she/her
#KS☊TY2020: The K-Pop Song of the Year 2020 Rate
- Thread starter Slice of Life
- Start date
Slice of Life
Staff member
I have six (!!!) 11 contenders...
All of them made the top 20...
But today, we're finally saying goodbye to one of them...
FEEL GOOD (SECRET CODE)
fromis_9
8.65000
ZENITH: (11) @savilizabeths (10) @eatyourself, @Serg., @Shockbox, @Cotton Park, @junglefish, @ysev, @Newbie Four, @ryjm, @RUNAWAY, @codecat, @thommyh, @Reboot, @BEST FICTION, @ultraviolet, @Joli Chat, @An Insider, @Rainbow Trousers, @Slice of Life (9.75) @vague (9.5) @Hurricane Drunk, @Love Deluxe, @KimLippington, @He, @Music Is Death (9.25) @aux (9) @Crisp X, @Memoria, @FunkyButChic, @roblognick, @R92, @enjoy, @Kuhleezi, @Wills, @tea, @Oleander, @Empty Shoebox, @TéléDex, @GeiPanda
NADIR: (4.5) @askew (5) @Trinu 3.0, @Vixen (5.5) @Sanctuary (6) @Dangerous Maknae (6.5) @ohnostalgia (7) @Yeziirl, @Crafty, @PopZeitgeist, @Sprockrooster, @ry123, @Remorque
SHAMAN SUPERSTAR: 10
LEADERBOARD EVOLUTION:
All of them made the top 20...
But today, we're finally saying goodbye to one of them...
FEEL GOOD (SECRET CODE)
fromis_9
8.65000
ZENITH: (11) @savilizabeths (10) @eatyourself, @Serg., @Shockbox, @Cotton Park, @junglefish, @ysev, @Newbie Four, @ryjm, @RUNAWAY, @codecat, @thommyh, @Reboot, @BEST FICTION, @ultraviolet, @Joli Chat, @An Insider, @Rainbow Trousers, @Slice of Life (9.75) @vague (9.5) @Hurricane Drunk, @Love Deluxe, @KimLippington, @He, @Music Is Death (9.25) @aux (9) @Crisp X, @Memoria, @FunkyButChic, @roblognick, @R92, @enjoy, @Kuhleezi, @Wills, @tea, @Oleander, @Empty Shoebox, @TéléDex, @GeiPanda
NADIR: (4.5) @askew (5) @Trinu 3.0, @Vixen (5.5) @Sanctuary (6) @Dangerous Maknae (6.5) @ohnostalgia (7) @Yeziirl, @Crafty, @PopZeitgeist, @Sprockrooster, @ry123, @Remorque
SHAMAN SUPERSTAR: 10
LEADERBOARD EVOLUTION:
10 voters: 19
20 voters: 13
30 voters: 14
40 voters: 15
50 voters: 14
60 voters: 18
70 voters: 20
20 voters: 13
30 voters: 14
40 voters: 15
50 voters: 14
60 voters: 18
70 voters: 20
We start the painful process of culling the top 20 with the elimination of one of the best songs of 2020, fromis_9's Feel Good (Secret Code). The way this was safely in the top 15 for more than half of the voting period... only for the last 20 voters to kick it out. Talent lost!
Feel Good (Secret Code) is the comeback single of fromis_9 after a year and three months of hiatus. It was the lead single of the group's third mini album, My Little Society. It was written by Cho Sim and Seo Ji-eum and composed by Lee Soo-min (collapsedone) (!!!), Justin Reinstein and J. Jean. Feel Good (Secret Code) did not enter the Gaon Digital Chart top 200, but peaked at number 27 and 83 on the component Download and BGM Charts, respectively.
Y'all truly have no idea how *obsessed* I was with this song during its release month. It was released the same month as Everglow's La Di Da and you best believe I hammered these two like my life depended on it. I was never a huge fromis_9 stan. At first, I didn't really follow them because I foolishly thought they were also a temporary group like IZ*ONE. It turned out they were actually permanent group so it was like a go-signal for me to finally invest emotions on them ffffff. And while I thought DKDK and Love Bomb were great singles, the stench of Fun! stopped me from fully becoming a flover. So when it was announced that they were coming back after a long hiatus, I was happy for the group and the fans but not really excited for the music. But then they released Feel Good (Secret Code)... and now I'm finally a stan. That's the power of a legendary song.
Feel Good (Secret Code) is a song that had to grow on me. I mean, on first listen, I thought it was definitely good but not exactly excellent. But everything clicked on my second listen. I thought it was the perfect balance of fromis_9's past and present. It retained fromis_9's signature bright persona but it's also a necessary step towards a more mature image for the group. Does that make sense? It reminds me of Twice's journey towards maturity. It's very subtle but once you notice it, it will be hard to miss. I thought Feel Good (Secret Code) was the perfect song to relaunch fromis_9 after such a long absence from the limelight.
And for what it's worth, listening to Feel Good (Secret Code) really does make me feel good. It's such a burst of joy that every time I listen to it, I feel energized, I feel alive, I feel like I can do anything, really. It has a reassuring quality to it that (f)promises, "it's gonna be alright." And for once, I actually believe it. If that pre-chorus + chorus combo doesn't make you feel good, I don't think I can trust you. You're probably a robot or whatever.
Thankfully, we don't have to wait that long for fromis_9's follow-up to Feel Good (Secret Code). They will be releasing their new single on May 17th and judging from the teaser, I think we're in for a treat. It already sounds fucking massive and I've only heard the instrumental ashmfgsdhf. Didn't I tell y'all I'm a huge stan now?
Let's start the commentary section with Vixen who had the audacity to say this about Feel Good (Secret Code): "This is less than a 5 in my mind, but I know that if I score it any lower, I won't stop hearing about it… ooof... Leave me alone pls!!" Less than a 5??? I'll pray for you Kathi- you and that disgusting mouth of yours. God bless. I also didn't expect this betrayal from ohnostalgia: "I wish they’d pitched the song down a bitsy." Who are you??? Ana Raquel is also dead in my book, for today at least: "This faded on me quite a bit ever since its release. I think it was due to being overplayed on plug dj."
"Now THIS is a comeback," RUNAWAY assesses. "After Fun, I didn’t think they would get here again, so I’m pleasantly surprised." Maybe we should follow Memoria and forget Fun!'s existence?: "I'm pretending Fun never happened and they went straight from Love Bomb to this. Feels good." Sounds good. Joli Chat is back with another existential thought: "I wonder what the “Feel so gooood!” bit is about… Definitely not about being trapped in a dungeon for a year." Bye. Even Salami who hates the group's name can't deny Feel Good (Secret Code)'s beauty: "I hate this group’s name, it’s so stupid. But this song isn’t, really is a feel good song." Maybe you can try this name coined by aux?: "felony_9 did what they had to do with this bop."
eccentricsimply celebrates the little things: "Not gonna lie I completely forgot this was released ddddd But it's a great song! and just knowing fromis is alive is like... Good for them!" Joining the celebration is Wills who says: "Ughhh it’s so good to have them be so good again." Spill. I think you have to reevaluate fromis_9's back catalogue, Shockbox: "This is the only song of theirs that I like. It's just so much fun!" boombazookajoe feels the serotonin kicking in: "How JOYFUL!" Also feeling joyful is clowezra: "What an absolute joy! That chorus is undeniable." It really is.
Empty Shoebox says #JusticeforFeelGood: "The song and album didn't exactly bomb, but I still feel that it deserved more success. It certainly deserved to outsell 'Fun Factory'. Anyway, I think my favourite thing about this song is the way that the instrumental and vocals meet at the right times. It's a very nice combination. Their record label had better not dungeon them again." Crisp X is feeling regretful: "I regretfully neglected this song starting from the week after it came out. It didn’t help that it’s a summer bop that was released quite late!" Summer bops are for all seasons, silly! And Feel Good (Secret Code) has successfully snuck up on vague: "took a while to grow on me, but now it's a firm fave. u know I'm right." TALENT!
"Would it be to corny to say that this song makes me feel good?," evilsin asks and no, it isn't so go ahead. "Doesn't matter, I guess, since I already said it." Kuhleezi forgives Feel Good (Secret Code)'s not-groundbreaking nature: "Production is a bit 'groovy guitars? for happiness? groundbreaking' but Kenya voice I cannot make the music not bop." eatyourself just might be more obsessed with Feel Good (Secret Code) than me: "If my subconscious were the one to pick a superbyeol, this song would be it. Definition of living in my head rent free, this song became a staple for who I am!" Live your truth, mawma! And I know Rainbow Trousers is definitely addicted to the song as well: "Na na na na na~"
Finally, let's give the stage to savilizabeths who wrote the sweetest tribute for Feel Good (Secret Code). Take it away, unnie: "I have been a longtime fan of fromis_9 (and am honestly regretful that I didn’t give LOVE BOMB my 11 in my first KPJ rate) so the hiatus was stressful for me. I was constantly scared they would never return. But return they did, bigger and better than ever! I don’t know what I expected from their comeback but it wasn’t this slice of groovy disco goodness. The group transitioned so perfectly from their energetic bubblegum into this more mature, smooth sound. I feel like all of the girls really shone here with so much charisma and really great sounding vocals. I also love that the song doesn’t abandon fromis’ aegyo charms completely. Instead injecting them into the song in small doses throughout. Feel Good remains bright and fun while also showing growth and a new style. I was completely addicted from first listen and within the first week of it’s release, I knew it would receive my 11 in this rate. I just could not stop playing it. I couldn’t stop listening, watching the music video and live stages, singing it around the house. The melodic hooks are all over it and I sincerely hope to see these girls continue doing what they’re doing and killing it like this because this song really does make me feel good and I need more!"
Feel Good (Secret Code) is the comeback single of fromis_9 after a year and three months of hiatus. It was the lead single of the group's third mini album, My Little Society. It was written by Cho Sim and Seo Ji-eum and composed by Lee Soo-min (collapsedone) (!!!), Justin Reinstein and J. Jean. Feel Good (Secret Code) did not enter the Gaon Digital Chart top 200, but peaked at number 27 and 83 on the component Download and BGM Charts, respectively.
Y'all truly have no idea how *obsessed* I was with this song during its release month. It was released the same month as Everglow's La Di Da and you best believe I hammered these two like my life depended on it. I was never a huge fromis_9 stan. At first, I didn't really follow them because I foolishly thought they were also a temporary group like IZ*ONE. It turned out they were actually permanent group so it was like a go-signal for me to finally invest emotions on them ffffff. And while I thought DKDK and Love Bomb were great singles, the stench of Fun! stopped me from fully becoming a flover. So when it was announced that they were coming back after a long hiatus, I was happy for the group and the fans but not really excited for the music. But then they released Feel Good (Secret Code)... and now I'm finally a stan. That's the power of a legendary song.
Feel Good (Secret Code) is a song that had to grow on me. I mean, on first listen, I thought it was definitely good but not exactly excellent. But everything clicked on my second listen. I thought it was the perfect balance of fromis_9's past and present. It retained fromis_9's signature bright persona but it's also a necessary step towards a more mature image for the group. Does that make sense? It reminds me of Twice's journey towards maturity. It's very subtle but once you notice it, it will be hard to miss. I thought Feel Good (Secret Code) was the perfect song to relaunch fromis_9 after such a long absence from the limelight.
And for what it's worth, listening to Feel Good (Secret Code) really does make me feel good. It's such a burst of joy that every time I listen to it, I feel energized, I feel alive, I feel like I can do anything, really. It has a reassuring quality to it that (f)promises, "it's gonna be alright." And for once, I actually believe it. If that pre-chorus + chorus combo doesn't make you feel good, I don't think I can trust you. You're probably a robot or whatever.
Thankfully, we don't have to wait that long for fromis_9's follow-up to Feel Good (Secret Code). They will be releasing their new single on May 17th and judging from the teaser, I think we're in for a treat. It already sounds fucking massive and I've only heard the instrumental ashmfgsdhf. Didn't I tell y'all I'm a huge stan now?
Let's start the commentary section with Vixen who had the audacity to say this about Feel Good (Secret Code): "This is less than a 5 in my mind, but I know that if I score it any lower, I won't stop hearing about it… ooof... Leave me alone pls!!" Less than a 5??? I'll pray for you Kathi- you and that disgusting mouth of yours. God bless. I also didn't expect this betrayal from ohnostalgia: "I wish they’d pitched the song down a bitsy." Who are you??? Ana Raquel is also dead in my book, for today at least: "This faded on me quite a bit ever since its release. I think it was due to being overplayed on plug dj."
"Now THIS is a comeback," RUNAWAY assesses. "After Fun, I didn’t think they would get here again, so I’m pleasantly surprised." Maybe we should follow Memoria and forget Fun!'s existence?: "I'm pretending Fun never happened and they went straight from Love Bomb to this. Feels good." Sounds good. Joli Chat is back with another existential thought: "I wonder what the “Feel so gooood!” bit is about… Definitely not about being trapped in a dungeon for a year." Bye. Even Salami who hates the group's name can't deny Feel Good (Secret Code)'s beauty: "I hate this group’s name, it’s so stupid. But this song isn’t, really is a feel good song." Maybe you can try this name coined by aux?: "felony_9 did what they had to do with this bop."
eccentricsimply celebrates the little things: "Not gonna lie I completely forgot this was released ddddd But it's a great song! and just knowing fromis is alive is like... Good for them!" Joining the celebration is Wills who says: "Ughhh it’s so good to have them be so good again." Spill. I think you have to reevaluate fromis_9's back catalogue, Shockbox: "This is the only song of theirs that I like. It's just so much fun!" boombazookajoe feels the serotonin kicking in: "How JOYFUL!" Also feeling joyful is clowezra: "What an absolute joy! That chorus is undeniable." It really is.
Empty Shoebox says #JusticeforFeelGood: "The song and album didn't exactly bomb, but I still feel that it deserved more success. It certainly deserved to outsell 'Fun Factory'. Anyway, I think my favourite thing about this song is the way that the instrumental and vocals meet at the right times. It's a very nice combination. Their record label had better not dungeon them again." Crisp X is feeling regretful: "I regretfully neglected this song starting from the week after it came out. It didn’t help that it’s a summer bop that was released quite late!" Summer bops are for all seasons, silly! And Feel Good (Secret Code) has successfully snuck up on vague: "took a while to grow on me, but now it's a firm fave. u know I'm right." TALENT!
"Would it be to corny to say that this song makes me feel good?," evilsin asks and no, it isn't so go ahead. "Doesn't matter, I guess, since I already said it." Kuhleezi forgives Feel Good (Secret Code)'s not-groundbreaking nature: "Production is a bit 'groovy guitars? for happiness? groundbreaking' but Kenya voice I cannot make the music not bop." eatyourself just might be more obsessed with Feel Good (Secret Code) than me: "If my subconscious were the one to pick a superbyeol, this song would be it. Definition of living in my head rent free, this song became a staple for who I am!" Live your truth, mawma! And I know Rainbow Trousers is definitely addicted to the song as well: "Na na na na na~"
Finally, let's give the stage to savilizabeths who wrote the sweetest tribute for Feel Good (Secret Code). Take it away, unnie: "I have been a longtime fan of fromis_9 (and am honestly regretful that I didn’t give LOVE BOMB my 11 in my first KPJ rate) so the hiatus was stressful for me. I was constantly scared they would never return. But return they did, bigger and better than ever! I don’t know what I expected from their comeback but it wasn’t this slice of groovy disco goodness. The group transitioned so perfectly from their energetic bubblegum into this more mature, smooth sound. I feel like all of the girls really shone here with so much charisma and really great sounding vocals. I also love that the song doesn’t abandon fromis’ aegyo charms completely. Instead injecting them into the song in small doses throughout. Feel Good remains bright and fun while also showing growth and a new style. I was completely addicted from first listen and within the first week of it’s release, I knew it would receive my 11 in this rate. I just could not stop playing it. I couldn’t stop listening, watching the music video and live stages, singing it around the house. The melodic hooks are all over it and I sincerely hope to see these girls continue doing what they’re doing and killing it like this because this song really does make me feel good and I need more!"
she/her
You lot don't deserve fromis.
F
Fertilizer
This was still here?? It’s good, but not that good.
Me being tagged. Only to find out I am a lowest scorer with a 7. We will be crossing the 9-mark before the top 10 at this point and honestly... wig.
any
An anthem! A vesper! An act of contrition!
Well I didn't realize you were still here how about that.
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ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
I really think the key doesn’t suit them!!!! I have to live my truth.
This rate has made me like a Twice song. Maybe there is hope for me. Better clicked today while on the crosstrainer.
Slice of Life
Staff member
Today is the day.
DIVER
YooA
8.68571
SUPERBYEOL: @BEST FICTION
ZENITH: (10) @Memoria, @Cotton Park, @Luck, @evilsin, @Newbie Four, @RUNAWAY, @codecat, @thommyh, @junkos, @roblognick, @aux, @Reboot, @BEST FICTION, @KimLippington, @enjoy, @He, @Wills, @eliminathan, @Vixen, @Joli Chat, @TéléDex, @Rainbow Trousers, @Music Is Death, @Slice of Life (9.75) @Oleander (9.5) @FunkyButChic, @R92, @tea (9.25) @vague (9) @ryjm, @Crafty, @Ana Raquel, @Monkey0, @yuuurei, @Trinu 3.0, @ohnostalgia, @askew
NADIR: (5) @Serg., @Sprockrooster (6) @Shockbox, @Yeziirl, @ultraviolet (6.5) @Dangerous Maknae, @OspreyQueen (7) @soratami, @clowezra, @ry123, @Empty Shoebox
SHAMAN SUPERSTAR: 10
LEADERBOARD EVOLUTION:
10 voters: 53
20 voters: 45
30 voters: 31
40 voters: 23
50 voters: 20
60 voters: 20
70 voters: 19
20 voters: 45
30 voters: 31
40 voters: 23
50 voters: 20
60 voters: 20
70 voters: 19
And the second best Superbyeol Song according to 70 voters is none other than YooA's Diver. Not bad for a non-single huh. Diver is taken from YooA's first mini album, Bon Voyage. It was written by Seo Jung Ah and composed by Adam Kapit, Anesha Birchett, Antea Shelton and Fredro Odesjo.
When it was announced that YooA was gonna debut as a soloist, I had mixed feelings. I was happy for the good sis because out of all the Oh My Girl ladies, I always thought YooA had the biggest potential as a soloist. I mean, have y'all seen her U-Go-Girl performance? She ate. But I was also apprehensive (?) because I felt like it was bad timing. Oh My Girl just scored the two biggest songs of their career, Nonstop and Dolphin, and I thought it would've been better if they struck while the iron is hot and released another single. But hey, if YooA released good music, that's more than fine with me. And she did release good music so good for her and for us!
And while I thought her actual debut solo single, Bon Voyage, was good enough, it left a lot to be desired... and I'm not even talking about its ethnic pop concept ffffff. It just wasn't the bombastic single I was expecting from Miss Yoo. Thankfully, her whole album is a serve and it contained a song that easily should've been her single. Yes, I'm talking about the one and only Diver. Oh my god, literally how is this not chosen as the single? It just didn't make sense. Diver is too good to be relegated as an album track that until now hasn't received one full live performance. The disrespect towards Miss Diver is far too much. That's why I'm so, so happy that the K-Popjustice subforum has celebrated Diver so much to the point that we're willing to pretend it's the actual single. Love that for us.
If I have to describe Diver in one word, it would be "relentless." Girls, this song just doesn't fucking stop. From the first second, it was clear Miss Diver was born to stomp. The production makes it impossible not to bop along to. @eccentricsimply mentions this below but I'll say it here too: that chorus just keeps going and going. When YooA sings that "...is your looooooove for me" part, it feels like heaven is opening up. And we can't not talk about that roaring middle 8 as well because, I mean, YooA proves she's a singer. Her job is to sing! The way she peppered that last chorus with at least two million ad libs??? Iconique.
YooA's actual single, Bon Voyage, actually did pretty well and peaked at number 44 on the Gaon Digital Chart. So I expect YooA to release more solo music in the upcoming years. I just hope she picks a more Diver-like song as her single next time around. Let's start praying for that, unnies.
The only negative - and it's not even that negative - commentary received by Diver is from Empty Shoebox: "I like the bassline, but I feel that the song relies on it a touch too much. It's enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but there are a number of songs that I enjoy more." I think this is fair because that definitely really does the heavy lifting here. That and YooA's solid vocal performance. I'll also put Salami's comment here because although it's positive, he only gave Diver a score of 7.5: "Yeah this definitely should’ve been the single. The mini was great and this was the best song on there. She is a star though ain’t she, I hope she gets another go." Explain yourself!
RUNAWAY, who is one of the biggest Oh My Girl antis on KPJ, can't deny Diver's power: "YooA is SERVING! Literally HOW was this not the title track over that problematic ass song?! I can’t believe my ass is stanning Oh My Girl adjacent tracks...." And you love it! Joli Chat bows down and surrenders to Diver too: "Hate to admit it but, wow… this is such a bop! Also, yes Yooa Matcha IS real! UUUUUUUUUuuuu." Diver grew on Luck, as it should: "I thought it was just good at first but now I see it as the 10 it deserves." eccentricsimply promos Abracadabra, another song that's better than Bon Voyage: "I'm personally a bigger fan of Abracadabra than Diver but those two tracks are really highlights. I love the chorus, love how it just keeps going and going." And ohnostalgia rebukes the ethnic serve of YooA: "Did the world need more “ethnic cool”? I didn’t think so. Diver would’ve saved us."
savilizabeths gives props to the production: "The production on this has such a groove to it. It’s such a bouncy summer bop with some really lovely vocals and harmonies. It really is a shame YooA wasn’t given a more interesting title track more along these lines." Music Is Death too: "Love the guitars and the synths in the production on this." evilsin drags Calvin Harris and co.: ""How Deep Is Your Love?" by Calvin Harris and Disciples found rotting in a ditch." Crisp X hears 90s: "The instrumental giving strong 90s beat ‘em all soundtrack vibes. If this doesn’t pump you up…" roblognick hears 80s however: "I love this. I think this has an 80s R&B vibe. The start / stop rhythm in the chorus blending into the smooth."
vague is disappointed with the single choice: "why tf wasn't this the title track?" Miss Yoo was sabotaged. Newbie Four gives us Korean tutorial: "In addition to overall song style, something is going on in sound of lyrics themselves. "how deep" 4x. "balkkeutkkaji"->"haeoji"->"eopji"->"easy". "yeokshi"->"gunggeumhaji"->"eopshi"->"ppajin" "maldo"->"malgo" "yatbo(-)atgetji ijen" "eoseo uri"->"ppajyeo it’s real" Sometimes rhyming, sometimes play with sounds. Lines in lyrics in actual song are like split into few short lines. Maybe it is similar to singing rap lyrics, instead of rapping." yuuurei left this gif as her reaction and yes, I agree.
Vixen should be happy with Diver's ranking in the rate: "Literally KSOTY. If this isn't Top 20 AT THE VERY LEAST… This song drives me mad - in a very positive way. It's just absolutely bonkers in the most perfect and adequate ways. It's ridiculous how groovy this is. VERY VERY VERY good." aux almost gave Diver his 11: "Easily one of the best b-sides of the year. It is beyond me why her label didn’t release this as the title track with a disco concept instead of… what we got. I’m not kidding, this song gives me chills during the chorus and the fucking incredible bridge. This is a SHOOT. I was this close to giving it my 11." YATHHHH 2 EVERYTHING! thommyh simply calls Diver: "ONE OF THE BEST B-SIDES OF ALL TIME." Amen.
And since this is his first 10 to fall, I'm gonna give Memoria the ending fairy slot: "I had zero expectations for a YooA solo but I was floored when I heard this. If she told me she would have the best solo song of 2020 I would've thought she was back on her mythomania shit again. It sounds nothing like what the other girls are doing these days and it even puts her own group's 2020 to shame. Almost got my 11." Not you bringing up her mythomania mshfhsdgfjsdhgfh I H8 U!!!
When it was announced that YooA was gonna debut as a soloist, I had mixed feelings. I was happy for the good sis because out of all the Oh My Girl ladies, I always thought YooA had the biggest potential as a soloist. I mean, have y'all seen her U-Go-Girl performance? She ate. But I was also apprehensive (?) because I felt like it was bad timing. Oh My Girl just scored the two biggest songs of their career, Nonstop and Dolphin, and I thought it would've been better if they struck while the iron is hot and released another single. But hey, if YooA released good music, that's more than fine with me. And she did release good music so good for her and for us!
And while I thought her actual debut solo single, Bon Voyage, was good enough, it left a lot to be desired... and I'm not even talking about its ethnic pop concept ffffff. It just wasn't the bombastic single I was expecting from Miss Yoo. Thankfully, her whole album is a serve and it contained a song that easily should've been her single. Yes, I'm talking about the one and only Diver. Oh my god, literally how is this not chosen as the single? It just didn't make sense. Diver is too good to be relegated as an album track that until now hasn't received one full live performance. The disrespect towards Miss Diver is far too much. That's why I'm so, so happy that the K-Popjustice subforum has celebrated Diver so much to the point that we're willing to pretend it's the actual single. Love that for us.
If I have to describe Diver in one word, it would be "relentless." Girls, this song just doesn't fucking stop. From the first second, it was clear Miss Diver was born to stomp. The production makes it impossible not to bop along to. @eccentricsimply mentions this below but I'll say it here too: that chorus just keeps going and going. When YooA sings that "...is your looooooove for me" part, it feels like heaven is opening up. And we can't not talk about that roaring middle 8 as well because, I mean, YooA proves she's a singer. Her job is to sing! The way she peppered that last chorus with at least two million ad libs??? Iconique.
YooA's actual single, Bon Voyage, actually did pretty well and peaked at number 44 on the Gaon Digital Chart. So I expect YooA to release more solo music in the upcoming years. I just hope she picks a more Diver-like song as her single next time around. Let's start praying for that, unnies.
The only negative - and it's not even that negative - commentary received by Diver is from Empty Shoebox: "I like the bassline, but I feel that the song relies on it a touch too much. It's enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but there are a number of songs that I enjoy more." I think this is fair because that definitely really does the heavy lifting here. That and YooA's solid vocal performance. I'll also put Salami's comment here because although it's positive, he only gave Diver a score of 7.5: "Yeah this definitely should’ve been the single. The mini was great and this was the best song on there. She is a star though ain’t she, I hope she gets another go." Explain yourself!
RUNAWAY, who is one of the biggest Oh My Girl antis on KPJ, can't deny Diver's power: "YooA is SERVING! Literally HOW was this not the title track over that problematic ass song?! I can’t believe my ass is stanning Oh My Girl adjacent tracks...." And you love it! Joli Chat bows down and surrenders to Diver too: "Hate to admit it but, wow… this is such a bop! Also, yes Yooa Matcha IS real! UUUUUUUUUuuuu." Diver grew on Luck, as it should: "I thought it was just good at first but now I see it as the 10 it deserves." eccentricsimply promos Abracadabra, another song that's better than Bon Voyage: "I'm personally a bigger fan of Abracadabra than Diver but those two tracks are really highlights. I love the chorus, love how it just keeps going and going." And ohnostalgia rebukes the ethnic serve of YooA: "Did the world need more “ethnic cool”? I didn’t think so. Diver would’ve saved us."
savilizabeths gives props to the production: "The production on this has such a groove to it. It’s such a bouncy summer bop with some really lovely vocals and harmonies. It really is a shame YooA wasn’t given a more interesting title track more along these lines." Music Is Death too: "Love the guitars and the synths in the production on this." evilsin drags Calvin Harris and co.: ""How Deep Is Your Love?" by Calvin Harris and Disciples found rotting in a ditch." Crisp X hears 90s: "The instrumental giving strong 90s beat ‘em all soundtrack vibes. If this doesn’t pump you up…" roblognick hears 80s however: "I love this. I think this has an 80s R&B vibe. The start / stop rhythm in the chorus blending into the smooth."
vague is disappointed with the single choice: "why tf wasn't this the title track?" Miss Yoo was sabotaged. Newbie Four gives us Korean tutorial: "In addition to overall song style, something is going on in sound of lyrics themselves. "how deep" 4x. "balkkeutkkaji"->"haeoji"->"eopji"->"easy". "yeokshi"->"gunggeumhaji"->"eopshi"->"ppajin" "maldo"->"malgo" "yatbo(-)atgetji ijen" "eoseo uri"->"ppajyeo it’s real" Sometimes rhyming, sometimes play with sounds. Lines in lyrics in actual song are like split into few short lines. Maybe it is similar to singing rap lyrics, instead of rapping." yuuurei left this gif as her reaction and yes, I agree.
Vixen should be happy with Diver's ranking in the rate: "Literally KSOTY. If this isn't Top 20 AT THE VERY LEAST… This song drives me mad - in a very positive way. It's just absolutely bonkers in the most perfect and adequate ways. It's ridiculous how groovy this is. VERY VERY VERY good." aux almost gave Diver his 11: "Easily one of the best b-sides of the year. It is beyond me why her label didn’t release this as the title track with a disco concept instead of… what we got. I’m not kidding, this song gives me chills during the chorus and the fucking incredible bridge. This is a SHOOT. I was this close to giving it my 11." YATHHHH 2 EVERYTHING! thommyh simply calls Diver: "ONE OF THE BEST B-SIDES OF ALL TIME." Amen.
And since this is his first 10 to fall, I'm gonna give Memoria the ending fairy slot: "I had zero expectations for a YooA solo but I was floored when I heard this. If she told me she would have the best solo song of 2020 I would've thought she was back on her mythomania shit again. It sounds nothing like what the other girls are doing these days and it even puts her own group's 2020 to shame. Almost got my 11." Not you bringing up her mythomania mshfhsdgfjsdhgfh I H8 U!!!
I'm so happy it made it to Top 20, as it deserved. Should've outlasted Failien, but I can't complain with this result.
Stream DUN DUN DANCE in 17 hours.
Stream DUN DUN DANCE in 17 hours.
Dream of Poo outlasting Diver & Feel Good? There is no hope for you guys.
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Moaning about Chungha when there's a literal shit in a sink left?
Ok, Alien isn't that bad.
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Okay well, now that we've ripped off the bandaid, Alien can leave. But not before Dream of You.
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Other songs are available, and they are a dirge that I had to force myself to listen to them in full.
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Dream of Grammys and Alien really riling the girls up this morning. That’s what Top 10 Songs do.
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Spill