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Posted by alim17311 pts Friday, December 25, 2015

Staff Picks: Best Songs of 2015 (Second Half)

f(x), Hara, Seventeen, Jay Park, Baek Ye Rin, Gil, BTS, TaeTiSeo, , Oh My Girl

After choosing the best songs in the first half of 2015, the staff members at allkpop went on to choose the best songs in the second half! The year was a blur with all the dating scandals, debuts, and more - but the crazy (good) music releases are what always has the K-Pop fans coming back for more.


Check out the staff picks for the best songs of 2015 (second half).


SEE ALSO: Staff Picks: Best Songs of 2015 (First Half)


Paul: f(x) "4 Walls"


This song reminds me a lot of SHINee's "View." I like that euro house synth based dance sound and it works very well here. Honestly, I like the song more for its instrumentals than the actual singing but it does have a very catchy chorus with "Love is... 4 wall-wa-wa-walls."


Edward: Hara "Choco Chip Cookie"


I actually reallllly liked Hara's "Choco Chip Cookie." Although she doesn't have a real vocal prowess, the song really captures a vintage summer feeling and is smooth on the ears. The sound is warm and cheerful which I need on a summer day trip! I like the rap too.


Jenny: BTS "Silver Spoon"


I love 'HYYH Part 2' - like literally, every song on it is so great and you can see very obviously that they worked hard on the completion of it. That being said, "Silver Spoon" (you may also know it as "Cow-Tit" or "Tryhard" or just "Baepsae") is my favorite on the album. Not only do I love the beat and the general flow of the song, as with most BTS songs, I love the message that pokes fun at the differences in privilege people are born with. The song is named after a bird (this bird, in fact), and after the Korean saying "??? ??? ???? ??? ????," or roughly something like, "Cut your coat according to your cloth" - basically, learn to live what you're born with, and don't be a try-hard. But BTS takes that saying and twists it instead to make fun of those who were born with high privileges. I wavered between this and BAP's "YWF" for a while, but in the end this song is definitely the winner for me.


Annie S: TaeTiSeo "Dear Santa"


To be honest, I almost didn't feel it when the song started off slow like a ballad. Ballads are great too, but I love TaeTiSeo and Girls' Generation's trademark upbeat, dance songs. That's why when "Dear Santa" started off slow, and then suddenly suddenly picked up into a happy, pop melody, it was all the more exciting. My Christmas playlist is filled with old classics or at least remakes of old classics, except for TaeTiSeo's new winter album. That's how good it is!


Elisa: Baek Ye Rin "Across the Universe"


"Across the Universe" made me want to hear more from Baek Ye Rin. There were a lot of good songs this year, but I felt she did the most in the most minimal way possible. Despite no rap break and a simple instrumental, she carried the song very well and kept my attention with her vocals. Her live performance video really impressed me too.

Jennifer: Gil "But"


Gil is such a talented yet underrated artist in K-Pop, and I sure am glad the realization came sooner rather than later with 'R.O.A.D Project #1.' I found myself impressed beyond words with all the songs on his album. "But" featuring Baek Ji Young took the cake, however, with its raw, stripped down sincerity, the achingly wistful melody, and of course, Gil's voice--in all its strained, rough-hewn glory.


Eric: Oh My Girl "Closer"


Most recently in the international news more for their 15-hour detainment at LAX than the performance in Beverly Hills that was supposed to follow the flight, these rookies blew away all my expectations with this haunting gem. With elements of trance as well as k-pop, "Closer" enjoys a prominent place on my playlist. As an aside, the MV has stunning visuals that match the dreamlike, billowy tune perfectly.


Jessica: Seventeen "Mansae"


I am officially a fan. Seventeen's song is simple, trendy, extremely easy to groove to and, lastly, their vocals are on point. For one, the transition from the first verse to hook to chorus is impressively smooth and coherent. The lyrics stay true to the feelings of puppy love and will leave you smiling from ear to ear. "Hold on girl, don't ever melt for someone else. I'm going to get jealous." How can you not melt with that line? "Adore U" had me hooked and "Mansae" reeled me in to the world of Seventeen.


Will: Jay Park "Solo (Feat. Hoody)"


Jay Park has been more focused on hip-hop these days but he reminds us once again how versatile he can be as an artist. With smooth vocals, amazing flow, and meaningful lyrics, this RnB track definitely nails it in every department. And with Hoody finally joining AOMG maybe we'll see more music like this in the future. 


Annie: G-Friend "Me Gustas Tu"


I got this song stuck in my head and it was impossible to take out - helped by the fact that they had a great choreography to go with it so I'd make little spastic movements at my desk while listening as if I was doing a mini dance version in my chair.  The song is so catchy ("Me gustas tu, me gustas tu, stu ru ru ...." I can never actually write that out) with great vocalizing by Yuju later on as always. It's a bright, cheery, youthful, and vibrant song that has me feeling like an excited young girl again, just skipping around a playground, with a subtle drop of the 90's sound to make it perfect. I could literally play it on repeat ALL DAY (sorry, co-workers!).

  1. f(x)
  2. Hara
  3. Seventeen
  4. Jay Park
  5. Baek Ye Rin
  6. Gil
  7. BTS
  8. TaeTiSeo
  9. Oh My Girl
  10. STAFF PICKS
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