This list
was created according to my opinions and personal tastes. When creating this
list I focussed mainly on the music itself, but my opinion was also influenced by
choreography and music video (because these things all contribute to the Kpop
experience).
Honourable Mention
Before I get
to the top 30 singles I want to review one song (not released as a single) that
I really liked:
Zeze by IU. I always think of IU’s music as teetering
on the border between OK and Great (totally by-passing Good. It’s like when
carbon dioxide sublimes from a solid to a gas. I should make a phase diagram).
This song plunges off the ledge into Great. It’s funky and folky. It makes me
wanna dance. Compared to a lot of Kpop it is sophisticated and mature enough
that I can imagine it appealing to all audiences, the young and the old. This
song makes use of the sparkle sound effect, which I usually hate, but it
manages to do so without ruining the song. The lyrics seem to be about a child
who climbs a tree, or are they an extended metaphor for something less
wholesome? I have learned that the lyrics were inspired by a book called “My
Sweet Orange” but the song reinterprets the story and the character.
Controversy can add to the appeal.
#30 Mommae by Jay Park ft. Ugly Duck
You know why
I’m including this song. The music video is just so heavy handed. It was like
they made a list of everything you see in a hip hop video and were sure to
include it with as little subtlety as possible. I almost like it ironically.
But, if you are not too distracted you’ll notice the music’s pretty good too.
#29. Love Game by Lim Kim
This jazzy
pop song has so much atmosphere. Lim Kim stands out in a field of squeaky clean
Kpop girls with a raspy and breathy voice. This song suits her vocal style
beautifully. In this song there is a contrast between the verses and the chorus
which keeps it dynamic. It is chill and mellow, yet upbeat. (Ya know like jazz
is sometimes.) The tableau choreography at the beginning excites me and I am
only just now realizing that it is probably because it’s a bit of a Fosse
reference. I see this song as something to play at a party, or put in a movie
montage of someone getting ready for a date. Those are the images that come to
mind with this song. The actual music video has a story to it, rather than a
typical dance centred music video. I think this was a good choice.
#28 Can You Feel It? (Chok Chok
Dance) by Donghae and Eunhyuk
This song
inspired so many dance covers, and so many memes from countless amateur
animators. But as much as I love silly dances there is more to this song than
that. These boys have beautiful voices and the song is so pleasing even if you
can’t dance along. The music video features cameos from all over Kpop.
#27 Beautiful Liar by VIXX LR
It takes a
lot to impress me with a ballad in a foreign language. But Beautiful Liar
reaches me emotionally. I think that is attributed to the combination of piano
with hip hop.
#26 Ma First by Jang Hyunseung
He wears the
math constant pi. The choreo fits the music and that is what first drew me to
it. I like the chorus breakdown. I like the Backstreet Boy hair.
#25 Married to the Music by SHINee
SHINee is a
group that I think I like, but then I listen to their songs and they don’t
really do anything for me. But there are three exceptions: “Lucifer”, “Hello”,
and now “Married to the Music”. But I have to confess that a lot of my love for
this song comes from the two music videos. The performance music video has some
of the sickest choreo. I could only watch a couple of seconds at a time because
I was just pissed that I didn’t know the moves yet. The other music video
contains people vomitting confetti, and people’s faces falling off. Wild.
#24 Growing Pains by Donghae and Eunhyuk
This is
another ballad where the emotion comes through without the need for language.
Part of the appeal is the boys’ vocals. I love the way these two sing. But it
is also the composition of the song. It is powerful and upbeat, but still
subtle and emotional.
#23 Um Oh Ah Yeah by Mamamoo
Mamamoo is
one of my preferred girl groups. I don’t usually like those squeaky voiced
groups. Mamamoo has a relatively deeper sound. The melody is catchy and
uncomplicated. Just pleasant. When I decided to put this song on the list I
hadn’t even seen the music video yet. This is a song that doesn’t need a whole
lot of extra to be appreciated.
#22 Beautiful by Amber
I don’t have
a bias but if I did it would be Amber. I like that a girl can have short, hair
and wear shorts and pants when everyone else is wearing skirts and dresses, and
that does not have anything to do with sexuality. People like to categorize
themselves and others into groups, but it is important to remember that there
is a lot of variation within a group as well. And, in fact, there is a lot of
variation within an individual. People have different dimensions to their
personality. With Amber we usually see her as the lively tomboy but in this
song we see there is more to her than that. There is vulnerability and
softness. She wrote the lyrics herself and they clearly mean something to her.
I would be terrified to show the world something that personal. Full respect.
#21 Playback by Playback
This song is
cute, but not overly saccharine, and it’s breezy. So, so breezy. It is basic,
and I mean that only in a good way. It has all the ingredients of a textbook
Kpop song, and, when these girls present it, it pulls together beautifully.
This song is a fun one, and I wanna see more Playback. It is a debut, and I
hope they do not fade away into nothing before they can make a Playback come back!
#20 A Bad Thing by Purfles
This song is
uber sexy. The opening “ah, ah, ah, oh, ah” is very striking, but it is the
music video and the choreography that really make this song. I confess that
when I simply listen to the song I wonder “now, why did I like this song,
again?”. Then, I watch the video and the live dance performances, and the
mystery is solved. The bondage imagery, bedroom scenes, and bathtub scenes all
add up to the ultimate in sexy.
#19 Shake that Brass by Amber
The world
was asking for this. It was a song that 2015 wanted. Watch the music video at
1:20 and at 2:25. Is that the Whip and Nae Nae? Did she originate the Whip/Nae
Nae?! Amber’s Song came out in February and Silento’s came out in June.
#18 Hero by Monsta X
Did the song
writers borrow ideas from “Dope” by BTS for this single? Both songs contain a very
distinct saxophone solo. It certainly is not plagiarism because the music is
different. If you see something succeed once it only makes sense to try it
again, so I cannot fault them at all. What is captivating about this song is
the dance on the helicopter landing pad. Not only do the steps come quick, but
the camera angles leave you feeling like you want to hug the ground for safety.
#17 Insane by Ailee
I appreciate
the contemporary dance as refreshing change of pace from the hip hop dances. I
like the wardrobe, and the black and white music video with the minimalist set.
I have heard that it is rare for a woman to sing about intense passion for a
man, but Ailee doesn’t care in this song. She isn’t suppressing her obsession.
She loves that quiet, emotionless boy in the video even to a point where she
admits it makes her “insane”.
#16 Wow Wow Wow by Jun Jin
This
techno-y pop song sticks in your head and still has you wanting to dance hours
later, especially the chorus. This is just a well done song. From what I’ve
read Jin Jun has been in the music business for a while and surely knows how to
do it.
#15 Who’s Your Mama by J. Y. Park ft.
Jessi
Am I the
only one who doesn’t get butts? Like why are they pretty? They all look the
same to me. If I were attracted to butts I would just stare at my own and
imagine it were attached to someone else. Maybe glue on some hair. Musically, I loved Jessi’s rap. Best rap of
the year….maybe. I don’t pay close enough attention to raps to say that with
any conviction. I like the English refrain and the verses flow smoothly.
#14 Don’t Be Shy by Primary ft. ChoA
and Iron
I am not the
world’s biggest reggae fan but I love that they are trying something new in
Kpop. Visually, this single has so many cool little things to notice! Overall
there is an occult theme to the video. It looks as if it were shot with a 1970s
style camera because that’s when occult was first becoming in fashion. First
scene they stand around an ouiji board by candle light and the planchette moves
without being touched. Next scene, they seem to be having a poker game… no
wait, those are pokemon cards, and it looks pretty high stakes. Next scene they
perform voodoo rituals with their Barbie dolls. Wardrobe was noteworthy too
especially the Jesus print dress with a choker, and the ghost costumes made out
of floral bedsheets! So many little LOLs. PRIMARY has great music videos I
encourage everyone to check out “Hello”.
#13 Daddy by PSY
Some people
don’t like it when their interest goes mainstream, but I do. PSY is great. The
song is catchy and repetitive, and the video is campy. It is exactly like what
you‘d expect from PSY. No disappointment. None.
#12 Paradise Lost by GAIN
This is one
that was just OK for me at first but it grew on me. The dance is the best part
( well… besides the pile of naked men at the end of course). She dances like a
snake without being too literal with it. The sequence where she wears the black
body stocking is the most snake-like and is what really got me hooked on this
song.
#11 Dope by BTS
This song is
good, the choreography is great, but what is amazing about it is just the way
these boys execute that choreography. They are fantastically talented. Nearly,
anyone could learn that dance but not many people could deliver it the way BTS
did. But I don’t have to tell you that, do I? I like the new school YMCA, Village
People costumes, too. One element that is not present in this song is vocal
talent. Not that they don’t have vocal talent, just that it is not showcased in
this song in any abundancy.
#10 Watch Out by Hotshot
This song
grows on you pretty quick. It goes back and forth between funky and melodic and
the choreo is, as they say, “on fleek”. This is a new-ish group who doesn’t get
the attention it deserves, but I put it on my list due to its merit and not out
of pity.
#9 Get Some Air by Gary ft. MiWoo
MiWoo’s
melody makes this song. It is beautiful. I learned the man in the MV driving
the car is not Gary as I originally thought. Through further research I learned
that his name is not actually Gary. That is just a stage name. In the USA
rappers choose nicknames like 2Chainz, Ghostface Killah, or Waka Flocka Flame.
In Korea they go with Gary.
#8 Ahh Oop by Mamamoo, eSNa
The retro
American flavour of this song is apparent within the first few seconds from the
guitar, the finger snapping and eSNa’s accent. The English lyrics add a lot!
“Ain’t nobody got time for that!”. I said Jessi’s rap in “Who’s Your Mama” was
the best of the year but this one was phat!
#7 Champagne by TVXQ U-Know
“Champagne”
is so party. It has all the bright colours and the over the top excitement that
Kpop is known for. I find TVXQ to be one of the most consistent groups.
#6 Sour Grapes by San E, Mad Clown
San E does
some really good KHip-pop. The music video has so much humour. But I noticed
there were no grapes in the video, only strange, orange tomatoes…then I learned
those weren’t tomatoes, they were persimmons. Apparently, the Korean version of
the expression sour grapes involves persimmons. I will definitively say this is
my choice for funniest video of the year.
#5 Midnight Sun by Hotshot
Most would
not rate this single so high, but it is such a feel good song I can’t rate it
any lower. I think it appeals to me because of my western tastes. Most people
turn to Kpop because they want something different. This song sounds like what
you hear on the radio in any western country, and that is why it gets little
attention from the Kpop fans. There is not very much choreography, and it has a
low budget music video. So it’s just the music itself which earns it such a
high position on the chart. Do you feel it? Tell me you feel it!
#4 Roll Deep by Hyuna ft Ilhoon of
BTOB
This is what
you hope for from Kpop: way over the
top, engineered perfection that leaves you going ‘woah’. Most of the video is
really sexy, but at the end she has cute little piggytailed hair and she makes
use of a squeaky voice for the “Ireoke Jereoke Ireoke Jereoke”. I am not a huge
fan of squeaky voice, but using it in this limited way really enhances the
music.
#3 Napal Baji by PSY
Please give
me permission to go against popular opinion one more time. PSY released “Napal
Baji” at the same time as “Daddy”. My preference is “Napal Baji”. The refrain
doesn’t get old as quickly and it’s more danceable. I think the reason it isn’t
more popular is because it has almost no English. I noticed when I was learning
the choreography that it makes reference to Saturday
Night Fever. In the typical disco dance you point down and then point up.
In “Napal Baji” you point forward and point backwards. It has the rolling arms,
like disco and it has the grapevine step, like I learned to do to “Stayin
Alive”in gym class. I hope you know what I’m talking about. It is difficult to
describe dance steps.
#2 Solo by Jay Park ft. Hoody
Another dive
into Khip-hop. “Solo” uses the refrain “Solloigil barae” (“Please be single” in
Korean) but to my English language brain it sounds like “Celebrate your body”.
I wonder if Jay did that on purpose. I find it to be a really sexy lyric. The
choreography version of the MV is really fun to watch. All the backup dancers
have so much skills. In fact, I do not even want to call them “backup” they are
Dancers.
#1 Call Me Baby by EXO
I could not
imagine how empty Kpop would have been this year without “Call Me, Baby”. It is
an excellent example of Kpop style music. The dance is fun to try to learn and
I always like it when the camera is involved in the choreography like it is in
this single and in their previous hit “Growl”.
Watch The Top 10 on Youtube
