Kpop: Top 20 fourth quarter 2013

Time for the final top 20 list of 2013. As usual, when I sum up a quarter, I get pleasantly surprised of how many good songs there are out there in the famous but small world of kpop. As usual, even if this may be a list of videos, I prioritize good songs over visual candy.

First, a honorable mention goes to the following five videos:

Park Ji Yoon - Mr Lee. She's got style.
Zion T - Miss Kim. The first song of Zion T that I actually liked.
Tren-D - Candy Boy. A retro-sounding debut which I liked.
Kahi - It's me. Cool solo-debut from ex-After School member.
Seo In Young - Love Me. There is something about her. She mixes western style with kpop.

Now the 20 finalists, let us start from the bottom:

20. Pa Hul Za - Indocaresia. This is not your usual kpop. It is more like PSY on Viagra and a number of LSD drugs…

19. Im Chang Jung - Open the door. If Pa Hul Za is psychedelic PSY, Im Chang Jung is the nice guy version.

18. After School - Shh. A perfect marriage of kpop and jpop that is super-classy but may be a little too strict for its own best. It reminds me somehow of a Japanese high-class business district. Beautiful architecture but somehow distant. Fascinating, still.

17. Brand Newjiq - Stay by me. Silky voice and jazzy feeling, I can't resist this soft song with a Gary Moore-sounding guitar.

16. Miss A - Hush. This may be perfect example of the classical high-quality kpop video. Sexy song and dancing, but maybe a bit repetitive for me as it misses some genuine passion. It's like it is too perfect.

15. Troublemaker - There is no tomorrow. I am a bit divided about this one. Im not sure whether to love it or be like "meh, it is to calculated". But it is one of the more interesting kpop videos of the year.

14. T-ara - Number Nine. This is T-ara's best track this year, and it is good. Still, I am missing that super-hit this year.

13. Norazo - Wild Horse. The point with them is that beyond the comedy, the songs are really good too. Wild Horses doubles as a rewarding rock song too.

12. Lady Cube - I'm singin' for you. This saved my kpop-Christmas, when this duo came wading through a sea of miserable Christmas ballads.

11. WHoWho - Her. This is the kind of indie music that you can find be it Korea, America or Europe, and it is really enjoyable.

10. BESTie - Love Options. The new Kara? Yes, it may very well be so.

9. Song Jieun - Spotless Mind. OK, so she may be taking the vulnerability and doe-eye thing to far in this video but I think it strikes a chord in many hearts, so she is forgiven. A passionate track from the Secret member.

8. Jaurim - Icarus. 15 years in the business and still going strong.

7. Heyne - Love007. I know her voice may not be for everyone, but this song is of the kind that sticks in your head or like a chewing gum you can't stop chewing.

6. 9Muses - Glue. …and the song is really good, too.

5. 9Muses - Gun. Yeees, I like 9Muses. The thing is, this video has just so many nice production qualities - the setting, the song, the humor, and of course, the girls. It just makes me happy every time I watch it. This is how kpop should be, flirtatious and uptempo without any pretensions.

4. U Sung Eun - Healing. Perfect in every tone and with a video that is a celebration of dancing and passion. I may listen to other tracks more, but this is the one that heals me when I listen to it.

3. Tiny-G - Miss you. Oh, the rhythm in this song is a real killer, it's to die for. The small miss's of Tiny-G has delivered their greatest hit so far with "Miss You".

2. Yong Junhyung - Flower. This reminds me very much about Yang Yoseoub's song "Caffeine" from earlier this year; melancholic and stylish with a video that is spot on.

1. AoA - Confused. So, while 9Muses delivers stable hits, some other groups are sure to top them now and then, and this time around it is AoA who did it. Even though Elvis was a good debut, with this new offer they take a definite step up in their careers. There is nothing confusing about this track, the seven girls of AoA is visually and song wise so right - "Confused" is just heaven.