Top 10 Mini Albums of 2014

Before we move on to the best of the best early next week, I'm going to pause for my top mini albums (or EPs) of the year. Given that this format is used most widely in Asia, there's a lot of K-Pop on the list. Strangely, there's also only one female representing this year! I'll be looking for them to come strong in 2015! To be eligible for this chart, the albums must have at least four full tracks.

10. HyunA - A Talk



I became a HyunA fan this year, despite not being into too much of he stuff in the past. That's all to do with this sleek, dud-free collection of charismatic dance pop.

9. BTS - Skool Luv Affair



Nearly a full album, with eight tracks on the expanded version, I didn't like this quite as much as their other release this year, but you can't deny the pair of singles...totally different from one another but both awesome.

8. VIXX - Error



Glossy, meticulous production highlights this collection of dramatic, sci-fi flavored dance. The title track is epic, and the rest of the album surprisingly lives up to it.

7. Exo - Overdose 



EXO had a quieter year in 2014, with just this mini-album release. It's not their most in-your-face collection, but it's an incredibly interesting listen, sonically, and of course includes the fantastic title track.

6. Halo - Hello Halo 



One of the most promising new debuts of the year, I love that this group is pure POP and doesn't really try to be anything else. It's a short album, at only four tracks, but they're all bright and fun.

5. Austin Mahone - The Secret



It may not include his best song (What About Love), but the throwback sound to the late 90's Swedish pop boom is incredibly welcome and sets this collection of songs apart from everything else out there.

4. Gravitonas - Garden Of Men And Machines



My favorite release from them, simply because each and every song is flawless. It has a nice sonic variety as well, with aggressive dance sitting beside pensive balladry.

3. The Fooo Conspiracy - Conspiration



These guys released two excellent EPs this year, but this is my favorite. It's a masterclass in fun, youthful 2014 urban dance pop. Playful, energetic and ridiculously catchy.

2. Taemin - Ace 



I'm a massive Michael Jackson fan, which is part of the reason I love K-Pop so much, and Taemin delivered what sounds like a modern MJ release. His background as a dancer is evident in the way his vocals massage the beats.

1. B1A4 - Solo Day 



No single release this year sounded more like summer than this. Overall, it's more subdued and downtempo (even acoustic) than most of what I like, but song for song, I don't think this mini album could be beat in 2014. It just makes me happy.

Top 50 Singles of 2014: 15-11

15. Josef Johanssson - Hela Natten



I love a choir in a pop song, but this galvanizing anthem is more than just its choir. It was the best song in this year's Melodifetivalen, even though it didn't make it to the final.

14. HyunA - Red



A demented and fun nursery-rhyme gone mad. This was the party track of the summer, with a deliriously in-your-face, irresistible hook.

13. Taeyang - Eyes, Nose, Lips



One of the biggest tracks in Korea in 2014, this ballad has immense staying power. Honestly, I'd already consider it a classic-in-the-making. And I'm not even a ballad guy!

12. Wolf Gang - Black River 



Undeservedly, this modern rock masterpiece flew under the radar this year. It's all about those layered, Fleetwood Mac-esque vocals that pop in more and more as the song grows and becomes a total epic.

11. Henry - Fantastic 



Just like I love choirs, I adore classical instrumentation in a pop song. The violin that forms the spine of this song elevates it into something really special. Add to that the amazing dance beat, and you've got something impossible to resist.

Don't forget, if you'd like to listen to the Top 50 Singles Countdown in full, download the audio version!

Track-by-Track: HyunA - A Talk

I've always considered HyunA to be the troublemaker of the K-Pop world. Maybe that's just me being literal, since one of her many projects is as part of a duo actually called Trouble Maker, but beyond that there's just a swagger and anything-goes-craziness in her music that I really appreciate. A note about any K-Pop review I do: I am not a Korean speaker. I search out translations of the lyrics when it interests me, but lyrics are definitely not something I'm focusing too heavily on in these reviews.

1. A Talk - The intro to HyunA’s new album is more of a mini song than most intros, though it’s still not really long enough to warrant a score. As intros go, it’s fine but not all that memorable.

2. French Kiss - I’ve heard many say that this should have been the album’s single. I don’t agree, as it’s not as good as Red, but I do think that it sounds like it could be a second single. It’s all about that chorus, which is ridiculously catchy and fun. I’d say it’s also probably the poppiest track on the album. 8/10

3. Red - I have come to absolutely adore this song. From the attitude-filled rap, to the melodic, melancholic bridge, to the explosive, fun-as-hell chorus (transitioned from what sounds like a bonkers Tigerlily impression that’s definitely not politically correct), this is a party. The accompanying video does a great job positioning her as Korea's answer to Miley Cyrus, at least when it comes to strange party/afterparty visuals and "screw you" attitude.  10/10

4. From Where Until Where (ft. Beast’s Yo Seop) - Slowing things down to a mid-tempo, smooth r&b flavor, this is a pleasant summertime jam with some catchy synth drops in the background. Not a favorite, but not something I’d skip either. 7/10

5. Blacklist (ft. LE) - This is my second favorite track on the album. It’s a hard-hitting hip-hop track with tons of attitude and a great beat. The refrain that kicks off the song is incredibly catchy. 9/10


Album Grade: 8.5/10 Recommended

HyunA - Red

I love a little troublemaking in the otherwise well-oiled K-Pop world. HyunA is part of girl group 4minute, but she's really become a huge solo star on her own. Red is her new single, and it's a ridiculously catchy, bratty piece of pop. The images in the video are reminiscent of Miley Cyrus's recent party girl transformation, and HyunA's delivery certainly amps up the bad girl charisma. The lyrics themselves are your standard bragging about how sexy and cool she is, and the chorus borrows from an old Korean kid's playground rhyme (or so I'm told). Of course, most people reading this blog won't be able to understand the lyrics anyway. You'll be too busy freaking out over the beat and that wickedly melodic bridge leading into the spazz attack of a chorus.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the mini-album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.