The last four months did not disappoint me. This season's crop of songs were characterized by sultry vocals and softer instrumentals meant to make you feel warmer or colder as the holiday season approaches. Of course, there were also your soon-to-be club favorites, and some fun tracks from some of your favorite rookies.
Over the last 12 months Korean Music has been good to me and I was happy to be able to spend an entire year exposed to it. I hope 2015's music is just as great!
2. NaNa by Jay Park - I think I'm becoming addicted to party tracks and this one is a pretty great one. Jay Park's rapping has become much stronger since his New Breed days but the highlights of this song are the instrumental by Cha Cha Malone and the rhythmic rapping of Loco. It's an addicting song and the MV features many familiar faces such as Dumbfoundead.
3. So Good by Jay Park - Everyone's been influenced by Michael Jackson this year, Jay Park is no exception. The familiar but fun song adds some brightness to Jay Park's lists of singles from this year.
4. Missing by Teen Top - I loved the song from the moment I heard it. Teen Top's harmonious vocals over the lush instrumental really make this song enjoyable. Though it fits in with the gloominess of the season the groovy tempo makes it a bit brighter.
5. No Makeup by Gaeko ft Zion T & Yenny - Gaeko's first solo release of 2014 did not disappoint. The rapping and feature vocals were great. The song really displayed why Gaeko is a mainstay of Korean hip hop. The slow instrumental driven by a strong drum beat and just the right chords on a electric guitar give the instrumental so many intriguing elements. The lyrics and style of the video are also really unique as it centers around a call between a woman and a man who's relationship has turned cold. The woman chooses to use the excuse of not having any makeup on to avoid meeting her boyfriend.
6. Go Crazy by 2PM - I'm so glad they came back with this track. It's fun and has the perfect mix of funk, disco, and pop. The MV is fun and makes you want to dance, but it also shows how tired 2PM is now. Nobody can be a beast idol forever.
7. 12:30 by BEAST - BEAST reprises their dark concept with this eerie MV and hauntingly beautiful song. If BEAST can be praised for anything it is that each of them have such strong vocals that really add to the charm of this song.
8. Pretty Age Twenty-five by Song Ji Eun - Song Ji Eun's first solo release of the year was bright and sultry. This coming of age song is perfect for making any woman feel confident and assured in the age that she is, and the amount of understanding and beauty amassed so far.
9. Rose by Gaeko - This dark R&B track is perfect for this time of year and perfect for exhibiting the feelings of a man who loves his girl more than she loves him. Gaeko's smooth vocals went well with the lyrics and made the song feel that much more intense.
10. Thinking of You by Seo In Young ft Zion.T - Seo In Young and Zion.T combine their unique vocals in this cozy fall song that expresses the longing for each other after a break up. The video is also quite pretty combining well filmed vignettes of the heartbroken duo with unique water color & kaleidoscope effects in the artists' silhouettes.
11. Christmalo.win by Seo Taiji - Seo Taiji works his unique magic in this mix of rock and hip hop. Weirdly enough the mix of Christmas and Halloween also makes the track great. The video is really creepy but kind of fun also.
12. Yanghwa BRDG by Zion.T - Zion.T slows things down as he reflects on the life of his father, family and self in this soft, simple but well orchestrated song. The song makes you feel warm.
13. Sofa by Crush - Though this is another song about longing, it has Crush's super strong vocals as well as a more up tempo beat making it a good, head-bobbing R&B track, rather than a typical ballad. The instrumental is very full with piano and strings, but when you add that beat it really takes the song to another place.
14. Thinking About You by Loco ft Jay Park & Gray - The sound of the song is quite familiar but also very addicting. Loco's always melodic rapping is what's really important in this song. His ability to almost sing the verses moves the song along in a smooth way.
15. Happen Ending by Epik High ft Cho Won Sun - DUDE! This is my song, fa reals. Okay, I'm back, but I said all I needed to say. This song is awesome! Despite the intense lyrics it has a bright tempo and the feature vocals are perfect.
16. Spoiler by Epik High - Epik High returns with not only great singles, but also a very good album. Though Born Hater was talked about the most, I became addicted to this song upon it's release. The deep voices narrate the sad ending of a relationship well. And Tablo's high singing in the chorus is very complimentary.
17. U by John Park - First off I must say that John Park's transformation into sultry leading man is quite alluring. His deep vocals and the soul/pop style of the song makes a pretty strong impression. The MV completes the dark concept.
18. Still I'm By Your Side by Clazziquai Project - I'll start off by saying that the MV was great, it was comedic, romantic, and had a twist ending. The song itself is a great mix of the funk, R&B, and electronic genres. Even though it's a softer song with silky smooth vocals it is super groovy making it easy to dance to which, I personally love.
19. This is Love by Super Junior - This smooth and funky song makes you want to fall in love. The soulful vocals and instrumental are fitting with the one shot filming of the music video and maturity level of one Korea's most influential male groups.
20. Call Me Back by Clazziquai Project - To me, Clazziquai can do no wrong. I just love the vocals of Alex and Horan. They befit the upbeat jazzy instrumental well.
21. I'm Different by HI SUHYUN ft Bobby - The cutest stalkers ever team up with the Korea's newest hip hop sensation in this bluesy/swingy track about trying to attract your crush with your awesomeness. I wasn't sure how well Su Hyun's vocals would go with Lee Hi's but I was pleasantly surprise. They actually sound really good together, and Bobby's slightly high pitched, raspy rap gave the perfect intermission.
22. Hormone War by BTS - The kids impress me once again. Their rapping skills are always a cut above most idol rappers, but what I really like about this group is their playfulness in the video. It goes well with the sort of tongue and cheek subject matter as well as the fast tempo rock style of the instrumental.
23. Good Boy by GD x Taeyang - So you say you want a club joint? Well, GD and TY decided to answer you with this wildly addicting hip hop track. At first I was a little disappointed in this highly anticipated song because it seemed too familiar (reminded me of MTBD by CL, among others). However, the more I listened to it the more I weakend my resolved. Now I bounce to it every time it's on. The fun and colorful music video as well as the dance practice video are receiving quite a lot of attention too.
24. Sogyeokdong by SeoTaiji - IUs version of the song got a lot of attention, but I am fan of Seo Taiji's cut. The nostalgic feel of not only the video but also the electronic instrumental makes the song perfect for Fall. Because I didn't grow up in Korea, I can't exactly relate to the whole of the video and song but the song calls to mind for everyone time spent in one's hometown.
25. Crave You by Clazziquai Project - Though the instrumental doesn't disappoint in this song I became convinced of Alex and Horan's vocal power after to listening to this song. Their harmony and their ability to soothe you and excite you at the same time is really impressive.
26. I'm Sorry by Teen Top - Teen Top impresses once more with a groovy track that expresses the apologetic feeling one has after neglecting their lover. I think Teen Top is one group that can seduce with their vocals alone. They have very tight harmony that they never fail to exhibit to give the song a fuller sound.
27. Error by Vixx - I am almost ashamed to say that this is my very first VIXX song. But what can I say, I am still new to K-Pop. I like that this song, like most of this songs on this list, feature a very unique element to the instrumental that takes it a notch up. They sing well together, but I like that they have notable voices when singing or rapping their own parts.
28. You, End, and Me by Raina ft Kanto - Raina's beautiful high pitched voice and Kanto's shockingly deep voice--it's a well-made match. The song sounds bright but is actually about breaking up. I don't think Raina's voice should ever be used for sad sounding songs no mater how sad the subject matter is, even though I have no doubt she'd sound beautiful. I am happy that the song was arranged like this, it gives off kind of a hopeful vibe.
29. Erase by Hyolyn x Jooyoung ft Iron - Everybody already knows that Hyorin has an amazing singing voice, but how many of us can claim that we knew Jooyoung had pipes like that? His soft yet masculine voice pairs well with her airy soulful voice. The jazzy instrumental also befits the theme of wanting to forget an ex. Iron was a nice surprise too.
30. The Space Between by Soyu, Kwon Sooil, Park Yongin - 2014's queen of the co-ed collab strikes again. Not only is the video just as cute and funny as the one for Some, but the vocal pairing of Soyu and the male vocalists of Urban Zakapa works just as well. It's a romantic song with a subtle funk undertone that actually narrates the hearts of a man and a woman as they fall for each other.
31. Stop, Stop It by Got7 - This song calls to mind the experimental sound of 90's R&B. It is a JYP song so that's not really surprising. It has a nice tempo and the kids killed the choreography. A+
32. Days Like Today by 2AM - One thing I really like about the video is the fact that the lead actor lip syncs to it as he goes throughout his day and thinks about someone. It a soothing and soulful song.
33. Not a Boy, Not Yet a Man by Cross Gene - Cross Gene released quite a few songs this year. Most of which were not all that great, but they all had really nice music videos. This song however is a bit different. Though the music video isn't as artistic as the others, the song is really nice. The song does sound a bit familiar but I guess that's just the sound of the season.
34. Home by Roy Kim - Even Roy Kim's sad sounding songs have a way of uplifting you. This encouraging song about going home when you're feeling weak is just beautiful. His soft vocals over his characteristic acoustic guitar sweep through the song as electric guitar and piano boldly comes in mid verse.
35. You're So Fly by BTOB - BTOB is one boy group that knows how to have fun in their MVs. Aside from that the song is quite fun as well, sounding very similar to to the electronic R&B/Pop tracks of the late 80s.
36. Day N Night by Huh Gak ft Simon D - It's kind of a typical R&B/hip hop track but Huh Gak's amazing voice and Simon D's deep rapping make the sad song feel rich. I do think that the instrumental is quite unique, including what sounds like tongue clicking and whistling.
37. Home Meal by Kim Bum Soo - Kim Bum Soo's soulful voice perfectly expresses the emotion of longing, longing not only for a home meal but for what comes along with it--fellowship with family and the warmth that only home and your parents seem to be able to provide, especially for a single male.
There you have it folks. My favorite songs from September to December in a neat little list that you can reference when you're looking for another artist or song to add to your repertoire. If you would like to listen to the song and watch the video, feel free to click the links attached to each title.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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