Top 50 Singles of 2015: 15-11

15. BTOB - It's Okay



The year's most dramatic ballad, which at times feels more like vocal Olympics as the members continually one-up each other.

14. Donghae and Eunhyuk - Growing Pains



Criminally underrated, the soaring chorus on this anthem deserves major recognition alone.

13. Gfriend - Me Gustas Tu



K-pop's biggest breakout girl group of the year improved on their already brilliant debut track with this bubbly, ridiculously-catchy pop trifle.

12. Sungkyu - The Answer 



Infinite's leader proved his might yet again with this classy, orchestral ballad.

11. Nine Muses - Hurt Locker 



It's all about that bright, reach-for-the-stars chorus. An unending chorus of power pop vocals.

Top Albums & Mini Albums of 2015: Number 10

ALBUMS

10. Darin - Fjärilar I Magen



In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Darin went full folk-pop on us this year. In doing so, he also released one of his best full-length albums yet. Despite only having one track that could even be considered "dance," the strength of his vocals and songwriting creates a cohesive work with a definite mood and tone.

MINI ALBUMS

10. Donghae and Eunhyuk - The Beat Goes On



Of all of Super Junior's sub-units, Donghae and Eunhyuk's releases have consistently been to my taste. It helps that they're the dancers of the group, and two of the more charismatic performers. This pop-fueled mini album was such a wonderful treat in an otherwise lackluster March. Other than one drippy ballad, it's pure upbeat fun through and through.

K-Pop Halloween: Day Four

In the infancy of this blog, I used to post a lot of Halloween-themed songs during the month of October. After a few years, that feature started to dwindle a bit. After all, there are only so many Halloween songs out there! But, to better reflect the changing tastes of the blog, I thought it would be fun to feature some Halloween-related tracks from Korea (and maybe one from Japan). Halloween isn't big in Korea, but I like to think these horror-themed songs could stand right alongside Thriller or Monster Mash!

Donghae and Eunhyuk - Skeleton
Every Halloween needs a ridiculous party song, right? Skeleton is exactly that (+ some added ridiculousness), but make sure to also take a listen to Scary House from the same mini album.



Tatsuya Ueda - Monster Night
More of a monster-themed story vignette than an actual song, this solo track by Kat-Tun member Ueda is bursting with mischievous sound effects and voice overs. It's pretty bizarre, and really solely suited for Halloween time.