There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” features, I can average their ratings into one mega-score and place them in a pantheon alongside other acts.
As always, this feature has some rules of its own. I’m including any “Song Review” ratings as part of this graph, including Japanese releases and collaborations with one other artist. I’m not including Buried Treasures or solo/sub-unit releases. For the ratings themselves, I’m using the most current number on this blog, so if a song was part of a “Risers and Fallers” or “Legendary Songs Inauguration” post, that’s the rating you’ll see displayed here. That means there will still be a few ratings here and there I find slightly inaccurate, but it’ll mostly reflect my up-to-date feelings.
Finally, these scores are completely subjective. Feel free to agree, disagree and argue (that’s part of the fun!), but know that this chart reflects the opinion of only one person (me).
Check out AOA’s placement on the ULTIMATE ARTIST RANKING page!
AOA: A Career In Song Ratings
The Breakdown
Highest Rated Songs
Lowest Rated Songs
Imperial Phases
Mini Skirt -> Heart Attack (2014-2015)
Slump Phases
None
Rating Average: 8.48
Overall Trendline:
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
heart attack finally getting that deserved 10
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They’re definitely up there with SISTAR in terms of star power and discography. They’re so iconic!!!❤️❤️
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the previous commenter reminded me of Brave Girls, so I wonder how will be handled in this feature – are they another B1A4-esque case?
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Probably not since they had the same producer(s) the entire time so the sound was quite similar (BB Girls may be their own thing, though)
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one of the best singles run ever! Short Hair, Like A Cat & Heart Attack are my top 3. I wish they did more after Come See Me.
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Ah yas AOA. Another classic 2nd gen girl group from the secy days of kpop. The censors were sure busy then. Xeno would have told us which one(s) he had the hots for if he were still around.
Also the songs were good too. I don’t know if would rate some as high as Nick has, though they are classics of that moment in kpop.
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I miss seeing Xeno on here 😦
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10s: Miniskirt, Short Hair, Like a Cat. 3 perfect singles, all in a row; they sound like Britney Spears on steroids. For me, this is the AOA sound, and everything else gets compared to it. K-pop really misses this sound.
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Holy shit, looked up the songs on YouTube and it kind of gave me whiplash LMAO, took me back to tenth grade. I remember following them closely, but I never fanboyed hard in the ways that I did for the groups that were active around that time, fresh off their debut (BLACKPINK, Red Velvet).
Looking back I really don’t think their songs have aged the best, especially not the dance-pop/EDM-influenced tracks. Still, I feel ike they get a pass because they’re connected to a nostalgic time and sounded like bangers during that moment. Personally, I think their best material comes from their groovy secsy triology (Short Hair, Miniskirt, Like a Cat).
The way things ended for AOA was so horrendous to. The bullying scandal really put into perspective how there can be these predatory tendencies and just all the cattiness that could exist inside many groups. Add that to the pressure of fame and social media commentary and it’s just a disaster.
I’d also like to mention Choa, because her leaving AOA made the group lose so much (she had every right to do so though). She was so present and noticeable both vocally and visually. It was one of those rare cases in which the main vocalist also carried the group visually and as a brand.
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are you planning on going over lovelyz/exid soon?
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Both are on the list. Not sure when, but it shouldn’t be too long.
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AOA has the golden discography
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Is it possible to get a K-Pop Breakdown for Heart Attack? I’m so in love of this song, it’s literally pop song in steroid and just giving so much power. Sometimes words could not describe when and which part is making me feel so, but I would definitely like to see how you interpret it.
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I’ll never say never, though it’s been ages since I did one of those. This would a fun song to break down, though!
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I agree with others that AOA’s representative sound is songs like Miniskirt, Like a Cat and Short Hair, but Heart Attack (10/10) is my favourite because of how upbeat it is. I like that song starts at a pace and keeps it up right until the end. Its also fun, and its catchy chorus will get stuck in your head (whether you like it or not, lol).
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