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:

VIXX "Eternity"

VIXX seems to like their dark concepts because they rarely stray away from it when they make their comebacks, sans last year's feel good summer tune "G.R.8.U", "Rock Ur Body" and to an extent, "Superhero". The boys dropped their "Eternity" single album along with the steampunk-inspired video.

VIXX Releases a Darker Version of SHINee's "Dream Girl" With "Voodoo Doll"

VIXX has been doing the damn thing all year with their concepts, but this has to be their darkest and most disturbing yet. The K-Pop boyband will release their first full-length LP on the 25th of this month after a string of successful singles, EPs and repacks (which includes the glorious "G.R.8.U"). The title track, "Voodoo Doll" is the dark electropop banger that I've always wanted them to do, but instead we got "Hyde", a song I didn't particularly enjoy. It reminds me of SHINee's "Dream Girl" but shrouded in a dark throbbing shroud of mystery and Miley Cyrus's failed coming-of-age single "Can't Be Tamed." The music video is NSFW (in my opinion) and if you are squirmish, I don't recommend watching this at all. A lot of people are desensitized to these things now (I blame "American Horror Story" tbh), but I cringed through about 85% of the video as the boys we're poked, prodded and stabbed within an inch of their lives. I mean I'm all for artistic expression through any means necessary, but...yeah. Enjoy the M/V.

VIXX Made A Song With Some K-Indie Version of Tegan and Sara...

I've become a major fanboy of VIXX ever since this summer when their monster single "G.R.8.U" took over my playlist along with f(x)'s "Airplane" and Lady Gaga's "Applause". Being as behind as I am on K-Pop releases because of school (DAMN YOU!!!), I was unaware of the fact that the boys knows as Hongbin, Leo, Hyuk, Ravi, N and Ken released a song "Girls Why?" for a compilation album. "Girls" is similar "G.R.8.U" except that it is more orchestral, with the inclusion of violin strings and a female indie duo known as OKDAL. I'm guessing the duo (who I have never heard of ever) are either too obsure for my taste or they are brand new and haven't released any material yet, which they should ASAP.
While the boys are looking utterly cute (especially Ken) acting all lovestruck, OKDAL are sitting around looking unbothered, serving some Rihanna at the VMAs realness througout the video, just like I would expect two K-indie chicks to be! #girlpower

Graded Song:VIXX "G.R.8.U (You're Impressive)

VIXX has already had two comebacks this year and neither one of them did it for me. "On and On" was too subdued for me compared to "Rock Your Body" and "Hyde" was just too bizarre, especially after seeing that freaky ass MV. Here comes comeback #3 with a repackage of the "Hyde" album as "Jekyll" (I see what they did there) and a new title track, "G.R.8.U" or "You're Impressive", either one will work.
After "Hyde," this song is quite a refreshing change. It's very light and kind of romantic with a pop/rock edge, compared to its majorly dark and dubstep-heavy predecessor, much like the characters of Jekyll and Hyde. Slight criticism that I have is that the song lacks a major climax. I also hear some Yasutaka Nakata influences thrown in there, so if they wanted to promote this in Japan, I smell a major hit in the making.
Final Grade:C+ 
The music video sees the boys being rewound after trashing someone's home mixed in with some choreo. Some scenes remind me of B.o.B's "Nothing On You" video and Boyfriend's "Don't Touch My Girl". And there were so many costume changes. So many costume changes.