With my favourite side tracks and dances out of the way, that means there's only one more list left for me to post - my favourite songs of the year. Considering how hard the list of dances was to make, this was a little bit easier! Although, not gonna lie, I did go through this list a little more thoroughly than the others. As in rating each song individually kind of thorough. I wanted to be sure that my favourites were legitimately my favourites, and not just because I like what's new or current.
So, with all that said, I finally have a list of my 10 favourites. The one song per artist rule still applies, and the only songs I'm taking into account for this list are title tracks. But other than that, it's free reign! 😊
However, before I start the actual list, I want to give a list of my honourable mentions. These are all songs I do still love, but they just didn't make it onto the list compared to everything else.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
- EXID (이엑스아이디) - I Love You (알러뷰)
- CLC (씨엘씨) - BLACK DRESS
- Taeyeon (태연) [Girls' Generation (소녀시대)] - Something New
- K/DA - POP/STARS
- Ashley (애슐리) [Ladies' Code (레이디스 코드)] - Here We Are
- Soyu (소유) ft. Sik-K (식케이) - All Night (까만밤)
- Dua Lipa ft. BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) - Kiss and Make Up [I decided not to include this in my list because it's not a K-Pop song; the only relevance it has to K-Pop is the featured artist and some of the lyrics, so I didn't think it was eligible!]
10. JIMIN (지민) [AOA (에이오에이)] - HEY
I've never had a chance to talk about AOA very much on this blog; their 2018 comeback with "Bingle Bangle" came out before I started writing on here, and even then, it wasn't anything spectacular. It was alright, but not great if you ask me. But Jimin has always been my bias because of her stage presence as a rapper in general; say what you will about her voice, but I think she's got a very commanding presence to her. So when it came out that she was releasing another solo single, I was... excited? Well, not really. "Hallelujah" was good for what it was, but it was ultimately forgettable for me.
"Hey", though... this sort of song is right up my alley. Yeah, it's a little messy in some places, but it shows that charisma that Jimin has as a performer. I also adore EDM, synth-heavy songs, so the minute I heard those opening notes I was hooked. And yeah, this delivers! People always joke about Jimin's 'hey's in AOA songs, so I guess they decided to make an entire song out of it. 😉 But yeah, this is a really solid track overall for me - it's loud, it's in-your-face, it's got a MONSTER of a chorus that really catches your attention, and it even features a little callback to Jimin and J.Don's "God"! Which, that song is still a bop regardless of its silliness, so I'm all good with that.
"Hey" is a song that knows it's not very complicated, so it takes that as a compliment and runs with it. It's a really fun song that's also catchy as hell, and it managed to stick around for me and be one of my favourite songs of the year! (I actually thought it was released in 2017, but whaddaya know, it came out in January!) I really hope Jimin comes back with another solo song like this - she's got massive potential here, and I'd love to see what else she can do.
9. RED VELVET (레드벨벳) - BAD BOY
Red Velvet are another group that had a fantastic year in 2018 - three comebacks, three absolute bops, and three completely different concepts! And even though I loved "Power Up"'s catchiness, and "RBB"'s general sassiness, neither of them ended up being good enough to beat "Bad Boy".
This is STILL my favourite Red Velvet song - not gonna lie, "Sassy Me" did give it some competition, but when I relistened to this and took the video, dance and lyrics into account as well, I remembered how much I actually love it. It's pretty simplistic for Red Velvet, but it's also the sexiest concept they've done, by far. It's very mature and eye-catching, and even though a lot of people said the girls couldn't pull it off, I couldn't disagree more. They all look great and sound even greater!
It also helps that we got the fantastic English version of this song about halfway through the year, which I also still adore. It's one of the smoothest English versions of a K-Pop song I've heard, if not THE smoothest. It doesn't take away from the song like translated/English lyrics can often do; Red Velvet manage to nail the vibe even when singing it in a different language. Their pronunciation is great, too!
I really, REALLY hope that Red Velvet have another comeback like "Bad Boy" in future, 'cause this is too damn good to leave sitting on its own. Yeah, "RBB" was similar in terms of the styling, but I'm talking more about the song here. Either way, I don't think Red Velvet will disappoint me regardless of what they release - but if they released another song like this, I think I'd be particularly happy! Just saying, SM. 😉
8. BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) - DDU DU DDU DU (뚜두뚜두)
Man, 2018 really managed to subvert my expectations in its second half. First Weki Meki ended up not having my dance of the year, and now BLACKPINK aren't even in my top five songs?! That should tell you how busy the second half of the year was in general...
Regardless, I still really, REALLY like "DDU DU DDU DU". It's probably the strongest title track the girls have had, possibly tied with "Playing With Fire" for me. It's the kind of concept I want them to follow into the future, though! And hey, seeing as this song did so well - what with charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and all that - I'm pretty sure they will. A lot of people, BLINKs included, said that this was very generic and samey to them, but I actually disagree entirely!
"DDU DU DDU DU" has this little whistly melody the entire way through that gives this a very exotic vibe, something I love hearing - hell, it made Yezi's "Anck Su Namun" my song of the year in 2017 from the concept alone. (That song STILL SLAPS by the way.) It's also incredibly catchy to boot, and that's without even mentioning the girls themselves. Their vocals are gorgeous, the raps are on point, and even the dance breaks work great here. The choreography is really fun to watch, too - easy enough to pick up the choruses on your own, but hard and intricate enough to keep it interesting.
Here's hoping BLACKPINK even have a comeback in 2019, because god only knows what YG is planning. We'll probably get all of the members' solo projects first, but if we could get a comeback too... that would be perfect. Even though I know it's probably not going to happen. 😓 But I'm alright with listening to "DDU DU DDU DU" until we do get a comeback, because it's still great!
7. IZ*ONE (이아즈원) - LA VIE EN ROSE (라비앙로즈)
2018 was not just a year of subverting expectations, but it was also a year of surprises. (Whether or not you consider those to be the same thing is up to you.) But in terms of surprises, IZ*ONE were probably one of the biggest for me. As I've mentioned, I don't give two shits about idol survival shows; I think they're ridiculously annoying if I'm being honest. But that never stops me from liking the groups that come out of these shows - I liked IOI quite a lot, but I really didn't care about Wanna One (especially because of the preferential treatment there). And, as such, when IZ*ONE debuted I didn't initially care either.
But I'm SO glad I started caring! "La Vie En Rose" is a fantastic song, with an almost magical mood from start to finish. Yet it's also a very hopeful song, perfect for a new rookie girl group in K-Pop; it's very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but it never gets annoying or grating. This is a song that really takes you on a journey of sorts as it develops. It goes from strength to strength, high point to high point, and this all just leads to a conclusion that legit made me tear up. The song just... explodes in that final chorus, and it's really something special.
That's without even mentioning the dance, which... yeah, if you've seen my favourite dances list, you'll know what I think of that. (Spoilers: it's a masterpiece.)
So yeah, if IZ*ONE can carry this momentum forward into their future comebacks, the next two years with them are going to be pretty fantastic! My fingers are crossed, anyway. 🤞
6. (G)I-DLE ((여자)이아들) - HANN (한) [ALONE]
I brought up "LATATA" on my list of best dances this year, and I do like that song quite a bit - it's absurdly catchy. But "Hann (Alone)" is by FAR the better song (G)I-DLE have released this year. This is why these girls have got so much promise and potential to me - they've already shown fantastic versability in their songs and concepts.
"Hann (Alone)" is an awful lot darker than "LATATA", that's for sure - the lyrics here are some of the deepest-cutting lines I've heard in a breakup song period. Seriously, whoever wrote these was pissed. They're absolutely brutal, and I love it. It really adds to the song as a whole, since when you listen to it for the first time, it might sound a bit melancholic. But it's not - it's comprised of a lot of frustration and anger at the breakup that the girls are going through. They've got a great sense of tempo to them as well - they're ridiculously catchy and have a really nice, steady rhythm.
All of the girls sound amazing here, too - but by far, the song's highlight for me is Soyeon's rap. This girl KILLS it. Honestly, she's at the top of the game for idol rappers right now - she's phenomenal. And hey, the dance isn't half bad either! It's not as great as "LATATA" in my opinion, but it's certainly passable. Any comeback where Shuhua gets more lines AND a dance solo is perfectly okay by me.
I, for one, hope that (G)I-DLE continue with this concept for their next comeback, because I feel like it just suits them so damn perfectly. They're a group with a lot of confidence and sass, which works perfectly for a concept like this. It means we might get another amazing song like this one too!
5. NCT U (엔시티 유) - BABY DON'T STOP
Fun fact: this was nearly an honourable mention.
...then I relistened to it and realised I was dancing in my chair like this.
Yyyyyeah, there was no way this ultimately wouldn't be on this list. IT'S JUST TOO DAMN CATCHY.
I was legitimately surprised by "Baby Don't Stop" the first time I heard it - I didn't expect it to be this sexy. Like, they don't even TRY to hide it. It's "Whiplash" all over again! But this time with Ten's dancing skills added to the mix! Which, yeah, the dance to this song is absolutely incredible. That's no surprise. It might not be one of my personal favourites, but I can still appreciate it nonetheless!
The vocals are really interesting here too; a lot of the time they're either whispered or layered over each other in a way that gives the song a really nice sense of texture (if you know what I mean). I mean yeah, the lyrics are the definition of the Lenny face, but at least the vocal delivery matches it! As well as that, the final chorus builds up to a super satisfying conclusion. The way the percussion gets louder and there's extra vocal adlibs is honestly the perfect way to end it. It wraps everything up so nicely, and immediately made me want to listen to it again.
Also, singing Taeyong. Y e s.
4. HYO (효) [HYOYEON (효연)] FT. UMMET OZCAN - SOBER (ENGLISH VER.)
Hyoyeon has always been a member that stood out to me in Girls' Generation. She's got so much natural charisma and energy that she managed to be a particular favourite of mine, even if she wasn't my bias. So when she started releasing solo projects, I was really damn happy for her! As for those solo projects, "Mystery" was amazing, and "Wannabe" was... an absolute letdown. Especially now in retrospect, since it features San E. Which, if you saw what happened with him at the end of 2018... yeah, he's a bona fide asshole. How ironic that his rap on that song included the line "You know I'm (a) feminist"...
But anyway, we're not talking about "Wannabe" here. We're talking about "Sober"! And thankfully, "Sober" is in a class of its own. And thankfully, it's excellent! But you might've noticed I picked the English version over the original Korean version - that's because it just works SO much better to me. Hyoyeon's English is beautiful, and really adds to the song's overall mood. It's really nice to see how far she's come.
"Sober" is one of those songs that just hit me as special the first time I heard it. The lyrics are really damn melancholy in places, but the blocky piano chords and EDM style make them strangely appropriate. It's also got a great sense of progression - there's always an extra instrument or two added in to make things feel like they're moving along nicely, without feeling forced or shoved into the song. And hey, considering the song isn't even 3 minutes long, it doesn't feel unfinished at all! It feels like a complete, well-produced song, regardless of its length. That, to me, is a huge sign of quality.
Thankfully, Hyoyeon seems to be leaning fully into the DJ angle now that she's released "Punk Right Now". And that song is a bucketload of fun, so more power to her! This is an image that absolutely suits her, and I'm so damn excited to see where it takes her in 2019.
...I just realised whilst writing this that there are quite a few songs on my year-end lists that I haven't fully covered yet.
BUT I'M NOT LEAVING THIS ONE OUT, BECAUSE OH MY GOD IT'S WAY BETTER THAN IT HAS ANY RIGHT TO BE.
3. GUGUDAN (구구단) - NOT THAT TYPE
I was sooooooo nervous for this comeback. Gugudan very much delivered earlier on in 2018 with "The Boots", but after losing a member, I was worried about how they'd recover. I was also worried about what type of song they'd release, because they're known for being very versatile when it comes to concepts.
...but what they DID end up releasing is an absolute monster of a song.
"Not That Type" made my jaw hit the floor and gave me legitimate chills the first time I heard it. Like, can we PLEASE just talk about the pre-choruses. THOSE DAMN PRE-CHORUSES. WOW. They've got an immense sense of power to them, and if you weren't paying attention by that point in the song, BY GOD, SEJEONG WILL GET YOUR ATTENTION WHEN THAT PRE-CHORUS KICKS IN. Don't even get me started on the mixture of brass and synths. It's just... ugh. 👌 Combined with the rapid-fire lyrics, it's pretty damn close to musical perfection to me. I really wish the entire song was like that, because it would've been my #1 if it was - and I say that with utmost confidence! The best part is, that same momentum never. Lets. Up. This song just keeps thundering on, with more and more extra components to keep it interesting without feeling overcrowded. The harmonies in that final bridge are stunning, too.
Moombahton isn't the most common thing in K-Pop, so to hear Gugudan put such a refreshing and commanding spin on it is amazing! However, the lyrics are pretty standard girl crush fare, and the dance is good but not great, so that's why it's only #3. But goddamn, if those two aspects had been any better... this could've been higher. But for the sheer power of this song alone, it gets to #3. THESE are the kinds of songs I love when it comes to girl crush concepts. They don't hold back in any way, shape or form. They're just... raw energy. And it's a sight to behold when they explode the way "Not My Type" does. Fucking bravo, Gugudan.
(Also, IF THEY DID A REPACKAGE ALBUM WITH THIS SAME CONCEPT I'D BE SO HAPPY. PLZ JELLYFISH. 🙏🙏🙏)
...but what they DID end up releasing is an absolute monster of a song.
"Not That Type" made my jaw hit the floor and gave me legitimate chills the first time I heard it. Like, can we PLEASE just talk about the pre-choruses. THOSE DAMN PRE-CHORUSES. WOW. They've got an immense sense of power to them, and if you weren't paying attention by that point in the song, BY GOD, SEJEONG WILL GET YOUR ATTENTION WHEN THAT PRE-CHORUS KICKS IN. Don't even get me started on the mixture of brass and synths. It's just... ugh. 👌 Combined with the rapid-fire lyrics, it's pretty damn close to musical perfection to me. I really wish the entire song was like that, because it would've been my #1 if it was - and I say that with utmost confidence! The best part is, that same momentum never. Lets. Up. This song just keeps thundering on, with more and more extra components to keep it interesting without feeling overcrowded. The harmonies in that final bridge are stunning, too.
Moombahton isn't the most common thing in K-Pop, so to hear Gugudan put such a refreshing and commanding spin on it is amazing! However, the lyrics are pretty standard girl crush fare, and the dance is good but not great, so that's why it's only #3. But goddamn, if those two aspects had been any better... this could've been higher. But for the sheer power of this song alone, it gets to #3. THESE are the kinds of songs I love when it comes to girl crush concepts. They don't hold back in any way, shape or form. They're just... raw energy. And it's a sight to behold when they explode the way "Not My Type" does. Fucking bravo, Gugudan.
(Also, IF THEY DID A REPACKAGE ALBUM WITH THIS SAME CONCEPT I'D BE SO HAPPY. PLZ JELLYFISH. 🙏🙏🙏)
2. MAMAMOO (마마무) - EGOTISTIC (너나 해)
...I really do love it when lightning strikes twice.
Back when MAMAMOO released "Décalcomanie" in 2016, I thought 'that's it. They've officially peaked. They can't get any better than this.'
OH MAN, WAS I WRONG.
"Egotistic" is... essentially my dream MAMAMOO song. It's fiery, it's brash, it's supremely confident and sexy, but... it's still MAMAMOO. It's still got gorgeous vocals, a strong melody, some superb lyrics and A-grade rap sections. If you ask me, this is MAMAMOO's evolution (as cheesy as that sounds). This is the concept that really shows their musical maturity, and just how far they've come since they released "Mr. Ambiguous" all the way back in 2014.
Breakup songs can certainly start to blend together when it comes to their subject material, but honestly, "Egotistic" is so good that it doesn't even matter. It's got so much raw energy to it that any sense of being boring immediately flies out of the goddamn window. The lyrics aren't quite as hard-hitting as something like "Hann (Alone)", but the girls' performances and pure charisma certainly make up for it. The venom isn't quite in the lyrics themselves - it's in the vocal delivery.
Oh, there's also the fact that the video made me forget how to breathe. Every single member looks fucking glorious here. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to 1) let Hwasa have a fucking pet tiger and 2) have Solar learn how to pole dance. But whoever you are:
I LOVE YOU.
BUT I ALSO HATE YOU.
BECAUSE I FORGOT HOW TO FUNCTION FOR THREE AND HALF MINUTES UPON WATCHING THIS VIDEO FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO THANKS, I GUESS.
But that begs the question: what the hell can beat lion tamer Hwasa and pole dancing Solar?
Oh, only the song that made me cry like an absolute baby when I heard it for the first time.
Back when MAMAMOO released "Décalcomanie" in 2016, I thought 'that's it. They've officially peaked. They can't get any better than this.'
OH MAN, WAS I WRONG.
"Egotistic" is... essentially my dream MAMAMOO song. It's fiery, it's brash, it's supremely confident and sexy, but... it's still MAMAMOO. It's still got gorgeous vocals, a strong melody, some superb lyrics and A-grade rap sections. If you ask me, this is MAMAMOO's evolution (as cheesy as that sounds). This is the concept that really shows their musical maturity, and just how far they've come since they released "Mr. Ambiguous" all the way back in 2014.
Breakup songs can certainly start to blend together when it comes to their subject material, but honestly, "Egotistic" is so good that it doesn't even matter. It's got so much raw energy to it that any sense of being boring immediately flies out of the goddamn window. The lyrics aren't quite as hard-hitting as something like "Hann (Alone)", but the girls' performances and pure charisma certainly make up for it. The venom isn't quite in the lyrics themselves - it's in the vocal delivery.
Oh, there's also the fact that the video made me forget how to breathe. Every single member looks fucking glorious here. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to 1) let Hwasa have a fucking pet tiger and 2) have Solar learn how to pole dance. But whoever you are:
I LOVE YOU.
BUT I ALSO HATE YOU.
BECAUSE I FORGOT HOW TO FUNCTION FOR THREE AND HALF MINUTES UPON WATCHING THIS VIDEO FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO THANKS, I GUESS.
But that begs the question: what the hell can beat lion tamer Hwasa and pole dancing Solar?
Oh, only the song that made me cry like an absolute baby when I heard it for the first time.
1. DREAMCATCHER (드림캐쳐) - WHAT
I SAID IT IN MY OTHER LIST THAT I WASN'T DONE SINGING THIS SONG'S PRAISES.
AND I ABSOLUTELY FUCKING MEANT IT.
Gugudan's "Not That Type" was great. MAMAMOO's "Egotistic" was amazing. And both of them were CLOSE to perfection for me. But d'you wanna know what defines musical perfection to me?
This. Song.
I've never cried so many happy tears upon listening to a song for the first time. "What" is just... anything and everything I could want from a song in general, not just a K-Pop song! It's emotional, it's melancholic, it's tragic... yet at the same time, it's thunderingly energetic, it's horror-inspired, it's grandiose, it's epic... It's absolute perfection.
IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING RIPPED STRAIGHT FROM A XENOBLADE CHRONICLES SOUNDTRACK AND I'M FUCKING LIVING FOR IT.
Although I will admit, this has made me really damn scared for what Dreamcatcher will do in the future. Because... let's be real. They can't top this. Ever. Nobody can in my eyes, Dreamcatcher or not. And y'know what? I'm fine with that. We have this. We have "What" to return to as our benchmark. And "What" is just THAT good. Dreamcatcher as a whole are THAT good.
This may seem like a bit of a grand, sweeping statement to make, but... I really do mean it when I say "What" isn't just my favourite song of this year. It's my favourite song period. That goes for both K-Pop AND non K-Pop songs. I've never found a song that made (and continues to make) me as happy as this song does. But... now I have, I guess. And I'm absolutely buying a physical copy of this album as soon as I can. This song alone warrants it.
•••••
Well, that's... everything! That's all the year-end lists I had planned for 2018! I was kinda scared about how I was going to approach these, but I think they turned out pretty well. I do still have more content and articles I want to write for the rest of January though, so I'll try and work on those whenever I can! 😊
But I think it's safe to say... if 2019 is as good as 2018 was for K-Pop, we're in for one hell of a year. 🎉
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