The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2014

If you became a K-Pop fan in 2014 or already seasoned member, you may feel that you came in at the worst possible time. This year was filled with a number of scandals, tragedies and lawsuits that shook the very core of the industry. Most of the releases this year were also pretty weak compared to the genre exploring, risk-taking bops that dropped. Of course, 2014 was not a total disappointment in the K-Pop world and here are 20 songs that prove that:

Taeyang "1AM"

With Taeyang serving all types of shirtless melodrama with the "Eyes Nose Lips" video, the Big Bang member keeps it going with "1AM"

Taeyang "Eyes Nose Lips"

Since YG is playing games with a BIGBANG comeback, this will have to do now! Taeyang's 2nd full length album "Rise" dropped yesterday and "Eyes Nose Lips" leads the charge as the title track of the set.

Taeyang Has Been Hanging Around G-Dragon Too Much...

Taeyang's comeback has been a long time coming. His "Solar" album is a great R&B/K-Pop album ("Wedding Dress, "I Need a Girl" anyone?) and I assumed that we would be getting a updated spin on that sound, until I saw the teaser photos. Then again, sometimes teasers are very misleading. Then I saw the title...Again, titles are misleading. Then I heard the song..."Ringa Linga" sounds like it was meant for G-Dragon (he did produce it after all) but he didn't have room for it on his "Coup D'etat" album, so he gave it to Young-Bae. GD already had his time to shine with his solo efforts and was featured on Seungri's album back in the summer, so maybe he should have a seat until BIGBANG comes back as a group. The song is a banger that grows on you though, the best part of the song being the bit where before the chorus starts and the blantant "We Can't Stop" rip-off towards the end. I was impressed with the dance video, though EXOtics weren't feeling it because they assume that everything EXO does is original and accused YG of copying their one take "Growl" M/V. Then you have the actual video, which takes me back to the 90s when Busta Rhymes made those crazy ass videos. This is pretty much the best video from the YG camp all year. But can we please petition YG from messing with his and Dara's hair whenever they have comebacks? Let's keep it subtle like in the "I Need a Girl" video plz.
Dance Video
Music Video