[Bonus] Girl Group Soloist Theory

1. Minzy (2NE1)
Minzy. Needs. A solo debut. This girl is a premier girl in Kpop when it comes to being a jack of all trades, master of none. Minzy possesses a stable lower register, flighty rapping skills, and is a top notch dancer. That's the complete package, and if that isn't worthy of a solo debut I don't know what is. Minzy could easily have a more dance-oriented number as the title track, and have other songs on the album like a slower ballad and more poppy tunes like some 2NE1 stuff. Unfortunately, this will either not be happening soon or at all, with CL's impending march onto the American market, any other 2NE1 related activities will be on hold.

2. Taeyeon (Girls' Generation)
Rumors are this is already going to be happening, but Taeyeon obviously would excel as a solo artist. She's pretty much perfect for ballads (something along the lines with Kyuhyun's "At Gwanghwamun" for example) but has proven she can do pop and other genres, as seen in Girls' Generation's variety of music. Taeyeon is already the #1 of Girls' Generation in so many aspects, giving her a solo debut on top of the subunit might make up for the fact that 2014 was completely disastrous for GG. Oh and while we're at it, let's not have troll teaser concept photos either. Please and thank you.

3. Soyu (Sistar)
Now Soyu had a pretty busy 2014. While a plethora of collaboration projects is nice, that doesn't substitute for a full length solo album release. Soyu has a beautiful stable voice. Her range is far lower than Hyorin's, but she's very consistent and I've never heard her strain for notes (though perhaps that's because Hyorin takes all those). Each release has utilized her graceful vocals so a solo debut would be no exception to this. I think that Soyu's best song this year and a half was "The Space Between" with Urban Zakapa, which really capitalized on her smooth voice. Something similar would do her (and Sistar) a lot of good.

4. Eunjung (T-ARA)
Jiyeon, Hyomin, and Eunjung are perhaps the biggest names in T-ARA, and logically Eunjung should have her chance at a solo debut next year, following the footsteps of Jiyeon and Hyomin. Eunjung is similar to Minzy in that she's a very well-rounded idol. No specific strengths (outside of looks heh) or flaws, and if Jiyeon had a fantastic release that brought out her talents, then Eunjung can surely be just as good if not better. T-ARA had a good year with "Sugar Free" and Jiyeon's "Never Ever" (both songs just missed out being on the Best Of 2014 at #21 and #23, respectively), An Eunjung solo should help wipe the memory of the other T-ARA member solo that we don't like to talk about as having happened. Seriously.

Just Outside: Sera (ex-9MUSES)
I actually want this comeback the most, especially since we've seen Nicole leave her group to return with a produced solo, I'm hoping something like this is in the works for Sera, though I don't think she's signed on with any label. She's been uploading clips to Youtube relatively frequently. If this is the fate she's left with then it's a shame. Sera's got one of the clearest and purest voices in Kpop alongside Secret's Jieun. Would be unfortunate to see that go to waste.

Just Outside: Luna (f(x))
This nomination is also technically a stretch, given how unlikely f(x) activities will occur in the foreseeable future. Still, Luna is amazing and her versatility could also come into play, letting her tackle electronic dance pop, while still having a reliable beautiful voice for slower songs. Luna is the only person keeping f(x) relevant in terms of music, so give this girl a chance at the solo stage, I'm sure she'd kill it.

Honorable Mentions: Bohyung (Spica), Seungyeon (KARA)

[Bonus] Girl Group Radar 2015

Editor's Note: Being the clumsy fool that I am, I accidentally deleted the original while trying to make some edits on mobile. And ever since I started using Blogger I haven't been saving these on my computer either. I'm just going to list the groups from the original but unfortunately all the text / thoughts won't be there. Sorry, I'll try to be more careful next time!

1. Girl's Day

2. Sistar

3. Apink

4. AOA

Just Outside: Mamamoo

Just Outside: 9MUSES

Honorable Mentions: KARA, EXID

[Bonus] Best Of 2014 (#4-#1)

4. Soyu & Jungigo - Some

Soyu has been on fire lately. Perhaps the best combination / collaboration of hers to date, Soyu and Jungigo provide some relaxing sweet harmony. Given no prior knowledge of Jungigo, suffice to say that I was very pleased with his voice and how it matched with Soyu. One of my favourite things (I really hate using this word) to see in a duet or collaboration is that no voice overpowers the other, and that when both of them are singing or harmonizing, you can hear both equally. You need the right combination of singers / voices in order to achieve that. I may have mentioned this before, but Kyuhyun & Tiffany's "Rise and Shine" is the perfect example. Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that this combination of Soyu and Jungigo is really good. While this is essentially a ballad duet (duet ballad?), it's not better than "Don't Look At Me Like That" because of the rap from Lil Boi. If there's one thing that has stuck with me since I got into Kpop, it's that nasal singing and rapping just don't sit well with me.

3. Orange Caramel - My Copycat

If this was a few years back I would have never imagined Orange Caramel would land a top 3 finish, but here we are. "Candy culture" was certainly never my style, and Nana's nasally voice compounded my interests to stay away from this subunit. But when "My Copycat" rolled around, All the walls were broken. "My Copycat" is very addicting, and very fun. Nana's nasal delivery isn't as prominent, and the instrumental is equally as goofy. "My Copycat" is hands down the best music video of 2014. Sure, another Orange Caramel nominee "Catallena" is arguably better, but the actual song of "My Copycat" is far superior. Anyway, the MV has you play a game where you find what's different between the scenes and subsequently has you try to find OC amidst a crowd. The dance is just as fun, silly, and carefree, not to mention that the "sexy outfits" are fantastically meta.

2, Girl's Day - Darling

"Darling" is cute. Going from sexy to cute seemed questionable at first, and I certainly thought so, but I couldn't blame them for returning to a familiar concept that drew them fans in the first place. And what do you know, Girl's Day is really good at being cute. With the combination of multiple strengths: a cute butt dance, the most inefficient car wash ever, everyone in a banana-esque outfit, "Darling" knows what it is and doesn't try to hide it. Once more, Minah really comes into her own with the adlibs at the end of the song, and even makes Sojin's support vocals look pedestrian here (I'd like to note that this was a good ploy, as in the following track "I Miss You" the lines were rebalanced to be more equal). Like I mentioned in my "Darling" review, the success of this song is not only related to Girl's Day as a unit, but because they showed even after a year of maturing into adults, they can still effortlessly pull off their original style.

1. Epik High - Happen Ending

"Happen Ending" is one of those songs where you don't need lyrics to be understanding. The calm, laid back nature of the chorus with the fast impactful raps is truly the Epik High formula we have all come to enjoy and love. It's worth mentioning that most people were wary of the YG signing as they feared Epik High would lose their trademark sound (and become YG-ified). It's clear that this did not happen, and this song and subsequently the album did not disappoint. I won't comment much on Tablo and Mithra as I believe I gave them enough praise during "Born Hater." Jo Wonsun's original feature was stable, but what "Happen Ending" really benefited from was having many different vocalists feature in live performances, and each brought their own distinct style, interpretation, and feel to the song. Younha was the closest the Wonsun's original sound; softer, but with the serene emotional grace that she usually provides. Lee Hi and Minzy brought a strong rich undertone to the chorus. Suhyun and Yoo Inna, while not amazing, were impressive in how they held their own in comparison. Surpringly, I find myself at a lack of words to talk about "Happen Ending." Maybe that's just how good the song is.

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope you have a great time with friends and family during the holidays. Before the year comes to an end I may drop a few more bonus writings I've been toying with, and most importantly, I'd like to thank everyone that takes time to view my blog and listen to my thoughts about the Kpop world. It's been awesome, and I hope that 2015 will be a much kinder year for Kpop.

[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.

[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.