Ranking All U-KISS Singles

While they haven't ever commercially succeeded like many of their contemporaries, U-Kiss have deservedly garnered a status as one of K-Pop's most consistent groups. While they may be better known for the individual careers of the most popular members, their visuals, their acting abilities, and the ridiculous backstage drama that plagued the group's career. Nonetheless, their musical career is fantastic, and they have released classics in both Korea and Japan. And thus, with their return after five years, I have decided to rank all their singles for any new potential fans.

For this list, any track or single with a music video will be included. Only U-Kiss' main group singles will count, and Soohyun&Hoon and uBeat releases will be ignored. Any single in any language is included in whatever language it was originally released in.

36. Not Young (2008)

U-Kiss' early material generally lacks the charm of their singles run from 2011-14, and no one is this more evident than in their debut. Cringey, cloying, and trying too hard to appear "relatable," Not Young is an assault on the years, with every single lyric, rap verse, and chorus reducing my already limited amount of brain cells. Things could only go up from here.

35. Fly (2017)

Fly thinks its smarter than it is with a confusingly grating stop-start structure, and the most generic EDM tropical beat from 2017. With the exception of Soohyun, no member of U-Kiss even gets a moment to use their talents, leaving Fly a song that is more boring than tantalizing.

34. I Like You (2009)

I Like You still sees U-Kiss trying to figure out what they are doing. From cringe-inducing raps to the carry-over of the ever-annoying "AYYs" from Not Young. Nonetheless, the melody finds a few occasional sparks, and their are moments of potential that would soon be released.

33. Love On U (2014)

Love On U's production should make the song a mid-tempo highlight. Unfortunately, the song twists in the most expected ways possible and is weakened by some cringe-inducing verses.

32. For KISS ME (2011)

It is hard to criticize For KISS ME, as it does what it was supposed to do; be a perfectly enjoyable fan song. It doesn't seek to reinvent the wheel and hardly does, but at least it exists.

31. Action (2015)

Action's melodic bones are strong, but the song never grows beyond its cute concept, leaving it as a what-could-have-been rather than a U-Kiss highlight. Nonetheless, the melodic bones are highly enjoyable.

30. Always (2011)

Always sounds like any other K-Drama OST of the time, surging with dramatic flourishes, and a melody that would melt as soon as taste. Thankfully, it is a strong example of this style, and once you look beyond the fact it is a dime a dozen, it is easy to appreciate Always for what it is.

29. Only You (2014)

A song so obscure I had never heard of it until creating this list, Only You is classic U-Kiss at their very best. The thundering EDM beat is quite invigorating paired with a melody that thunders. Only You may be simplistic and generic, but it does what it does well.

28. Dear My Friend (2012)

Dear My Friend is a typical for-the-fans idol song from 2012, in all its benefits and cons. The melody lacks the punch from U-Kiss' very best, but the raps are fun, and the chorus has some strong vocal harmonies, at least. Don't fix what ain't broken is very much the track's plan.

27. Playground (2015)

Playground's verses are generic coffee-shop fare and hardly U-Kiss at their best. Nonetheless, the track thunders back with a shockingly strong chorus. It merges the ballad-like melody with Spanish guitar, strings, and synth-choirs to create a mid-tempo that can go surprisingly hard when it wants to.

26. Break Up (2014)

The best thing about Break Up is how extra it is. This is also the worst thing about the track, making it a little bit of a chore to hear at times. The Eli rap has some of the group's cheesiest English lyrics (and that is saying a lot, as this is the boy band that made "Don't deny our R-Squared-Pi"), but Break Up pulls together eventually.

25. Fall in Love (2013)

Fall in Love is very much of its time, but it works surprisingly well. Its production recalls Beast's evergreen Fiction, and though it never hits a melody that works as well as that track's, it is a strong entry into U-Kiss' long list of melancholic singles.

24. Shut Up! (2010)

Shut Up! sometimes overplays its tricks, especially with the sinister chorus, which sounds closer to a first draft of a better hook. Nonetheless, the verses more than power through with hooks in doses. A little less autotune, and Shut Up! would find itself much higher up the list. (Full Review)

23. Distance... (2012)

Distance... is a typical boy band ballad, but U-Kiss perform the hell out of it. Most of its charms come from the beautiful melody, which brings life to what should be a relatively stale track. Combine this with some fun productional flourishes, and you have a strong little song.

22. Sweetie (2014)

Sweetie is a Christmas-ready ballad, and it does what it wants to surprisingly well. It is a little safe, but everything comes together for a beautiful little mid-tempo. With a few changes, it could have been amazing, but it works well enough.

21. PaNiC! (2016)

EDM remains U-Kiss' bread and butter, and PaNiC! is a strong example of why. Its basic bones are hardly different from the million other EDM released through the 2010s, but the energy U-Kiss provide improve the track beyond its basic genre inputs.

20. Scandal (2018)

Working with a greatly reduced lineup, Scandal plays on some of the less famous members' strengths to catch an undefeatable groove. The beat is classic late 2010s funk-pop, and the members, particularly Kiseop and Jun, make the track what it is.

19. Quit Playing (2014)

Posting a lyrical video instead of the MV because I know under-twelves read this blog.

Their first song to garner a music show win, Quit Playing is best known in the fandom as the most sexualized U-Kiss track. It certainly earns its reputation, but beyond that, the track is quite solid. The thundering bass and funky melody play great over aggressive strings. While the melody is far from their best, it more than works for what is supposed to, creating a deservedly successful jam.

18. Forbidden Love (2012)

Forbidden Love is all about its pulsating and extreme EDM beat that holds together the single. The song relies on moments and highlights to compensate for a lack of melody, and this is more than effective.

17. A Shared Dream (2012)

A Shared Dream is a simmering '80s ballad at its finest. The verses provide the slow burn that makes the synth attack of the spacious chorus all the more effective. It is a track that doesn't aim to knock your socks off on first listen, but slowly shows you all its charms.

16. One Of You (2012)

It is hard not to be taken by One Of You's optimism. The song is one of the most relentlessly upbeat songs to be released during the early 2010s' EDM bloom. This definitely does cut from some of the song's potential edge, but this is worth the sacrifice with this pop lighting-in-a-bottle.

15. She's Mine (2013)

By all metrics, She's Mine should be cloying and annoying, with its grinding and repetitive hip-hop sampling and catchphrase chorus, but it somehow pulls itself together due to U-Kiss and their producers' effort. A large part of that comes from the absolutely incredible two-part pre-chorus, which sees U-Kiss at their melodic best, and lets Kevin truly show his vocal prowess.

14. Inside of Me (2013)

Inside of Me's rock-tinged balladry comes off as much more intense than typical fluff in similar styles, and this is certainly helped by the pulsating electronics that drive the song forward. Kevin drives the song forward with his soft and soothing vocals, playing as a rival to the futuristic instrumental.

13. Wonderful Escape (2023)

A wonderful (pun intended) EDM binge circa 2012, it is hard to tell how U-Kiss' reunion after seven years will age after only a few days. Nonetheless, it is already easy to appreciate its strengths, most notably the thundering chorus and the members' evergreen vocals. Hoon in particular stands out and tackles the chorus with viciousness.

12. Kissing To Feel (2016)

Kissing To Feel's melody is reminiscent of its Korean counterpart, Stalker. Kissing culminates in a grand chorus with thundering instrumentation and an aggressive melody. The only element holding Kissing To Feel back from the greatness it deserves is it feels overblown with ideas. The song never pauses to let you take in everything that is going on.

11. Stalker (2016)

Released just before the group launched into a massive Korean hiatus, Stalker has a secret weapon that has made it age so well; the chorus. The melody twists and turns its way through the thundering production before landing on a central hook that makes Stalker as good as it is. Pair it with Kevin and Soohyun's vocals, and the end result is a perfect blend of U-Kiss circa 2008 with modern production.

10. Bingeul Bingeul (2010)

Taking their debut era brashness and merging it with their more experienced hook-driven sound from Am I That Easy, Bingeul Bingeul is a simple distillation of U-Kiss prior to 2011. Kevin and Eli thrive in a hook-based track like this, making it obvious why the song was a hit.

9. DoraDora (2012)

2012 was a year when K-Pop producers started playing around the limits of genres and tempo. Even in such a year, DoraDora stood out as an odd track, perhaps explaining why it commercially underperformed. The three-phase centerpiece at the track's center is definitely the best example of this. The first phase is a wickedly funky dance segment, while the second phase explodes in full power-rock before the third phase combines both the dance groove with the thundering rock instrumental. It sounds unique all these years later.

8. Stop Girl (2012)

Stop Girl is far from U-Kiss' most artistically invigorating or productionally powerful track, but it remains a fantastic example of how U-Kiss would take the most overdone genres and make them work. Stop Girl's generic R&B melody and catchphrase-based hook should hardly work, but each element plays off the next, leaving the track closer to smooth rather than simple, with even simple productional flourishes having much thought behind them.

7. Believe (2012)

A hopeful and euphoric to 2011's Neverland, Believe is the rare boy band fan song that is enjoyable by even non-fans. Most of that comes down to one of the group's best choruses. Believe's stunning chorus showcases an explosive multi-part melody that utilizes the members' vocals better than any EDM track can be expected to. From the very first moment to its end, Believe is propulsive pop magic.

6. Am I That Easy (2009)

Easily the boy band's most iconic and commercially successful track, Am I That Easy, also known as Man Man Ha Ni, suffers from a tinny studio recording, and truly thrives when performed live. Tackling the repetitive dancefloor-ready Brave Sound of the era, Am I That Easy thrives on its hooks, each of them wickedly catchy in their own right, before pushing back into a chorus that naturally feels cool. Obviously, the highlight is Soohyun's thundering pre-chorus, but the song is choke-full with moments that make the track work. (Full Review)

5. Alone (2013)

While U-Kiss would play around with darker EDM elements, Alone remains the darkest dance track they released. The chorus is a haunted sugar rush, exploding with energy, and plays as a wonderful contrast to the menacing and chasing verses. Alone is unrelenting, and this is only improved by the fantastic vocal performances that drive each and every curveball the song throws at the listener.

4. Tick Tack (2011)

Their first and still most-essential Japanese single, Tick Tack pairs U-Kiss with thundering production. The percussion ticks and tacks like an actual clock, and on top of it are layered chants of "Tick Tack,"  and electronic loops and synths. The end result is a captivating instrumental that largely serves as a stage for the members to perform one of their best choruses. Tick Tack is really about its refrain, serving as a masterful and captivating centerpiece for one of 2011's most underrated tracks.

3. Standing Still (2013)

Standing Still sounds like the most essential distillation of every element that made U-Kiss one of the late second-generation's best acts. The melody is simple to a fault but refuses to leave your head. The production keeps building, with every trick playing off another leading to a thundering climax. And of course, the members perform the hell out of every element. Standing Still's base elements are rock solid, but it is what is done with them that makes Standing Still an underrated classic.

2. Neverland (2011)

A year before Fantastic Baby and Gangnam Style made K-Pop synonymous with killer EDM beats, U-Kiss released a genre highlight, merging sinister vocaloid-infused raps with a melody that never stopped growing. Holding together the entire track was the elastic electronic beat that turned the song into an apocalyptic and endless rave.

Paired with the monumental production is Soohyun's maddening vocal prowess, making the song even bigger than it already was. While not my favorite U-Kiss track, Neverland might be the group's most iconic track, and for good reason. It was a perfect storm of all elements, culminating in a track that remains epic years after its genre died down.

1. 0330 (2011)

Twelve years after its release, I have yet to find a mid-tempo boy band ballad that packs as much of a punch as 0330. On paper, it doesn't do much differently from the vast majority of mid-tempo ballads, but everything that could go right goes right. Even overly dramatic English cannot derail the emotive capabilities of the track. The instrumental is a perfect blend, with a piano taking the lead with a simple melody that drives the entire song. On top of it comes catchy snaps and wonderfully orchestral violins. This makes a song that could sound safe sound authentic and natural. Much could be said about 0330, but a large part of that comes from Mordney's fantastic production.

Of course, 0330 is also made by U-Kiss' incredible performances. While they may be better known for their visuals, acting skills, and variety-based personalities, U-Kiss was almost always a group of vocal powerhouses. Never is this better seen than in 0330's final minute-and-half, where Kevin, Hoon, and Soohyun infuse every single note with enough emotion to make a grown person cry. Even the rappers perform like there is no tomorrow, culminating in a climactic key change and a high note that sends the song off on a high.

All of this is accomplished with an absolutely killer melody. Nothing about 0330 is too complex, but each segment of the melody plays off the next perfectly. The end result is one of the 2010's most underappreciated masterpieces and a highlight of late second-generation K-Pop.

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