2009 Review – Singles

The review of 2009 continues with an overview of individual songs that I was feeling. I won’t just limit this list to songs that were single releases but also album cuts since those deserve some love too.

I don’t believe in the whole ranking system for these posts since they’re subjective anyway so even though this list is numbered it’s just because it’s out of habit & does not have on any bearing on whether one song is better than another.

1. 2NE1 – I Don’t Care

This was my first year to be involved in the whole K-Pop scene and this song simply was unavoidable. Love them or hate them, 2NE1 had a hell of song with I Don’t Care. Not only did it have a perfect sing along chorus but it also had two remixes that were great examples of bringing a fresh perspective to a song.

The most popular being the Reggae remix which was the total opposite of the original. It was a more chilled out & stripped down version of the song that worked to great effect. Even though I’ve heard the song so many times I don’t get sick of it at all. It’s just that good.

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2. BoA – Did Ya

While a lot of attention was focused on songs like Eat You Up, Energetic & I Did It For Love I felt this song was the best track on BoA’s U.S. debut.

It’s a little quirky with the game show theme-like melody, acoustic guitar & some electronic bleeps but it works so well. Compared to a lot of the other songs on her album it’s rather simple in its execution which is exactly why I like it.

Sometimes simple is best.

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3. Buono! – My Boy

Dance beats with a Rock influence made for a winning combination. Excluding Bravo Bravo (which hasn’t been officially released as of this article) this is the best of Buono’s 2009 output & one of the better tracks to come out of the H!P camp this year.

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4. Brown Eyed Girls – Abracadabra

This is one catchy song. It starts off with just a simple synth bass line & builds so nicely that you don’t even notice it’s over until Miryo finishes her final verse at the end. A sign of well crafted production if there ever was one.

I would also like to mention that the women in this group can actually sing. I don’t mean “sing” I mean SING. One of the stronger vocal groups I’ve heard in a long time.

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5. Perfume – Edge

I had a hard time just picking one Perfume song from this year. I’m probably in the minority that wasn’t expecting Triangle to be the second coming of Jesus & thought the album was a solid follow up to Game.

It was between Edge & Night Flight for my pick. Night Flight was a more straightforward Pop House track with a bit of an 80′s sound to it. It wasn’t exactly ground breaking but it was a nice slight shift in sound.

In the end I decided to go with Edge. Yes, technically it was released with Love The World Last year but since it’s an album cut on Triangle I think it’s fair game.

With that said I think it’s a great song that has a much different feeling (compared to Night Flight) from their normal repertoire of songs. That & the breathy intro from Kashiyuka sounds dead sexy.

If you want an example of Electro-pop done right (meaning not pointless & annoying random bleeps) then I point you to this song.

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6. Morning Musume – Songs

The opening track from their Platinum 9 Disc album is a shining example of what can happen when you put the genki away & give this group something less fluffy to work with.

Songs is a more aggressive approach to Morning Musume’s sound & is almost comparable to the productions given to Avex artists. Even though the dreaded Auto Tune makes an appearance here it doesn’t ruin the track at all.

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7. BENI feat. DOHZI-T – Dakishimete

BENI has one sexy singing voice & when combined with the silky smooth flow of Dohzi-T it makes for some great songs. Dakishimete is another in a series of collaborations between these 2 artists & unlike their last songs (which were kind of depressing) this one is something you could throw on a slow jam mix tape.

A fine piece of work from an otherwise disappointing album.

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8. Ravex feat. Maki Goto – Golden Luv

There are very few songs that make me stop what I’m doing so I can listen to them at full attention. Golden Luv falls into that category. Anyone who did not believe that Maki Goto would be successful on Avex should listen to this track to get their heads checked.

Not only is this one of the stronger tracks on the Ravex Trax album but it definitely shows that Goto has evolved way past her H!P roots.

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9. Girls Generation – Genie

If there’s one thing I can say about K-Pop productions it’s that they really grab you right away. There’s no fucking around with any fancy arrangements or anything like that.

Much like 2NE1 Girls Generation were unavoidable with songs like Gee and Genie. Gee was total pop & had the hook that everyone could sing along to (Gee Gee Gee Gee). But Genie was the better structured song (in my opinion) & had a much sexier tone to it.

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10. Epik High – Map The Soul

Great Hip-Hop isn’t dead thanks to groups like Epik High. This is a heartfelt Hip-Hop ballad that doesn’t rely on any gimmicks or bullshit. Just a simple beat, smooth flows & deep lyrical content

This song has both English & Korean versions. The English version is somewhat mellower than the Korean one. Either way this is an amazing song that renews my faith in Hip-Hop. Perhaps it has not completely gone down the shitter.

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11. Super Junior – Sorry Sorry

I admittedly don’t listen to a lot of male vocal groups anymore. I used to back in the whole 90′s R&B vocal group era because they were the ones putting out the best songs. Now, not so much, a lot of male vocal groups tend to be lesser talented versions of their predecessors & therefore suck.

I would have categorized Super Junior in that group but after giving them a shot they’re actually not bad. Nowhere close to the vocal groups I’m used to but they don’t suck & that’s what counts.

Sorry Sorry is an obviously predictable choice but the song is fucking insanely good.

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12. Kusumi Koharu – Hatten x Joy

This song starts off in the strangest ways, with a gangster rap styled intro. Something you’ll probably never hear in any other H!P song.  The rest of it is a sonic mish mash of styles that goes all over the place. But it’s something that only Koha could pull off convincingly.

As strange as the song is it’s actually pretty good.

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13. Hangry & Angry – Top Secret

This is arguably the strongest single that Hangry & Angry have released to date.  While it isn’t a huge departure from what they have done in the past it has a certain something that puts it over the top.

Whether it’s the catchy hook or the stronger electronic influence or the fact that it’s IshiYoshi, who knows? It’s just awesome.

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14. Berryz Koubou – Ryusei Boy

So it was either this or Dakishimete Dakishimete  & to be honest Ryusei Boy is so much better. I’m perhaps a little biased just because I really like the disco type of production that makes this song that much sweeter.

Not that Dakishimete Dakishimete is bad, but it’s more mainstream club than what I’m accustomed to.

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15. Morning Musume – Yowamushi

This is the b-side to Nai Chau Kamo and is a mid-tempo R&B flavored track featuring Niigaki Risa & Michishige Sayumi.  The instrumental itself is a beautiful piece of work.  Vocally it’s kind of  50/50.  Gaki-san is perfect for these kind of songs but Shige isn’t exactly in tune with the vibe of the song.

Not that she’s awful or anything, in fact she’s much improved.  It’s just that this kind of R&B isn’t suited for her voice.  Even with that little hiccup the song is one of the better b-sides I’ve heard from H!P this year.

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