[Bonus] JYP Entertainment Girl Group Member Tier List

Here's the project of the month. All members that have ever been under any JYP Entertainment girl group exists on this graphic. Wonder Girls, miss A, 15&, Twice, and Itzy span over a decade of history under the JYP flag so this should be fun. How am I determining placements? It's gonna be a combination of their group, music, contributions, legacy, with a little bias sprinkled on top. Naturally I've strayed away from doing art pieces with blog posts but this was too much fun to ignore. Maybe I'll get addicted to making these scuffed graphics again, who knows.

D Tier: Lia, Chaeryeong, Yerin, Jimin, Hyuna
Reminder that these are ordered left to right within tiers. Thus, Hyuna starts us off in dead last. Of course, her extremely short stint with the Wonder Girls is the major reason. And then there's 15&, the unfortunate queens of inefficiency and mismanagement (or simply lack of care). They were extremely unproductive during their time together, with just five singles across their seven years before disbandment. Rounding out the bottom tier we have an Itzy duo. Both members have a chance to grow alongside their group, but for now their bland status relegates them here.

[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] Wonder Girls - Like This (Revisited)

Well, assuming I can format correctly via mobile here's an idea that I can write while on vacation - albeit sparingly, as to save that precious phone battery. Plus it can be a recurring post even after my trip. In this blog's younger days I wanted to review songs of years past every now and then. What this series will do is let me revisit these songs and writings, to not only see my opinions then, but also how they've held up over time (and be irked with how I used to write). Because of this weird combination, I'll figure out how to properly categorize them. As I'm on mobile, there won't be any links, videos, or pictures. I'll have to create and edit them in later. But they should pretty brief with commentary on excerpts from the original piece of writing. What better review to revisit than my very first song on the blog back in 2012: Wonder Girls' "Like This!"

• The variation in vocals of the Wonder Girls has always impressed me, just within the last couple of releases.

This was never something I truly focused on. Just things you notice coincidentally. But it does help prevent songs from sounding stale. Recently VIXX' "Scentist" did just that and I noted the change as a nice touch. Same here.

•  I would like to see some Yubin lines in the future, because I’m assuming she’s had some vocal training.

Man, 2012 me would have loved to see this timeline play out. I mean, not the whole Wonder Girls disbanding part, but the Yubin getting to sing in a couple releases. Sidenote: have you heard her solo debut yet? She sings the entire song without a rap break. Truly inspirational.

[Blog] Wonder Girls & SPICA Bow Out

Welp. For once, delaying a post has some benefits. Originally I was going to write out my woes for the disbanding of Wonder Girls, but now with SPICA joining them I have more material, sort of. KARA was the first true girl group "titan" to fall, and now Wonder Girls joins them next. Even though the band concept gave them extra juice for another two promotion cycles, they'll call it quits after "Why So Lonely." Yubin and Hyelim will remain under JYP, while Yeeun and Sunmi are off to greener pastures. It's really unfortunate because not only were they enjoying success off the "Why So Lonely" mini, but they really had some momentum moving forward. Anyway, I'm curious to see what will come from Yubin and Hyelim remaining under JYP. Hopefully a Yubin solo is in the works, because that sounds amazing. As for Sunmi and Yeeun, both members have previously established themselves as capable soloists during their down years so I'm also excited to see what's in the store for them. Ideally neither will stray from the music path, and I don't think they'd be the ones to do so anyway. Looks like I won't be getting that Wonder Girls vs. AOA band battle after all.

[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] Best Of 2011

We now embark on a trip down memory lane, for the years of 2010 and 2011 still house some wonderful songs to talk about. Continuing tradition, I'll list my top 12 picks of the songs of the year. This was by far one of the easiest to compile, and subsequently also one of the easiest to rank. There's a distinct hierarchy between the top and bottom half, and regardless of their position all these songs are definitely nostalgic delights.

#12. TVXQ - Before U Go
If you want to look at one of the most important comebacks in Kpop history, the revival of 2VXQ after the JYJ lawsuit is definitely a nomination few would argue against. While "Keep Your Head Down" was the official comeback song, the repackaged album featuring "Before U Go" turned out to be one of three ballads on this list. The X factor was the surprisingly formidable Yunho vocals, which matched pace with Changmin in both power and skill.

#11. Secret - Love Is Move
This song was quietly a top-notch dance number that I felt many people slept on. It had many qualities that combined together for a great performance piece. Relatively catchy hook, frantic (but still clean) choreography moves, and a smooth vocal attack by Jieun. Sure, the Zinger rap is forgettable (hey she didn't change her name yet) but then again so are half of her raps. Like Yunho establishing himself in "Before U Go," Hyosung started to gain traction as a secondary vocalist behind Jieun in this song.

[Bonus] Wild Kpop Episode I: Wonder Girls Edition

"What if Hyuna stayed with the Wonder Girls?"

Welcome to a new series I've decided to call "Wild Kpop." This post is inspired by the Reckless Speculation posts over on the NFL subreddit, which in turn was inspired by the "N-if-L" series by Dave Dameshek. The "wild" is a reference to the wild format of Hearthstone where any and all cards are available. In short, it theorizes how a single decision or event being altered would create a series of domino effects and change the future. Granted, the world of Kpop is more rigid than the world of football (there's no free agency, different contracts, etc.), but it's all for fun speculation and puts my imagination to the test, and that's precisely why I decided to take a crack at it. In today's pilot episode, we explore the status of three girl groups if one member decided to stay with her original group.

[Review] Wonder Girls - Why So Lonely EP

It's been a long time since I reviewed an album. Or rather, a mini album / EP because the previous three installments (Taeyeon, IU, 9MUSES) have all been mini albums haha. Anyway those classification and syntax things aside, let's take a brief look at Wonder Girls' return with the "Why So Lonely" EP. Their comeback last year with a new lineup and band concept was well-received and their legend continues to grow.

1. Why So Lonely

"Why So Lonely" is a wonderful thing. Retro swag and reggae swag combined into one masterpiece. These vocals are fun but sultry at the same time, and that includes Yubin. Wait what. Holy shit! Yubin got to sing?! My hype and appreciation for this can't be expressed enough. I'm hoping that this will magically pioneer a shift where rappers get at least some singing lines. Moonbyul, Bora, Woori, etc. Anyway Sunmi and Yeeun continue to deliver and the more you look, the more valuable 1-2 vocal punches seem to be really damn good. The entire song is full of reggae feel, so I know a certain Running Man cast member is probably really happy about this one.

[Blog] 2NE1 & Girl Group Roster Changes

I couldn't really come up with a more clever or interesting title. Anyway I wanted to talk about the next "era" of some girl groups. The world of Kpop isn't like the world of esports, where people join different teams every so often, even though that would make Kpop way more interesting. The closest we have to that is just idols signing with different agencies and the like after contracts expire. Over the past year, we've seen the rising stars like f(x) lose members, and other previous titan groups like KARA fall away in disbandment.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings (#10-#6)

Alright, here we go: Girl Group Power Rankings. I'll drop 12 girl groups I believe are at the top of the ladder. Since this is the debut iteration, the rankings are all new, though you can reference the 2015 Girl Group Radar piece I wrote back in December. With the summer season ending, this is a good time to catchup with all these groups and find out where they stand. Rankings are primarily based on music, whether it's group releases, solo projects, collaborations, etc. etc. All of that is fair game. Then of course you throw in some visuals, variety appearances, bias / preference, and we'll find out which girl groups can call themselves queen for now. We're keeping things recent though, so no major throwbacks in these rankings. Of course, it's impossible for me to get to everything so some groups/ data will be more limited than others but that's something we all have to deal with. Reminder that this is a personal list / opinion!

Honorable Mention: GFriend
I don't know about you, but if I was a rookie girl group getting "criticized" for being similar to Girls' Generation back when they debuted, I'd be pretty happy and content. Honestly, GFriend's music isn't really my style. It's very much like A-Pink in the cute pop alley, but there are key factors giving GFriend this spot and not say another rookie group. The choreography is damn impressive, no questions asked, "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu" are decent enough songs in their own right, but the choreography empowers the song to greater heights and really brings out the performance ability of the group. Another reason their title tracks impress are the vocal carries. The energy in both songs is already at a good level, but Eunha and Yuju's high notes and adlibs are both powerful and clean. Considering they're so young, they will likely mature into superstar vocalists. From a performance perspective, this group may be the most impressive of the year.

Honorable Mention: FIESTAR
FIESTAR was one of those groups that was always under the radar until the sexy concepts rolled in. Continuing with, "You're Pitiful" was an excellent way for the group to start 2015, having placed 4th in my reviews after April (only 3 other songs since have tied or scored better). The MV was artful if a little weird, but Linzy, Yezi, and Jei carry the song through vocals, rap, and performance, respectively. FIESTAR stock will rise a bit over the next couple months as Yezi participates in Unpretty Rapstar 2, and she is probably the member I look forward to seeing on that show the most. She has a talent that will surprise plenty of audiences who haven't heard of her. 4minute competes heavily for this spot on the rankings, what with the incredibly strong release of "Crazy," along with rumors of Jiyoon joining Unpretty Rapstar 2, but with Hyuna's weak solo comeback, I will gracefully give FIESTAR the spot.

10. Wonder Girls
Legacy is important, so when a group once thought to be gone forever returns to glory, people everywhere rejoice. That's what fans of Wonder Girls have experienced over the last month with their return and the "Reboot" studio album. The new lineup is perhaps equal to the previous one, trading out Sohee for Sunmi is an upgrade, but on the flipside Sunye brought a lot of depth in terms of the singing, something which Yenny can't really replicate. I haven't gotten around to the album yet, but I hope Yubin gets some singing lines. Nobody should be subject to "Bora syndrome" ever, so the sooner we cure everyone the better. As one of the most successful groups of their time, and being able to stand up to Girls' Generation, Wonder Girls' comeback is heartwarming to both old and new fans alike.

9. 9MUSES
It's only appropriate 9MUSES find themselves at #9. They've catapulted themselves after a dormant 2014 with "Drama" and "Hurt Locker." While the former was a rather safe play, the latter was the superstar summer track that lived up to expectations set upon the group after the very successful whirlwind cycle of "Dolls," "Wild," "Gun," and "Glue" in 2013. The group has suffered through a multitude of roster changes since debut, so pray that they will continue on without further problems / hindrances. The year off really hurt their momentum, but let's not focus so much on the bad. 9MUSES is probably the best-looking group as a whole (Kyungri sure comes to mind). They also have Erin, a top 3 girl group rapper, as well as Hyuna and Hyemi, consistent vocalists whose abilities are unfortunately underrated. If they can go into next year with no issues, they'll be one step closer to getting back to the level they were in 2013.

8. T-ARA
While T-ARA also aren't perfect in terms of roster consistency, what puts them above 9MUSES is that they have a previous year of content to piggyback off. Let's not forget that Jiyeon made an awesome solo debut last year, and "Sugar Free" was one of the best dance tracks of 2014. The "So Good" mini wasn't terribly exciting but it was fairly balanced with what songs it did have, Included was a Chinese version of "So Crazy" which was predominantly in Korean. That was confusing. Anyway Eunjung also made her solo debut, while quiet was also very pretty. In their current trajectory, I'd expect a Soyeon solo debut and some more Chinese activities next year. T-ARA is well-rounded in talent, just a shame their tragic scandals have yet to fully recover in the eyes of the public.

7. EXID
Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah! The EXID train continues to move forward. Following the revived success of "Up & Down," EXID delivered "Ah Yeah" in spring 2015. The "Ah Yeah" EP has some goodies inside, notably "With Out U" which is one of this year's best B-sides, awkward-looking title aside. The roster is not without star power, either. EXID is home to LE, a standout rapper with plenty on her resume and ferocious delivery to match. Solji is incredibly overlooked with her powerful vocals but has made up for it with appearances on King of Mask Singer and various OST work. Hani needs no introduction at this point, her jack-of-all-trades utility plus a carefree and friendly personality speak for themselves. Just like their sudden explosion in popularity, EXID's spot in the rankings will also likely jump quickly. A good way to wrap up this year would be a Dasoni comeback, right?

6. Mamamoo
2014's hottest debut made it to the top in no time. The string of "Mr. Ambiguous," "Piano Man," "Ahh Oop!," and "Um Oh Ah Yeah" made for an excellent promotion cycle, while the rest of "Pink Funky" makes for an enthralling listen. Mamamoo has the vocal prowess, the retro vibe, and the addicting personalities that make for a killer group. Wheein and Solar make for an unfair vocal pairing, but Hwasa is responsible for like 90% of the charisma and sass and is plenty talented in her own right. The harmonization across their library is insane and with singers this good they have tackled all types of genres with success. Not to be forgotten though, is Moonbyul. Moonbyul is a more-than-capable rapper with surprising vocals. If they give her some singing lines they might be the most balanced group in line distribution. These girls need more variety appearances. They are extremely dorky and lovable, and their music is fantastic. What more could you want?

[Review] Wonder Girls - I Feel You

Wonder Girls are back! We've heard that line before many times but weren't expecting a return given the events of the past year. It's another roster change for the girls, with Sohee and Sunye's departure and the return of Sunmi, Wonder Girls comes back as a quartet with "I Feel You," which was set to showcase some instruments, along with some absolutely brilliant teasers.

If you thought the Wonder Girls couldn't get any more retro than past hits then boy are you in for a surprise. "I Feel You" has retro written all over it, in gigantic font, too. From the breathy vocals, universal outfits, colour scheme, flashing lights, etc. I'm not claiming I know what music in the 80's or even 90's sounded like, so I won't try and draw any comparisons there, but it's obvious that given the flashy top-notch production videos of modern Kpop, this is a throwback for sure.

Yubin's rap is passable. She's certainly not excellent and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed in the showing, but strangely similar to Erin's rap in "Hurt Locker," it's definitely good enough to not hurt the song. But the short bursts of rapping at the end of the first and final choruses could've been done without. Like the unnecessary chant-esque lines in Mamamoo's "Piano Man," the similar lines here could've been removed.

The problems I have with "I Feel You" boil down to some pretty obvious ones. Firstly, the instrumental break popped up one too many times for my liking. It shows up at the very beginning, very end, and after the initial chorus. It's not exactly exciting, and when used that many times, makes the song drag on. There's no reason for the song to not end with Yubin's final "baby" but instead we get another repeat. Secondly, I dunno what happened to Hyelim but her parts do not sound good. Hyelim has previously shown a stable, richer undertone. Her voice is lower and generally sounds more "full" in songs like "2 Different Tears" and "Like This." Having her with this breathy reach ruins her lines. I understand they were probably aiming for the breathy voices from the start, but the difference is that Sunmi and Yeeun are naturally geared towards that end of the spectrum (think Sunmi in "24 Hours"). Forcing Hyelim down that route just wasn't a good decision. The last "major" issue I have with "I Feel You" is that some of the lipsyncing just looks lazy. It's like they weren't even really trying. Kind of upsetting given Wonder Girls have been in the industry for forever. Oh, and that damned "JYP" spam is back after however many years of dormancy.

It's exciting to see a previous Kpop titan once thought to be gone forever, resurrect itself and with an intriguing band concept at that. But the lives haven't been impressive thus far, and the retro concept is a familiar but curious choice among the tidal wave of comebacks. I definitely would've liked to see more focus on the instruments. Maybe for another track later down the line. At least this comeback pushes the need for a Wonder Girls vs. AOA band competition as soon as possible. Make it happen.

[ Overall: 82 / 100 ]

[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.

~

“Honorable Mentions”

Younha - Telepathy

Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra

Younha - Houki Boshi

Super Junior - Sorry Sorry

Girls’ Generation - Girls’ Generation

~

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.

[Review] Wonder Girls - Like Money (feat. Akon)

Vocals: 8 / 10

Not a fan of the autotune. Let me get that off my chest right away. It distorts Sohee and Hye Lim’s already only mediocre / soft voices, and in the latter’s case it almost makes it sound like she’s straining for some medium range notes which she shouldn’t be. Thankfully, Yenny and Sunye do quite the job of bailing them out with their high notes and fancy adlibs at the end. After seeing them live in Hong Kong this summer, Yenny really stands out as a strong vocalist who has solid versatility in belting out those power notes to sounding soft but sincere. Sunye on the other end has moving emotional vocals, as her parts at the end of the song are pleading and her voice reflects that. Akon also sings a chorus, and again the prevalent autotune decreases the appeal, oh well.

Appearance: 8 / 10

Most of the looks seem reminiscent of some sort of “Nobody” meets TRON mashup, a little futuristic and retro at the same time. It’s not awkward enough to be creepy but the use of outfits and heavy makeup in order to match the scenery seems a little reaching. The girls are plenty attractive without too much makeup (see “Like This”) and the futuristic setting in the music video doesn’t need to involve high amounts of makeup. For that though, Yubin and Yenny stand apart from the others, mainly because of their hair, ahaha.

Dance: 8 / 10

For some reason I found the movements (positional movement, not the dance motions themselves) similar to “Nobody” which makes the dance seem more simpler, and by definition that is more welcoming to outside listeners, since the Wonder Girls are not known for their high power choreography to begin with. There’s also some solo flashy silhouette (oxymoron much) dancing when Akon is singing which helped ease the switches between him and all the girls dancing. Overall it’s a little flashy, a little sassy, and a little sexy, and so it earns a solid score.

Rap: 8 / 10

I think if Yubin’s English was a little more refined in terms of pronunciation this would have been scored higher. As it is, there are some awkward words which make her / the rap sound funny. Akon is technically (or at least by sound) rap singing but he does a pretty good job of it, which I wasn’t really expecting. Then again I don’t listen to Akon so I have no idea what his comfort range is in terms of his music. I do like the exchange between Yubin and Akon at the end of her sequence, a pleasant mixture of singing and rapping. Some good execution / presentation marred by a little mispronunciation.

Music Video: 7 / 10

I cannot wait until JYP starts shoving his face into 2PM music videos, that is if they ever recover from the shame that is Nichkhun’s drunk driving shenanigans. Anyways! This music video is an unfortunate deviation from the nice “Like This” MV but I guess I couldn’t deny that it wouldn’t happen. I paid no attention to the first minute (or however long the intro is) because I quite frankly didn’t care, only noting JYP’s appearance at which I exuded pure unbridled rage. The previously mentioned mix of “Nobody” and TRON gives the scenery a nice touch of colour, but the various showing of random body parts floating around on an operating table countered that bizarrely. Upon rewatching the music video I noticed (some of) the girls don’t actually get a lot of close-ups, either, which shifts more emphasis to (a) the dancing and (b) the weird robotic surgery going on. By the end of the video though the intro surgery stuff fades away and it’s more or less focused on the choreography. When Akon shows up half of the camera is on him and the other half of the girls dancing, which had to have been odd considering they weren’t singing but I guess I’d have preferred showing them dancing as opposed to more creepy surgery so I guess that’s a plus?

~

Overall: 78 / 100

The release of “Like Money” marks the return of the Wonder Girls to the American market. While it is not the shining standout “Nobody” was, the song certainly has its own unique appeal with a strong showing of vocals, catchy choruses, and appearances by Akon. Throw in a neatly coloured music video and overall it’s got a nice vibe to it. The Wonder Girls have grown by leaps and bounds since the days of wanting “nobody, nobody but you” and I’ll be anticipating future releases from the girls.

[Review] Wonder Girls - Like This

Vocals: 9 / 10

The variation in vocals of the Wonder Girls has always impressed me, just within the last couple of releases. “Be My Baby” had Sohee and Hye Lim with verses and Sunye and Ye Eun on chorus, and now it’s Hye Lim and Sunye with verses and Sohee and Ye Eun on the bridge (since the chorus is everyone). I would like to see some Yubin lines in the future, because I’m assuming she’s had some vocal training. Other than that, a solid performance by everyone.

Appearance: 7 / 10

Sohee and Yubin are looking per usual, which is to say, very good. Hye Lim’s hairstyle is new and looks much better without bangs, and the mix of colours are unique. Sunye and Yenny… Sunye, we know you can pull the rather bizarre styles but this is a little much, especially with the crimson red. I will say you own this colour better than Tiffany, so at least there’s that. Ye Eun though, please go back to long hair, you look so much prettier and elegant, and I think the colour would look nice on you. Additionally, the set “costumes” aren’t really costumes at all, and appeal to everyday choices of clothing, making the members blend in with the flashmob crowd even more, extremely nice touch.

Dance: 8 / 10

This dance is cute, quirky, and sometimes random, which is quite fitting for something flashmob themed. The leg shaking / shuffling I find especially hilarious, reminding me of something like a duck walk. Not much more needs to be said, I loved all the backup dancers. All the participants did a great job, too. The choreography incorporated everyone into the song, as opposed to having some backup dancers behind the Wonder Girls.

Rap: 8 / 10

Yubin’s voice is perfect for rap, low and hot. This rap in particular doesn’t quite showcase the talent as it’s both slower and more repetitive than previous raps, but given the rest of the song, it’s a positive addition to the song (and subsequently doesn’t make Yubin awkwardly left out). I’d be interested in how the English version would sound, if one will exist.

Music Video: 10 / 10

Flashmob themed song has a flashmob themed music video, who would have thought? I love the use of the hundreds and hundreds of participants as backup dancers / flashmob members, especially with the variation in characters: young children to the elderly. Shots where the Wonder Girl members are actually dancing right there along with people were a very smooth touch. All in all, one of the best complimentary music videos I have seen in some time.

~

Overall: 84 / 100

"Like This" may not have too high of a overall score, but it’s still ridiculously catchy in both the lyrics and dance, and the music video is very fun to watch. I know I’ll be humming and singing "Like This" for some time.