Top 25 Rookies of 2020: 10 - 1

 

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Top 25 Rookies of 2020: 10 - 1

Honorable Mentions

25-11

                                                       10. Snow Man

Discography Suggestion: Dancing Dynamite

Image Source: Ok Music

Oh, the fall of the chosen one. Snow Man's debut is one of the year's best songs. Afterward, Their follow-up in 'Kissin My Lips' as well as with 'Stories' underwhelmed. I still have high hopes for them, but they really were looking to top the rookies' countdown at one point. There is a lot to look forward to, though. The group has some great dancers, and 'Dancing Dynamite' is still a blast. In fact, under Johnny's Entertainment, I think it is safe to say that we will get some fun dance tracks from them soon, just hopefully filled with ambition.

                                                                9. TOO

Discography Suggestion: Step by Step

Image Source: Nom Nom Korea

TOO was one rookie I really wanted to dislike at times. Instead of some of my favorite rookies, they were thrown into Road to Kingdom (That was really MNET's fault), and I checked some covers from their pre-debut show, all of which were pretty sad. So, how ironic is it that a cover from Road to Kingdom got me into the group? I have been a K-Pop fan for years, and TVXQ's 'Rising Sun' is probably my favorite K-Pop track by a mile. Still, covering it is an uphill task. You need a boatload of charisma, with tons of vocal skill to boot, and all that just to not be terrible. TOO's 'Rising Sun' cover was easily the best thing to come out of Road to Kingdom, and the best 'Rising Sun' cover yet. Sure, it does not touch the original, but that is basically impossible for any K-Pop act. They nailed the rock arrangement and hit those high-notes quite well. Their own discography is also growing and expanding with a wide range of sounds. 'Step by Step', 'Count 1,2' and 'Magnolia' all showcase excellent style and versatility.

                                                                8. Lucy

Discography Suggestion: Snooze

Image Source: Kstyle

Just like E'Last, Lucy is a group with a novel concept. Lucy is a rock band, just with a violinist in their ranks. Between the group's tremendous vocalist's talent, and Yecahn and his violin, Lucy enter the K-Pop market as a group ready to win acclaim. While their early single release choices were questionable, 'Snooze' was a great track and an obvious grower.  More people need to check out this talented band.

                                                              7. Siyeon

Discography Suggestion: Paradise

Image Source: Dreamcatcher Wiki

The Dreamcatcher member released a grand total of ONE song across her career so far, and it was later added to a group album. So many of you must be surprised to see her so high. 'Paradise' while achieving a mixed reaction from critics, stands as a 2020 highlight. Siyeon's talented vocals definitely mean that she will do no harm with any material given to her (and her charismatic performance would help with that too), and the fact that her group is sticking to amazing production talent in Leez and Ollunder means that she really can emote what she wants in her songs without losing ambition. Add this to the fact that the people in Happy Face Entertainment really know what they are doing with the Dreamcatcher activities means that the path to her future is wide open.

                                                          6. KEEMBO

Discography Suggestion: Scandalous

Image Source: Kpop Wiki

KEEMBO is made up of former Spica members Boa and Bohyung, and so far have been produced exclusively by long-time Spica collaborator Sweettune. KEEMBO's two members have severe vocal talent, and let no one make you doubt that. Oh, and as a bonus, Boa can rap quite well. The duo has already tackled several genres but never had a real dip in quality. Violins, guitar rocks, laidback summer beaches, dance music, KEEMBO's music has touched all those terms, and I really would love to see where they go next.

                                                               5. Craxy

Discography Suggestion: Aria

Image Source: Kpop Amino

If not for Craxy's 'Aria', I may have stopped listening to K-Pop in March or April, and this blog may have never came to be (or at least it would have been very different). Having a pre-debut cycle quite similar to LOONA, the members debuted with a show-stopper album and single. 'Aria' is a weird song, blending traditional Korean music, EDM, Hip-Hop, basically everything with a boatload of talent. KaRin reminds me of CL, while members ChaeY and Swan have some really powerful vocals. They have not had a full-fledged comeback since March (if they did, they might have topped the list), but they did release a 90s remake single (collaborating with some pre-debut members from their agency), and a tribute to a few members of their team. But I hope they come back soon with something as unique and massive as 'Aria'. Quite a task, but the members can accomplish this.

                                                        4. The Mamas

Discography Suggestion: Move

Image Source: Wikiwand

If there is one term I would use to describe The Mamas, it would be 'Vocal Talent'. Okay, that is two words, but you get the point. They provided backing vocals for the artist that won Melodifestivalen last year, and this year they won it themselves. Sure, Dotter's 'Bulletproof' may have been the better song, but there is no denying that 'Move' is a beast of a song. The three members sound massive when they sing together, and they can belt some real great ad-libs. They are one Swedish group to check out.

                                                             3. YooA

Discography Suggestion: Bon Voyage

Image Source: Kpop Reviewed

The top three artists basically tie, and it breaks my heart to not give YooA number one because she deserves it. Debut track 'Bon Voyage' was a gem, and I can only praise the accompanying album. 'Diver', 'Abracadabra', and 'Far' all are absolute gems, and I find that the album is even better when listened to as a whole. Combine this WM's strong track record and Oh My Girl's breakthrough into commercial success, and I think YooA is a star for the future.

                                                  2. WARPs/WARPs UP

Discography Suggestion: Rock Tonight

Image Source: Jpop Wiki

Unlike some artists on this list, WARPs have yet to reach any degree of success. A C-Pop market reach by Avex, WARPs quickly lost a member and fell into a long hiatus, only to come back last month as WARPs UP. Despite their inconsistent past and future, WARPs has members filled with talent. Plus, they have a sound they are sticking too, and they can dance. If they release material regularly, I feel they might top the list.

                                                          1. SixTONES

Discography Suggestion: Imitation Rain

Image Source: Asian Junkie

In a year choke full of debuts, SixTONES prevailed as the best of them all. So how did they reach the top spot? Well, they have yet to release a lead single I would give less than a nine, they have became a massive success, becoming a commercial and critical hit. To me, their consistency is their best factor, it is hard to go wrong with a single from them (upcoming single S.S seems to sound pretty good too, though not as good as their previous three singles), and their commercial success gave them an edge too. Johnny's Entertainment has a history of slowly growing their artists, and I hope they grow SixTONES-'s sound this way too.

I am a little worried about how western their b-sides are sounding in their more recent material (compared to their early b-sides), but their rock-based sound provides a base for them to expand and move on, similar to my favorite J-Pop group, Kat-Tun. SixTONES might go down as one of the 2020s  decade's signature J-Pop groups, mark my words, they are ready to succeed.

I have now finished my countdown! Whoo, that took some time! Thank you for reading it, and I hope you enjoyed hearing my thoughts.