Along with KARA, Nine Muses are one of the two long-lasting kpop girl groups to have paired with production team Sweetune more often than not. This instantly makes them important to me, as the sound of their music is directly to my taste. They’ve had an incredibly consistent singles run, with even their non-Sweetune tracks impressing. That being said, the song at the top of my list might surprise you.

10. Drama (2015)

Their first title track without Sweetune since their debut, but it manages to retain the fun, frothy disco pop feel of their best material.

9. Dolls (2013)

Taking a slower, sexier approach, the group proved their sound was agile enough to successfully accommodate the shift to a more mature concept.

8. Sleepless Night (2015)

Pairing with mega-producer Brave Brothers, he gave them an ethereal sound and a song untethered from traditional verse/chorus structure. Of all their singles, it’s a total grower.

7. Glue (2013)

Glue updated their glossy pop template with a healthy dose of vocoder-assisted disco funk and topped it with one of the group’s most nuanced hooks.

6. Gun (2013)

Adding a touch of spaghetti western guitar to an already addictive chorus, Gun makes full use of the girls’ tight, layered harmonies and nimble hooks.

5. News (2012)

One of their more conventional sounding kpop singles, but its potent melody and propulsive synth production makes it anything but forgettable.

4. Ticket (2012)

With the most lethally catchy hook in their arsenal, Ticket trades on a frantic, synth-assisted melody that builds to constant, euphoric crescendos.

3. Wild (2013)

Pure Sweetune through and through, and that’s why I love it so much. From its unflagging beat to the insistent wall of layered vocals, the song never lets up.

2. Figaro (2011)

The first time the girls displayed their full potential, aided by a supple synth beat and a deceptively simple hook. It remains at the forefront of their discography. They’re rarely sounded funkier.

1. Hurt Locker (2015)

Ironically, Nine Muses’ best single doesn’t come from Sweetune, but sounds almost like it could have. Released after the group’s commercial prime, Hurt Locker was crushed under the weight of competing girl group releases by bigger names. It’s unfair, because the commanding synth beat and tunnel of vocals that make up Hurt Locker‘s transcendent dance-pop hook deserve all the praise and recognition they can get. It’s a perfect representation of what this genre should strive to be, and a vital jolt of energy.

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