open discussion

Open Discussion (August 21, 2022)

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Open DiscussionIt’s Sunday, which means it’s time to end the week with an open discussion post!

To keep things civil, there are a few rules:

  1. Be kind and respectful to one another. Any harassing language will be deleted.
  2. This is not a place to state what you don’t like about me and/or my blog. Move elsewhere, trolls.
  3. Video/gif/image embedding is totally fine. Just try to limit yourself to a couple per comment. Otherwise my moderation filter goes crazy.

Each week, I’ll open with a question to get the conversation going. Feel free to chat about anything, but if you’re not sure what to write you can use this question as a starting point.

This week’s question:

Let’s shine a spotlight on vocalists! Who are your favorite K-pop vocalists, and is there a specific song or performance that really shows off their talent?

57 thoughts on “Open Discussion (August 21, 2022)”

  1. Unsurprisingly, my picks will be Kim Sungkyu and Nam Woohyun – both from Infinite. They’re the perfect blend of contrast and compliment, both quite different in style but so incredible in their own ways and a total knockout when together.

    As far as videos go, I could post a million of them but luckily someone on youtube already edited together a sizzle reel of highlights! It starts and ends with their awesome duo version of Infinite’s Between Me And You.

    They don’t make ‘em like this anymore!

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  3. YUJU. I love her style of singing. It sounds so rich and full. I even try to imitate it but no avail.

    Peak Yuju!

    Yuju woke up and chose violence.

    She was unstoppable.

    I miss this type of Yuju but I also understands that her technique back then was kind of dangerous in the long run. Just pair her with violin, electric guitars, and great melody, and she will be fine. Take note, Konnect.

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  5. SHINee’s onew and jonghyun. i don’t think there’s anyone whose voice i love as much as onew’s.

    This song and live versions of it are really close to my heart.

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  6. I’m not as into the more “vocal driven” 2nd gen groups, so I’ll say my favorite is Seungmin of Stray Kids. I know he isn’t the best in terms of technique/range/whatever but there’s something about his voice that connects with me. That Love Poem performance on Kingdom was great.

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    • I think in that Love Poem performance there was a bit of a noticeable gap in skill between him and the other singers, but I know what you mean! I think he has a lot of passion and it’s clear that he cares so much about singing and I find him so endearing for it. Even if he isn’t the best (for now) I’ll always be rooting for him. Hoping JYP can give him the proper support he needs so he can keep progressing because imo he has a lot of potential and clearly loves singing.

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      • Yes that’s exactly what I love about him, you put it into words so succinctly! It’s definitely his dedication and passion for singing that makes him stand out.

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  8. DK from Seventeen is definitely among my all-time favorites, and if I had to choose just one it’d probably be him. There’s just something about his voice that I love – so powerful and expressive. Habit is one of my favorite Seventeen songs, and his performance in it is incredible, especially live!

    Also a huge fan of EXO’s whole vocal line and D.O in particular. What is Love has remained my unbeatable #1 K-Pop ballad for 10 years now and D.O sounds incredible on it.

    Baritones are my biggest weakness and I want more of them in K-Pop, so I also have bit of a soft spot for Jaehyun from NCT – his voice is gorgeous and so soothing. His cover of I Like Me Better is a comfort song for me for sure.

    Last but certainly not least, Shinee is one of the groups that got be into K-Pop, and it was in large part because of how much I love Jonghyun’s voice. I can’t even pick a favorite.

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  9. 1 of 2: DK of Seventeen. The group songs do nothing to show off his talent. His musical work is just wow.

    ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLNrsnhXiiQ

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  11. For me, I’m not so into vocal discourse. The song always comes first to me, I can think of groups with great vocalists but terribly boring music. That said, I do concede that a great vocalist can push a very good song into greatness. Anyway, some of my favorites.

    Dreamcatcher’s Siyeon. Of course she has to be on this list. She’s not quite as technically proficient as some of her most ardent stans make her out to be (I do think she is very good though), but her vocal color is unmistakable and she is the exact kind of main vocalist that Dreamcatcher needs.

    My favorite vocal performance of hers? Tough call. Either her hitting those whistle notes in MINX’s debut (which I understand may be hard to put in a Dreamcatcher song), or this.

    N.Flying’s Hweseung and FTISLAND’s Hongki. I adore them respectively for their music, but if we want vocal performances, here’s this rare clip of them doing Still Love You:

    Yeah Hweseung doesn’t quite do the full run in one breath but that’s okay! My delulu ass keeps hoping for another FNC x Happyface collab to succeed Hongki x Subin, with Hweseung and Siyeon being the obvious heir apparents. I don’t know if this will ever happen, but I will evaporate out of happiness.

    ATEEZ’s Jongho. Probably my favorite 4th gen vocalist, and he’s pushed me into actually stanning ATEEZ despite my reluctance to take in new groups and my love-hate relationship with their music. I mean, look at this:

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  12. Wendy from Red Velvet and Yoon from Winner will always do it for me. They convey a level of passion that you can hear regardless of the song’s style. I also appreciate that their vocal performances help elevate the songs of their groups without overshadowing the other members

    Wendy’s opening lines from :06 to :20 and closing high notes and adlibs from 2:48 to 3:04 (which also includes some a great adlib from Seulgi) just gives me chills every time I listen to the track. Her performance, along with the amazing group chorus, makes this my favorite Red Velvet song.

    Yoon just is brilliant throughout the whole track. His emotional delivery just takes it to another level and makes the song a heartfelt display of synergy for Winner, which is welcomed within the context of the album this song is on (This is a part of their full-length album that is more known for trendy, upbeat songs like Everyday, Air and Hello).

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  14. DK from SVT has such warmth and breadth in his tone. I believe Seungkwan is considered better technically but DK’s voice just makes me feel more.

    Donghun from A.C.E is very emotional and expressive, he’s the epitome of that “sings like he’s been through x number of divorces” saying.

    Xiaojun from WayV is underrated but has my favorite voice in NCT, he has great range and effortlessly hits high notes.

    Seoho from ONEUS is my favorite 4th gen vocalist (if you don’t count WayV), he’s an all-rounder who can sing pretty much anything.

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  15. DK from SVT has such warmth and breadth in his tone. I believe Seungkwan is considered better technically but DK’s voice just makes me feel more.

    Donghun from A.C.E is very emotional and expressive, he’s the epitome of that “sings like he’s been through x number of divorces” saying.

    Xiaojun from WayV is underrated but has my favorite voice in NCT, he has great range and effortlessly hits high notes.

    Seoho from ONEUS is my favorite 4th gen vocalist (if you don’t count WayV), he’s an all-rounder who can sing pretty much anything.

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  16. I’m a SM stan when it comes to vocals (and a very basic kpop stan at that haha). My pick would definitely be Baekhyun and Taeyeon.

    Baekhyun’s voice is just so playful, emotional and strong.

    Taeyeon always has the right mix of power vocals and emotional singing. I love her solo work, but somehow the end of Genie always gets to me because of her singing.

    Then, I also like DK’s vocals, he can make a fan song like Thanks really shine.

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  17. Male:

    Chen (EXO) – anything!

    Jongho (Ateez) – “Answer” would be my highlight

    V (BTS) – “Fake Love” “On” “Black Swan”

    T.O.P. (Big Bang) – most all of his rap parts in their songs

    Female:

    Kim BoA (former Spica, active KeemBo) – anything!….check out “Painkiller” “Russian Roulette” “Since You’re Our of My Life” “Lonely” “You Don’t Love Me” and “Break Away”

    Queen Hyolyn (former Sistar) – everything, especially “Alone” “Gone Not Around Any Longer” and “Hello Vietnam”

    YeonJung (WJSN) – anything, especially her parts in their latest album, Last Sequence

    Solar (Mamamoo) – most all of her parts in their songs, and even the song “Honey Bee” that she did with Luna and Hani

    Taeyeon (Girls’ Generation) – most all of her GG parts, and many of her solo cuts, like “Sparke” and “Find Me”

    Eunji (A-Pink) – most all of her parts in their songs, especially “No No No” “Eung Eung” and “Dumhdurum”

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  18. SHINee’s Like A Fire live stage changed my life. Sherlock too.

    Jonghyun, Onew, and even Key have such great voices.

    To this day Jonghyun still has one of the most interesting, unique, and recognizable tones I’ve ever heard. And he was genuinely so talented with his voice as well. He was incredible and I think he is one of the only idols that is earnestly incomparable. There really will never be another idol like Jonghyun.

    Taemin always had such a nice tone and it’s impressive how much progress he’s made over the years. I think one of the best parts of his song Criminal is his vocals. He really goes off in that final chorus and gives such an amazing performance. From being at the bottom of everyone’s singer tier lists back in the day to being a main vocal in SuperM besides Baekhyun is so crazy.

    I’ve always loved Key’s voice and wished he wasn’t pushed into rapping as much as he was in SHINee, so getting his solo music was great. Wish he would lean into his deeper tone more, but idk what I was expecting as most pop music prefers it the other way.

    Red Velvet’s Wendy has a great tone and is a great singer as well. Her instagram livestreams where she sings along to Beyonce songs are always a treat. Although it doesn’t really fit her personality it’s my dream for SM to give her a big, bold, diva-style solo. Idk if anyone else feels this way but I could feel a bit of 2000’s Beyonce in her runs/climax in Like Water.

    Young K and Sungjin from Day6 are great too. I love the raspiness of Sungjin’s voice and the two are some of my personal favorites tone-wise.

    Hyolyn from Sistar is wonderful as well. Just wish she would come out with songs that showed it more.

    Gotta mention my Dreamcatcher girls as well. My personal holy trinity of rock vocals aka Siyeon, Sua, and Yoohyeon is so good.

    DK and Woozi from Seventeen are also amazing. DK in particular has great range and versatility and his voice is just perfection. I also just love DK in general so bonus that he also happens to be an exceptional dancer/singer/performer lol.

    Yeonjung and Dayoung from WJSN slay and always deliver in their title tracks.

    Haechan from NCT is super underrated imo and I think he is honestly one of the best singers in NCT (along with Taeil, Doyoung, Xiaojun, and Renjun) He kills it in Superhuman (still their best song btw) and that boy is just so talented it pains me. Normally I don’t like higher voices, especially for guys, but man can that kid sing. He especially thrives in funky/groovy tracks and I wish SM would give NCT more vocal oriented tracks to show off their singers more.

    Suhyun from AKMU is also phenomenal. Was so happy her and Onew did a duet together of my favorite song off his album. Also her solo she came out with while her brother was enlisting was super cute and enjoyable, even if I didn’t like it as much as AKMU’s usual tracks.

    Chuu is great too but doesn’t get much to do in a lot of LOONA’s songs, surprisingly. (or at least the title tracks)

    Seoho (ONEUS) and Jongho (ATEEZ) are my up and coming bg vocalists. Bora (Cherry Bullet) and NingNing (Aespa) are my up and coming gg vocalists.

    I’ve been listening to BerryGood’s Angel a lot recently and it’s made me very depressed that idols don’t really be singing like that in songs at the moment.

    I’ve also been listening to SM the Ballad’s songs a lot and my lord Jonghyun, Kyuhyun, and Jinho in Hot Times is incredible.

    3:10 is insane, SM don’t be making ballads like this no more and it’s a damn shame

    3:30-4:00 is still one of the craziest things, can’t believe Key can do that shit being a baritone and all.

    I would sell my soul to be able to go back in time and witness 2:15 live with my own eyes and ears

    I also hope SM sees the punishment they deserve for putting together some of the baddest bitches of all time into a Kpop group with some of the best singers Kpop has seen and then giving them a song where most of it was weird sing/talk/chanting with some belting in between with GOT the Beat wtf were Taeyeon, Boa, Wendy, and Seulgi gonna do with that awful song pls

    I could keep going but this is already ridiculously long as is so…

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  19. I love so many vocalists. Pretty much everything Baekhyun has ever looked at has been my favorite, and I’m also loving Nine-i’s harmonies these days. Purple Kiss are always good, too. But right now in this moment, I think NCT Dream sing like angels and this song has a Haechan run at the end that has kept it in my top 3 for the whole year.

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  20. oooooo I have so many! I think K-Pop has so many wasted potentials…Not because the vocalists aren’t popular but because the songs do not do many of them justice. For example, I have always appreciated V’s deep tone and voice but the spotlight tends to be on Jungkook (who is a good vocalist too but V’s voice is more memorable to me). I tend to prefer more different tones than vocal ability so my list goes like this:-

    1. BTS’s V and Jimin;
    2. Seventeen’s DK (ok he also EXCELS at vocal ability)
    3. Lee Hi
    4. The Rose’s Wooyoung
    5. Le Sserafim’s Yunjin
    6. Sunmi (she is not known for her vocals I think but I really like her tone)
    7. Exo’s D.O.

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    • ALSO AKMU’S Lee Su-hyun!!! Can’t believe I forgot her. She is such a star to listen to…Love listening to her perform absolutely anything..

      One of my fav. performances of her:-

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      • Haha yes.. when they debuted I liked their music which inevitably led to detailed research…which led to countless hours on youtube where I found her Produce 101 videos. I am surprised she didn’t debut with Iz*one but their music was mostly meh to me so idc. I also like the song that she apparently wrote and produced herself… it’s cute and her voice sounds very good there!

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  21. I love so many vocalists and I see a whole bunch of my favorites already mentioned in most of the comments above – Siyeon, Jongho, Seoho etc etc. I really adore Shinee and BTOB as a whole as well! In fact second and third gen vocalists – I have tons come to mind as my favorites! 😀

    So for now, I’ll mention somebody different who is probably the first person who comes to my mind when I think of fourth generation vocalists in particular!

    Onewe’s Yonghoon! ❤

    I can recommend every single song in their discography for this man really including all their fantastic covers! Even their English song covers because their version of Closer by Chainsmokers is one of my all time fave! ❤

    I’m just gonna drop two videos here anyway of the group covering other songs and where Yonghoon’s parts live rent free in my head!

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  22. By no means a complete list; a few off of the top of my head…

    Taeyeon (SNSD):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-xsUM-T0Z0
    JeA/Gain (BEG):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdH1GwyZJuY
    Sojin/Minah (Girl’s Day):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNmGj53u0_M
    Park Bom (2NE1):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUiMaz4BNKw
    Sojung (LADIES’ CODE):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzJmLwVgKoA
    Jessi (Soloist):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks92LII9FgA
    Joy/Seulgi/Wendy (Red Velvet):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xWiro_tS1k
    Gowoon/Taeha (Berry Good):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzjFXG894YE
    Boa/Bohyung (SPICA):
    – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrIAoajRIUY

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  23. Yonghoon from Onewe. Parting is a special song for me, a lot of it cos of the vocals just hit me right

    And then there’s those soaring parts in Aurora

    Any of their songs really

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  24. Anyone from ONEWE but besides them, New from The Boyz. His high pitched voice sounds really nice especially at 3:33 of this performance

    The high note he delivered was insane and I rarely see anyone talk about his vocals

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  25. Shinee. Shinee are my favorite vocalists and it’s not even close. Even by SM standards they are untouchable in my eyes, and I can’t imagine that will ever change. Onew is my favorite vocalist in all of kpop, Jonghyun’s voice is literally limitless, Key’s voice is insanely versatile, Taemin has improved drastically and is one of my favorite belters in all of kpop. And then you have Minho who is eternally underrated as a singer because in Shinee he’s always last and he’s more often thought of as a rapper. Yet no singer in all of kpop gives me chills the way Minho does. His lower register in particular is heavenly and often makes me quite emotional. Put them all together and well they are simply untouchable.

    As far as my favorite examples go if you’ve never heard Shinee’s Cover of IU’s Dear Name, you should.

    Also addicted to:

    Other Vocalist I love include:
    Heachan, Renjun, Xiaojun, and Kun from NCT. All of NCT is great but these four in particular stand out to me.

    All of ACE, but especially Sehyoon/wow
    Seoho and Keonhee from Oneus (also really love Ravn’s voice as well when he does sing)
    I need a Seoho OST right now.

    Gaho
    Hyuk and Hongbin from Vixx
    Hangyul from Bae173

    Jahan and Dann from Kingdom, eh who am I kidding I love them all.

    Theo and Keeho from P1Harmony (main vocals who have contrasting yet somehow complimentary vocals are a true treasure for any group and I think these two are one of the best pairings)

    AKMU are also fantastic both together and apart.
    Up10tion’s Sunyoul, he was simply made for musical theater.

    Verivery’s Gyehyeon and Yeonho are amazing and drastically underrated among 4th gen vocalists.

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  26. It’s so funny that this is TheBiasList but golcha hasn’t even been mentioned 😭 so i’ll just say it: joochan and y are both amazing and two of my favorite vocalists in kpop. i think joochan is technically better but y has the more distinct voice, i absolutely adore it. I also love Seoho, Jongho, Seunghee and YooA from OMG, and oddly enough, Mia from Everglow — she’s obviously not nearly as technically sound as the rest of them, but she’s got such a distinct voice that fits EG super well. A tad nasal, but that’s the way I like it.

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  28. huh? whats that nick thebiaslist? ur saying u want me. thee choi chanhee evangelist. to dump the new aka choi chanhee aka 1/2 of 11 member group the boyz main vocalists aka 4th gen kpops one and only main vocal slayer agenda onto this open discussion?

    well. u asked

    (him singing in lives in particular make me so happy like they make me feel so soft inside)

    (side note: sunwoos not a bad singer at all either)

    and i could put SO MANY MORE videos here………anyways ist get off ur asses and give my mans more opportunities to show off his vocals

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  29. I’d say it’s a toss up between a few: Wendy from Red Velvet (When This Rain Stops), Taeyeon (I) and Siyeon from Dreamcatcher (Speechless cover)

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  30. I have WAY too many that I love to listen to.

    Solji is a definite. Her voice is just so rich and powerful, and she truly belts it out like no tomorrow. Her cover of “Listen” by Beyoncé is my favorite performance of hers,

    Wendy is just an insane singer. She’s incredibly powerful with a very commanding vocal tone. Her pre-debut “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent still reigns supreme in my heart. Along with the bridge in “Red Flavor”. I mean, that just can’t be matched.

    I adore deeper voices, so Jaehyun is one of my all-time favorites. Him singing “A Whole New World” was just life-changing to 15 year-old me when I first watched it. His newest song really puts the spotlight on his vocal tone and range.

    Kyuhyun is simply unbeatable. His performance of “Y Si Fuera Ella” on KOMS still brings tears to my eyes.

    Sandeul has such a beautifully powerful voice, and his performance on Immortal Songs still makes my heart race.

    Kihyun’s voice is so, so gorgeous. I recall first watching him do his “Lost in the Dream” high note live. I was SMITTEN. His voice is a one-in-a-million type of voice.

    Taeyeon (of course), best vocalist of the nation’s girl group is obviously one of my favorite voices. Her live concert version of “Fine” is just insanely good.

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  31. hi! deviating a little from your weekly question, but since this is the only place i can think to ask, what are your opinions on the songs or soundtrack of Mamoru Hosoda’s ‘Belle?’

    i really enjoy your reviews on jpop songs and groups (and the way you review songs in general) and was kinda wondering if you might have heard the songs from the movie and you throughts on them :DD

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  32. I would say Taeyeon is my favorite “K-pop” vocalist. She may not have a extremely huge range, but she has so much emotion in her singing that she really expresses the story of a song the way a writer imagines it. Her emotional singing reminds me of Whitney Houston (not range), with her ability to connect to a song. To add to this, I really like her voice combined with Jessica’s. To hear the both of them sing together is like hearing two voices that are bonded together, truly a match made in heaven. They harmonize so beautofully together! Jessica also has a voice worth mentioning, it’s so unique and distinct that she adds color to any song she’s on. I do believe that she hasn’t reached her potential yet and has become very stagnant, but hopefully she’ll grow in the future.

    Jonghyun and Onew are two other wonderful vocalists, and their roles are quite similar to Taeyeon and Jessica. I really don’t know what to say about these two because they’re just such phenomenal vocalists. Jonghyun’s voice was also very distinct and unique. I’ve never heard a male vocalist with a tone and color before. And Onew…the guy can sing Opera!

    Though, Park Hyo Shin has to be my absolute favorite Korean vocalist!

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