Oh my gosh this is so difficult. Last year K-pop was just starting to become interesting again so it was easier, but this year, K-pop was actually really great and I had a hard time coming up with this list. I'm glad that groups moved away from that awful "I'm sexy!" concept that kept going on. Very few K-pop groups can actually pull off the ultra sexy concept without seeming try-hard. This new synthpop/electro route this year was absolutely awesome. Especially the stuff coming from SM. SM used to be the super generic company with box MVs what the heck happened? I'm looking forward to next year's music scene, although I'm a little worried at the same time. I have a feeling that with Twice's success that other groups will try to emulate them like with the sexy concept overflow after Sistar's success. I adore Twice. I love them to bits, but their concept is another of those concepts like Sistar's that is difficult to replicate without looking try-hard or over the top. Even TT (which I loved) seemed over the top for Twice. I can't even imagine how awful it would've looked for a different group. Because it was so difficult, I did my top 10, but also included some "runners up" that were so close to making it.
I said I was going to do this again and I'm going to try my best to post on time for each day lol. The format will be exactly the same as last year except this year I'm going to the places each thing moved (or is new) from the past year. Mainly because I just want to see how my interests have changed over the year. So here we go, entry #1!
So I feel like last year's list was completely all over the place. 2015 was the first year since 2012 that I had had much interest in new K-pop and due to that, my list was so scatterbrained and I had forgotten about so much. This year I think I have a much more accurate idea of my top 10 K-pop songs of all time.
#10
Oh My Girl - Closer (2015) (-)
This song made the list last year even though it was practically brand new. Closer really reignited an interest in K-pop for me. It's just an incredible song by an incredible group. If the song continues to hold up in the future, it easily could be in my top three.
#9
Girl's Day - Expectation (2012) (NEW)
I really got back into this song this year. I loved it when it came out, but I finally picked up the album this year and have played it a lot since. This song in my opinion was Girl's Day's peak. They've had good songs since, but this was their peak musically for me.
#8
Girls' Generation - Into The New World (2007) (-4)
Out of all of SNSD's songs over the years, their debut remains my favorite. It's actually aged rather well as opposed to once great songs like The Boys or Run Devil Run that just sound like they should've stayed in 2011. It's just a fun & uplifting song.
#7
Chocolat - I Like It (2011) (-4)
I still miss them so much. Years ago this would've been number one for me, but quite frankly it just hasn't aged well at all. I still love the song and I still love them, but there's so many other songs that are sounding better than this.
#6
Wonder Girls - Loved (2015) (NEW)
So last year I had I Feel You pretty high up, which was only because I couldn't think of half the tracks that I should've featured. But as much as I love that song, after listening to the album over the past year, Loved is such a stand out track. In my opinion, it's probably the single greatest K-pop album tracks ever released. It's just 80s filled amazingness.
#5
After School - Dressing Room (2013) (+1)
I'm still upset at myself that I haven't purchased the First Love EP yet. I want to, but I keep feeling like I can't justify buying K-pop EPs anymore because they cost the same as full albums & none have come up for cheap on ebay that I've seen. Oh well, eventually. This is After School's greatest song and should've been a single. I couldn't decide if this & Loved should've been switched around so I just kept them in the order of release.
#4
2NE1 - Come Back Home (2014) (NEW)
Quite frankly the reason this is so dang high is because of their disbandment. However, this is an incredible song and unlike the vast majority of their other material, I feel like this will hold up over the years.
#3
Orange Caramel - Bangkok City (2011) (-2)
The beat in this song is still fresh 5 years later. The ultimate K-pop club track in my opinion. Orange Caramel needs to release something else like this.
#2
Swan.B - Be All Right (2011) (-)
Why does no one know this song?! WHY?! Yes, it's super duper indie & there's no clue what ever happened to the group that did it but it's just so good. Eurobeat is sadly not featured in K-pop ever.
#1
KARA - Step (2011) (NEW)
I don't think there will be anyone in K-pop who will ever release anything quite as amazing as Step. It's one of those songs you can never get tired of and sound like they could be released tomorrow and still smash. I didn't list it last year because I forgotI forgot about it when I when I made the list. Kinda upset that I did that lol
So this is slightly different than the other posts I've done. I want to highlight three groups that debuted this past year that I'm looking forward to seeing more of in 2016. I should also say that I likely won't get tomorrow's post up for tomorrow. I'll be running around everywhere because of the busy-ness of Christmas Eve, but I hope I can get it up.
Group #1: Oh My Girl
Oh My Girl is an eight member group that debuted in April of 2015 with their first mini album, Oh My Girl. The lead single from the mini album was Cupid, a cute track somewhere between an early SNSD and KARA's recent material sound wise.
In October, Oh My Girl came back with their second mini album, Closer, with the lead song being the title track. Closer is a mid-tempo track with an ethereal sounding EDM beat, reminiscent of what you would hear on Ellie Goulding's Halcyon. With this track, it seems as if Oh My Girl has lit a fire in the international K-pop community, gaining the song a lot of praise for an offering from a new girl group.
Oh My Girl hadn't managed to capture my attention with their debut track, but blew me away with their comeback. There will be a lot of hype for the follow up to Closer, and this makes Oh My Girl a group to watch out for in the coming year.
Group #2: Twice
Twice is a nine member group that debuted in October of 2015 with their first mini album, The Story Begins. The lead single from the mini album was Like Ooh-Ahh, an upbeat pop track which is almost like a combo of early 4Minute and early SNSD.
Twice's debut had been highly anticipated as they began on the JYP Entertainment survival show Sixteen. As they have a lot of momentum behind them and they are yet to release a follow up, they are another group to look out for in 2016.
Group #3: CLC
CLC is a five member group that debuted in March of 2015 with their first mini album, First Love. The lead single from the mini album was Pepe, an upbeat and colorful track that showed off the girls' charms.
After the release of their debut CD, the girls made their comeback with the digital single Eighteen in April. The song is a synth filled pop track catchy pop track that follows Pepe nicely. While not a true comeback, the release served to generate hype for the next mini album which was released in May, with the title track Like. This song is a peppy cute track in contrast to their first release.
Although CLC failed to impress me with their comeback, I still am looking forward to what they can come out with next. I have hopes that they'll rise to the level of 4Minute's music. As they have gone the longest of the three groups with no comeback, their return hopefully with happen in early 2016.
So unlike my earlier lists which were all time lists, now we're on to the year specific lists. The first of these is K-pop 2015. For the past couple of years, I felt like K-pop was on a decline. In 2014, I felt like K-pop had taken a nosedive into that decline like it had never before. There's really only a handful of songs I can name from 2012-2014 that I would still call today "pretty good", unlike 2009-2011 where K-pop was at it's peak. This year, however, the releases have actually been pretty good. I'd say that 2015 is a great turnaround for K-pop and I'm hoping that it continues into 2016. As I don't listen to boy groups much anymore, this list is all from the ladies lol.
Hey everyone! I'm in the middle of papers & tests galore but came up with a fun idea that I'd like to do. So for every day up until Christmas (I will try my best to be on time lol), I will post a new "Top" list. They're going to be a variety of different topics in music so I hope people find them interesting and maybe find a new song to love! I won't do any kind of "review" or commentary on any of them (because I'll never get through them xD). Today's topic is my top 10 K-pop song of all time. Enjoy!
#10: Oh My Girl - Closer (2015)
#9: f(x) - Beautiful Stranger (2012)
#8: Wonder Girls - I Feel You (2015)
#7: Nine Muses - News (2012)
#6: After School - Dressing Room (2013)
#5: Shinee - Sherlock (2013)
#4: Girls' Generation - Into The New World (2007)
#3: Chocolat - I Like It (2011)
#2: Swan.B - Be All Right (2011)
#1: Orange Caramel - Bangkok City (2011)
So that's my list! What's your favorite K-pop songs of all time?
Oh My Girl is an 8 member Korean girl group that just debuted this year. This is only their second title track. I honestly have no words to describe this song. It's so catchy and beautiful and awesome and original for K-pop. I would have never expected something like this to come from a K-pop girl group. It sounds like something off of Ellie Goulding's Halcyon except better. It's probably too early to name this one of K-pop's best ever isn't it? Their second mini album, Closer, released on October 8th.
Track #2: Veridia - Crazy In A Good Way
There's nothing better then when I find a good Christian rock song. With so many of the groups I used to love on hiatus or disbanding or only touring, it's rare for me to come across something great. Veridia is a Christian rock group that is fronted by a female vocalist. Their style is mainly rock but also mixes in some electronic elements as well. I also really appreciate that instead of just side stepping everything Christian while calling themselves a Christian group (like too many groups that call themselves "Christian" groups), their lyrics seem more like Skillet's, where they have Christian lyrics and songs in a way that is accessible for non-Christian listeners. I'm very much looking forward to their future as I'm always looking out for Christian groups that don't compromise themselves just to fit in. Veridia's second EP, Pretty Lies, released September 25th.
Track #3: Taeyeon - I (ft. Verbal Jint)
It's too bad this song has a token rapper on it because it'd be really good if it didn't. Ignoring the unneeded rapper, this song is really not the direction I was expecting Taeyeon to take. I was expecting a full on ballad but this is something unique. It actually reminds me of a mellower version of something Swedish pop group Timoteij would do, but since I'm certain that there won't be many people who know who they are, I guess I would call it a mellow pop track with great vocals and just a hint of American country music influence. Just as a side note, it is very amusing to me that SM Entertainment is now releasing unique songs where a few years ago they were as generic as possible. Taeyeon's first mini album, I, released on October 7th.
