Look at me introducing a feature in February 2023 and then not following up on it until fifteen months later. Oops!
As a spin-off to my Battle of the B-sides feature, I'm pleased to announce the arrive of "Battle of the Title Tracks!" In this feature, I'll be pitting three K-pop title tracks/singles against each other and choosing a winner. These songs will mostly be from pre-2016 since I'll try to focus on music I haven't yet written about on the blog.
As always, the competition is all in good fun. Most importantly, I hope you discover (or re-discover) some great songs!
Battle of the Title Tracks: Round Two
Berry Good - Because Of You (2015)
Berry Good were a very underrated act, marred by a terrible group name and limited budget. But within this framework, they managed to churn out their fair share of highlights. I believe Because Of You is what netizens would call "Christian horse girl music" -- an invented sub-genre I've always loved and a moniker that's always made me chuckle.
Because Of You is light and airy, only really leaving its mark during the chorus. I love the acoustic influences in the production, peppered with strings to give the track a delicate vibe. The post-chorus vocal hook is beyond gorgeous and worth the price of admission by itself. A standout bridge and finale give the track movement and payoff, even if they have more dynamic songs than this in their arsenal.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
F.Cuz - No. 1 (2012)
F.Cuz are another underknown group with plenty of bangers in their arsenal. They're better known in Japan, but their few Korean tracks are well worth seeking out. No. 1 is one of my favorites. It arrived right within K-pop's obsession with slamming electro beats and rugged, mechanical vocal effects. On its own, this sound is a ton of fun. But when paired with excellent melodies it really soars.
No. 1 has its silly moments. The spoken-word, highly processed hook feels very tied to its era, but when the song launches into its soaring chorus we've entered timeless pop territory. An extended dubstep-influenced dance breakdown leads to a killer power note, sending the song out on a high. It follows an established 2012 formula but does it so well.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 9.25 |
Xia Junsu - Incredible (ft. Quincy) (2013)
Now, we have a song released at the tail end of the early-2010's EDM era. This may have caused Incredible to feel a little more generic by the time 2013 rolled around, but it's hard to overstate the appeal of a big dance track led by a voice as powerful and distinct as Junsu's.
This style of surging dancefloor energy will always be to my liking, and Incredible scores extra points for its straightforward drive. This is also where it struggles in comparison to its many peers. Beyond Junsu himself, there's not much about the song that stands out as unique. It's boilerplate EDM pop, delivered with panache. This is still enough to make it a highlight and I'd probably be falling all over myself to praise its charms if a K-pop artist released this in 2024.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
My Verdict:
The winning track of this edition is F.CUZ's NO. 1!
Readers, what do you think? Leave your own ranking in the comments!
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