[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] Wheesung - Night & Day

Wheesung is back! You’ll notice I didn’t say “RealSlow is back!” because that name is too obnoxious. After military service, it seems he hasn’t missed a day with “The Best Man” EP. But let’s talk about the title track!

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Vocals: 25 / 25

If Wheesung had room for improvement, that’d be quite the sight. Wheesung is a clear master of the R&B / soul ballad, and his emotions and power are clearly felt from his voice.

Wheesung’s English pronunciations are pretty flawless, especially the crisp “knight” at the very end. Non-English speakers tend to leave off syllables at the end of words, but Wheesung does a fantastic job.

Dance: ?

So I could talk about the choreography. I could talk about how Wheesung’s formula of having alternating dances between female and male backup dancers has been since in videos prior to his military service. But there’s a problem. Wheesung doesn’t really actually do any of the dance. He’s pretty much sitting in the center of the choreography, making some efforts to stand up and or make dramatic movements, but…I don’t think it’s very viable to even rate this, so I won’t.

Music Video: 23 / 25

When I discussed Huh Gak’s “It Hurts” in [Spotlight], I noted how ballads have a platform to work off for their videos. Wheesung grabbed some promising idols in Yura and CAP and both acted quite admirably. Although I think CAP isn’t very capable of controlling or adding facial expressions, Yura is pretty smooth. The whole MV is filmed very well, although the slow motion reverse shenanigans may have been a bit drawn out. The ambiguous ending was…interesting. On one hand, it lets the viewer decide what truly happened or will happen. On the other, I enjoy videos who have straightforward and understandable plot.

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Overall: 96 / 100

Wheesung is back in force, with explosive and emotional vocals that haven’t been rusted by time in military service. He’s acked up by choreography he never actually dances, and the support acting from Yura and CAP who create an appealing music video. “The Best Man” EP is full of goodies, and “Night And Day” is just the start.

[Bonus] Best Of Pioneers

I wanted to show appreciation for a select set of songs which helped bring me into the Kpop fold. There’s a mixture of nostalgia, first impressions, relevance in time, catchiness, etc. On Thanksgiving weekend, I’m thankful for these Kpop songs, as they’re responsible for attracting and keeping me in the Kpop world.

12. Wheesung - Insomnia

- Arguably one of the first of the Kpop videos I’ve ever watched, and despite it technically being a cover, Wheesung does a delightful job with the vocals and impressed. The flashes between scenes coupled with the dance would almost make it seem as if the vocals weren’t the main sellling point. The MV was pretty boring, but being one of the first videos, I had no idea what a stereotypical MV it was just yet.

11. Wonder Girls - Nobody

- It’s hard to argue the explosiveness that Nobody had during the 2009 year. The pretty dresses, catchy dance, and equally as catchy lyrics make for one hell of a song, along with a fierce rap segment. Speaking of, Yubin made a strong debut showing for rappers of any group.

10. KARA - Lupin

- Lupin was my second exposure to KARA after Mister, and what a follow-up punch. Lupin delivers in the powerful introduction and instrumentals, with Nicole’s rapping being very strong. When I first listened to this song though, the latter half of the song wasn’t as appealing to me, for whatever reasons it may have had that effect.

9. Younha - Ima Ga Daisuki

- Okay so this song is technically a Japanese song, but hear me out. This was my first Younha song ever, and therefore also my first Younha video ever, so it as to hold a special place in my heart. It’s a addictive pop rock style that instantly drew me to her and her works.

8. Wonder Girls - So Hot

- Even though Wonder Girls’ Nobody was extremely addicting, I was drawn more to So Hot because of the standard pop sound, and the chorus was equally as catchy as Nobody’s was. Serving this song as a follow-up to Nobody, Yubin continued to deliver on the rapping.

7. Super Junior-M - Blue Tomorrow

- So just two more songs later, we’ve got a Chinese song. During early drafts of this list, Super Girl was on the list but Blue Tomorrow wasn’t, until I realized that the very foundations of what I enjoyed and was attracted to in Kpop are the vocals, and the vocals in Blue Tomorrow are arguably one of the best on the entire set. Throw in a very serious MV, and you’ve got one incredible ballad.

6. Big Bang - Koe Wo Kikasete

- I promise that this will be the last “foreign” song on the list, heh. Big Bang’s debut for me wasn’t the stellar Haru Haru or Lies, but Koe Wo Kikasete. The rapping of G-Dragon and T.O.P were easily the highlight, since not many of the groups had standout rappers, but the vocal work between Taeyang and Daesung was even better.

5. Girls’ Generation - Genie

- Yeah, Gee isn’t on this list. Believe it or not, I was turned off by Gee at the beginning, since there was way too much “cutesy sound” (ahh, how weird the term aegyo would’ve seemed if I had heard it then). Genie, on the other hand, delivered a strong chorus, and absolutely amazing vocals from Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany (Taeyeon’s adlibs at the end are what essentially earned her the #1 bias spot).

4. f(x) - La Cha Ta

- My first f(x) song was f(x)’s first (title) song. Luna and Krystal were outstanding in both looks and vocals, while the dance was impressing, while Sulli and Amber would go on to be undiscovered players. Even after four years, this is still my favourite f(x) song. The raw dance pop sound hasn’t been topped by the girls since.

3. 4minute - I My Me Mine

- Can you believe it? I can’t either, but certainly 4minute places in the top 3. If I thought La Cha Ta was the epitome of dance pop, then I My Me Mine certainly was the epitome of the more electronic pop songs. There weren’t many other electronic songs on the list or drafts, but the dance and vocals complimented each other very nicely. And may I mention that (a) the video effects on the “Click click” part of the dance was awesome, and (b) Gayoon’s belt still sends chills down my spine.

2. Younha - Hero

- I’ve mentioned Hero so many times on this blog now that I reallywanted to omit this song from the list, but it simply has to be here. Badass instrumentals, beast piano solo bridge, 110% high level vocals coupled with belts and the like. I’m still amazed this was never a title track. But all this talk aside, it’s still not #1 (I even surprised myself).

1. Super Junior - It’s You

- You’ve probably noticed that there have been a lack of comments regarding music videos, and a majority of remarks for vocals, because that’s what really drew me to Kpop and absolutely It’s You. Between the overcrowded choreography, steady background music, calming choruses, and superstar belting from Yesung (won’t sell out the other members’ vocal performance either though). This song was and still is dangerously addicting and once you get this in your head, you’ll have a tough time getting It’s You out.

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“Honorable Mentions”

Younha - Telepathy

Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra

Younha - Houki Boshi

Super Junior - Sorry Sorry

Girls’ Generation - Girls’ Generation

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What about you guys? What were some of the songs that brought you into the Kpop world?

[Bonus] Best Of Vocalists: Leads

Leads are responsible for helping shape and define the voice of the group. For the most part, anyway. Often, they have unique attributes which easily differentiate them from the crowd, and are powerful that you can hear them amongst a sea of other voices.

Is there another like Bom? Seriously, Park Bom’s voice is so vibrant. It’s colourful, bright, and unique. Okay, her control is a little shaky and live performance leaves quite a bit to be desired to this day, but that does not shake away from just how amazing she sounds when she sings. 2NE1’s music isn’t too strongly motivated by vocals, but various songs like “Follow Me” and of course her solo endeavors, really bring out her skill. Bom is certainly a top tier voice.

JeA is amazing at ballads. However, I think her voice is really strong, and absolutely the strongest out of Brown Eyed Girls. This quality truly defines the voice of Brown Eyed Girls, where the other members’ voices mesh to compliment and support hers. Performances on Immortal Song 2 are solid and I don’t think she gets enough attention or acknowledgment for what she does and how she does it. Hopefully her first solo album changes that.

Sunye is interesting for me. On one hand, she is probably the most emotional singer or at least most capable, but on the other, her higher range makes her sound out of place. Thankfully, Wonder Girls’ music isn’t too vocally focused so the latter isn’t too often an occasion, not a strike on Ye Eun or Sunye but their music typically doesn’t put a huge strain or emphasis when compared to say something like “Twinkle”, but the consistency, control, and balance of emotions make Sunye stand apart and be a leader.

I think Luna is really underappreciated. Partly because she hasn’t had too much time to show off her prowess and partly because S.M. is awful at marketing her ability. None of f(x)’s songs showcase what Luna can do at all (in fact non-f(x) projects like “It’s Me” and “Dear My Family” are more complimentary to her), and that’s a shame because she has a hella strong voice that is only going to keep improving as she gets older.

If Park Bom is the signature standout unique female voice, then Jonghyun is almost certainly the standout male counterpart. It’s practically impossible to listen to a SHINee song and not hear Jonghyun somewhere in the background. That alone is enough to show Jonghyun’s command of the SHINee sound, but it isn’t everything. He has one of the best control over high / power notes, and so the heavy dance electronic robotic supersonic music his group releases is perfect, and the tenure of S.M. The Ballad gave him a chance at softer songs which he sang admirably.

In a similar vein to his labelmate, EXO-M’s Jongdae (Chen is a really boring name, sorry) also has a powerful and unique sound that makes even ordinary lines sound polished and supreme. Highlights are easily from some of the fancy extended notes in “History”, “MAMA”, and “Dear My Family”. Unfortunately, he’s a rookie which means he has not put out a lot of content, so I’m eagerly waiting for more stuff, especially “Baby Don’t Cry”.

Hongki, Hongki, Hongki. What would putting you in a group be like? For sure, you’d still remain a main vocalist. His voice is raspy but soft, aggressive but soothing, like a chameleon, it’s able to adapt as necessary to the song, sort of like alternative to Kyuhyun’s. Additionally, Hongki has this technical quality of being able to fluctuate his voice (crescendos, etc.) really well, like in “I’ll Love Everything”. I think his voice would be really good to try trot, too!

The only solo to make this set, Wheesung is a true veteran in the entertainment world and has been pulling R&B ballads like it’s his job…which it kinda is. Regardless, Wheesung is quite the vocalist, with medium deep range but the striking ability to throw a lot of emotion in his music (“He Is Coming”). On top of that, Wheesung has very nice high notes which aren’t harshly strained (“Insomnia”), too.