they're not afraid to throw hectic scenes with bright and interesting combinations of colours are you. The only video that was extremely tame was the "Be Natural" remake, and even that MV used smooth camerawork and was more focused on an intricate choreography. Like the others, there's a million and one things going on in this MV. The video of "One Of These Nights" essentially combines the bright and aesthetically-pleasing colours and visuals of "Ice Cream Cake," "Dumb Dumb," with the smooth transitions and angles of "Be Natural," "Automatic." There are some interesting rumors of how this is paying homage (or describing) the tragic Sewol ferry sinking in 2014. I'm no conspiracy theorist so I'll acknowledge that such a thing exists and leave it at that. It's a complicated video that is offset by the lovely vocals, even if some of the colours seem too bright for a song that's this moody.

If "Ice Cream Cake" is Red Velvet's premier dance track, then "One Of These Nights" is their premier ballad track. It's a masterpiece, both in audio and certainly in video, and easily surpasses the previously impressive "Automatic." Beautiful singing, pristine visuals, excellent production, and has the best MV of 2016 so far. For a group that I'm not too invested in, they absolutely delivered with this piece, and is worthy of receiving the highest score I've ever given (at least to my memory).

[ Overall: 95 / 100 ]

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings Revisited: Spring 2016

It's been 6 months since we last looked at the state of the girl group ladder. It's time to revisit them as April draws near. Again, rankings are mainly off music releases, but I acknowledge everything else like popularity, variety presence, etc. etc. I figured now is a good of a time as ever to take evaluations, since the more spring and summer-oriented songs are going to come into bloom soon, not to mention that if I waited until April, a 7 month difference is more awkward on the eyes than 6. Anyway here we go, no honorable mentions this time, straightaway we go.

10. f(x) (NEW)
The resurgence of f(x) is almost solely off the return album. "4 Walls" album was one of the best in the fall quarter, not to mention that the success itself was a good sign for the now-quartet. Not many groups can release an album with a solid tracklist, much less for one as important as it was for f(x). Luna gets more opportunity to showcase her immense vocal talent, and everyone in general seems upgraded without Sulli's presence. "4 Walls" the song seemed to be an awakening piece for me, because Krystal's voice sounds all the more sweeter in her other appearances, like in some older f(x) songs or S.M. The Ballad material.

9. Twice (NEW)
It may seem silly now, but calling Twice a powerhouse girl group may not be that far off. These rookies are basically killing it everywhere they go. Despite my opinions on the lackluster debut song (which I still hold), there's no denying the vocal talent (Jihyo), dance talent (Momo), and visual talent (Tzuyu) that they have. In the variety world they're making a name for themselves, too. Throw in Dahyun's hilarious facial expressions, etc. and there's appeal for everyone, usually a given when the roster features so many members. A shame that the crazy shenanigans regarding Tzuyu and Taiwan had to surface, as it's the only dark spot on an otherwise bright start for the group.

8. 9MUSES (+1)
9MUSES haven't really done anything to justify this small move up, but I wasn't comfortable with giving Twice anything higher than #9, so here we are. This isn't to say the "Lost" EP wasn't nice, as both "Secret" and "Sleepless Night" still have plenty of replay value, but compared to the content other groups are dropping, a 4 track mini album seems quite underwhelming. Still, Erin is a superstar and their visual game remains the best Kpop has to offer, especially impressive for a group of this magnitude. Also in that regard, with Minha making strides in her singing, and there aren't any weak links on the roster either. I'd like to see the girls expand into some top tier variety shows before a full studio album.

7. EXID
Like with Twice's "Like Ooh-Ahh," my feelings on EXID's "Hot Pink" remain the same. It's a song that lacks the needed punch to break through the group's better, more complete titles. All in all it was disappointing to see the efforts of LE and Solji get squandered by a mediocre piece. When you consider they're both at the top of their class (in rapping and singing, respectively, of course), you hope to see their music play to their (monstrous) strengths. There's not much else to say, other than Hani needs more Running Man appearances because she's an unstoppable force, and by the way we're still waiting on that Dasoni comeback!

6. Apink (-1)
The only exciting news surrounding Apink lately is the mere rumor of an Eunji solo. That alone is of course all that's needed to generate hype, but so long as it's just a rumor all we can do is speculate. Like 9MUSES, they haven't really deserved to be moved around, Mamamoo is on the rise and so overtakes them at present. Of all the groups on this list, they are probably the most stable. They have strung together a great series of hits since 2013 and their next release should be a game-changer. Also, it's not worth talking about any acting roles they have because every group has someone involved in acting. If they aren't, that's probably more rare.

5. Mamamoo (+1)
I say, Mama-mama-moo~ These ladies are the perfect combination of charisma and talent and have shown us that since debut. Whether it's through the studio or Immortal Song, they are blowing people away with their voices and pulling people in with their beagle charm. Mamamoo is an extremely balanced group, only lacking perhaps in the choreography department, but only a select few girl groups really have an advantage in that aspect anyway, everyone else is generally on par. I have not fully experienced the "Melting" album yet but rest assured it's high priority. "I Miss You" adds another excellent ballad to the list, while "Pride Of 1cm" is just the zany fun Mamamoo everyone loves. The groups in the top 4 better watch out, Mamamoo is on the march.

4. Sistar
Like Apink, Sistar have not released anything (as a group) since we last saw them with "Shake It." This may be a blessing in disguise. While they don't get a chance to climb up the ladder, they also didn't release anything bad which could've possibly given Mamamoo the opening to grab the #4 spot. Hyorin did join the delicious "Love Line" collab, and they've all been working hard in the variety fields, but we crave for more Sistar. Even though a Hyorin solo comeback or Soyu solo debut would be awesome, Sistar will need to make their next comeback a good one, otherwise they will fall prey to the groups just below them. Hopefully it's a spring or fall (not summer) comeback, we don't need any more of the summer jams.

3. Girl's Day (-2)
Music-wise, Girl's Day has been the most quiet out of all these groups. Regardless, the reason they drop has more to do with AOA and SNSD's activity than nothing else. Heck, if Sistar was but the tiniest bit active before now I'd have considered putting them here instead. Despite the mediocrity that was "Ring My Bell," they are still very much worth of being in the top 3. They've had the best set of title tracks in most recent memory, and all the members are quite well-rounded. Minah is a vocal delight, Yura and Sojin are visual wonders, and Hyeri was (still is?) in the ranks of Suzy and IU as far as the hot topics go. Girl's Day's spot boils down to: if Sistar are #4 after the last 2 years of only decent songs, then Girl's Day shouldn't have to worry after only faltering in 2015.

2. AOA
Seolhyun still has the crown for girl group members, and while there are plenty formidable challengers (Hani, Tzuyu, to name a few), she continues to hold that prestige going into April. AOA have been distributing their progress across the roster since they sang of heart attacks in the summer. Choa dropped some solo activity with "Flame" and "Don't Be Shy." The former was a pleasant ballad and the latter a standout piece. Jimin also added some to her resume, advancing AOA's individual efforts. Lastly there was the debut of the new subunit AOA Cream. While they had an unorthodox song, it's respectable for the effort in giving Yuna, Hyejeong, and Chanmi more time to shine, even if the MV was a little too much Sailor Moon. AOA is the next group with a chance to start a good few years together, and for now will happily occupy the silver spot in consecutive rankings.

1. Girls' Generation (+2)
While they fell in the fall, Girls' Generation recovered quickly and returned to the #1 spot (I say "returned" even though there was only one previous official ranking, but it's not hard to believe that they were the #1 girl group for extended periods of time prior to Jessica leaving). The centerpiece for the resurgence was of course, Taeyeon's nearly flawless solo debut. "I" was splendid and certainly a main attraction of fall 2015. Further aided by the TTS subunit releasing Christmas music, and the few new songs that have arrived with the Station project, including a Yoona(!) song and the smooth sounds of Taeyeon again in "Rain," and Girls' Generation are bringing back the quality in their music. With more solo debuts in the mix, they will keep try to maintain their #1 position.

Final Glance
10. f(x) (NEW)
9. Twice (NEW)
8. 9MUSES (+1)
7. EXID
6. Apink (-1)
5. Mamamoo (+1)
4. Sistar
3. Girl's Day (-2)
2. AOA
1. Girls' Generation (+2)
Previous Ranking (Fall 2015) (Part 1) (Part 2)

[Review] Hyomin - Sketch

T-ARA has been rather quiet early this year. Finally, they're making moves. Having a Hyomin solo comeback is a little questionable, but as long as nothing like "Nice Body 2.0" is released then our ears will be spared. Hyomin really really dropped the ball in comparison to Jiyeon and Eunjung's solo debuts, so for being the member who gets another opportunity, this is her chance to make up for the disaster that was her debut.

With a single listen of the song, I can confidently say that "Sketch" is better than "Nice Body." How much better, is up for debate. My immediate thoughts were that this song is much better for Hyomin's voice. She's not a particularly strong vocalist, so having a slow sensual song is more up her alley than the more active pop sounds. Come to think of it, nobody in T-ARA really has a good voice for pop, yet they dominate with pop hits anyway. Perhaps that's the power of a group. Moving on, the other thing that instantly jumped out at me is the lack of a hook. Slow R&B tracks aren't necessarily known for being catchy, but nothing in "Sketch" really stands out musically speaking. This is basically the only thing I can write about this song. It's smooth as glass, sure, and Hyomin does a commendable job with the sensual voice, but there's a clear lack of pizzazz which is unfortunate. "Sketch" is more than likely going to be forgettable, though that's perhaps a better fate than a memorably poor song.

I think she was focused on being sexy / fanservice so much that she forgot about lipsyncing, because she does a lazy job of it in the MV. Everything else is pretty much eye candy to the max, and not in the overly obnoxious "Nice Body" style either. There's some bed game, chair dancing, and tattoos are involved. It's a video that will draw criticism and praise alike, and nothing new to Hyomin (or anyone, for that matter).

A good comparison song for "Sketch" would be Hyosung's "Goodnight Kiss." But unlike the catchy dance nature of Hyosung's track, Hyomin places more emphasis on sounding gentle and sensual, which impressed given her lack of notable vocal talent. Where "Goodnight Kiss" falters with the silly chanting and unnecessary breaks, "Sketch" delivers consistency from beginning to end, even if that is only a mediocre consistency. Maybe the bar was set to high by Jiyeon, forever dooming everyone else in T-ARA to have only decent solo showings from now on.

[ Overall: 70 / 100 ]

[Review] FIESTAR - Mirror

FIESTAR join the girl group fray with their comeback since "You're Pitiful." This is a key release in the group's development. After the success of "You're Pitiful," they need to keep the momentum in their favor. Yezi is responsible for a huge portion of their potential. She impressed the world on Unpretty Rapstar, and her solo debut has some excellent material. Will she be able to carry them to greater heights?

I'm not sure if this is just me, but the instrumental slaps you across the face with similar key notes to "You're Pitiful." While not as delicate, they are used more aggressively but eventually after enough listens I can't really hear the comparisons anymore. Anyway "Mirror" is very much the daughter of "You're Pitiful." From the sombre overtones, soft singing, and the visual styles of the MV, definitely pays homage to FIESTAR's best song to date. But the offspring song varies in significant aspects.

Let's talk line distribution. Jei is the poster child of FIESTAR for sure, but the amount at which she overshadowed the other members was kind of ridiculous. Thankfully, "Mirror" is much kinder to everyone else given the rather inexcusable distributions of songs past. At least, more specifically, Cao Lu isn't left with nothing anymore, which is always a step in the right direction. The members all seem to match each other in vocal output, too (I consider this a good thing even if Linzy's skills aren't fully used). This chorus is definitely the highlight of the song, with her and Hyemi's crystal clear voices ringing evenly against the instrumental. The bridge is nothing to write home about, but it's nice to see that the final chorus was split between everyone (except Yezi). Speaking of, Yezi gets adequate (appropriate) time in the spotlight in this track. She has a lengthy rap in each verse, though she doesn't show up anywhere else. I really liked how she was used in the last chorus of "You're Pitiful," adding another layer to the singing with her rap and was hoping it'd make another appearance here, but oh well.

The MV gives me "Black Swan" vibes, which is to say, simple sets used to show off the girls being sad, while being coupled with choreography shots for eye candy. They're trapped in a house of mirrors, looking gorgeous the whole while. Not much else to say. The choreography is also subtle and seductive. Nothing too flashy, but not to the point where it's boring, either. While there aren't any chairs, jackets, or male backup dancers this time around, "Mirror" provides a more simplistic visual in terms of the dancing, which is appropriate given the nature of the song.

"Mirror" is to "You're Pitiful" as EXID's "Ah Yeah" was to "Up & Down." The backbone was unchanged and both songs are clear winners. However, unlike "Ah Yeah," I'm not sold if "Mirror" is better than the predecessor. Visually speaking, it is, because Jei doesn't have 80% of the video content, and I like the more simple dance better. But vocally speaking, it's not as interesting (especially the bridge), and while Yezi's double rap is good, both combined don't measure up to the quality in "You're Pitiful." In the end though, it's a good song that feeds off what made "You're Pitiful" so great, and that's worth applauding any day.

[ Overall: 85 / 100 ]

[Bonus] Best Of Taeyeon

As we celebrate Taeyeon's 27th (international) birthday, and before I get swamped with exams, let's have a Taeyeon appreciation post! Or at least in some way. We're just gonna highlight some of my favorite Taeyeon performances and appearances across the years. They'll mainly pertain to some of her best vocal work because who doesn't love some good Taeyeon vocal runs right?

5. How Great Is Your Love

This is the only ballad on the list, and it's a good exception to the rule. "How Great Is Your Love" is not only one of Taeyeon's best solo attempts, but also one of the group's best as a whole, too. The tracklist for "The Boys" was pretty wild, and was held together by this excellent ballad and of course, the masterpiece "Trick." Taeyeon is crystal clear here, and the rest of the supporting cast as well. As far as the most serene Taeyeon has ever been, it doesn't get much better than here.

4. Twinkle

Taeyeon is known for her incredible OST work and excellent ballad voice, but "Twinkle" accentuates her versatility like no other. She sounds very comfortable, and shows flashes of brilliance, too. Keep in mind, this was the debut track of the TTS subunit, the prized vocal line of Girls' Generation. "Twinkle" couldn't afford to disappoint, and thankfully did the opposite. And yeah, she sounds more strained here than in almost any other song since debut, but that doesn't take away from everything else.

3. Stress

Now "Stress" is a real earworm. Combining pop rock elements with Taeyeon's voice, illustrates yet another side to her utility as a singer. If she had never sang a single ballad in her life, or debuted in 2007 with something like this, I doubt anyone would bat an eyelash (though there is slight strain). English is pretty much perfect as per Taeyeon's usual standard, too. The key success of this piece is that "Stress" follows in the footsteps of yet another Taeyeon classic.

2. Devil's Cry

"Devil's Cry" is without a doubt Taeyeon's best individual effort in anything anywhere. The world never expected to see the power of rock course through her veins, yet she delivered a smashmouth performance no one ever imagined. The reason "Stress" wasn't ranked higher than "Devil's Cry" even though the former is a complete song is that there's not enough power, not enough aggression. Taeyeon ramps those dials to 11 here and it's a damn shame the length of this could not have been extended. Also noteworthy is that Gayo Daejun performance with Changmin of TVXQ. A killer combination for a killer song.

1. Genie

The song that started the Girls' Generation train for me has no reason not to be here. Outside of the choreography which made waves and the general catchy nature of the song, the final moments of "Genie" were what captivated me to Taeyeon in the beginning. It's honestly not quite the most impressive vocal run ever, but my goodness does she sound good or does she sound good. After all these years, Taeyeon's part in "Genie" should still rank among the best girl group vocalist sections of all time.

Other excellent pieces that didn't make the cut include the Mr. Go OST "Bye" (and the Chinese version!), the really good runs in "The Boys," and the recent smooth-as-silk "Rain."

Happy Birthday Taeyeon~

[Review] Mamamoo - You're The Best

After teasing us with the beautiful ballad "I Miss You" and hilariously weird "Price of 1cm," Mamamoo are ready to drop their studio album "Melting." They've already achieved ridiculous success prior to this album, so anticipation and hopes are quite high as we dive into the vacation wonderland video of "You're The Best." Again, I don't quite understand some of these title translations, but I'm not Korean (and the Korean title itself is also quite weird to me) so whatever haha.

Solar has really come into her own lately. She's deservedly a top tier vocalist by now and this may be the best song that showcases her talents. She constantly gets some powerful lines and she has been very consistent since Mamamoo's debut. Her versatility doesn't go unnoticed and those high notes are really bulked up by Solar's voice. It's so refreshing to see her constantly act as the lovestruck girl, as her facial expressions are beyond priceless. Even though Wheein carries the chorus in "You're The Best," she more or less takes a support role with Solar's power and Hwasa's energy in the mix. This MV made me realize a very important issue: Wheein needs her own eating show immediately. She would kill it. I would pay good money to have a "Lunch With Wheein" stream or episode. Please make it happen. The V broadcasting app can make this dream a reality.

Moonbyul continues to do her best despite being left in the vocal shadows of her teammates. I'd really love to see her get some singing lines or even minor harmonization later. She has shown the capacity for it, so just need to get that potential realized. This is probably her weakest rap performance to date. Both raps aren't bad, just underwhelming. Compounding this is the fact that she doesn't have a single rap segment but rather split shorter ones. Generally this type of thing doesn't work very well (and in "Um Oh Ah Yeah" I argued the same thing), unless you have extended raps for both parts (think Erin and Eunji in 9MUSES' "Wild"). Still, I commend her for her effort. On the plus side, I like that Moonbyul isn't introducing herself before her raps anymore! Though that's because Hwasa does that now. Dangit. Anyway, Hwasa continues to rock, bringing that disgustingly good charisma and sass to her vocals. If Wheein's smile gives me life, then Hwasa's energy does the same. This ship is too powerful. And I must say, I have never seen that shade of orange that perfect before. Kudos to you, Hwasa (honestly though everyone's appearance is on point, even if those shirt and jean combo only remind me of f(x)'s "4 Walls" performance outfits. But otherwise they are dressed to chill and have fun, exactly what they're doing in the MV.

The latter half of "You're The Best" is easily the better half. Moonbyul's rap is better the 2nd time, the final chorus is delicious even though the ending is rather abrupt. Though considering how fast and energetic the song was from the start, I guess it's difficult to really come up with a good solution as to how the song should end. I absolutely love when songs / artists pay tribute to past ones, so the "Mr. Ambiguous" and "Piano Man" throwbacks are awesome. This and NS Yoonji's "Wifey" are some of the best in that regard. More songs should do this from time to time.

Mamamoo's formula has not changed. They drop yet another title track with really strong vocal performance, addicting rhythm, a better-than-box-sets MV, and add some of their classic beagle charm, too. I'm sure the rest of the album is sure to not disappoint, and will likely stand as a top album of 2016 early. Next time get Moonbyul some singing, pretty please?

[ Overall: 90 / 100 ]

[Review] Brave Girls - Deepened

After a hiatus that seemed to last for an eternity (about 3 years, which may as well actually be eternity), Brave Girls returns with "Deepened." Another questionable English title because the Korean title has nothing to do with deepness (literally translates to "(You've) Changed.") Anyway, what with Ladies' Code and now Brave Girls having come back it just makes me all the more sad that EvoL will not be joining the nostalgia trip, as wonderful as that could be.

It's a good thing I reviewed "Galaxy" just before "Deepened," because here we can see the harsh similarities between the songs. Both are slower R&B-esque songs, though Brave Girls adds a more emphatic instrumental to support the choreography / dance nature of the song. Both also don't really have momentum. Again, in the concept that both songs start a certain level and remain there for the entirety of the song, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in these specific instances. What sets "Deepened" apart from "Galaxy" is the rap break in the middle of the song (more on that shortly). Maybe because this song is a dance track, the instrumental is much easier on the ears compared to the one from Ladies' Code. Brave Girls don't have any standout vocal talent (at least at a glance here) but they're all comparable to each other and their voices are good enough to make a song like this work. Brave Girls' frail sensual vocals are matched by the choreography, which isn't all that impressive (lots of squats though) but maintains pace with the song. There haven't been too many interesting dances that we've seen thus far, so the choreography from "Deepened" may be the best at current.

The last time I saw this group was with "Nowadays You," and since then they've only retained 2 members so I haven't caught up with the new faces yet, but let's talk about Hyeran. Her rap in "Nowadays You" was a reflection of the song as a whole: mediocre for the most part, but showing potential. In "Deepened," her rapping serves as the main attraction to an otherwise simple (but not exciting) song. She demonstrates good mechanics and adds some singing to the mix, too. In a quick whirlwind, we've already seen some impressive raps this promotion cycle, from Serri to Chammi and now Hyeran. I'm only further hyped for seeing what the real established rappers can bring now that the less experienced and less talented rappers have already stepped up. Lastly, I've not much to say about the MV. Nothing creative and otherwise your stereotypical box sets and dancing shots video. Huzzah?

It's not like Brave Girls knocked it out of the park with "Deepened." As previously mentioned it's on a similar level to Ladies' Code's "Galaxy," but they get an edge in Hyeran's explosive rapping segment and the better and less obstructive instrumental. Assuming they can actually stay active for an extended period with this comeback, they'll at least have a fighting chance this time around.

[ Overall: 85 / 100 ]

[Review] Ladies' Code - Galaxy

Ladies' Code returns as a trio nearly 2 years after the tragic accident. Given such the hiatus, it's really easy to have forgotten about the talent on this roster, especially Sojung. "Galaxy" would be the girls' early 2016 return, and many fans and non-fans alike would be flocking to hear this one for sure.

"Galaxy" is smooth. Really smooth. It's infused heavily with R&B vibes and everyone does a good job of bringing that elegant voice to the table. Sojung, as usual, shines in her role and it's extremely uplifting to get to hear her sing again. Meanwhile, Ashley and Zuny aren't pushovers either and provide wonderful support and more than carry their own weight so it's not Sojung +2 by any stretch of the imagination. The scattered English usual to these songs don't sound too bad, but I do think the instrumental was either too loud at times (or for a majority, even) or felt a little out of place at others. Perhaps I'm still accustomed to the hyperactive pop sounds of their past hits but this song is definitely (obviously?) much more tame and is the type that will put you to sleep. Now that isn't necessarily a bad thing, just means the song doesn't really go anywhere and remains at the same level throughout. When I make a bedtime playlist, "Galaxy" will surely be on there. Being boring doesn't mean you can't be beautiful at the same time!

The only few things I have to say about this MV are that it's unfortunate  Zuny has to stand out in blonde. The black hair on Ashley and Sojung is absolutely striking with the white outfits, so shame Zuny couldn't be a part of that. The seemingly endless barrage of support items going on reminds me of last year's trademark shenanigan music videos (Red Velvet's "Dumb Dumb" and IU's "Twenty Three), and ultimately is a little distracting when placed in the backdrop of an extremely smooth and slow song. Of course, you have to notice or talk about the usage of backup dancers to create the illusion of the original members. Brings a beautiful tear to my eye.

Ladies' Code at their finest? Perhaps not. But "Galaxy" shows a slower smoother side to their charm. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Girl group R&B numbers tend to be few and far inbetween, and I welcome our new overlords. "Galaxy" handily takes away the top spot in this category from the reigning queens Red Velvet and "Automatic." I know Eunbi and Rise are listening to this song with smiles on their faces. Keep going strong, Ladies' Code.

[ Overall: 82 / 100 ]

[Review] Rainbow - Whoo

Now that DSP's flagship girl group KARA has sailed off into the sunset, Rainbow's comeback seems like the golden opportunity the girls need. They can rise up to the occasion in KARA's absence, or they can continue to flounder under DSP's jurisdiction. If "Black Swan" was a pivotal crossroads in their career, then the release of "Whoo" is a hundred times more important.

Well, looking at this MV, doesn't seem like it's all that important. I can appreciate the "throwback" to using each member's assigned colour and all that, but there's basically nothing even remotely interesting about this video. You can make the arguments that simplicity works here, but "Black Swan" was a simplistic MV. This is far from the level of that. And again, this doesn't look like close to the level of effort a KARA video would be receiving, just looking at the sets alone (straight up blank rooms). The various props like balloons, food, etc. help add material to an otherwise blank MV. Without them, I'm not sure I'd have even bothered finishing watching the whole--oh who am I kidding. Everyone looks amazing (though Noeul unfortunately takes last and Yoonhye's eyes still creep me out). However it's a damn crime Hyunyoung has to go with the strawberry blonde. That girl rocks the black hair to perfection.

Thankfully, the song itself is extremely pleasant to listen to. It's an energetic dance number that's driven immediately by the electric guitar and drums in the background. Perhaps it's only right that "A" was also like that. Anyway everyone in Rainbow has respectable vocals so nobody sounds out of place, with the exception of the "clap clap" use in the hook. While I won't say it's a major contributor, I'm not sure what else could've been used, or if silence for those few seconds would've been better. Rainbow's less active members in Noeul, Seungah, and Yoonhye get charitable amount of lines. In fact, I'd say everything was balanced quite well as to not have anyone overshadow anyone. Even Woori takes the "clap clap" spam to bulk up her presence. On the opposite end, this may the best we've ever heard the Hyunyoung and Jisook combo. Hyunyoung may forever be an undiscovered singer but her work here is very smooth, and her velvet voice matches up quite exquisitely. The dance of "Whoo" is equally as fun as the song audio, with portions of more mature direction. When you see the vocals and the choreography together, Rainbow comes off as playful and sensual at the same time. Watching the live performances brings a smile to my face.

Like "Black Swan," "Whoo" shows us there is hope for Rainbow future. It's a fun and lively song with a good hook and potentially mesmerizing choreography. They just need to be able to promote for more than 2 weeks or whatever ridiculous amount was given last time around. If my biggest complain is that the MV needed more substance and choreography shots, I'm okay with that. The girl group current is rising up again so Rainbow really need to get their act together or they will never escape the depths of obscurity. "Whoo" can help deliver them back on track to the glory days of "A" and "Mach."

[ Overall: 85 / 100 ]

[Review] AOA Cream - I'm Jelly Baby

AOA's new subunit start the group's promotions with an ambiguously titled "I'm Jelly Baby" that lacks the punctuation needed to clarify exactly what's going on. AOA Cream is the 2nd subunit after AOA Black. While team Black was the band variant, team Cream is the underhyped variant, more or less. Hyejeong and Yuna have yet to gain traction as much as say Seolhyun or Jimin, and hardly anyone takes notice of Chanmi these days. It's nice to see FNC promote the less popular members, so long as this doesn't end up producing another episode of Sistar19.

Well, the good news is that there's no Sistar19 syndrome here. Naturally, having an extra member in the subunit certainly helps that cause. Line distribution for the vocalists is very fair, even if Yuna is significantly better than Hyejeong. Though whether through her own efforts or the nature of this song, Hyejeong does close the gap quite well. It could have been very easy for Yuna to overtake everyone and be the member of interest but thankfully that wasn't the case. Also worth noting is that they held back on the usage of random English, thankfully. On the other end of the spectrum, Chanmi gets a whopping 23 second rap, which is probably more than all of her previous rap appearances combined. This was a pleasant showing of both her rapping ability and getting time in the spotlight, especially since she basically has no singing lines. While Jimin remains the superior rapper, at least Chanmi has proven she is still capable (and has an infinitely better voice). Even if the song doesn't hold up, Chanmi's rap has quickly (already) taken over Serri's one in "Someone Like U" as the signature girl group rap of 2016. Not sure I approve of the bridge though. Usually bridges like that are signs of laziness, and certainly didn't add anything to the song.

This music video is...something. It's clearly based off Sailor Moon, what with all the magic and transformations and silly visual effects and all. Hyejeong catches her man cheating on her (an extremely extremely stupid decision if you ask me) and decides to exact some magical revenge with her buddies who are also part of the magic club. Revenge plots include a swift kick to the shins, making the new girl slap him across the face, teleporting randomly into his car to spook him, and...giving his coffee more cream? That last one seems odd, to say the least. Also, if the point of teleporting his chick away and then appearing in her place was to take his car, why bother with the nonsensical stuff and just teleport the guy away? Finally, the grand finale of the revenge scheme is to appear in front of him while he's all miserable and use a super magical spell to launch fireworks and confetti into the air and gloat in his face. Hmm.

Maybe they're trying to reach out to the non-AOA fans with this subunit, but if so, that's where I tend to shy away from this song. "I'm Jelly Baby" and AOA Cream show that the less popular members of AOA are still very talented and very pretty, however I'm not sure if this was the perfect song for that. Perhaps I've simply missed the hook, but it's more bland than the usual AOA song and just isn't cutting it for me.

[ Overall: 70 / 100 ]

[Review] 4minute - Hate

4minute joins the comeback waves early with "Hate." This title track was spearheaded by the news that the girls would be working with Skrillex. Considering the success of "Crazy." perhaps they wanted to keep pursuing the heavy dance rhythm. 4minute have been stuck in obscurity for a long time prior to "Crazy," so maybe "Hate" can be another good start to putting this group on the rise.

The beginning of "Hate" is absolutely beautiful. Graceful piano in the background really suits Gayoon and her powerful vocals well. Hyuna and Jihyun(!) take over from the opening sequence and both do admirably well. Hell, just the fact that Jihyun is already singing means it's 75% less likely of "Hate" has a really awkward bridge! Jiyoon's rap is pretty chill, if uninspiring. For the first time in a while, Hyuna's part has overshadowed / impressed more than Jiyoon's part. It's not a shame, just something that Jiyoon usually wins. Given the state of the chorus (we'll get to that later), this song has incredible line distribution. Each member essentially had main parts across the entire song, with Sohyun getting the weakest part. Her prechorus does the job of building into the chorus, but admittedly that shout (scream?) at the end has to go. Gayoon's version of the prechorus is so much better since she sings the high note and there's less distortion. This bridge rocks. End of story. The piano from the start of the song comes back, and Hyuna adds her smooth vocals (something we don't hear very often) as the instrumentals transition into something more frantic to go into the final chorus. Even if the choruses were lackluster, the bridge deserves even more credit and praise.

The only thing to hate about "Hate" is really the chorus, and using hate there is quite strong (maybe too strong, even). The brass instruments are distracting and loud, and they easily overrun the audio. The chorus is very basic in structure and there's not a lot of singing or shouting going on. Using those trumpets makes them more noticeable. Second, while I don't listen to Skrillex, I get the feeling that deep loud trumpets aren't really his signature style. "Hate" would have benefited from something more electronic, or even just a continuation of the instrumental from the rest of the song, because that certainly wasn't disappointing.

"Hate" is very much the sister of "Crazy" in terms of the music video. For the most part, we have simple rooms for the girls and backup dancers that are so very boring. We do get some diversity thrown in this time around, with Gayoon's wedding simulation at the beginning, and some miscellaneous shots of Hyuna and Jihyun out in the middle of nowhere looking pretty. Gayoon continues to get the "weird edits" section of the MV, just watch her and you'll know what I'm talking about. And is that Jiyoon...smoking? That ain't a good message. All in all a standard MV.

While "Hate" may not be the superstar that "Crazy" was, it's still an addicting song that has but a single weakness in the chorus (and even then it's not that bad). This song is still comfortably better than a plethora of other 4minute titles, and in the grand scheme of things is probably the group's #3 song since debut. Wouldn't say I'm excited, but definitely pleased with how "Hate" turned out.

[ Overall: 85 / 100 ]

[Review] GFriend - Rough

This is a weird choice of an English title. As far as I know, the Korean translates to "Running Through Time," like in the chorus. "Rough" is very odd for a group that is so banked on the cute and innocent image. Anyway, this is GFriend's 3rd major release after the success of "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu." As rookies of the year, they'll come back early this year to keep their momentum and hype train going.

"Rough" is definitely the most tame compared to past tracks in terms of how cute they sounded. This is the most mature we've seen in GFriend, and you can hear that in the vocals. Yuju and Eunha continue to deliver strong singing parts, though the final chorus isn't nearly as explosive as songs past. Everyone else is honestly pretty below average in the vocals department, but they really don't need much except to get carried by Yuju. This change in sound also affects the choreography, because at a glance this is the weakest dance we've seen from them. "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu" had energetic and extensive choreography, whereas "Rough" is much more calm and reserved. Sometimes this matches the general sound of the song, while at other times seems awkward paired with the instrumental.

Onto the MV. It's a rather generic video in terms of location, sequences, etc. but I'll comment on some random things that I took note of. Firstly, that snow is fake as hell. You can't fool anyone with that business. I also don't know why schoolgirls are responsible for cleaning (or maybe they were just playing around, in which case why). That poor teddy bear, just getting abused for no good reason. There's plenty of filler just to show more instrumental and video but there's really nothing all that exciting.

All in all, GFriend changed a few things about this comeback but they're still the same GFriend that most came to know and love in 2015. A step in the more mature direction so early proves they're not just going to recycle the same cute stuff over and over, which is always worth applauding. Having such a strong start early in their careers will only mean good things down the line if they keep the work ethic up. A-Pink might have to start panicking a little.

[ Overall: 83 / 100 ]

[Bonus] 2015 Kpop Awards: Leftovers

Here are just some short extra material that I had drafted up or outlined but never got to flushing out for the regular writeup. Most of these are pretty damn random so you have been warned in advance!

Most Engrish Song: Sonamoo - Cushion

I almost put this as the most disappointing song of the year but this award makes much more sense. "Cushion" had potential. The instrumental is pretty addicting and both the vocals and choreography are explosive and dynamic. But most if not all of this is rendered irrelevant by the excessively bad English (both ways: too much English and too terrible English) layered throughout the song. At least Psy's lines were punny, I can't say the same for Sonamoo here. "Cushion" could've been the best rookie group track in 2015 but the Engrish cancelled those plans.

Best Collaboration: Hyorin, Bumkey, Jooyoung - Love Line

This is why you don't sleep on December. Collaborations were plenty in 2015 and many were extremely amazing, but when you combine the best girl group vocalist, and established male solos known for their voice, you know you have something special. At first you'd think it a bit awkward to have 2 male voices, but truth be told Jooyoung takes more of the spotlight and Bumkey is sort of a support role, as weird as that sounds. "Love Line" starts strong and finishes strong, and that's all that matters.

Best Mini Album: EXID - Ah Yeah

BoA's "Kiss My Lips" album was an easy pick for the best album of the year (if I included said category), but the mini section had some more competition. I think EXID takes this because of the dual threat between "Ah Yeah" capitalizing off the momentum they had and the excellent lineup of B-sides. Between "1m" and "With Out U," the remaining 4 B-sides are just as good of material. Throw in another version of "Every Night" and you have a capable EP.

Most Improved Group: SHINee

From "Replay" to "Lucifer," "Sherlock" to "Dream Girl," SHINee's title tracks were diverse but shared an underlying trait: they never hit it out of the park. Every song was mostly competitive but failed to produce that smash hit their labelmates prized. 2015 dropped "Married To The Music" and "View," both electric dance songs with equally exciting vocals. Definitely a high form for SHINee, and "View" would later inspire the incredible sounds of f(x)'s "4 Walls." B2ST also had a good year but "YeY" can't hold up to the SHINee standards.