[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] Best Of 2014 (#8-#5)

8. Mamamoo - Mr. Ambiguous

If you want to talk about an impressive year, look no further, because Mamamoo is about to blow you away. With a lineup of fresh new faces boasting incredible vocals (and a capable rapper), Mamamoo catches your attention right away with the classy smooth vibes of "Mr. Ambiguous." Seriously, Wheein, Solar, and Hwasa are nothing short of fantastic and show charisma, sass, and power in just a few minutes. Combining the fantastically smooth song with the stacked roster of cameos in the MV (Wheesung, K.Will, Baek Jiyoung to name a few), and Mamamoo made a statement that they're here to play. (Somehow "Mr. Ambiguous" photos don't exist, so I used "Piano Man," rest in peace consistency)

7. Girl's Day - Something

"Everyday is Girl's Day"? More like "2014 is Girl's Day." This year arguably couldn't have gone better for the girls. And they kicked off the year with the extremely mature and extremely classy "Something," The progression from "Expectation" and "Female President" to "Something" was really well done, and everything about "Something" shows that. The dresses, the choreography, the sensual vocals, and even the more serious tone of the music video are all welcome. When I first heard Minah, I wasn't as impressed with her as I thought I would be, but as Girl's Day kept releasing more songs with her carrying, I've really come to love her voice and the work she does for Girl's Day. Still, the support from Sojin, Yura, and Hyeri is solid, and the reason why Girl's Day has such a talented vocal lineup.

6. Jieun - Don't Look At Me Like That

Jieun, like Hana, suffers from a identity disorder where her group just can't decide what they want to be. That's why her solo work shows the best side of her, the side we often don't get to see. With "Don't Look At Me Like That," Jieun absolutely stuns with emotion and grace, and her clear voice really sells the message. This piece is easily Jieun's best to date, and shows just what kind of soloist she could really be if given the opportunity. If only Secret could play more to her strengths, "Don't Look At Me Like That" is the premier ballad of 2014, and I'm glad Jieun is the recipient of this award. Considering the competition with established veterans like TTS, and the vocal juggernauts of Hyorin and Ailee, Jieun did a damn good job with what she had.

5. Epik High - Born Hater

And now we move onto 2014's best rap track. "Born Hater" is awesome. Just straight up awesome. Combining all the various elements of rap: veterans Epik High, Verbal Jint, Beenzino, newbies Bobby and Mino, hilarious set and video capture, and strong lyrics make this a classic. The new kids are so impressive I didn't even know they were actually YG group members. Still, the lines from the previous generation (Beenzino especially) wouldn't get beat by a few young ones and the whole "Seven Deadly Sins" theme behind the video is excellent. Tukutz, in this season's most beautiful shade of orange, drops a sick beat and everything else is history. When they performed this live (most of them anyway) it was just as fun and hype as I imagined, and that's good. I imagine this will be a favourite rap track for a long time.

[Review] Jieun - 25

Secret’s lead vocalist Jieun has always had a place in my heart. She has one of the clearest / most crystal voices in the industry, and I would place her at the #1/#2 slot in regards to that (for those wondering, Sera would be the other member). With the recent incredible release of “Don’t Look At Me Like That,” the following track would showcase a more poppy and peppy side of her that “would be a refreshing change of image.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t buy that one bit, seeing as she’s part of Secret and their identity crisis is something that plagues their effectiveness as a group, and especially for Jieun, whose talents go to waste in some of their songs. Nonetheless, I wasn’t ready to give up quite yet.

This is indeed a more lively side of Jieun and could have very well been a Secret song. The classy saxophone reminds me of “Poison,” and in general I could easily visualize the other members’ roles. Hyosung would share a verse, Hana would grab the “pretty age 25” “rap” bridge, and Sunhwa would get some filler. That being said, since this is all Jieun all the time, the song sounds fantastic. I still don’t like the rapping considering how it’s only a single line being repeated ad nauseam but the sheer quality of Jieun’s vocals override that. Her English is also very crisp, and since the words “Beautiful young and free” and part of the chorus, she executes this rather splendidly.

Even though there’s plenty of choreography, the MV roughly clouds the dancing but it’s still just your average video. Jieun indeed looks beautiful and young (maybe not free, given the boxes, ha). I’d have preferred some interaction like in “Don’t Look At Me Like That,” but I suppose one can’t argue against more eye candy. And Jieun is absolutely gorgeous.

In the end, I think Jieun showed us many sides to her and her abilities. She’s cute, sassy, playful, sexy, and pure at the same time, and if there was ever a song that should convince you she could be a star soloist, this would probably be the song.

[ Score: 85 / 100 ]