Instead of a formal essay-type thing where I reflect on all these songs and groups, I'm going to reflect in the best way I know how: three lists. The first one will certainly be the longest, because it's my favorites, and I always get super passionate and wordy when talking about things I love. I'll try to keep things concise, but I'll probably fail.
TOP TWENTY FAVORITE SONGS I DISCOVERED.
Yeah...this was originally going to be a top ten, but if I did that, I would have a lot of honorable mentions or just songs that I really wanted to include but didn't have room for. Instead, we're doing a top 20!
Also, I deliberately chose to not include any of the Blackpink and Twice songs, even though I loved them all. I just wanted to keep it to songs I discovered from doing this series, as opposed to songs I already knew prior.
20. “Overdose” by EXO-K
I always think of “Overdose” and “Monster” as similar songs. Obviously, they’re by the same band, but they also go for similar darker vibes. I think they’re in the same key, too. Although I gave them both 9/10s when I initially discussed them, but I definitely prefer “Overdose” now. It has one of the best bridges I have heard in kpop. The transition from that awesome high note into the rap verse takes my breath away every time. The “someone call the doctor” chorus is also much more memorable for me. But as much as I like this song, it’s not the best EXO song I’ve heard. Foreshadowing!
19. “Energetic” by Wanna One
I'm gonna be honest: I don't really care about lyrics. I'll give credit to particularly great lyrics and criticize stupid ones, but for the most part, I don't care. The best way for a song to impress me is to sound good. I'm much more likely to replay a song if it has a hot beat or great singing. Poetic lyrics are just a plus! Most songs I like, I like because I think they sound good. And that's certainly the case for a lot of my favorite kpop songs, including "Energetic." This song has such a solid dance groove and the 90s house-style piano is my favorite thing. I also love when one of them does a particularly impressive high note, then it pauses before returning. That pause does a lot to keep the song interesting.
18. “Red Flavor” and “Bad Boy” by Red Velvet
I couldn’t decide which I liked more. I’m sorry. But in a way, it makes sense for these two to be tied since they’re by the same band. But more than that, they’re representative of Red Velvet’s dual concept. “Red Flavor” is the “red” half of their discography, being a fun pop song, whereas “Bad Boy” is the “velvet” half, being more mature and R&B-inspired. I think which one I ultimately prefer will come down to my mood. If I want a bop, I’ll go to “Red Flavor,” but if I want to feel sexy, I’ll play “Bad Boy.” They’re both pretty great.
17. “Face” by Nu’Est
I really think I kind of nailed it when I compared this to High School Musical. It just reminds me of “Now or Never” from High School Musical 3. That’s not an insult, I grew up watching those movies and I still love them. “Now or Never” in particular is one of my favorite songs from the trilogy, so the fact that this song reminds me of it is a compliment. Also, the eternal nerd in me can’t stop hearing “jul alji” as “Jirachi”, which is just proof that I am always thinking about Pokémon. One of the members of Nu’Est is named Aron, which is also the name of a Pokémon (coincidentally, one from the same generation as Jirachi!). I’m probably the only person who cares enough to point that out. God, I’m a nerd.
16. “I’m So Sick” by Apink
Something I just realized when listening to this: the vocal melodies and synths in the prechorus remind me of “Into You” by Ariana Grande, and if you know me, that is just about the biggest compliment a song can receive. What really sticks out to me is the “no-o-o-o-o” looped vocal sample throughout. Am I crazy or does the voice almost sound like Taylor Swift? Also, I’m not sure what they’re actually saying, but at one point in the chorus, it sounds like it says “I’m Jonah Hill.” I think I’m just crazy for hearing that. Now that I have all that superfluous garbage out of the way, I’m just gonna repeat what I said before: “This song marks a shift for Apink from a cutesy concept to a mature one. It is to Apink what ‘Fancy’ was to Twice, in that regard.” I love it.
15.”I Wait” by Day6
God, this sounds like a lost cut from Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree, albeit with a little more polish. Fall Out Boy are probably my favorite band of all time, so that is a huge compliment. It also reminds me of 5 Seconds of Summer, who I like quite a bit. This song has a perfect mix of pop and rock, as it has some heavier guitars, but it also has great hooks. I love the chanting of “I wait” in the chorus. I haven’t gone super in-depth to Day6’s other material, but I’ve listened to a couple of their songs and I like what I’ve heard! “Breaking Down” reminds me of, like, one of the Japanese Pokémon themes. It’s good!
14. “I Will Show You” by Ailee
Literally my entire reason for liking this song so much is due to Ailee herself. If it was performed by a lesser singer, it would be a 6-7/10, but Ailee’s such a confident, powerful singer that she makes this song as enjoyable as it is for me. She has the type of voice where she could be singing Donald Trump’s tweets and it would still be amazing. One of these days, I'm gonna have to go on a binge and watch some of her live performances. I bet she's great live.
13. “I Got A Boy" by Girls' Generation
Out of all the songs I gave a 10/10 to, this is the one I love least. It’s just kind of a lot sometimes, so I can’t see myself wanting to play it over and over again, unlike the songs that are above it. It’s still absolutely deserving of a 10/10 for me, as it is by far the most ambitious song I covered in this series. It’s one of those songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Sicko Mode” where it’s multiple songs in one. All the tempo and stylistic shifts make it an interesting listen every time. This song is absolutely bonkers in the best way.
12. “Hush” by Miss A
This song best shows everything I loved about Miss A. They were darker and more mature than many of their contemporaries, but they always kept it classy. They radiated sexuality, but never felt like they were trying too hard. Out of all 100 songs I looked at, “Hush” was the most sensual. It’s about a secret relationship, and the lyrics actually got pretty risque in some places. One of the lines, in fact, is “You’re tastier than a lollipop/I want to bite you.” It’s probably just because I don’t understand Korean, but I think they get away with it because the song is so sneakily seductive. And best of all, Miss A is mature without sacrificing a catchy hook. Miss A disbanded in 2017, but they left us with some girl-group gems.
11. "I Feel You" by Wonder Girls
18. “Red Flavor” and “Bad Boy” by Red Velvet
I couldn’t decide which I liked more. I’m sorry. But in a way, it makes sense for these two to be tied since they’re by the same band. But more than that, they’re representative of Red Velvet’s dual concept. “Red Flavor” is the “red” half of their discography, being a fun pop song, whereas “Bad Boy” is the “velvet” half, being more mature and R&B-inspired. I think which one I ultimately prefer will come down to my mood. If I want a bop, I’ll go to “Red Flavor,” but if I want to feel sexy, I’ll play “Bad Boy.” They’re both pretty great.
17. “Face” by Nu’Est
I really think I kind of nailed it when I compared this to High School Musical. It just reminds me of “Now or Never” from High School Musical 3. That’s not an insult, I grew up watching those movies and I still love them. “Now or Never” in particular is one of my favorite songs from the trilogy, so the fact that this song reminds me of it is a compliment. Also, the eternal nerd in me can’t stop hearing “jul alji” as “Jirachi”, which is just proof that I am always thinking about Pokémon. One of the members of Nu’Est is named Aron, which is also the name of a Pokémon (coincidentally, one from the same generation as Jirachi!). I’m probably the only person who cares enough to point that out. God, I’m a nerd.
16. “I’m So Sick” by Apink
Something I just realized when listening to this: the vocal melodies and synths in the prechorus remind me of “Into You” by Ariana Grande, and if you know me, that is just about the biggest compliment a song can receive. What really sticks out to me is the “no-o-o-o-o” looped vocal sample throughout. Am I crazy or does the voice almost sound like Taylor Swift? Also, I’m not sure what they’re actually saying, but at one point in the chorus, it sounds like it says “I’m Jonah Hill.” I think I’m just crazy for hearing that. Now that I have all that superfluous garbage out of the way, I’m just gonna repeat what I said before: “This song marks a shift for Apink from a cutesy concept to a mature one. It is to Apink what ‘Fancy’ was to Twice, in that regard.” I love it.
15.”I Wait” by Day6
God, this sounds like a lost cut from Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree, albeit with a little more polish. Fall Out Boy are probably my favorite band of all time, so that is a huge compliment. It also reminds me of 5 Seconds of Summer, who I like quite a bit. This song has a perfect mix of pop and rock, as it has some heavier guitars, but it also has great hooks. I love the chanting of “I wait” in the chorus. I haven’t gone super in-depth to Day6’s other material, but I’ve listened to a couple of their songs and I like what I’ve heard! “Breaking Down” reminds me of, like, one of the Japanese Pokémon themes. It’s good!
14. “I Will Show You” by Ailee
Literally my entire reason for liking this song so much is due to Ailee herself. If it was performed by a lesser singer, it would be a 6-7/10, but Ailee’s such a confident, powerful singer that she makes this song as enjoyable as it is for me. She has the type of voice where she could be singing Donald Trump’s tweets and it would still be amazing. One of these days, I'm gonna have to go on a binge and watch some of her live performances. I bet she's great live.
13. “I Got A Boy" by Girls' Generation
Out of all the songs I gave a 10/10 to, this is the one I love least. It’s just kind of a lot sometimes, so I can’t see myself wanting to play it over and over again, unlike the songs that are above it. It’s still absolutely deserving of a 10/10 for me, as it is by far the most ambitious song I covered in this series. It’s one of those songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Sicko Mode” where it’s multiple songs in one. All the tempo and stylistic shifts make it an interesting listen every time. This song is absolutely bonkers in the best way.
12. “Hush” by Miss A
This song best shows everything I loved about Miss A. They were darker and more mature than many of their contemporaries, but they always kept it classy. They radiated sexuality, but never felt like they were trying too hard. Out of all 100 songs I looked at, “Hush” was the most sensual. It’s about a secret relationship, and the lyrics actually got pretty risque in some places. One of the lines, in fact, is “You’re tastier than a lollipop/I want to bite you.” It’s probably just because I don’t understand Korean, but I think they get away with it because the song is so sneakily seductive. And best of all, Miss A is mature without sacrificing a catchy hook. Miss A disbanded in 2017, but they left us with some girl-group gems.
11. "I Feel You" by Wonder Girls
Something I just realized: the intro to this song kind of sounds like the intro to "Juice" by Lizzo. That's absolutely a compliment, I love "Juice." The production on this song is absolutely amazing. I love that synth riff, the bassline, and the signature 80s drum machine sound. I could probably write an essay about how much I love modern songs that sound like they're from the 80s. One of these days, I'll have to make a playlist of 80s throwbacks. This song will definitely go on it!
10. "Palette" by IU ft. G-Dragon
This song is just...nice. I know that’s really vague, but I really can’t think of a better word for it. It’s like a cozy hug to make you feel better. When I talked about this song in Part Four, I talked about how much I liked the meaning of it. It’s about coming of age and quietly loving yourself through all of the stages of your life. But I just need to emphasize that I’m graduating from high school in a week. This is 100% the kind of song I need at this stage in my life. It also sounds gorgeous. I’ll have to look into IU’s other work one of these days. She just made a song with BTS’s Suga a few weeks ago, and it’s supposed to be a sequel of sorts to “Palette.” I should check it out.
9. “4 Walls” by f(x)
I know, there are a few songs here that originally got a 9.5/10, but are higher than songs that got an actual 10/10. However, the more I listened to these songs, the more they came to be some of my all-time favorite kpop tracks. That’s certainly the case for “4 Walls.” Everything I said about this song originally still stands. It still sounds like something you’d hear in a trendy boutique in the mall, and I love that.
8. "Something" by Girl's Day
This gives “Hush” a run for its money as the sexiest kpop song I have heard. But as much as I loved “Hush,” I like this even more. I love the girls’ sexy falsettos, tight harmonies, and more powerful belting. They manage to hit that sweet spot where they’re singing high and powerfully, but don’t sound like they’re trying too hard a la Christina Aguilera. I also love that little piano scale in the second verse. It’s such a small detail but it’s perfect. Finally, I just want to apologize for something I got wrong. When I initially looked at this song, I said “Although reading the comments tells me this song is about cheating...yeah, I'm glad I don't understand the lyrics and can just enjoy this song for the pop perfection it is.” The comments made it sound like the girls themselves were doing the cheating, but after looking up a translation, I learned that’s not what’s happening. In fact, their boyfriends are cheating on them, and this song is where they tell them they’re jackasses for betraying them. I like that so much more!
7. "Lucifer" by SHINee
I really didn’t have that many favorites from Part One. I think most of the songs just sounded dated to me. And I can’t argue that “Lucifer” and the other song I have from Part One (we’ll get to it) aren’t a little dated as well. However, this song stuck with me a lot. It’s just filled to the brim with hooks. I particularly like the “loverholic, lovertronic” part. It means nothing but it sounds cool. It also blows my mind how this song was the first writing credit for one Bebe Rexha. I like this song so much more than any song actually performed by her.
6."Someone Like You” by Dal Shabet
This is the highest girl group song I have here, which is surprising. I’m surprised my favorite girl group song isn’t from a more well-known name, like Girls’ Generation, Blackpink, or Twice. Yes, I know I purposely left out the latter two, but even if I was including the likes of “TT” and “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” they wouldn’t be higher than this. I can’t listen to this song without remarking that it sounds like a Carly Rae Jepsen song. One of the girls, Subin, even sounds exactly like Carly, at least in this song. The bassline is also very similar-sounding to “Black Magic,” one of Little Mix’s best songs. This just sounds like a bunch of songs I already love, so I was guaranteed to love it based off of sound alone. Even the chipmunk voice, the only thing preventing me from giving it a 10/10 before, doesn’t bug me anymore. I always love songs that sound like they’re from the 1980s, and those 80s vibes have made this song one of my most-played tracks in the past few weeks.
5. “One Shot” by B.A.P.
This song is like something you’d hear in an action movie trailer. I have no words to describe this song other than epic. The production is absolutely massive. It has some powerful guitars, symphonic elements, cocking-gun and siren effects, and the choir! Oh, that choir! It sounds like Super Smash Bros or Final Fantasy or something, and I love it. Somebody needs to make a mashup of this song with “Lifelight” from Super Smash Bros Ultimate. I’m also pretty fond of the guys’ voices. I like Yongguk’s guttural, bassy rapping in the opening, as well as the amazing high note in the background of the final chorus. The lyrics are also pretty motivational, even referencing Martin Luther King Jr. by name. But in the end, I don’t really care what this song is about. I just love it because it sounds so larger-than-life.
4. "Mirotic" by TVXQ
Yeah, this and “Lucifer” were by far the standouts from the first Kpop Crash Course for me, but I’ve listened to this one a lot more. It’s funny because this song sounds incredibly dated and of-its-time. You can just tell from the beat and more grainy production quality that this is from the 2000s. But I love it. This song is a major earworm that frequently loops in my head, but I don’t mind. It’s not just the chorus, it’s all of it. The verses have a creeping melody, the rap verse is memorable, and the distorted “come on, come on” in the bridge always seems to get stuck in my head. This song manages to be dark yet danceable, and it’s easy to see how it set a blueprint for artists like EXO, who are also known for dark yet catchy songs. Really, the only criticism I have for this song is that I’m not entirely sure how to pronounce the title of it. Also, TVXQ is absolutely the best-named kpop group I covered. Once again, it stands for "Tong Vfang Xien Qi," which translates to "Rising Gods of the East." God, I love that.
3. "I" by Taeyeon ft. Verbal Jint
The songs that most stuck out to me were the ones that did something different. Kpop has a very distinctive sound, and although that sound is great in some capacity, I liked the songs that carved their own path. I specifically liked the rock-influenced songs, and that’s where “I” comes in. This song, however, is different even from the other rock-influenced ones, as its style is more in line with pop rock like Coldplay or The Script. The guitars are powerful, but not too overpowering, and they chug at a pleasant rate. Taeyeon is a fantastic vocalist, certainly one of the best I’ve heard in kpop. Her voice is absolutely beautiful, and she sounds so free and confident here. None of the vocalists in Girls’ Generation particularly stood out to me initially, being pleasant but nothing mind-blowing, but this makes me realize that she is far more talented than I may have initially thought. (It’s the same thing that happened with Harry Styles, where I thought he was just okay with One Direction, but once I heard “Sign of the Times,” I realized that he has an amazing voice. And with both of them, I relistened to the stuff they did with their groups and realized that they were always good and I was stupid for not noticing sooner.) But more than just having a lovely voice, she has so much emotion in her singing. You can tell that this song is personal to her. I love the message of feeling free and being yourself after hard times. I even like Verbal Jint’s verse, as he provides Taeyeon with even more positivity. This is just a gorgeous song. I listen to it and I feel like I’m on a different plane of existence.
2. ”Blood Sweat & Tears” by BTS
I really liked this song the first time I heard it, but the more I heard it, the more obsessed I became. Most of what I said when I originally covered this still stands, it’s just amplified. This song manages to be chill and laid-back while also sounding larger than life. I don’t know how to describe it, but it just has a certain grandiosity to it. It’s quite impressive. The members of BTS sound fantastic here. The melisma on the chorus from Jimin and Jungkook makes my heart flutter. I just wish I could sing along to it and not sound like the complete talentless buffoon I am. The bridge is also really great, with the guys (specifically Jimin, who is now my bias from the group) going for some really impressively high notes. However, I never really talked about the lyrics, which are about facing temptation. I like how this song both sounds amazing, yet has substantial lyrics. I especially like when RM talks about how this temptation has “chocolate wings” but “your wings are the devil's.” He's basically saying that the temptation is delicious but dangerous. Geez, what is it with my favorite kpop songs mentioning chocolate? First we had “Fancy” by Twice referencing chocolate ice cream, now we have this. Speaking of Twice, “Blood Sweat & Tears” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2016 MAMA Awards, but it lost to Twice’s “Cheer Up.” Now, I’m a big fan of Twice, I hope I’ve made that clear, but I think BTS were snubbed. “Cheer Up” is adorable and catchy, but “Blood Sweat & Tears” just speaks to me on a deeper level. As much as I’ve liked pretty much every BTS song I’ve heard, this is their pinnacle. And yet it’s not #1. What could top it?
1. "Call Me Baby" by EXO
We started with EXO, now we’re going to end with them. I think that from the first time I heard this, I always kind of knew that this was going to be my number one. I love how it mixes that 90s boy band style with a modern aesthetic, and it’s catchy as hell. All of the guys sound great, the melodies are instantly catchy, and it just keeps a slick momentum throughout. I can’t listen to this song without bopping along in my seat. Out of all the songs I discovered from Kpop Crash Course, “Call Me Baby” is by far the one I’ve come back to the most. This song isn’t my number one because it’s the deepest song ever, because even without looking up a translation, I could tell that it’s clearly about being in love with a girl. It’s my number one because it just makes me feel good. It’s sort of like my Ariana Grande top 20, where the top two were “breathin” and “Into You.” Whereas “breathin” deals with anxiety and has far more weight and personal meaning to me, I chose “Into You” as my ultimate favorite because it could make me happy whenever I needed it to. Although we should obviously commend artists who have depth in their music, I’m of the opinion that art doesn’t need to be profound to be great. Lightweight songs about love, partying, or any other seemingly unimportant topic more than have their place. The whole thing that makes music great is that it’s subjective. It doesn’t matter if something is “objectively good,” because there is no objective barometer of quality, as much as some of us might like to pretend there is. Despite what the Grammys or Pitchfork or whoever might tell us, the “best music” is simply what we, as individuals, feel is the best. My two runners-up, “Blood Sweat & Tears” and “I” are far more substantial, but “Call Me Baby” is my number one because it makes me feel good. For its entire three-minute, thirty-two second runtime, it triggers the right combination of endorphins like nothing else. I’ve listened to it multiple times a day for about three weeks, so I’m sure I’ll get sick of it sooner rather than later. But for now, at this very moment, it’s my #1. And now for something completely different, list number two:
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE SONGS I COVERED.
10. "Palette" by IU ft. G-Dragon
This song is just...nice. I know that’s really vague, but I really can’t think of a better word for it. It’s like a cozy hug to make you feel better. When I talked about this song in Part Four, I talked about how much I liked the meaning of it. It’s about coming of age and quietly loving yourself through all of the stages of your life. But I just need to emphasize that I’m graduating from high school in a week. This is 100% the kind of song I need at this stage in my life. It also sounds gorgeous. I’ll have to look into IU’s other work one of these days. She just made a song with BTS’s Suga a few weeks ago, and it’s supposed to be a sequel of sorts to “Palette.” I should check it out.
9. “4 Walls” by f(x)
I know, there are a few songs here that originally got a 9.5/10, but are higher than songs that got an actual 10/10. However, the more I listened to these songs, the more they came to be some of my all-time favorite kpop tracks. That’s certainly the case for “4 Walls.” Everything I said about this song originally still stands. It still sounds like something you’d hear in a trendy boutique in the mall, and I love that.
8. "Something" by Girl's Day
This gives “Hush” a run for its money as the sexiest kpop song I have heard. But as much as I loved “Hush,” I like this even more. I love the girls’ sexy falsettos, tight harmonies, and more powerful belting. They manage to hit that sweet spot where they’re singing high and powerfully, but don’t sound like they’re trying too hard a la Christina Aguilera. I also love that little piano scale in the second verse. It’s such a small detail but it’s perfect. Finally, I just want to apologize for something I got wrong. When I initially looked at this song, I said “Although reading the comments tells me this song is about cheating...yeah, I'm glad I don't understand the lyrics and can just enjoy this song for the pop perfection it is.” The comments made it sound like the girls themselves were doing the cheating, but after looking up a translation, I learned that’s not what’s happening. In fact, their boyfriends are cheating on them, and this song is where they tell them they’re jackasses for betraying them. I like that so much more!
7. "Lucifer" by SHINee
I really didn’t have that many favorites from Part One. I think most of the songs just sounded dated to me. And I can’t argue that “Lucifer” and the other song I have from Part One (we’ll get to it) aren’t a little dated as well. However, this song stuck with me a lot. It’s just filled to the brim with hooks. I particularly like the “loverholic, lovertronic” part. It means nothing but it sounds cool. It also blows my mind how this song was the first writing credit for one Bebe Rexha. I like this song so much more than any song actually performed by her.
6."Someone Like You” by Dal Shabet
This is the highest girl group song I have here, which is surprising. I’m surprised my favorite girl group song isn’t from a more well-known name, like Girls’ Generation, Blackpink, or Twice. Yes, I know I purposely left out the latter two, but even if I was including the likes of “TT” and “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” they wouldn’t be higher than this. I can’t listen to this song without remarking that it sounds like a Carly Rae Jepsen song. One of the girls, Subin, even sounds exactly like Carly, at least in this song. The bassline is also very similar-sounding to “Black Magic,” one of Little Mix’s best songs. This just sounds like a bunch of songs I already love, so I was guaranteed to love it based off of sound alone. Even the chipmunk voice, the only thing preventing me from giving it a 10/10 before, doesn’t bug me anymore. I always love songs that sound like they’re from the 1980s, and those 80s vibes have made this song one of my most-played tracks in the past few weeks.
5. “One Shot” by B.A.P.
This song is like something you’d hear in an action movie trailer. I have no words to describe this song other than epic. The production is absolutely massive. It has some powerful guitars, symphonic elements, cocking-gun and siren effects, and the choir! Oh, that choir! It sounds like Super Smash Bros or Final Fantasy or something, and I love it. Somebody needs to make a mashup of this song with “Lifelight” from Super Smash Bros Ultimate. I’m also pretty fond of the guys’ voices. I like Yongguk’s guttural, bassy rapping in the opening, as well as the amazing high note in the background of the final chorus. The lyrics are also pretty motivational, even referencing Martin Luther King Jr. by name. But in the end, I don’t really care what this song is about. I just love it because it sounds so larger-than-life.
4. "Mirotic" by TVXQ
Yeah, this and “Lucifer” were by far the standouts from the first Kpop Crash Course for me, but I’ve listened to this one a lot more. It’s funny because this song sounds incredibly dated and of-its-time. You can just tell from the beat and more grainy production quality that this is from the 2000s. But I love it. This song is a major earworm that frequently loops in my head, but I don’t mind. It’s not just the chorus, it’s all of it. The verses have a creeping melody, the rap verse is memorable, and the distorted “come on, come on” in the bridge always seems to get stuck in my head. This song manages to be dark yet danceable, and it’s easy to see how it set a blueprint for artists like EXO, who are also known for dark yet catchy songs. Really, the only criticism I have for this song is that I’m not entirely sure how to pronounce the title of it. Also, TVXQ is absolutely the best-named kpop group I covered. Once again, it stands for "Tong Vfang Xien Qi," which translates to "Rising Gods of the East." God, I love that.
3. "I" by Taeyeon ft. Verbal Jint
The songs that most stuck out to me were the ones that did something different. Kpop has a very distinctive sound, and although that sound is great in some capacity, I liked the songs that carved their own path. I specifically liked the rock-influenced songs, and that’s where “I” comes in. This song, however, is different even from the other rock-influenced ones, as its style is more in line with pop rock like Coldplay or The Script. The guitars are powerful, but not too overpowering, and they chug at a pleasant rate. Taeyeon is a fantastic vocalist, certainly one of the best I’ve heard in kpop. Her voice is absolutely beautiful, and she sounds so free and confident here. None of the vocalists in Girls’ Generation particularly stood out to me initially, being pleasant but nothing mind-blowing, but this makes me realize that she is far more talented than I may have initially thought. (It’s the same thing that happened with Harry Styles, where I thought he was just okay with One Direction, but once I heard “Sign of the Times,” I realized that he has an amazing voice. And with both of them, I relistened to the stuff they did with their groups and realized that they were always good and I was stupid for not noticing sooner.) But more than just having a lovely voice, she has so much emotion in her singing. You can tell that this song is personal to her. I love the message of feeling free and being yourself after hard times. I even like Verbal Jint’s verse, as he provides Taeyeon with even more positivity. This is just a gorgeous song. I listen to it and I feel like I’m on a different plane of existence.
2. ”Blood Sweat & Tears” by BTS
I really liked this song the first time I heard it, but the more I heard it, the more obsessed I became. Most of what I said when I originally covered this still stands, it’s just amplified. This song manages to be chill and laid-back while also sounding larger than life. I don’t know how to describe it, but it just has a certain grandiosity to it. It’s quite impressive. The members of BTS sound fantastic here. The melisma on the chorus from Jimin and Jungkook makes my heart flutter. I just wish I could sing along to it and not sound like the complete talentless buffoon I am. The bridge is also really great, with the guys (specifically Jimin, who is now my bias from the group) going for some really impressively high notes. However, I never really talked about the lyrics, which are about facing temptation. I like how this song both sounds amazing, yet has substantial lyrics. I especially like when RM talks about how this temptation has “chocolate wings” but “your wings are the devil's.” He's basically saying that the temptation is delicious but dangerous. Geez, what is it with my favorite kpop songs mentioning chocolate? First we had “Fancy” by Twice referencing chocolate ice cream, now we have this. Speaking of Twice, “Blood Sweat & Tears” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2016 MAMA Awards, but it lost to Twice’s “Cheer Up.” Now, I’m a big fan of Twice, I hope I’ve made that clear, but I think BTS were snubbed. “Cheer Up” is adorable and catchy, but “Blood Sweat & Tears” just speaks to me on a deeper level. As much as I’ve liked pretty much every BTS song I’ve heard, this is their pinnacle. And yet it’s not #1. What could top it?
1. "Call Me Baby" by EXO
We started with EXO, now we’re going to end with them. I think that from the first time I heard this, I always kind of knew that this was going to be my number one. I love how it mixes that 90s boy band style with a modern aesthetic, and it’s catchy as hell. All of the guys sound great, the melodies are instantly catchy, and it just keeps a slick momentum throughout. I can’t listen to this song without bopping along in my seat. Out of all the songs I discovered from Kpop Crash Course, “Call Me Baby” is by far the one I’ve come back to the most. This song isn’t my number one because it’s the deepest song ever, because even without looking up a translation, I could tell that it’s clearly about being in love with a girl. It’s my number one because it just makes me feel good. It’s sort of like my Ariana Grande top 20, where the top two were “breathin” and “Into You.” Whereas “breathin” deals with anxiety and has far more weight and personal meaning to me, I chose “Into You” as my ultimate favorite because it could make me happy whenever I needed it to. Although we should obviously commend artists who have depth in their music, I’m of the opinion that art doesn’t need to be profound to be great. Lightweight songs about love, partying, or any other seemingly unimportant topic more than have their place. The whole thing that makes music great is that it’s subjective. It doesn’t matter if something is “objectively good,” because there is no objective barometer of quality, as much as some of us might like to pretend there is. Despite what the Grammys or Pitchfork or whoever might tell us, the “best music” is simply what we, as individuals, feel is the best. My two runners-up, “Blood Sweat & Tears” and “I” are far more substantial, but “Call Me Baby” is my number one because it makes me feel good. For its entire three-minute, thirty-two second runtime, it triggers the right combination of endorphins like nothing else. I’ve listened to it multiple times a day for about three weeks, so I’m sure I’ll get sick of it sooner rather than later. But for now, at this very moment, it’s my #1. And now for something completely different, list number two:
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE SONGS I COVERED.
We can't have a favorites list without a least favorites list. Balance is key! This will only be a top 10 because we don't need so much negativity. I won't have too much to say because I don't like being negative. I just need to clarify that this is entirely, 100% my opinion. I'm not saying these songs are objectively terrible, because, um, what did I just say?
"The whole thing that makes music great is that it’s subjective. It doesn’t matter if something is “objectively good,” because there is no objective barometer of quality, as much as some of us might like to pretend there is."The same applies to "bad music" too. I don't like these songs, but I'm not gonna say they shouldn't exist. Obviously, someone out there enjoys them, and if you're that someone, that's great. Keep enjoying what you love!
10."Tell Me" by Wonder Girls
I had a few songs I gave 4/10s that were vying for this spot, but in the end, I settled on "Tell Me." The reason why it's worse than something like "Rocking" by Teen Top or "Hands Up" by 2PM is because it set off a bad first impression of the group. After listening to this song, I was prepared for the Wonder Girls to be mediocre at best and excruciating at worst. I kept an open mind, but I told myself I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of their songs were bad. That wasn't the case, obviously. Their song "I Feel You" very nearly made the top ten of my favorites list. In fact, it's songs like "I Feel You" that make "Tell Me" even worse. Why did JYP think they should do an annoying, dated, and repetitive song like this when they can do something as amazing as "I Feel You"?
9."Bang Bang Bang" by BIGBANG
At the 2015 MAMAs, this song beat out “Call Me Baby” for the prestigious Song of the Year award. I swear I’m not salty enough to put it on the list just for that, but that does indeed piss me off. I know I just had that spiel about how awards shouldn’t matter because art’s value is determined by how it makes us feel and whatnot, but what can I say, I like it when other people like the things I like. Plus, “Bang Bang Bang” just doesn’t work for me. I can't stand the vocal inflections on the chorus. They just sing it in the most goofy, nasally way. It’s really grating.
8. "Crazy" by 4minute
I'm not opposed to kpop inspired by hip-hop, and I'm not opposed to girl groups doing hip-hop inspired songs. But god, I don't like 4minute precisely for that reason. They have a distinctive style, I'll give them that. Kpop has so many girl groups that start to blend together, and the fact that 4minute's songs are recognizably them is great. I just can't stand that distinctive style. The singing parts of this song are pretty good, but I don't like Hyuna's rapping at all. Her part during the chorus is unbearable.
7."Good Boy" by GD X Taeyang
I can't tell which one, either G-Dragon or Taeyang, but one of these guys has the most nasally, annoying voice. I think it's G-Dragon, as all the ColorCodedLyrics sites are telling me. But that doesn't really make much sense to me, since I thought he was pretty solid on "Palette." The prechorus is okay, if not for the bad T-Pain impression-style singing. The repetition of "I am a good boy" is also confusing. I already made the joke that the phrase "good boy" sounds like they're talking to a dog, but even without that, it's just dumb. After all, they're trying so hard to be super macho bad boys in this song, so why are they proclaiming themselves to be good boys? G-Dragon still has by far the best stage name of any of these kpop idols. What can I say, dragons are objectively awesome.
6. "Up & Down" by EXID
I know I said the sax in this song was pretty good before, but relistening, it's...not? It sounds too artificial sounding. Also annoying is the whooping synth throughout. The girls are a mixed bag too. I really like Solji and Hyerin on the chorus, but the "wi arae" part is insanely annoying.
5. "Very Very Very" by I.O.I.
Thank God this wasn't a Twice song. It could have been. It was written and produced by JYP, who is the head of Twice's label, and Twice's Jeongyeon did say the group started rehearsing it before switching to "TT." While I have a pretty high tolerance for hyperactive sugar rushes, this goes past my limits. The chorus is so repetitive, mostly repeating "neomu" (Korean for "very") and "jakku" (Korean for "keep"). If Twice did end up getting this song, it would certainly be their worst single.
4."Bar Bar Bar" by Crayon Pop
This sounds like the soundtrack of a kids' show from hell. All of the girls from Crayon Pop sound like they're overeager kids' show hosts. The chorus is also mind-numbingly repetitive and annoying. There's also this one noise in the background that sounds like somebody is yelling. Once you notice that, you can't unhear it. The one thing I would praise is the electric guitar presence, but then I heard songs like "Chase Me" by Dreamcatcher that did what this song was trying to do, but did it better. I don't mind overly cutesy kpop (hell, I stan Twice, who are known for that kind of thing), but this is too much.
3."Hobgoblin" by CLC
You know how I said 4minute had a distinctive style? Yeah, this song has that distinctive style, which might explain why I can't stand it. It's not plagiarism, though, since Hyuna did write it. Although parts of the chorus do sound a little like 4minute's "Crazy." The girls sound like they have their noses plugged, and it's really annoying. Other than my #1, this song might have the worst chorus I've heard in kpop. The beat is wonky, but not in a good way, and the melody is really annoying.
2. "Roll Deep" by Hyuna ft. Jung Il-hoon
Now we go from a song written by Hyuna to a song performed by her. The beat tries to go for the same minimalist hip-hop style common in 2014 (think of songs like "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea), but does it even worse. Hyuna's voice is high-pitched and nasally and her inflections are really annoying. When I talked about this originally, I mentioned that it makes me understand why my parents seem so vehemently opposed to female rappers, and that statement still stands. What could be worse?
1. "Bo Peep Bo Peep" by T-ara
You wanna know something funny? At the beginning and end of this song, it has this weird robot voice saying "Don't lose your temper so quickly." Yeah, I'm sorry, but this song is so irritating that I lose it immediately. It's so of-its-time (2009), but is even worse than a lot of the hits from around that time. The beat kind of sounds like "#selfie," the terrible, unfunny breakthrough hit from the Chainsmokers that nobody remembers because the Chainsmokers started making better music in 2016. This song has some of the most irksome autotune I've ever heard. Autotune isn't always a dealbreaker for me, but here, it's just ear-bleeding. The melodies are maddening, especially the "follow me" part and especially that goddamn chorus. It is TWO NOTES. TWO WORDS. I always remember this song as being pretty bad, but when I actually listen to it, it's even worse than I remember. So cutesy it's the sound of my nightmares.
We now have one last list:
RANKING EVERY ARTIST I COVERED.
For this, I looked at the scores I gave every song by these artists, added the scores, and divided by the number of songs from that artist to find an average. For example, if an artist got a 6/10 on one song, a 7.5/10 on another, and a 9/10 on their last song, I would divide by 3 it would average out to a 7.5/10. I will be counting subgroups and solo projects as part of the main group. For example, the 9/10 I gave to EXO-K's "Overdose" will be counted for EXO, and Hyuna's solo work will count for 4minute. Also, I will not be counting artists where I only looked at one song from them.
22. T-ara: 3.75/10
I mean, “Bo Peep Bo Peep” was my least favorite song I covered in this series, and “Roly Poly” was better, but still mediocre. I hope they have a good song somewhere in their discography, but just going off of the two songs I looked at in this series, they were my least favorite group.
Favorite: “Roly Poly”
Least Favorite: “Bo Peep Bo Peep”
21. 4minute: 5/10
I was not impressed by anything I heard from 4minute or Hyuna’s solo work. I’ll give them that they certainly have a distinctive style, but I find that “distinctive style” annoying and hard to listen to. They’re saved from being dead last because I enjoyed “Trouble Maker” by the duo of the same name, which features Hyuna as a member.
Favorite: “Trouble Maker”
Least Favorite: “Roll Deep”
20. BTOB: 5.5/10
We can chalk up BTOB’s low score to my decision to count solo work as a part of the group’s score. And it’s probably not fair, because I did really like their song “Wow.” Count it as an honorable mention for my favorites list. But I hated Hyuna’s “Roll Deep,” which did feature one of the members. The 1.5/10 I gave that song skews the average. I’m really just counting the solo work so we can get a higher data size.
Favorite: “Wow”
Least Favorite: “Roll Deep”
19. After School: 6/10
I looked at two After School-related songs. There was “AH!” which was specifically by After School, and then there was “Catallena” by their sub-unit, Orange Caramel. They both got the exact same score of 6/10, so what’s the point of doing a “favorite” and “least favorite” thing?
18. 2NE1: 6.6/10
I think of 2NE1 as being like, a precursor to Blackpink. They’re both from YG Entertainment, and they both go for a darker, sexier concept. They’re not bad, I just like Blackpink better.
Favorite: “I Am The Best”
Least Favorite: “Lollipop”
17. Wonder Girls: 7.3/10
Note, although Hyuna was a member of the Wonder Girls, her solo work did not count towards their score, as she left the group before the release of their first song I covered. I didn’t like my first impression of The Wonder Girls with “Tell Me,” but they redeemed themselves with everything else being pretty good to fantastic, especially “I Feel You.”
Favorite: “I Feel You”
Least Favorite: “Tell Me”
16. Sistar: 7.5/10
I wish I liked Sistar more than I did. “So Cool” was really mediocre, and “Alone” and “Touch My Body” didn’t stick with me nearly as much as I thought they would.
Favorite: “Touch My Body”
Least Favorite: “So Cool”
15. AOA: 7.6/10
AOA weren’t bad, but they felt pretty indistinctive. Maybe it’s just that I wasn’t listening to the right songs, but their music kind of blended together with the other girl groups. Plus one of them just had a really annoying, fake baby Britney Spears-type voice. (I think her name is Jimin. Certainly not my favorite Jimin in kpop, if you know what I mean.) Overall, AOA were fine, but I wasn’t in love with any of their songs.
Favorite: “Heart Attack”
Least Favorite: “Like a Cat”
14. Super Junior: 7.75/10
The guys of Super Junior are talented, but I feel like I’d like them so much more if the production in their songs wasn’t so dated. Shame.
Favorite: “Mr. Simple”
Least Favorite: “Sorry Sorry”
13. KARA: Also 7.75/10!
One thing that I didn’t mention when talking about KARA is that, sadly, one of their members, Goo Hara, died from suicide on November 24, 2019. First of all, Rest in Peace to her. Nobody deserves to go through that kind of mental turmoil. Second of all: It’s horrible, but I feel a responsibility to talk about tragedies like this. Kpop idol suicides are far more common than they need to be, and we need to raise awareness of mental health issues in general. A lot of times, people think of famous people as being perfect and having no problems, but they have such high expectations that it takes a serious toll on their mental health. This is especially the case in kpop, where idol groups train for years to achieve perfection. I hope that people in Korea become more aware of the problem and do something before even more lives are taken too soon.
Favorite: “Step”
Least Favorite: “Mister”
12. BIGBANG: 7.9/10
I’m surprised that BIGBANG are higher than, say, the Wonder Girls, since I did hate “Bang Bang Bang” and “Good Boy,” but I guess it’s fair. I did enjoy some of their earlier songs, like “Lies” and “Fantastic Baby” and I adored IU’s “Palette,” which features G-Dragon.
Favorite: “Palette”
Least Favorite: “Good Boy”
11. Beast: 8.25/10
Yeah, this seems way too high. Beast didn’t seem to be terrible, but they weren’t mind-blowing either. I think it’s mostly from the 9/10 I gave to “Trouble Maker” by Trouble Maker, a super-duo featuring Hyuna and the group’s Hyunseung. I only heard one song actually from the group Beast, and it was okay.
Favorite: “Trouble Maker”
Least Favorite: “Fiction”
10. Girls' Generation: 8.4/10
I think Girls’ Generation were the only group to get more than one 10/10, as I gave 10/10s to both “I Got A Boy” and Taeyeon’s solo single “I.”
Favorite: “I”
Least Favorite: “Gee”
9. EXO: 8.6/10
You know, considering that they did make my ultimate favorite song in this whole series, I’m surprised EXO aren’t a little bit higher. Whatever.
Favorite: “Call Me Baby”
Least Favorite: “Growl”
8. Apink: 8.75/10
Apink reminds me of Twice. They started out cutesy, but got more mature over time. Considering Twice's more mature Fancy You and Feel Special EPs consist of some of my favorite kpop tracks out there, I think I would enjoy a lot of Apink, specifically their later work.
Favorite: “I’m So Sick”
Least Favorite: “No No No”
7. BTS: 8.75/10
If you’re going based off of the scores I gave specifically in the Kpop Crash Courses, BTS would be at an 8.6/10. I just changed “Blood Sweat & Tears” to a 10/10 when adding up their scores because I love it so much. I know some of my friends seem to hate BTS, so I should feel shame in liking them as much as I do, but I don’t. I like what I like, and I like BTS.
Favorite: “Blood, Sweat & Tears”
Least Favorite: “Dope” (I still like it a lot, though)
6. Miss A: 8.8/10
Miss A were consistently a delight for me. I liked how they had a more mature, sensual style than a lot of their contemporaries. Plus their rapper, Jia, is just #hairgoals. Do people still say #goals?
Favorite: “Hush”
Least Favorite: “Only You”
5. SHINee: 9/10
I’m kind of bummed I only got to look at three SHINee songs, as they really struck me as a solid group. They were really strong vocally and all of their songs I heard were catchy as hell. I do listen to them with a twinge of sadness, seeing as their main vocalist, Jonghyun, died from suicide in 2017, but I still greatly enjoyed their work. Rest in Peace, Jonghyun, you deserved better.
Favorite: “Lucifer” (I moved this one up to a 10/10)
Least Favorite: I think it would be “Replay,” simply because it was less memorable than “Ring Ding Dong” for me, but it was still pretty solid. We’re at the point where “least favorite” really doesn’t mean much of anything.
4. f(x): 9.5/10
Like with “Blood Sweat & Tears” and “Lucifer,” I moved “4 Walls” to a 10/10 because I just love it. Similarly, Rest in Peace to Sulli. You deserved better.
Favorite: “4 Walls”
Least Favorite: “Electric Shock”
3. Red Velvet: 9.5/10
To quote myself: “I always think of Red Velvet in the same way I think of My Chemical Romance. You see, many fans like to describe Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and MCR as the "emo trinity," and while I was obsessed with the former two, I never took the chance to get into MCR other than listening to The Black Parade once (it was really good from what I remember). Similarly, Blackpink, Twice, and Red Velvet are the three biggest kpop girl groups, and while I wholeheartedly love Blackpink and Twice, I haven't gotten into Red Velvet quite yet.” I said that a week ago, and while I haven’t gone completely in-depth and watched all their videos in one sitting, but I like every song I’ve heard. It says a lot that “Red Flavor” and “Bad Boy,” aren’t the best songs I’ve heard from them. I already mentioned that I loved their song “Psycho,” but I also love “Russian Roulette.” I’m not doing “Favorite” and “Least Favorite” since the two songs are even for me.
2. Blackpink: 9.5/10 (see what I did there?)
To the surprise of no one, my two favorites were the ones I knew beforehand. (I know Blackpink, f(x), and Red Velvet all got 9.5/10s, so I tried to justify how I ultimately ranked them, but really, it was just personal preference.) Well, I had heard of many of these artists beforehand, but my top two were the only ones I was an active fan of prior to writing this, the ones I had extensive knowledge of.
Favorite: Well, as I’ve expressed many times, it’s “Playing With Fire,” but of the ones I covered in this series, it’s “Ddu-du Ddu-du” over “Boombayah.”
Least Favorite: “Least” is relative, and of the two songs I looked at in this, I like “Boombayah” a wee bit less. I still love it.
1. Twice: 9.75/10
As I said before: “With Blackpink, it's like, I love their music and their attitudes, but I'm so much more attached to Twice.” I’d say Blackpink is more consistent, but I like following Twice throughout all their ups and downs. With Blackpink, I love their music, but that’s just it. I only really know them as artists. Twice are so much more than that to me.
Favorite: “TT," although it's far from my favorite Twice song as a whole. If I were to make a top ten list, it probably wouldn’t go there at all. I will make a top 20 for them at some point, though!
Least Favorite: “Cheer Up”
And with that, we're finished with Kpop Crash Course. I'm gonna miss it, which is why I'm sure I'll do a sequel to it at some point. Maybe I'll branch out and do initial reactions to, like, Spotify playlists. Stay tuned for "Rap Caviar Crash Course," coming to you whenever I get bored. I'll see you all next week, peace!
Stellar
For this, I looked at the scores I gave every song by these artists, added the scores, and divided by the number of songs from that artist to find an average. For example, if an artist got a 6/10 on one song, a 7.5/10 on another, and a 9/10 on their last song, I would divide by 3 it would average out to a 7.5/10. I will be counting subgroups and solo projects as part of the main group. For example, the 9/10 I gave to EXO-K's "Overdose" will be counted for EXO, and Hyuna's solo work will count for 4minute. Also, I will not be counting artists where I only looked at one song from them.
22. T-ara: 3.75/10
I mean, “Bo Peep Bo Peep” was my least favorite song I covered in this series, and “Roly Poly” was better, but still mediocre. I hope they have a good song somewhere in their discography, but just going off of the two songs I looked at in this series, they were my least favorite group.
Favorite: “Roly Poly”
Least Favorite: “Bo Peep Bo Peep”
21. 4minute: 5/10
I was not impressed by anything I heard from 4minute or Hyuna’s solo work. I’ll give them that they certainly have a distinctive style, but I find that “distinctive style” annoying and hard to listen to. They’re saved from being dead last because I enjoyed “Trouble Maker” by the duo of the same name, which features Hyuna as a member.
Favorite: “Trouble Maker”
Least Favorite: “Roll Deep”
20. BTOB: 5.5/10
We can chalk up BTOB’s low score to my decision to count solo work as a part of the group’s score. And it’s probably not fair, because I did really like their song “Wow.” Count it as an honorable mention for my favorites list. But I hated Hyuna’s “Roll Deep,” which did feature one of the members. The 1.5/10 I gave that song skews the average. I’m really just counting the solo work so we can get a higher data size.
Favorite: “Wow”
Least Favorite: “Roll Deep”
19. After School: 6/10
I looked at two After School-related songs. There was “AH!” which was specifically by After School, and then there was “Catallena” by their sub-unit, Orange Caramel. They both got the exact same score of 6/10, so what’s the point of doing a “favorite” and “least favorite” thing?
18. 2NE1: 6.6/10
I think of 2NE1 as being like, a precursor to Blackpink. They’re both from YG Entertainment, and they both go for a darker, sexier concept. They’re not bad, I just like Blackpink better.
Favorite: “I Am The Best”
Least Favorite: “Lollipop”
17. Wonder Girls: 7.3/10
Note, although Hyuna was a member of the Wonder Girls, her solo work did not count towards their score, as she left the group before the release of their first song I covered. I didn’t like my first impression of The Wonder Girls with “Tell Me,” but they redeemed themselves with everything else being pretty good to fantastic, especially “I Feel You.”
Favorite: “I Feel You”
Least Favorite: “Tell Me”
16. Sistar: 7.5/10
I wish I liked Sistar more than I did. “So Cool” was really mediocre, and “Alone” and “Touch My Body” didn’t stick with me nearly as much as I thought they would.
Favorite: “Touch My Body”
Least Favorite: “So Cool”
15. AOA: 7.6/10
AOA weren’t bad, but they felt pretty indistinctive. Maybe it’s just that I wasn’t listening to the right songs, but their music kind of blended together with the other girl groups. Plus one of them just had a really annoying, fake baby Britney Spears-type voice. (I think her name is Jimin. Certainly not my favorite Jimin in kpop, if you know what I mean.) Overall, AOA were fine, but I wasn’t in love with any of their songs.
Favorite: “Heart Attack”
Least Favorite: “Like a Cat”
14. Super Junior: 7.75/10
The guys of Super Junior are talented, but I feel like I’d like them so much more if the production in their songs wasn’t so dated. Shame.
Favorite: “Mr. Simple”
Least Favorite: “Sorry Sorry”
13. KARA: Also 7.75/10!
One thing that I didn’t mention when talking about KARA is that, sadly, one of their members, Goo Hara, died from suicide on November 24, 2019. First of all, Rest in Peace to her. Nobody deserves to go through that kind of mental turmoil. Second of all: It’s horrible, but I feel a responsibility to talk about tragedies like this. Kpop idol suicides are far more common than they need to be, and we need to raise awareness of mental health issues in general. A lot of times, people think of famous people as being perfect and having no problems, but they have such high expectations that it takes a serious toll on their mental health. This is especially the case in kpop, where idol groups train for years to achieve perfection. I hope that people in Korea become more aware of the problem and do something before even more lives are taken too soon.
Favorite: “Step”
Least Favorite: “Mister”
12. BIGBANG: 7.9/10
I’m surprised that BIGBANG are higher than, say, the Wonder Girls, since I did hate “Bang Bang Bang” and “Good Boy,” but I guess it’s fair. I did enjoy some of their earlier songs, like “Lies” and “Fantastic Baby” and I adored IU’s “Palette,” which features G-Dragon.
Favorite: “Palette”
Least Favorite: “Good Boy”
11. Beast: 8.25/10
Yeah, this seems way too high. Beast didn’t seem to be terrible, but they weren’t mind-blowing either. I think it’s mostly from the 9/10 I gave to “Trouble Maker” by Trouble Maker, a super-duo featuring Hyuna and the group’s Hyunseung. I only heard one song actually from the group Beast, and it was okay.
Favorite: “Trouble Maker”
Least Favorite: “Fiction”
10. Girls' Generation: 8.4/10
I think Girls’ Generation were the only group to get more than one 10/10, as I gave 10/10s to both “I Got A Boy” and Taeyeon’s solo single “I.”
Favorite: “I”
Least Favorite: “Gee”
9. EXO: 8.6/10
You know, considering that they did make my ultimate favorite song in this whole series, I’m surprised EXO aren’t a little bit higher. Whatever.
Favorite: “Call Me Baby”
Least Favorite: “Growl”
8. Apink: 8.75/10
Apink reminds me of Twice. They started out cutesy, but got more mature over time. Considering Twice's more mature Fancy You and Feel Special EPs consist of some of my favorite kpop tracks out there, I think I would enjoy a lot of Apink, specifically their later work.
Favorite: “I’m So Sick”
Least Favorite: “No No No”
7. BTS: 8.75/10
If you’re going based off of the scores I gave specifically in the Kpop Crash Courses, BTS would be at an 8.6/10. I just changed “Blood Sweat & Tears” to a 10/10 when adding up their scores because I love it so much. I know some of my friends seem to hate BTS, so I should feel shame in liking them as much as I do, but I don’t. I like what I like, and I like BTS.
Favorite: “Blood, Sweat & Tears”
Least Favorite: “Dope” (I still like it a lot, though)
6. Miss A: 8.8/10
Miss A were consistently a delight for me. I liked how they had a more mature, sensual style than a lot of their contemporaries. Plus their rapper, Jia, is just #hairgoals. Do people still say #goals?
Favorite: “Hush”
Least Favorite: “Only You”
5. SHINee: 9/10
I’m kind of bummed I only got to look at three SHINee songs, as they really struck me as a solid group. They were really strong vocally and all of their songs I heard were catchy as hell. I do listen to them with a twinge of sadness, seeing as their main vocalist, Jonghyun, died from suicide in 2017, but I still greatly enjoyed their work. Rest in Peace, Jonghyun, you deserved better.
Favorite: “Lucifer” (I moved this one up to a 10/10)
Least Favorite: I think it would be “Replay,” simply because it was less memorable than “Ring Ding Dong” for me, but it was still pretty solid. We’re at the point where “least favorite” really doesn’t mean much of anything.
4. f(x): 9.5/10
Like with “Blood Sweat & Tears” and “Lucifer,” I moved “4 Walls” to a 10/10 because I just love it. Similarly, Rest in Peace to Sulli. You deserved better.
Favorite: “4 Walls”
Least Favorite: “Electric Shock”
3. Red Velvet: 9.5/10
To quote myself: “I always think of Red Velvet in the same way I think of My Chemical Romance. You see, many fans like to describe Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and MCR as the "emo trinity," and while I was obsessed with the former two, I never took the chance to get into MCR other than listening to The Black Parade once (it was really good from what I remember). Similarly, Blackpink, Twice, and Red Velvet are the three biggest kpop girl groups, and while I wholeheartedly love Blackpink and Twice, I haven't gotten into Red Velvet quite yet.” I said that a week ago, and while I haven’t gone completely in-depth and watched all their videos in one sitting, but I like every song I’ve heard. It says a lot that “Red Flavor” and “Bad Boy,” aren’t the best songs I’ve heard from them. I already mentioned that I loved their song “Psycho,” but I also love “Russian Roulette.” I’m not doing “Favorite” and “Least Favorite” since the two songs are even for me.
2. Blackpink: 9.5/10 (see what I did there?)
To the surprise of no one, my two favorites were the ones I knew beforehand. (I know Blackpink, f(x), and Red Velvet all got 9.5/10s, so I tried to justify how I ultimately ranked them, but really, it was just personal preference.) Well, I had heard of many of these artists beforehand, but my top two were the only ones I was an active fan of prior to writing this, the ones I had extensive knowledge of.
Favorite: Well, as I’ve expressed many times, it’s “Playing With Fire,” but of the ones I covered in this series, it’s “Ddu-du Ddu-du” over “Boombayah.”
Least Favorite: “Least” is relative, and of the two songs I looked at in this, I like “Boombayah” a wee bit less. I still love it.
1. Twice: 9.75/10
As I said before: “With Blackpink, it's like, I love their music and their attitudes, but I'm so much more attached to Twice.” I’d say Blackpink is more consistent, but I like following Twice throughout all their ups and downs. With Blackpink, I love their music, but that’s just it. I only really know them as artists. Twice are so much more than that to me.
Favorite: “TT," although it's far from my favorite Twice song as a whole. If I were to make a top ten list, it probably wouldn’t go there at all. I will make a top 20 for them at some point, though!
Least Favorite: “Cheer Up”
And with that, we're finished with Kpop Crash Course. I'm gonna miss it, which is why I'm sure I'll do a sequel to it at some point. Maybe I'll branch out and do initial reactions to, like, Spotify playlists. Stay tuned for "Rap Caviar Crash Course," coming to you whenever I get bored. I'll see you all next week, peace!
Stellar
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