[Bonus] Best Of Love Songs

Happy Valentine's Day...? Introductions are overrated and especially so after a long shift at work. Here are some of my favorite love and lovely songs. There is no order, only selected via stream of consciousness. Whatever that's supposed to mean. I'll be heading to New York tomorrow in preparation for Red Velvet's concert in Newark so expect some RV content of sorts in the days after.

Red Velvet - Kingdom Come

As I've stated many times before on this blog, Red Velvet's softer ballad-loving side is my favorite. "Kingdom Come" is a beautiful take with mesmerizing harmonies that roll from start to finish. One of the reasons this style is made for Red Velvet is simply because of their voices. Have you heard Joy and Wendy? They are untouchable in this realm. Even Yeri and Irene (though limited in exposure) don't sound too far behind the rest of the gang. The lyrics were perfect when they mentioned "I won't wake from this dream."

[Blog] The Soloist J-Trinity

Today is a short and light blog post that sort of doubles as a spotlight-esque article. We'll see how I feel about it and go from there if I have similar ideas in the future. We all know the J-Trinity that is Twice's Mina, Momo, and Sana. But there's another trio of J's who are nowhere near as popular or discovered, and that's a damn shame. These three are all underrated soloists that don't get anywhere near as much love as they deserve, for reasons (mostly) beyond my understanding.

[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.

[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] Juniel - Pretty Boy

Vocals: 24 / 25

Juniel is not straying out of her comfort zone, and with her voice there’s truly no reason to. Everything from start to finish is lively and sweet, perfectly accompanying the meaning of the song. While it’s only been a year since her debut, she’s really proven herself early and shown that this genre of music is her strongpoint. I haven’t checked the performance lyrics (Music Bank, etc.) but the pronunciation of “Hello” in the bridges sounds more like “Hallo” and is pretty weird so I’ll take off a point for that. I really wish there were some more ad libs but I’ll manage without them. Very cute, and very lovely all around.

Music Video: 23 / 25

The immediate issue I have with this music video is the use of the guitar. While it was a really nice “prop” (use that word loosely, given Juniel plays it) in past videos, it definitely sounded out of place and looked a little out of place, too, given that most of the instrumentals is electric guitar riffs, at least from what I could tell. So yeah she’s playing the guitar and definitely knows how, it just doesn’t fit right with the music video or me. Another note, is the (creeper) fellow at the end the same one in IU’s “Good Day”? He seems vaguely familiar out of the creepiness factor. Otherwise, a good music video. As opposed to the darker emotional sounds of “Bad Man”, Juniel’s pursuing an interest so she’s in the outside world, transitioning from home (cute teddy bear) to the streets to a local cafe. There are secluded rooms for the “dance” but they don’t have too much screen time and a few instances have plenty of people interacting in the background, not just backup dancers. A very bright and energetic video, coupled with a tint of humor at the end, too.

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Overall: 94 / 100

I really like this song! Juniel is incredible with her vocal talents and her company knows how to utilize it extremely well. It’s cute, but without excessive aegyo. There’s empty room sets, but plenty of camera out in the open. This score is maybe the highest I’ve ever given a review, so kudos and congrats to Juniel for excellent work.

[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Specialists

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Juniel - Bad Man

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

3. Big Bang - Blue

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

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

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

1. Ailee - Heaven

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