So, instead of sticking with the plan of these posts getting consistently shittier as time went on, I decided to put some actual effort in to write this.
Please take note that this was a bitch to type out because currently my fingernails are too long for me to actually do anything but they were also professionally done so I can't take my heathen nail scissors to them there's literal nail art going on.
FURTHER EDIT: You ever start making a post after you get your nails fixed so that they're short again so you can type only to realize that you're just lazy? Yeah, me too.
YET ANOTHER EDIT: You ever been so lazy that you write 5 words every 7 days. Yeah, me too.
Mamamoo really did it for me this year. I often don't listen to their releases until well after the fact, but after my love of Starry Night became apparent I had to listen to this as soon as it released. And I was not disappointed. This song is Latin inspired, brassy, and in your face. And Mamamoo really shined.
First interesting thing about this song: there's no initial percussion. During the first half of the first verse all you hear is snapping, which acts as the percussion line for this section. When the percussion does slip in the second half, it's still quite soft. You can hear some bongoes (or, more likely, some sort of latin percussion that I don't know the name of) and a bass drum, but it's very understated. Even though the percussion is quite soft for the entire song, this mood in the first verse really helps make the build to the huge chorus very effective. This pattern repeats itself in the second verse as well.
The chorus is very strong, but the instrumental is still very much buried by Mamamoo's vocals. This song heavily utilizes the fact that Mamamoo have very thick voices for kpop, a genre that tends to prefer very high, flightly, and light soprano voices. The best part about the chorus is that the last vocal line in the section has absolutely no instrumental. This makes the transition back to the lighter verses more fluid and more palatable.
In the second verse, Moonbyul's rap is very well done. Without changing BPM, the instrumental becomes a little bit more frantic in order to keep up with the faster paced rap. This is done using more percussion (it sounds like computer generated maracas to me). This also does a great bit for mood building, since the pre-chorus is so stripped and bare.
The final verse ends with a lot of belting on behalf of the girls. It fits in quite well here, since the instrumental is bombastic enough to handle it. This is also what a lot of people listen to Mamamoo for: their insane vocal abilities.
The song ends with no instrumental and only a voice. Fantastic.
Hi. Did you know that JBJ has their own subreddit? Did you know I mod it? Did you know that you can join us there. Please do. I need help.
In JBJ's (unfortunately) limited discography, My Flower is the shining star. It was a bright star shining with hope before everything crashed down on us before their disbandment and afterwards.
This is another song that relies heavily on electronic instruments rather than real ones. Honestly though, there's not much to say here. Hyunbin and Sanggyun's raps ease perfectly into the more stripped down verses and don't feel out of place. The pre-chorus is a lot of fun, and the actual chorus sounds really full.
The dance break between the first chorus and the second verse is a standout for me. Yes, this is mainly because of Sanggyun's hip sways, but it's also different enough from the rest of the song to stand out. In this section, the highlight is mostly on the bass line, with a higher synth moving smoothly over top. Its very pleasant to listen to.
The only instance of a real instrument on this song is in the bridge, where a very nice jazz piano plays overtop Hyunbin's baritone voice. It's an extreme contrast from the rest of the song, where everything is very light and synthy. Hyunbin's parts are unintentionally contrasting though; his voice is just so much deeper than the rest of the group's that it provides a welcome balance to all the lighter voices and lines surrounding it.
I miss JBJ.
I already touched upon how wonderful this song is in my review of it, but I'll just expand on it a little more.
This song is, by basically every criteria, annoying. There's really no reason for anyone to like it. Both the vocals and the instrumental are absolutely non-stop; there's no stripped down part where you can take a breath. And that's the beauty of this song: it knows what it is. fromis_9 is very lucky that what's going on at all levels is very technically sound, otherwise people would have been quick to dismiss the song entirely.
The fanatic nature of this track is supposed to mimic the frantic behaviour of one's emotion should a bomb be about to blow up. Understanding that context, this song really works.
This song has a lot of hidden parts that take several listens to actually hear. Did you know that the girls are yelling "yeah!" in the chorus? I didn't. Not until a few months after the song released and I started using a new pair of earbuds. Absolutely ridiculous.
This song is just a joy to listen to in the end, and, above all else, makes me excited to figure out what else fromis_9 has in store for us.
I once wrote a long since scrapped editorial when this song came out about how Momoland is the spiritual successor to Crayon Pop. Listen to this song and imagine Crayon Pop singing it. I bet you that you can. It's quirky, dancey, and has that T-ARA lite feel to it since it's a Shinsadong Tiger track. If Crayon Pop had been dealt the cards to actually succeed for longer and have a stronger foothold in the industry, I bet you they would have been given this song. I 100% guarantee that. Alas, we're not here to talk about what might have been, and we're instead going to talk about why this song is fantastic.
This song thrives on a very synth sound. It's interesting though, because the song starts off with an acoustic, almost latin sounding guitar. The high synth part mimics this opening riff for the rest of the song. On the whole, however, this song makes heavier emphasis on the bass part, which moves like a drone for the entire song. It's very loud and very consistent, which makes this song very easy to move to. Understanding that, it's easy to see why this song was an overnight hit.
Another interesting part about this song is the fact that the vocals are very melodic, which is a contrast from the bumping instrumental, but also incredibly light. Unlike Baam, which utilized a little bit of belting, this aspect is completely forgotten here. This further drives home the point that this is a dance song and not much else. The beat just keeps going on and on. Even in the bridge, which in pop music is generally a stripped down break down, the beat never stops. It's definitely not jarring, but it definitely doesn't follow the same song conventions present in most examples of pop music.
Another contrasting part is Daisy and JooE's rap break in the second verse. It's certainly different from the rest of the song, and it appears from nowhere. This part is actually my only real complaint about the song. While I understand that it's there to break the tension and build pacing, I just don't think it works cohesively enough. If that 30 second break is my one complaint, than that shows you how strong of a song this is.
This song is wonderful. It makes me miss Crayon Pop.
Despite my misgivings about You and I, What is an absolute treat. It's moody, loud, and exactly what you want out of a group like Dreamcatcher.
One thing that I love about Dreamcatcher's sound is that they don't shy away from using real rock sounding drum samples. The drums in this song are particularly catching, however. More so than the instrumental itself, the percussion is used for mood making. The punctuation made by the percussion mirrors the mood of each section. This is useful, because the instrumental is mostly straightforward rock guitar and synths.
The chorus is a great standout feature for me. I love the intensity of the "What What What What" section at the end, and the focus on Siyeon's voice is incredible. Siyeon suits the Dreamcatcher look and sound fantastically, so it's lovely to hear her voice like this.
The bridge with Dami's rap is the final thing I'm going to write about. While the rap itself is great, has great and catchy syncopation, and sounds like she's putting in the effort to make her rap sound authentic with the music (think Breathe Carolina's The Dressing Room), it's not the greatest part of the bridge for me. It's the instrumentation during this part that really stands out. It's mostly bass guitar and bass drum, and really solidifies the mood of the song.
This song is great. I know people weren't as thrilled with it as their other tracks, and it's certainly no Chase Me, What is a great addition to Dreamcatcher's already solid discography.
As previously mentioned, Gfriend had a stellar 2018. Their music was well beyond previous years (especially the dismal 2017), and Time for the Moon Night was the cherry on top. Thematic, orchestral, and simply magical, this song made them my second top girl group of the year.
This is yet another example of a song that begins with it's chorus, and it's well done once again. Like Flower Garden, it's a variation on a theme rather than a complete hashing out of the chorus. Eunha has the perfect voice to do this; it's light, airy, and whimsical, which really sets the mood for the entire song to come. And then the beat mother fucking hits. It's an orchestral beat drop, to say the least, and it immediately goes back into a softer section.
This is how the song works; it goes from soft to hard to soft to hard, and it absolutely works.
The standout feature on this track is not the vocals, but the thematic usage of it's instruments. The lead violin (and the rest of the string section) add necessary depth to the song, often acting in contrast to the more punctuated vocals by being smooth. The melody is brought home by the piano line. Absolutely beautiful.
What's super interesting about this song is that it sounds like a minor key, but is actually major. This makes for an almost jarring listening experience. The song sounds sad, but at the same time is just upbeat enough to catch you off guard. The vocals sound a lot less somber, but the lyrics are much more depressing than they let on. This is something that's missed initially for those of us who are not native Korean speakers (or don't speak Korean at all, if you're like me).
The girls' voices sound great. They always sound great. Eunha especially this comeback; this is the sort of track and theming that really works with her physical appearance as well as her voice.
WHAT A SONG! WHAT A GROUP!
I'm going to be incredibly honest in that I don't know what I was expecting when it came to UNB. I'm one of like 5 people who actually watched 'The Unit' all the way through, and my thoughts when it came to the final group were mixed as to what concept they were going to do. Most of the members are capable of hard hitting sexier concepts, but Kijung is like 16, so that's out. Feeling is a welcome compromise.
The song starts off with this rocking piano line, which immediately sets the mood as both futuristic and whimsical. It's actually quite a soft start, especially in comparison to how loud the song gets. By the end of the first verse, the piano is merged with some soft percussion and some louder synths, until it builds with the bass line to the killer chorus.
The chorus is loud, round, and bombastic. It adds this synth bass that sounds almost like static that is really interesting to the ear. The second part of the chorus switches more melodious vocals to more syncopated ones, more like a rap than singing. This part adds on another layer of synth to the mix. Then it immediately drops everything.
The rap is probably the worst part of the song. Neither FeelDog nor Marco really bring anything new to the table here. It's frustrating to listen to because it's a blight on an otherwise amazing song. This section isn't bad, per se, it's just a funny fit when you compare it to the more melodious vocals in the rest of the song, and the stripped down instrumental just sounds basic.
The bridge is also fantastic. FeelDog gets a super chanty line and it's brilliant to listen to. It makes this section a little more dynamic and quickens the pace as it goes back into the chorus.
Honestly, the greatest part about this song is the vocals. Not because any of the members bring anything new or innovative to the table, but because they pulled it off. When "The Unit" ended, everyone said that UNB would fail due to none of the show's more well known male vocalists winning. And then Chan and Jun fucking came out to play.
Fantastic.
While I didn't really pay attention to their other releases this year, I definitely paid attention to a song called Hot Potato, and it delivers.
One of the things that I really appreciate about N.Flying is their ability to remind me of old school Mariana's Trench. If you're not familiar with that band, they have that song where the chorus is literally "try a little more little more little more / slap you like a bitch and you take it like a whore". The mid 2000s in Canadian pop-punk were rough, ok? Now while the contents of their lyrics are completely different on almost all accounts, N.Flying manages to capture that ultra fun and energetic sound that attracted young me to Mariana's Trench.
The actual composition of the song is nothing to write home about. It's pop-rock: it's formulaic in all the most enjoyable ways. It's nice to listen to a kpop track where all the instruments are real, though. We need more real instruments in pop music.
Honestly, I'm pretty sure that the main reason this song is so high up on this list is because the lyrics are ridiculous, and it's just plain fun. As much as I like to analyze the actual musical qualities, the appeal of pop music isn't that it's musically interesting, it's because it's fun. With so many groups taking themselves so seriously, it's nice to see a group just let loose and have fun.
Other than that I have nothing to say. The song is just plain fun and enjoyable.
Like in 2017, April was a huge hit for me in 2018. Oh! My Mistake was definitely not the track I expected from the group, however. I've become accustomed to their more melodic songs, like April Story and Take My Hand, as well as their more upbeat tracks like Mayday, but this song falls somewhere in the middle.
I'm not well versed enough in eras to say definitively if this song is distinctly 80s or 90s, but I would say that it's more of a fusion of the two.
The vocal line is really fun. Basically the entire song is a call and response sequence. Despite how large some kpop groups get, I find that this is never utilized effectively. Another example of a call and response song is SNSD's I Got a Boy, and it's kind of to that song's detriment. Here, we see the vocalists play off each other effectively, because they instrumental is not overpowering.
It's got a plucky rhythm to it in the verses, and the chorus attempts to smooth it out a bit. It goes full smooth in the bridge though. And that's just talking about the vocals; we haven't even gotten to how amazing the instrumental is.
I mentioned that the instrumental is not overpowering, and it's like that for the full song. The instrumental never reaches a loud dynamic, which is RARE. I'm pretty sure that this is a tactic to mask any imperfections in the singer's technique, and for the most part it works. It's just nice to see a group subvert that.
The instrumental itself is entirely synths, which works with the era-theming of the song. The song also relies heavily on the percussion for mood-making. There's some parts where there's really only the percussion going (see: the first part of the second verse). This helps with pacing the song down a step. While I enjoy a frantic song, the effect of having a song so upbeat and so laid back makes the song seem longer than it actually is.
Final note: I love how sarcastic the lyrics are when translated to English.
Once again, a single girl group holds the top two honours on this list. Overall, April is one of my favourite groups musically, and every song they've released since April Story has been a home run.
I'll admit that The Blue Bird was not my most played song of the year, but the impression it left on me warrants it the top spot for 2018. It's just so musically interesting that I can't stop mentioning it.
This song has not two, but three counter-melodies going at the same time. This theoretically shouldn't work as well as it does. The melodies are work together very seamlessly, but as distinctive enough to stick in your ear. This adds a certain emotional depth to the song.
The fact that so much of this video is filmed on a stage really fits with the theming. The vocals alone sound orchestral, with Jinsol and Chaewon doing their absolute most to sound somber and operatic and it just sounds so damn pretty.
The instrumental itself is incredibly heavy, but its interesting that what your primarily here is the synth lines. Due to the theme, you'd expect there to be a heavier orchestral presence on the track. Like in other songs this year, the synth lines take the role of the orchestra. That's not to say that there isn't a true orchestral element to the track; there is a prominent string section during the chorus, which adds balance.
Honestly, there's not much more for me to say about this track that you can't hear from listening to it. That sounds like a cop-out, but it's honestly true. This song is less of a pop song that you play over and over and more like an auditory experience. So many people actually did not like this song very much, and it's because it's not like a regular pop song. People don't get it, and those same people don't want to get it. It's hard to digest a track that doesn't fit into the norm, but I hope, I really hope, people give it a try.
Thanks for waiting for this post. I know it's stupid to finish posting a best of list at the end of January, but this is what I'm doing.
Expect some LOONA theory posts soon, and I hope to get some more song reviews done this year as well. I'm also planning on some editorials, but don't hold your breath for those because clearly I'm the queen of procrastination.
Please take note that this was a bitch to type out because currently my fingernails are too long for me to actually do anything but they were also professionally done so I can't take my heathen nail scissors to them there's literal nail art going on.
FURTHER EDIT: You ever start making a post after you get your nails fixed so that they're short again so you can type only to realize that you're just lazy? Yeah, me too.
YET ANOTHER EDIT: You ever been so lazy that you write 5 words every 7 days. Yeah, me too.
10. Egotistic - Mamamoo
Mamamoo really did it for me this year. I often don't listen to their releases until well after the fact, but after my love of Starry Night became apparent I had to listen to this as soon as it released. And I was not disappointed. This song is Latin inspired, brassy, and in your face. And Mamamoo really shined.
First interesting thing about this song: there's no initial percussion. During the first half of the first verse all you hear is snapping, which acts as the percussion line for this section. When the percussion does slip in the second half, it's still quite soft. You can hear some bongoes (or, more likely, some sort of latin percussion that I don't know the name of) and a bass drum, but it's very understated. Even though the percussion is quite soft for the entire song, this mood in the first verse really helps make the build to the huge chorus very effective. This pattern repeats itself in the second verse as well.
The chorus is very strong, but the instrumental is still very much buried by Mamamoo's vocals. This song heavily utilizes the fact that Mamamoo have very thick voices for kpop, a genre that tends to prefer very high, flightly, and light soprano voices. The best part about the chorus is that the last vocal line in the section has absolutely no instrumental. This makes the transition back to the lighter verses more fluid and more palatable.
In the second verse, Moonbyul's rap is very well done. Without changing BPM, the instrumental becomes a little bit more frantic in order to keep up with the faster paced rap. This is done using more percussion (it sounds like computer generated maracas to me). This also does a great bit for mood building, since the pre-chorus is so stripped and bare.
The final verse ends with a lot of belting on behalf of the girls. It fits in quite well here, since the instrumental is bombastic enough to handle it. This is also what a lot of people listen to Mamamoo for: their insane vocal abilities.
The song ends with no instrumental and only a voice. Fantastic.
9. My Flower - JBJ
Hi. Did you know that JBJ has their own subreddit? Did you know I mod it? Did you know that you can join us there. Please do. I need help.
In JBJ's (unfortunately) limited discography, My Flower is the shining star. It was a bright star shining with hope before everything crashed down on us before their disbandment and afterwards.
This is another song that relies heavily on electronic instruments rather than real ones. Honestly though, there's not much to say here. Hyunbin and Sanggyun's raps ease perfectly into the more stripped down verses and don't feel out of place. The pre-chorus is a lot of fun, and the actual chorus sounds really full.
The dance break between the first chorus and the second verse is a standout for me. Yes, this is mainly because of Sanggyun's hip sways, but it's also different enough from the rest of the song to stand out. In this section, the highlight is mostly on the bass line, with a higher synth moving smoothly over top. Its very pleasant to listen to.
The only instance of a real instrument on this song is in the bridge, where a very nice jazz piano plays overtop Hyunbin's baritone voice. It's an extreme contrast from the rest of the song, where everything is very light and synthy. Hyunbin's parts are unintentionally contrasting though; his voice is just so much deeper than the rest of the group's that it provides a welcome balance to all the lighter voices and lines surrounding it.
I miss JBJ.
8. Love Bomb - fromis_9
I already touched upon how wonderful this song is in my review of it, but I'll just expand on it a little more.
This song is, by basically every criteria, annoying. There's really no reason for anyone to like it. Both the vocals and the instrumental are absolutely non-stop; there's no stripped down part where you can take a breath. And that's the beauty of this song: it knows what it is. fromis_9 is very lucky that what's going on at all levels is very technically sound, otherwise people would have been quick to dismiss the song entirely.
The fanatic nature of this track is supposed to mimic the frantic behaviour of one's emotion should a bomb be about to blow up. Understanding that context, this song really works.
This song has a lot of hidden parts that take several listens to actually hear. Did you know that the girls are yelling "yeah!" in the chorus? I didn't. Not until a few months after the song released and I started using a new pair of earbuds. Absolutely ridiculous.
This song is just a joy to listen to in the end, and, above all else, makes me excited to figure out what else fromis_9 has in store for us.
7. Bboom Bboom - Momoland
I once wrote a long since scrapped editorial when this song came out about how Momoland is the spiritual successor to Crayon Pop. Listen to this song and imagine Crayon Pop singing it. I bet you that you can. It's quirky, dancey, and has that T-ARA lite feel to it since it's a Shinsadong Tiger track. If Crayon Pop had been dealt the cards to actually succeed for longer and have a stronger foothold in the industry, I bet you they would have been given this song. I 100% guarantee that. Alas, we're not here to talk about what might have been, and we're instead going to talk about why this song is fantastic.
This song thrives on a very synth sound. It's interesting though, because the song starts off with an acoustic, almost latin sounding guitar. The high synth part mimics this opening riff for the rest of the song. On the whole, however, this song makes heavier emphasis on the bass part, which moves like a drone for the entire song. It's very loud and very consistent, which makes this song very easy to move to. Understanding that, it's easy to see why this song was an overnight hit.
Another interesting part about this song is the fact that the vocals are very melodic, which is a contrast from the bumping instrumental, but also incredibly light. Unlike Baam, which utilized a little bit of belting, this aspect is completely forgotten here. This further drives home the point that this is a dance song and not much else. The beat just keeps going on and on. Even in the bridge, which in pop music is generally a stripped down break down, the beat never stops. It's definitely not jarring, but it definitely doesn't follow the same song conventions present in most examples of pop music.
Another contrasting part is Daisy and JooE's rap break in the second verse. It's certainly different from the rest of the song, and it appears from nowhere. This part is actually my only real complaint about the song. While I understand that it's there to break the tension and build pacing, I just don't think it works cohesively enough. If that 30 second break is my one complaint, than that shows you how strong of a song this is.
This song is wonderful. It makes me miss Crayon Pop.
6. What - Dreamcatcher
Despite my misgivings about You and I, What is an absolute treat. It's moody, loud, and exactly what you want out of a group like Dreamcatcher.
One thing that I love about Dreamcatcher's sound is that they don't shy away from using real rock sounding drum samples. The drums in this song are particularly catching, however. More so than the instrumental itself, the percussion is used for mood making. The punctuation made by the percussion mirrors the mood of each section. This is useful, because the instrumental is mostly straightforward rock guitar and synths.
The chorus is a great standout feature for me. I love the intensity of the "What What What What" section at the end, and the focus on Siyeon's voice is incredible. Siyeon suits the Dreamcatcher look and sound fantastically, so it's lovely to hear her voice like this.
This song is great. I know people weren't as thrilled with it as their other tracks, and it's certainly no Chase Me, What is a great addition to Dreamcatcher's already solid discography.
5. Time for the Moon Night - Gfriend
As previously mentioned, Gfriend had a stellar 2018. Their music was well beyond previous years (especially the dismal 2017), and Time for the Moon Night was the cherry on top. Thematic, orchestral, and simply magical, this song made them my second top girl group of the year.
This is how the song works; it goes from soft to hard to soft to hard, and it absolutely works.
The standout feature on this track is not the vocals, but the thematic usage of it's instruments. The lead violin (and the rest of the string section) add necessary depth to the song, often acting in contrast to the more punctuated vocals by being smooth. The melody is brought home by the piano line. Absolutely beautiful.
What's super interesting about this song is that it sounds like a minor key, but is actually major. This makes for an almost jarring listening experience. The song sounds sad, but at the same time is just upbeat enough to catch you off guard. The vocals sound a lot less somber, but the lyrics are much more depressing than they let on. This is something that's missed initially for those of us who are not native Korean speakers (or don't speak Korean at all, if you're like me).
The girls' voices sound great. They always sound great. Eunha especially this comeback; this is the sort of track and theming that really works with her physical appearance as well as her voice.
4. Feeling - UNB
WHAT A SONG! WHAT A GROUP!
I'm going to be incredibly honest in that I don't know what I was expecting when it came to UNB. I'm one of like 5 people who actually watched 'The Unit' all the way through, and my thoughts when it came to the final group were mixed as to what concept they were going to do. Most of the members are capable of hard hitting sexier concepts, but Kijung is like 16, so that's out. Feeling is a welcome compromise.
The song starts off with this rocking piano line, which immediately sets the mood as both futuristic and whimsical. It's actually quite a soft start, especially in comparison to how loud the song gets. By the end of the first verse, the piano is merged with some soft percussion and some louder synths, until it builds with the bass line to the killer chorus.
The chorus is loud, round, and bombastic. It adds this synth bass that sounds almost like static that is really interesting to the ear. The second part of the chorus switches more melodious vocals to more syncopated ones, more like a rap than singing. This part adds on another layer of synth to the mix. Then it immediately drops everything.
The rap is probably the worst part of the song. Neither FeelDog nor Marco really bring anything new to the table here. It's frustrating to listen to because it's a blight on an otherwise amazing song. This section isn't bad, per se, it's just a funny fit when you compare it to the more melodious vocals in the rest of the song, and the stripped down instrumental just sounds basic.
The bridge is also fantastic. FeelDog gets a super chanty line and it's brilliant to listen to. It makes this section a little more dynamic and quickens the pace as it goes back into the chorus.
Honestly, the greatest part about this song is the vocals. Not because any of the members bring anything new or innovative to the table, but because they pulled it off. When "The Unit" ended, everyone said that UNB would fail due to none of the show's more well known male vocalists winning. And then Chan and Jun fucking came out to play.
Fantastic.
3. Hot Potato - N.Flying
While I didn't really pay attention to their other releases this year, I definitely paid attention to a song called Hot Potato, and it delivers.
One of the things that I really appreciate about N.Flying is their ability to remind me of old school Mariana's Trench. If you're not familiar with that band, they have that song where the chorus is literally "try a little more little more little more / slap you like a bitch and you take it like a whore". The mid 2000s in Canadian pop-punk were rough, ok? Now while the contents of their lyrics are completely different on almost all accounts, N.Flying manages to capture that ultra fun and energetic sound that attracted young me to Mariana's Trench.
The actual composition of the song is nothing to write home about. It's pop-rock: it's formulaic in all the most enjoyable ways. It's nice to listen to a kpop track where all the instruments are real, though. We need more real instruments in pop music.
Honestly, I'm pretty sure that the main reason this song is so high up on this list is because the lyrics are ridiculous, and it's just plain fun. As much as I like to analyze the actual musical qualities, the appeal of pop music isn't that it's musically interesting, it's because it's fun. With so many groups taking themselves so seriously, it's nice to see a group just let loose and have fun.
Other than that I have nothing to say. The song is just plain fun and enjoyable.
2. Oh! My Mistake - April
Like in 2017, April was a huge hit for me in 2018. Oh! My Mistake was definitely not the track I expected from the group, however. I've become accustomed to their more melodic songs, like April Story and Take My Hand, as well as their more upbeat tracks like Mayday, but this song falls somewhere in the middle.
I'm not well versed enough in eras to say definitively if this song is distinctly 80s or 90s, but I would say that it's more of a fusion of the two.
The vocal line is really fun. Basically the entire song is a call and response sequence. Despite how large some kpop groups get, I find that this is never utilized effectively. Another example of a call and response song is SNSD's I Got a Boy, and it's kind of to that song's detriment. Here, we see the vocalists play off each other effectively, because they instrumental is not overpowering.
It's got a plucky rhythm to it in the verses, and the chorus attempts to smooth it out a bit. It goes full smooth in the bridge though. And that's just talking about the vocals; we haven't even gotten to how amazing the instrumental is.
I mentioned that the instrumental is not overpowering, and it's like that for the full song. The instrumental never reaches a loud dynamic, which is RARE. I'm pretty sure that this is a tactic to mask any imperfections in the singer's technique, and for the most part it works. It's just nice to see a group subvert that.
The instrumental itself is entirely synths, which works with the era-theming of the song. The song also relies heavily on the percussion for mood-making. There's some parts where there's really only the percussion going (see: the first part of the second verse). This helps with pacing the song down a step. While I enjoy a frantic song, the effect of having a song so upbeat and so laid back makes the song seem longer than it actually is.
Final note: I love how sarcastic the lyrics are when translated to English.
1. The Blue Bird - April
Once again, a single girl group holds the top two honours on this list. Overall, April is one of my favourite groups musically, and every song they've released since April Story has been a home run.
I'll admit that The Blue Bird was not my most played song of the year, but the impression it left on me warrants it the top spot for 2018. It's just so musically interesting that I can't stop mentioning it.
This song has not two, but three counter-melodies going at the same time. This theoretically shouldn't work as well as it does. The melodies are work together very seamlessly, but as distinctive enough to stick in your ear. This adds a certain emotional depth to the song.
The fact that so much of this video is filmed on a stage really fits with the theming. The vocals alone sound orchestral, with Jinsol and Chaewon doing their absolute most to sound somber and operatic and it just sounds so damn pretty.
The instrumental itself is incredibly heavy, but its interesting that what your primarily here is the synth lines. Due to the theme, you'd expect there to be a heavier orchestral presence on the track. Like in other songs this year, the synth lines take the role of the orchestra. That's not to say that there isn't a true orchestral element to the track; there is a prominent string section during the chorus, which adds balance.
Honestly, there's not much more for me to say about this track that you can't hear from listening to it. That sounds like a cop-out, but it's honestly true. This song is less of a pop song that you play over and over and more like an auditory experience. So many people actually did not like this song very much, and it's because it's not like a regular pop song. People don't get it, and those same people don't want to get it. It's hard to digest a track that doesn't fit into the norm, but I hope, I really hope, people give it a try.
Thanks for waiting for this post. I know it's stupid to finish posting a best of list at the end of January, but this is what I'm doing.
Expect some LOONA theory posts soon, and I hope to get some more song reviews done this year as well. I'm also planning on some editorials, but don't hold your breath for those because clearly I'm the queen of procrastination.
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