[Bonus] Best Of 2008 (And Earlier)

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

#10. Younha - Password 486

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

#9. Kim Jongkook - One Man

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

[Review] BoA - Woman

Your queen has returned. There's not much else to say about BoA's career. She has done anything and everything, in Korea and Japan, on the stage and in the booth. She could call it quits right now and we'd still be talking about her for years to come. But enough of that, let's talk about the headliner of her 9th album: "Woman." After the powerful comeback from IU, BoA now checks in with a return of her own.

[Bonus] Worst Of SM Entertainment

This ought to be fun. Time for some motherfucking negativity up in here! Keeping with the S.M Entertainment theme, we're going to look at some of the worst selections (that are title tracks of course) to ever come out of that company. I did rank them, but that really means little when we're looking at the bottom of the barrel here. Some of the reasons are music-related, and some are purely hate-based. If something sounds bad, then it's bad. Simple as that. Let's see the worst material from one of the top entertainment labels in Korea.

#10. BoA - Nega Dola

Remember we're talking about bad songs so it's better to be up here than down there. Boy it feels bad to list BoA but I gotta do it. "Nega Dola" isn't even a below average song, but it would've been a great song if not for the horrific decision to make BoA rap. There are some things that you should never do. Giving BoA some pitiful rap lines in every verse leaves an awful taste in your mouth, and an awful sound in your ears. SME hardly has the rapping profile with their members, I don't know what they were thinking making BoA do that. Literally ruined the song for everyone.

#9. Super Junior - Mamacita

It's like "Mamacita" was a stepping stone or experiment to figure out how to incorporate international beats. Clearly needed some trial and error since "Lo Siento" was solid whereas "Mamacita" was...not. Everything about this track just feels awkward, like it's going through puberty or something. Even the typically sweet vocals from Kyuhyun and Ryeowook seem off. That rap break by Eunhyuk and Shindong is atrocious, so it's exactly like the average Super Junior rap! "Close your lips, shut your tongue" will always be associated with their cringe rap moments.

#8. TVXQ - Humanoids

TVXQ has had some magnificent highs and dreadful lows. They certainly support those type of eclectic tastes. I reviewed "Humanoids" on the blog before and it only scored a 70 thanks to appearance points and me liking the choreography at the time. Now with a refined taste in Kpop dances I can say it's not a strong dance. The chorus isn't half-bad...if all they were doing was singing. Too much chanting and rambling random shit. A hodge podge of mediocrity creates a mediocre product.

[Bonus] Best Of Debuts: SME Edition

They're the only label with such a large assortment of artists to even do this for, so here is SM Entertainment's version of the Best Of Debuts (which has only one prior post). Some of this will overlap with said post because a handful of their groups made it on this list. However, times change and not only that, but this is only having their debut tracks in direct competition with each other. How good the song is / was overall matters most, but I also took into account relevancy at the time and if it withstood the modernization of Kpop. Because we wanna see each of their main superstars go head-to-head, TRAX and Zhang Liyin will be absent from this list, as will subunits and project groups like S.M. The Ballad and EXO-CBX. That could make for an entertaining revisit in the future though.

#10. Red Velvet - Happiness

Yeah...there's no way that Red Velvet wouldn't be last on a list like this. I still have nightmares about this song. From the awkward pronunciation of "happiness" to the terrible rapping heard throughout, there was a lot to forget about this debut. There was also the MV and the many issues there. Not much else to say other than thank heavens they turned it quite the ways around.

#9. Super Junior - Twins (Knock Out)

Despite not needing to compare with modern era boy groups, Super Junior 05's debut simply lacked the knock out capability their title claimed. I just don't think "Twins" is that good a song. Unremarkable in all facets, this was only impressive in the sheer number of members, as having 12 members was and still is unusual to see. In retrospect they almost had a fusion element to their early songs (almost like Dreamcatcher but a little more intense) and that's probably why I didn't like their pre-breakout era music.

#8. CSJH - Too Good

Before Mamamoo, there was SPICA. And before SPICA, there was CSJH. Pure vocalist groups can all trace their ancestry to the girls of CSJH The Grace. Their debut video has nothing but powerful voices and closeups to focus on the faces behind the voices. All these girls could sing and would dominate the competition today. Stephanie left and they've basically been dead but Dana's still kicking it today! Or at least, she did a ways back with "Touch You." Oh fuck that was two years ago...

[Bonus] Best Of 2017

At last we have arrived. The finale of 2017. No more teasing, let's cut straight to my top 10 songs of the year.

#10. Akdong Musician - Dinosaur

Akdong Musician have been a sleeper pick all these years. They release solid music and I've casually glanced over them time and time again, but no more. "Dinosaur" was AKMU's first take on the EDM genre and it's a mighty successful one at that. I like how the song opens with guitar for ten seconds before sucker punching you into reality. In the last couple of years plagued by songs with disappointing climaxes, "Dinosaur" avoids this mistake with a brilliant break-chorus hybrid. The first time I heard this song was through speakers so I didn't even know that Suhyun was actually singing those notes (starting at 1:42). Her voice is incredible and she'll be a superstar vocalist for many years to come. Also helpful is that Chanhyuk's rapping is absent. Those were always my least favorite parts of AKMU songs. "Dinosaur" is brilliant and I hope they return to some of this stuff once Chanhyuk finishes military service.

#9. Sistar - Lonely

In a year where girl groups disbanded left and right, it felt good to see at least one end their group career peacefully. This is as beautiful and solemn a goodbye as you'll see in Kpop. Their voices are pristine, and while Soyu and Hyorin's abilities are of no surprise, Dasom turns in her strongest performance yet. Bora also shines with a powerful rap that helped erase her mediocrity of the previous few years. These solid factors make this breakup all the more painful. This was as well-rounded of an effort since "Alone," and off the heels of "I Like That" one thought Sistar would be returning to form. But alas. The fact they got to perform this song live makes their finale all the more bittersweet. God, I miss Sistar so much.

[Bonus] 2015 Kpop Awards: Part I

Welcome to part 1 of the 2015 Kpop Awards. Another year, another new piece of writing that should be a refreshing and revitalizing take on my Kpop exploration. Part of me is rather devastated after the football game I watched earlier this afternoon but I will soldier on. In part 1 we'll look at overall groups and singers, while part 2 will be more about the music and music videos themselves. So these awards are more accomplishment oriented, but again, I don't really pay attention to (or care) about how well they sell. That's basically the only factor I "ignore," so to speak. Anyway here we go.

Best Girl Group: Girls' Generation

This was an important year for SNSD. Their status as the pinnacle girl group was under threat when Jessica was ousted from the group last fall. Girls' Generation was quiet early in 2015's first half, with "Catch Me If You Can" as the only release. But "Party" signaled the group's return with the 5th studio album "Lion Heart." The album was impressive in how it boasted versatility with varying types of songs. S.M had a very good year in terms of studio albums and SNSD was no exception. After that, Taeyeon finally had her solo debut which was also pretty excellent. "I" was a masterpiece and the other ballads on the mini were exquisite. They wrapped up the year with Christmas songs with the TTS subunit and while not my cup of tea, was still work put in.

Among the other girl groups at the very top, Girls' Generation was both the most active throughout the year and the most successful with their music. Girl's Day (reigning #1 on the Power Rankings) only promoted a mediocre song in "Ring My Bell," likewise with Sistar and "Shake It." AOA's "Heart Attack" album was good, but definitely outmatched by the styles of "Lion Heart." Plus Choa's "Flame" was only a rendition (though a beautiful one). Finally, A-Pink is kinda just A-Pink. They're still good and definitely showed that this year, just not as much as SNSD, who also needed to make a statement with Jessica gone.

Best Boy Group: BTS

Consistency is key. And as far as aspiring groups go, perhaps none have been as consistent as BTS in the title track scheme of things. Rarely did a BTS title track disappoint, and this trend would continue in 2015. "I Need U," "Dope," and "Run" are an excellent trio of songs for the group this year, even though I consider "Run" the weakest of the group by far (sounds too much like a 2nd version of "I Need U"), the aggressively powerful choreography of the former songs make up for that. Outside of groupwork, Rap Monster also dropped the "RM" mixtape and joined in with MFBTY for "Buckubucku," not just one of the year's strongest rap showings, but any rap songs period. Simply put, another busy yet productive year for the boys.

The rise of BTS is not only credit to the group for releasing strong song after song, but also the faltering of rival groups. EXO was really the only group in their debut class that was active enough to challenge them, and while I do think "Call Me Baby" and "Love Me Right" trump the BTS trio in 2015, they cannot make that claim for previous years. Plus you can always make fun of them for losing members. Veteran groups like 2PM and Super Junior did below average and average, respectively, keeping releases scarce. Big Bang is still the king of boy groups, don't get me wrong. "Made" only pushed that sentiment higher and higher, but this isn't a best of all time, just best of this year. And BTS have the work ethic to take that title.

Best Soloist: BoA

Admittedly, I didn't discover too much on the soloist front this year, but it's difficult to imagine that any of them would have as impressive and balanced an album as BoA did. Seriosuly, the tracklist for "Kiss My Lips" is basically perfection. Not a single song is out of place, and the features in Gaeko and Eddy Kim were used very well. Like Girls' Generation's album, the roster on "Kiss My Lips" is equally diverse. "Who Are You" and "Kiss My Lips" made for a good 1-2 promotional punch, but she has the excellent "Blah" and "Green Light" to fall back on, as well as my favourite track on the album "Shattered." I wish Younha could have contested, but with just 3 tracks to her name this year, she couldn't put much of a fight. 15 years into her career, and BoA is going as strong as ever.

Best Rookie Group: GFriend

Alright. A-Pink isn't really my favourite group. Cute music can only go so far with me, so at first glance GFriend taking this award is a little odd. Most seem to point to GFriend's professionalism and all that, but honestly everyone is expected to be professional. Otherwise they'd be called out. GFriend is the best new debut because they are more "complete" than other new groups. "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu" have a distinct vocal and dance advantage. We've seen very few groups try and show off their vocals (like high notes) and Yuju makes the highlight reel for both songs. It's easy to sound bad while doing cute concepts and GFriend doesn't, so props. The choreography is energetic and definitely on the more difficult and taxing side of the spectrum.

Most of the other girl group debuts just can't match GFriend's level of product. All the other cute concepts made me cringe too much. I know full well I am neglecting plenty of boy groups, but to be honest none of their debut tracks ever gave me a thought to coming back to them. Monsta X's "Trespass" was decent but that's about it. Seveteen and iKON also fell flat with their debuts. GFriend had good title tracks, a strong effort, and Yerin is a variety master. It's a bright future for this group.

[Review] BoA - Kiss My Lips

We don't have much time to play catchup before the march of the June comebacks rolls in so we'll start recovery with BoA and her latest album. The reigning queen of the industry had some stellar music last time around so I'm keeping hopes high for her.

The sound of "Kiss My Lips" is natural progression from "Disturbance." The vocals are more mature, more refined, more sensual compared to that past release. BoA's voice has been extremely consistent ever since debut so there is no disappointments here. BoA is nothing short of spectacular with how she uses her voice in this song. Sprinkle English here and there (which BoA's pronunciation has always been good, might I add) and you have a good song. The chorus is rather weak but that is due to the dance nature of the song.

Unfortunately, while BoA's vocals have not gotten weaker, her choreography has. For a song with many openings for dance, I wasn't that impressed by the choreography. Coming off the last couple reviews in "Love Game" and "Cupid," it's not good if I think this choreography is about on par with those, and we're talking about BoA here. The choreography in "Hurricane Venus," "Only One," and even "Shadow" was much better and more fitting for BoA than here. The use of GIANT FEATHERY FANS is certainly something new, and I will admit I thought it was neat the first time, but in the end it's an accessory and nothing more.

The video has plenty of shots of BoA looking gorgeous and the rest are choreography angles. The classic empty box set is used, this time with various visual effects that are trying to distract the viewer from the fact that it's still a boring room. There are some shots with BoA's face projected onto the background wall, which is a bit creepy and unnecessary in my opinion, though I guess it's hard to tell who it is. The problem with this MV is that it lacks any substance compared to "Shadow," which was also a dance video at heart. And when you look at "Hurricane Venus" and "Copy & Paste," those choreographies were way more intense and impressive than the dance in "Kiss My Lips."

"Kiss My Lips" in the most simple format is: pristine vocals, catchy song, disappointing dance, mediocre music video. It's a valiant effort by the queen of Kpop, and thankfully the other tracks on the album help round out some of the weaknesses in "Kiss My Lips."

[ Overall: 83 / 100 ]

[Review] BoA - Disturbance

Vocals: 8 / 10

We recently talked about BoA and how her voice is accurately suited for pop music, and while this is much softer than the usual (lighter than even “Only One”) BoA still sounds great. That being said, the melody throughout is pretty ordinary, and the only exciting stuff like head voice loops and such don’t occur until later. Because it’s not as heavy as other songs, the verses seemed pretty boring but at least built up to the better stuff at the end. I cannot stand the filtered / muffled voice at the end of each chorus (save the last). It just sounds awful no matter what voice it is and I’d much prefer heavy autotune (okay I wouldn’t but still).

Appearance: 9 / 10

BoA, BoA, BoA~ You are apparently 26, but it seems once you reached 20 you just sort of stopped aging. Forever youthful. I do think the hair for solo shots frames her face a little awkwardly, but it’s nothing awful at all. Maybe it was the angles because at other points I thought it looked okay. I was definitely a much bigger fan of the pulled back bun style, which really brought out her eye smiles. Taemin’s appearance had me completely fooled with the teaser image…I had no idea it was him until pointed out. So yay? Taemin has never really looked his age to begin with.

Music Video: 9 / 10

S.M. decided to let BoA and Taemin outside of the expensive intricate boxes out into the (fake) real world! They should be honored. Praise everything holy. The interactive ending was a cheeky, but by definition “new” idea since no other music videos have ever used this approach (or maybe they have but are unpopular enough to never have been noticed). What prevents this from getting full marks though, is the solo shots. There is around 2% variation in the facial expression from BoA. It’s an almost stoic look that does not change but puts out really nice vocals. I understand it’s mainly pure emotion, but that is not a legitimate excuse. Considering BoA is a veteran entering 13th year, this was quite disappointing.

~

Overall: 84 / 100

Not bad, BoA. You throw your voice around quite nicely, and the acting is of course standard for the relationship / relationship breaking sequences throughout the music video, which does not comprise of boxes, presumably due to the lack of any choreography. Regardless, it’s a good listen and the interactive choice ending is cute even if it’ll probably be the last we’ll see of it.

Note: As you may have noticed, I decided to bump the overall scores to out of 100, which helps even out the field, which I have already reapplied to past reviews. Specific categories will remain out of 10 but this benefits the scale, which will also be used for future album reviews.

[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Specialists

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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