Top 30 Best KPop of 2015: Countdown and Review

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.

Watch The Top 10 on Youtube 

#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