[Bonus] The Late Report: July 2020

Well shit, The Late Report is late once again. Unfortunately for my OCD's sake I refuse to cheat and place this post at the end of July. Over the next couple of days I'll have an update type of post trying to streamline the plans for the remainder of 2020. This year has been all sorts of fucked up, and my blog has been no exception. Anyway here are some treats from July that I'm sharing in August.

Chungha - Play (feat. Changmo)

I feel like I've said Chungha's name a thousand times over the last couple of months. She's been working hard and the results speak for themselves. "Play" was quite the loud comeback and I gotta say that I didn't really dig the song at first. However after a few more listens, the artistry and choreography got me hooked and even though I haven't been listening to too much Kpop in recent months this song got repeated a few times. Props to Chungha for continuing to develop herself as a singer, dancer, and artist. Through her work and talent she has joined the pantheon of great female solo acts.

[Bonus] The Late Report: September 2019

October is already here, yikes. Theoretically I should be able to match post count from last year but with me you're never too sure. Nonetheless, we move into a new month and that means a new edition of The Late Report. Here's what September had to harvest.

Twice - Feel Special

Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. Twice's "Feel Special" is definitely their best song to date. Like I mentioned in the previous post, there's many things to like about this comeback. The vocals, the setup, and upon further review the choreography is super clean too. The evolution of their style over the years has reached its peak with "Feel Special," and it appears all too likely that Twice have made their position on the Best Of 2019 clear: they'll be there in December when it's all said and done.

[Review] AOA - Bingle Bangle (Blitz)

The whole point of Blitz pieces was to let me write about songs more frequently, even if the length was shorter. So with that said, we're onto AOA's return in a world without Choa.  "Bingle Bangle" is a cute dance number that ushers in the summer season of Kpop. The simple chanting chorus backed by the whistle hook helps alleviate the absence of a main vocalist. Yuna does do her part, and as a winner in the post-Choa lineup. Chanmi is another, and shines in her parts. She probably tripled her production from past songs. If you can believe it, Jimin actually had no presence in the song until her rap break at the end. What's more, she didn't say "HEY" a single time. The rap itself was underwhelming, and I gotta say I expected better. Most people thought Jimin would step up in Choa's absence. But that could also be a byproduct of a cuter song. This is certainly the least AOA-sounding track in their discography and I'm not really feeling this one so far, doubly so with the cuter sound and scattered English. The MV is cute with the videogame motif and tons of CGI and special effects, plus Mina is definitely the member who plays the most videogames. Shoutouts to the GCN controller at the beginning, what a nostalgia trip that gave me. "Bingle Bangle" might not have much bang, but it gives fans hope that they can do alright as six - and that's what matters.

Word Count: 249

[Misc] AOA Power Ranking

With AOA's comeback on the way, here's another group list. Looks like they'll be on roller skates? Should be an interesting video and choreography, at least. One would hope. AOA is gonna need all the help it can get to make up for lost time and the loss of Choa. Yuna is gonna have to put this team on her back, or else Jimin and her army of "hey" will drown the skies in despair. Speaking of which...

#7. Jimin
Jimin will forever be in the shadow of Jimin of BTS. Nowhere near as popular, and doesn't rank as highly within her own group. She's the leader, but that position has held less and less weight over the years. Definitely a solid rapper (ranked #5 on the latest Girl Group Rapper Power Rankings), but her voice is too high-pitched for my liking. She tends to be super energetic in AOA songs and I prefer the more relaxed rapping from her. That and the recent plastic surgery are huge negatives in my book.

#6. Yuna
It is troubling to see the two likely primary forces of the new AOA at the bottom spots, but it is what it is. I know I said earlier that Yuna is gonna have to carry AOA, but it's pretty obvious that isn't gonna be possible. Realistically speaking, Yuna is an average vocalist at best and was only the secondary singer behind Choa because everyone else on the group is forgettable. Put her on groups like Girl's Day, GFriend, 9MUSES, and she would disappear down the depth chart. Pretty consistent visual though.

[Bonus] Best Of AOA

AOA have been quiet on the front ever since Choa's departure from the group. Personally I've kept any hopes about their return at a minimum, because Choa was literally carrying this group on her back with her voice (and I guess Jimin and her army of "hey"). Some comeback will probably happen but the writing is on the wall. With their end nearing, it's time to take a look at their discography and pick the best of their best.

#7. Elvis

Kicking us off is the song that kicked AOA off. While "Elvis" has not aged particularly well the song accomplished what it needed to: give us an early taste of what this group had to offer. Back in these days there was still legitimacy points in AOA going after that band concept. The band rocks (heh) and despite the raw sound of every member - even Choa - you could see the potential in her, Jimin, and Yuna.

#6. Moya

A year later, AOA Black (rest in peace for this subunit) would make their debut, flaunting the core trio of Choa, Jimin, and Yuna. Mina made a support appearance as did Youkyung (shoutouts to this girl for putting up with all the bullshit over the years) but really the former three were the star of the show. "Moya" is laid-back and that element lets the band instrumentals shine through. It also lends to Jimin's performance in the rapping department, which to this day is still one of her best showings. Ultimately "Moya" was a treat but the failure of FNC to follow on this concept is a crime.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings V: Summer 2017

With summer in full swing it's time to once again look at the state of the girl group ladder. There's been plenty of activity to go around, and that includes positive and negative moves. Sistar and Wonder Girls depart from the rankings, and T-ARA will soon follow, even though the latter has not made an appearance on this list in a long time. The younger groups have been promoting with fervor (hopefully I updated new releases as accurately as possible) and you can see the new generation of girl groups staking their claim in the industry. As always, we're looking at their main releases, the roster and talent, along with consistency (less of the past, more of the present). Since many of these comebacks have been recent it'll be fun to see what my early impressions are and how they influence placements.

Honorable Mention: Dreamcatcher (NEW)
* New Releases: Chase Me / Good Night
The rebranded Minx made a name for themselves early on in 2017, with "Chase Me" bringing a powerful sound uncommon for girl groups (and arguably boy groups, too). Both "Chase Me" and "Good Night" have Jpop influences and they're definitely darker than your typical girl group (reddit sure loves their MVs). Powerful instrumentals and choreography drive their music and they've rightfully been getting praised for that. I'd only heard of Minx by name before the rebranding so it really was like finding a new group for the first time. Having music with heavy rock elements that remind of Younha's early days is absolutely keeping this group on my radar. As long as they keep releasing quality content and sweet dance clips consistently, Dreamcatcher will enjoy new success to go with their new name.

Honorable Mention: 9MUSES
* New Releases: Talk About You (Kyungri), Remember
Frankly, "Remember" is one of the best songs this year thus far, and arguably 9MUSES' best song since the days of "Wild" and "Glue." Man how I miss those days... The dark concept and electric instrumental pair excellently and the balanced vocal attack continue to do work. Hyemi has never sounded better and the same could be said for Kyungri and Keumjo. Sojin's rap is also extremely impressive considering it's many steps above what she showed us in "Lip 2 Lip." "Remember" was everything I could've hoped for. Of course this is all fun and good, but 9MUSES - or rather Star Empire - can't be trusted. They've risen up so many times only to fall apart an equal number of times. The inconsistency with this group will continue to plague them as they move forward so they'll stay just outside the top 10.

#10. Red Velvet (--)
* New Releases: Rookie / Would U, Darling U / Our Story (Seulgi)
Red Velvet officially makes their appearance within the top 10. After sitting in the Honorable Mentions section for the last two times, a flurry of activity and departure of Sistar leads them to the 10th spot. "Rookie" really wasn't my cup of tea, and so I'll await their next slower song comeback ("Would U" sort of counts but sort of doesn't since it was through Station). What has also helped RV is Joy's collection of OST work for her drama which is bordering an entire library of its own. As you've noticed I've omitted them from the new releases line because that would take up unnecessary amounts of space. They are one of the few girl groups on the list that possess average vocalists at the worst, something their music generally utilizes well.

[Review] AOA - Excuse Me

AOA is back after the disappointing "Good Luck," Japanese promotions, and hiding from controversy. We would be treated to double title tracks and contrary to what I normally do, I'm going to review what I think is the worse song (but it's not by much). if I was less lazy, I'd do a double review (I believe the only time this has ever happened was NCT) but we're already so late. Despite not including the song in Girl Group Power Rankings, I've now listened to this song enough times to have concrete opinions about it. Also new banners along with a new structure / setup, sort of!

Let's address the elephant in the room: this chorus is not very good. Or rather, the "baby cuse me cuse me" part. As far as I know, that isn't a real word and this usage is not appreciated. I understand it would sound very clunky to have "excuse me" repeated but it just straight up sounds bad the way it is. AOA's recent trend is to start the song off with a piece of the chorus (dating back to "Heart Attack") so that made me uncomfortable the whole rest of the way.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings IV: Early 2017

Quick, before AOA makes their comeback! Too late? Okay, quick! Before I review their comeback! Here are my Girl Group Power Rankings going into the start of 2017. As per usual(?), the main components of each group I'll be look at are the quality of their music, consistency (both music-wise and promotion-wise), potential and talent. Stuff like chart placings, show winnings, variety appearances, and general popularity aren't as important to me, because if they don't have good music I don't really care how popular they are. But they do still play a factor, of course. The music factor will only be accounted for the period between the previous Power Ranking. So for this series, only content from around July was considered, but will also include anything I may have missed. Alright no more introductions, let's get cracking.

Honorable Mention: Girl's Day
* New Releases: N/A
Enough is enough. Girl's Day is the only group on this list that has not released anything in over a year. They can only go by on their legacy for so long. Thankfully they haven't reached After School-levels of a disappearing act, with members still being productive through acting adventures and variety show appearances. Hyeri is still making it rain and their ever-elusive comeback should help bring them back into the spotlight. They have plummeted from the #1 spot in September of 2015, but with a comeback in January, they'll look to go on a revenge tour for all the ranks they've dropped.

Honorable Mention: Red Velvet
* New Releases: Russian Roulette, Always In My Heart (Joy)
Red Velvet retain their Honorable Mention placing from the summer. This is mostly due to the ineffectiveness of "Russian Roulette," which in my eyes is their worst showing since their dreadful debut. It's still a solid C- song but that ain't quite good enough to push themselves into the top 10. Joy also had an opportunity with Station that she took full advantage of, which highlights one thing about Red Velvet that often goes underappreciated: they have solid voices from top to bottom. The duet with Seulong proves it. Better news / hype is that we should be slated for a Velvet comeback, which will have more soft tunes in store.

#10. Wonder Girls (--)
* New Releases: Why So Lonely
Wonder Girls aren't new to the #10 spot, which was their previous location back in fall of 2015. They had inhabited one of the Honorable Mention placings for most of last year but thanks to the wonderful "Why So Lonely" EP, they've managed to get back to this spot. Wonder Girls are extremely well-balanced. They have Yubin who is one of the best girl group rappers, Sunmi and Yeeun who are solid vocalists (with established material as individuals to boot), and a retro band theme that they own (when was the last time you saw a girl group band in Kpop). Dance is no longer their emphasis as it was back in the day but that's to be expected when everyone is playing instruments now.

[Bonus] 2016 Kpop Awards: Part II

Best Vocalist: Sandeul

Enough with the inequality. Boy group members deserve some love, too. Otherwise I'd have dropped Taeyeon here and called it a day. Anyway, I don't think there's a boy group vocalist that's as incredible as Sandeul. He and B1A4 are sort of mired in mediocrity as far as I know but he has deservedly gained attention for his talents over the years. Appearances on singing shows increased his popularity and his OST offers grew. And in 2016 we finally saw him get a solo debut with "Stay As You Are," which further illustrated his vocal abilities.

Best Rapper: Zico

Speaking of gender equality on my blog... I don't think I'll ever write Rapper Power Rankings for boy group members, but if I did, there's one name that would be the undisputed champion: Zico. His style and charisma flow deep in Block B's music, not to mention the individual contributions he makes to the composition and lyrics of songs. He's also one of the most prolific group soloists, too. This year was another excellent harvest for the young man, with songs like "I Am You, You Are Me" and "Bermuda Triangle" giving him solace whenever Block B ends, he will be extremely comfortable pursuing the solo path.

[Bonus] Best Of 2014 Revisited

Continuing the revisited series, we stop at a shy two years back in 2014. This was one of the more diverse years and I expect a handful of new entries to join the fun. Writing these redos have been fun and I may go in reverse after doing the 2015 set, although I'll probably only write 2011 and 2010 because my memory doesn't go much further back. At some point, I even plan for a "Best Of 2010-2015" and basically pit the top 5 of each year against each other to see which songs come out on top.

#12. INFINITE - Back (--)
Original: INFINITE - Back
Zero changes here. Infinite's "Back" was a reliable release with all the trademarks of the group in tow. Solid vocal showing from Sunggyu and Woohyun, and a dance performance that lives up to the Infinite name. In terms of the individual categories they all did well and came together well, too. There were some boy group songs competing for this spot (namely Block B's "Her") but at the end of the day the consistency of Infinite's track record proved stronger.

#11. Lovelyz - Goodnight Like Yesterday (NEW)
Original: Wheesung - Night & Day
Lovelyz kicks off five consecutive new entries to the 2014 list. Most of the songs that were replaced were ones that didn't have staying power, whether through the songs not being as good as initially interpreted, novelty wearing off, or a combination of those and other factors. "Goodnight Like Yesterday" is a premier ballad and helps out Jieun in that genre's representation. Soft soothing voices led by Kei make this a lullaby for the ages. The best part? "Destiny" showed that this wasn't a one-trick-wonder either, this style could be their bread and butter if they wanted.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings III: Summer 2016

Welcome to the latest edition of the Girl Group Power Rankings. Being the first installment of the 7th season, I'm going to write down a little of my thought process regarding how the rankings are worked out. The primary criteria for my evaluation are as follows (in order of importance / weight): quality of music (with emphasis on title track material), consistency (past history and legacy), individual and team performance / talent, miscellaneous data (variety shows, etc.). The music factor will only be accounted for the period between the previous Power Ranking. So for this series, only content from around mid-March was considered, but will also include anything I may have missed.

Honorable Mention: Wonder Girls

* New Releases: To The Beautiful You (upcoming)
Wonder Girls make a return to the Power Rankings, though this time as a Honorable Mention. They've been rather quiet since the revival as a band, and their comeback didn't get enough praise as I thought it would. Still, they're veterans with serious experience now, and their lineup boasts plenty of talent from Yubin's glorious rapping to the equally strong vocal tandem of Sunmi and Yeeun. By the by, Yeeun did join Younha and Cheetah for "Get It?" but it's not her work, even though she did participate heavily. Anyway, with a comeback happening very soon, they'll put on their best effort to fight among the rookies that are everywhere.

Honorable Mention: Red Velvet
* New Releases: One Of These Nights

The female maknaes of S.M. have come on strong lately. They own 2016's best ballad in "One Of These Nights," and their resume is further backed by addicting dance numbers in "Dumb Dumb" and "Ice Cream Cake." Ignoring their debut, RV have shown mastery of both elements, touting both versatility and consistency in two different concepts. I consider this group one that is more than the sum of its parts. Individually, the talent on he roster isn't that noteworthy, but they always make their songs work, which is a testament to good music production. With rumors of another comeback coming later in the year, Red Velvet is only going to climb higher.

#10. 9MUSES (-2)
* New Releases: N/A
Truth be told, the only reason 9MUSES is here at this stage in their careers is for legacy reasons. If not for their 2013 and 2015 runs (which were amazing and good, respectively), I'd have given this spot to Red Velvet, who are more deserving of the spot given their recent additions. Even though this will likely be the last time we see 9MUSES here, there is still a little bit of hope for them. Some form of a comeback or promotion cycle will come later this summer, and whether it's a "full" group or a subunit, it'll help ease the pain of losing yet more members. Even a Nasty Nasty-esque collaboration would suffice. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 Revisited

Here's a fun twist. I'm going to look at and revise my list of best songs from each of the past 4 years. Well, maybe. I'm going to start with the 2012 set for obvious reasons, and we'll see how I feel as it goes. Should be an interesting take and parallel to the Power Ranking pieces. Each entry will include a link to the MV, the original song in that position in parentheses (to make the list look prettier), and then some short comments about the song's rise, fall, or if it's a new addition to the list, why it deserves to be here and etc.

#12. B.A.P - Warrior (--)
Original: B.A.P - Warrior

Starting off the revisions with a lack of revision, B.A.P's "Warrior" remains one of the strongest and impressive debuts to date. The choreography was excellent and the rapping on another level (in terms of debuts anyway). While the team blonde look didn't help us get acquainted with the members, it's an iconic image if only for Zelo's ramen hairstyle. This introductory piece did a great job laying the foundation for B.A.P tracks to come.

#11. Juniel - Bad Man (-7)
Original: EXO-K - Angel

So I vastly overestimated Juniel back in 2012. She has had a good string of releases up until her departure from FNC, but "Bad Man" remains her best work. To put it in top 4 though was very very ambitious and as I found out over the years, Juniel's music is very niche and as a result doesn't have as much staying power as I'd want. Regardless, it's still good enough to not get outright dropped like other songs. And there's more to do with reevaluated songs being better than "Bad Man" being overhyped back then.

[Review] AOA - Good Luck

AOA are on the verge of something historic. Since late 2013, they have released high-quality material and been on a run the likes of which no other girl group has seen. From "Confused" to "Heart Attack," this string has arguably eclipsed the best runs of other groups based on sheer number alone. But that's completely ignoring the greatness of "Miniskirt" and "Heart Attack," among others. "Good Luck" is AOA's opportunity to simultaneously chase after Girls' Generation for that #1 spot on the girl group ladder, and elevate themselves high enough above the other groups that they'd essentially be locked in at #2 at worst.

Alright, look. "Good Luck" is unquestionably a good song. It's similar to "Heart Attack" in that the chorus starts off the song. It's energetic, catchy, and has a pretty good instrumental to back it up. All of this is true, and a formula for success. However, something ominous lurks within the song, and that something causes problems and makes the song weaker than what it should be. And that ominous entity is the English. So what's wrong? For starters, there's simply too much bad English. There are songs that use a lot of good English well (BoA's "Kiss My Lips") and even those that use a lot of bad English well (Jessi's "Ssenunni") but this is one that uses a lot of bad English poorly. From the splattering of words everywhere to lyrics that don't make any sense (what does "I'm your lucky lucky" mean?), it's unfortunate to have a song like this ruined because there was potential here. In earlier drafts I wrote about three long paragraphs on the issues I had with the English but that was too much. Let this be a lesson learned that this much English used in this way doesn't produce good results for your track.

[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] 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 ]

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings (#5-#1)

5. Apink
Alright, top 5 time. Initially, I was hesitant to put Apink so high on this list, but if Wonder Girls deserve #10 out of legacy, Apink surely requires a top 5 placement. Like I mentioned earlier, very pop-focused songs aren't my style. I enjoy them every once in a while, but that's about it. Luckily for Apink, the "every once in a while" pop song is more often than not one of their tracks. "Mr. Chu" and "Luv" are different styles of pop but they cater to the same audience. Outside of Mamamoo, Apink competes for the best / balanced vocal lineup, as everyone from Eunji to Naeun ranges excellent to passable. Naeun in particular has been making strides of improvement, and the support singers like Chorong and Namjoo really impress. "Remember" wasn't quite able to compete with some other summer songs but rest assured this group will carry on for a long, long time. What could really help Apink this fall would be an Eunji solo debut. Please make it happen!

4. Sistar
This was a heavily contested slot, but Hyorin can only carry so far. Sistar has been on the rise since as early as 2012. Sistar has Hyorin, the incredible juggernaut of an idol that makes being in the same group substantially more difficult (heck, she snagged a spot on a rapping show). Soyu has an impeccably clear voice that shines in some of their songs, but is most obvious in the various collaborations she's been a part of. Bora and Dasom are often overlooked for being an inferior rapper and essentially group filler, but the former certainly is capable and the latter has (like Naeun) been making improvement in her voice. While "Don't Be Such A Baby" was a delightful B-side to "Shake It," most of the past year of content has unfortunately paled in comparison to what Sistar was releasing back pre-2014 with "Alone" and "Give It To Me." The fact that consecutive summer songs "Touch My Body" and "Shake It" haven't been able to stand up to "Loving U" and were generally disappointing says a lot of Sistar lately. In the end, a slightly weaker series of releases places Sistar at #4.

3. Girls' Generation
The once unshakable queens of girl groups have (finally?) been dethroned. And in reality all it took was an average album followed by losing Jessica. Jessicagate shook the fandom to the core, given that the group used to be heralded as the pinnacle of member stability. Taeyeon and Tiffany are still 2 of the nation's best girl group vocalists, and the departure of Jessica has given the support vocalists in Sunny, Yuri, and Sooyoung more lines. Although the first release as 8 wasn't very appealing with "Catch Me If You Can," Girls' Generation are getting back into motion. "Lion Heart" was a versatile studio album that redeems the previously mediocre albums of "Mr. Mr." (and even "I Got A Boy" to an extent), no doubt thanks to having triple title tracks. Combined with the upcoming long-awaited solo debut of Taeyeon, as well as solo efforts from Tiffany and a TTS subunit comeback, Girls' Generation will be fighting back hard for their spot at #1.

2. AOA
Ace of Angels are everywhere. They're dominating the charts, from "Miniskirt" to "Heart Attack," the girls have been promoting vigorously with good success. While "Miniskirt" remains their strongest song to date, "Heart Attack" was one of the best tracks this summer and the album as a whole was very good. AOA is plenty active elsewhere, having a plethora of variety show appearances and acting in dramas. Seolhyun remains one of the nation's femme fatales, while MINABOYS dominate le reddit. Choa isn't necessarily top tier, but her voice carries the rest of the group on her back (though Yuna is commendable), and Jimin, much as I dislike her voice, has serious technical ability that cannot be ignored in her rapping. The visual game is almost unrivaled, having the quadruple threat of Seolhyun, Hyejeong, Choa, and Yuna.  AOA is responsible for eye contact dance practice videos, which receive just hype for the all the right fanservice-y reasons  I do feel sorry for Youkyung though. she and AOA Black haven't been around since 2013. Nonetheless, AOA has brought their A-game for the past year plus, and continue to reap the fruits of their labor.

1. Girl's Day
If there's anything the other groups on this ranking have shown, it's that a strong promotion cycle works wonders, and Girl's Day are the uncontested winners of having the best series of comebacks. "Expectation," "Female President," "Something," and "Darling" were an incredible sequence of title tracks that rivaled 9MUSES' run in 2013. If you include "I Miss You," then there was something for just about everyone. Following that, Minah made a pleasant solo debut with "I Am A Woman Too," showcasing her crystal clear voice with R&B ballads. Afterwards was "Ring My Bell," a good-enough track spearheading a better album. Hyeri is the 3rd and final member of the current "lead girls" in Kpop right now, along with Hani and Seolhyun. Her personality is a bit eccentric but perhaps that's simply more of her charm. While Yura is often glanced over, she doesn't suffer from rapper syndrome and gets a charitable amount of singing lines, not to mention her recent raps have shown some growth. This group's music can be considered safe, with Sojin and Minah doing the singing, but there isn't another group with such fair line distribution and they have covered plenty of genres, including going from cute to sexy then back to cute. 2015 may not have been as strong for Girl's Day as 2014, but the record still shows that they are the current girl group to beat.

Final Glance
10. Wonder Girls
9. 9MUSES
8. T-ARA
7. EXID
6. Mamamoo
5. Apink
4. Sistar
3. Girls' Generation
2. AOA
1. Girl's Day

[Review] AOA - Heart Attack

AOA went right up against Sistar for the June 21st release. The gorgeous ladies had been flaunting their skills in other fields like acting and the like since the promotion cycle of "Like A Cat," which was frankly unimpressive. While we indeed got a heart attack inducing teaser out of Choa, the lacrosse logo, team jerseys and the like meant a more athletic approach to this video.

But who cares about the video when we can talk about the sound. The synchronized AOA sound most have to love, as the lineup of Hyejeong / Yuna / Mina / Seolhyun provide a strong backbone for most of the song. Seolhyun's efforts aren't as impressive as the others but still commendable, especially given her part at the bridge is followed immediately by Choa, who of course the standout once again. This instrumental is very much Brave Sound, but it's more beneficial than harmful because this provides consistent background from start to finish, and the AOA sound is amplified. Maybe it's that AOA has a large enough group where this synchronized sound comes naturally, but there are plenty of groups who are just as big or bigger without this type of ability, just as there are smaller groups who share this, too. Even the constant barrage of English support lines and cheers that plagued "Like A Cat" are kept to a minimum or removed from Jimin's plate. When you consider a song with as strong and loud an instrumental as "Heart Attack," it's really impressive that they managed to build off the bridge and transition into a final chorus, where the English actually helps because of the deviation from previous choruses. A shame everything is so loud though, we don't get to hear Yuna and Choa's adlibs as clearly.

It seems that it's been a long time since I've found a Jimin rap this tolerable, but that's exactly what it is: tolerable. All of her raps in AOA's title tracks have always been more of the singrapping Jimin and less of the "Unpretty Rapstar" Jimin but the last time her nasal voice was repressed this well was like "Miniskirt."  But the whole rap for Jimin spanned about 7 seconds so I'd be depressed if she butchered it that badly. Still, she has yet to grow on me in terms of her actual voice. Chanmi is worth a quick mention, since she actually impressed a bit, considering that she is usually the AOA equivalent of filler.

All I'm going to say about the choreography is that #1: it's much more reserved and not blatant fanservice compared to "Miniskirt" or "Like A Cat," which I can respect. #2: the extremely questionable part where they sing "heart attack." I don't understand. Oh! And the leg move at Seolhyun's bridge vocals were very clearly inspired by "Genie." Honestly Girls' Generation has fallen off the radar so much that this didn't even occur to me until multiple views.

Anyway, you can seemingly count on AOA to drop videos with substance, at least since the days of "Confused" and "Miniskirt" which was full fanservice. That being said, this video is weird. Not as weird as Mamamoo's, but still. The basic plot is the high school girls' lacrosse team is struggling until the totally-not-a-vampire transfer student Seolhyun shows up and kicks the other girls' butts into gear. Choa also has a cloaked loveline thing happening. But there are many many questions about this MV. Why are girls playing against guys, or vice versa? Why didn't the girls bring proper equipment the first time around? Is this just a showmatch, if so why is everyone caring so much? This high school has all-you-can-eat buffet? Why isn't Choa allowed to love who she wants to love, dammit. And why is this such a big deal if they're just playing lacrosse. Speaking of, props to Chanmi for being on the ball, literally. She was the only one who got a clue when the guy dropped the ball. I'm also sure they violated and neglected plenty of rules but I don't play lacrosse so I can't judge too hard. At the worst case, the last relevant MV with sports that came to my mind was A-Pink's "Mr. Chu," which had no plot at all, so kudos to AOA for still doing something with this MV. Lastly, a short message notifying that Seolhyun has been usurped from the visuals spotlight by Yuna and Hyejeong. Like. God. Damn.

On the AOA hierarchy of title tracks, "Heart Attack" falls just under "Confused" and well above "Short Hair." The song has plenty of energy thanks to the Brave Sound instrumental and smooth vocals guide the way for Choa to make your ears melt. The choreography is a change of pace from the usual "standard sexy moves" we've seen from AOA, and once again we're graced with an actual music video. "Heart Attack" is certainly a redeeming quality compared to "Like A Cat" and "Short Hair" that came before it.

[ Overall: 90 / 100 ]

[Bonus] Girl Group Radar 2015

Editor's Note: Being the clumsy fool that I am, I accidentally deleted the original while trying to make some edits on mobile. And ever since I started using Blogger I haven't been saving these on my computer either. I'm just going to list the groups from the original but unfortunately all the text / thoughts won't be there. Sorry, I'll try to be more careful next time!

1. Girl's Day

2. Sistar

3. Apink

4. AOA

Just Outside: Mamamoo

Just Outside: 9MUSES

Honorable Mentions: KARA, EXID

[Bonus] Best Of 2014 (#12-#9)

12. INFINITE - Back

To me, Infinite is the male group equivalent or counterpart to A-Pink, at least musically. Both groups have a very specific sound that jumps right at you, and the vocal distribution of voices on the roster certainly speak to that. However, "Back" was a little unorthodox and different for the group, but artistically "Back" is expertly crafted and the execution is just as good. Woohyun and Sunggyu do a solid job leading the pack, but you can also see (hear) the growth in the weaker vocals like L and Sungyeol. Lastly, Dongwoo and Hoya don't need a rap to show presence as they have more than adequate lines, too. "Back" was just what Infinite needed for the repackage album.

11. Wheesung - Night & Day

The soul king returned from the military to drop a beautiful power ballad on us. "Night & Day" is as powerful as it is beautiful. Wheesung delivers power and emotion right from the beginning, and his belts at the end are really damn good. The instrumental is underappreciated in my opinion, and the MV is descriptive with good support acting from Yura and CAP. The last 30 seconds or so (starting from the last chorus) is really strong, and stands out for other music that as mentioned before, have not had good finishes or consistency. Not to be outdone by all the youngsters debuting, Wheesung really made a returning impact with "Night & Day."

10. Juniel - I Think I'm In Love

See what I said about this list being all over the place? Juniel graces us with "I Think I'm In Love," and as I noted in my bias list, she's the only genuinely sweet girl that I just love. Her sweet voice does wonders for this track and unlike last year's "Pretty Boy," the instrumental doesn't sound out of place and subsequently doesn't interfere with the song. This means you can enjoy "I Think I'm In Love" from start to finish, and the acoustic versions aren't all that different (still wonderful). The MV is just about as sweet as Juniel, and if I ever wanted to have a date with Juniel, this video sums it up pretty nicely. Compared to past releases, this song is a bit more poppy, and the versatility of Juniel and the guitar make this song a good listen on any kind of day.

9. AOA - Miniskirt

And now onto something entirely different (again). AOA saw their biggest climb in popularity and on the charts, with Brave Sound at their side. "Miniskirt" is all sorts of classy, sassy, and sexy. They may just have dethroned KARA as the premier butt-shaking crew, and that dethroning was more like a revolutionary coup. "Miniskirt" scores high in all the right places, from the delicious eye candy to the short and punctual rap, from the fanservice hook and synchronized sound to Choa's powerful belts. As far as debuting on my radar goes, AOA set the standards very high, placing within the top 10 with their first song.

[Review] AOA - Like A Cat

AOA is having a busy year, From "Miniskirt" to "Short Hair," they've been flaunting their skills and their faces, and early teasers for "Like A Cat" showed no deviations from this. The girls were gonna be sexy, the music would probably be catchy, and the choreography would have butts at some point or another.

I'll be very forward and say that this is the weakest release from AOA this year by far. Don't get me wrong, this is a good song, and the hook is really powerful. Choa is fantastic and makes the rest of her group look bad, but there is a very loud and distracting instrumental. It's not as supportive as the instrumental in "Miniskirt" and just not as good as the one in "Short Hair." Quite frankly, it's jarring when compared to the vocals and they simply don't mesh well. On the other hand, there is too much presence from Jimin in this song, and that's not good. Her nasally voice pretty much takes control of the whole song from the beginning, and didn't sit well with me throughout. The English / rap segments themselves are okay but I just can't stand her voice. Sorry, Jimin. Better luck next time?

The choreography for "Like A Cat" was the most tame, which actually works for them. There's plenty of cat-like gestures and all that, and even the butt-shaking for the hook isn't as in-your-face as previous songs. Were there any formation changes, though? I remember once during the rap break but none elsewhere. Given song titles alone I would have imagined "Short Hair" to have had the most calm choreography but I suppose I can't say I'm not pleased with it.

Another AOA MV with substance, how pleasant. Even if this only reminds me of Secret's "Poison" MV, The ladies are super sneaky thieves that use teamwork and blatantly random techniques to acquire the diamond. Sure, there is plenty of questionable shenanigans going on, but really, it's a video with actual plot and substance, I can overlook the "mistakes."

In the end, this song would have been completely average, but Jimin's mosquito voice dominance is too much and the instrumental does hurt more than it does help. On the flipside, a good hook plus an MV that is actually an MV and not boxes and fanservice brings some points back. Still, this song has a long ways to go before catching up to "Miniskirt."

[ Overall: 70 / 100 ]