Ranking All Ninety One Singles

When it comes to music from Kazakhstan, Ninety One are one of the biggest and most iconic acts, and for good reason. They are the founders of Q-Pop, and still are the undisputed leaders of the genre in the second generation. Their unique blend of nasally trap with Qazaq influences is unique, and they have mastered this art over the years, creating a satisfying single run. Although their twenty-eight singles vary in quality, they don't have a single dud amongst the bunch. With the release of their new LP Gap, and the group's shocking annoucement of a hiatus, I thought it would be great to celebrate the Q-Pop icons with a ranking of all their singles.

For this singles ranking, any Ninety One track with a proper video, or any form of promotion as a single, will be qualified, whether from an album or not. Lyric videos will be excluded. These songs would have to be released by Ninety One as a whole group, and excludes any unit track (unless officially listed as a Ninety One track) or solo. With the rules explained, let us start the list!

Thanks to Jessica and BBCBlackjack from the Q-Pop Discord forum for giving me a list of all Ninety One singles.

28. Yeski Taspa Bii (2017)

Yeski Taspa Bii is not bad in any way, but it hardly makes you feel one way or the other. Ignoring the noisy post-chorus, the song is fine, but is held back by bizarre productional choices. At least the ending coda is strong.

27. Kalay Karaisyn? (2016)

Kalay Karaysin? is 40% emotional and propulsive synth-pop and 60% slinky trip-hop trap loops. Both segments individually work, but they gell together as well as oil and water. To make it worse, the trendy elements take up a little too much of Kalay Karaysin?'s runtime. All of this affects the track's ranking, but it features some of early Ninety One's best moments whenever it resists the urge to collapse in on itself.

26. Oinamaqoo (2020)

Oinamaqoo is generic, never quite forming its own identity, but its groove is solid, and the melody adds a charm to the song that makes it quite replayable.

25. Bata (2022)

Bata's main issue is that for how towering it is, it never finds a killer hook or melody to make it anything more than intimidating. The one spark of energy is Zaq, providing another great rap verse.

24. Orik (2022)

The first of a promotional blitz prior to their second LP's release, Orik's bizarre MV and concept gave it a bit of charm, but it felt like apricot picked a bit too early. Had the song been given more time to grow, it could be sweet, but its bitter as is.

23. Su Asty (2017)

Su Asty's chorus is a generic nothing-burger, but the verses feature some of the most intense rap flows the group has ever provided. Zaq's first verse rap is one of the best Q-Pop rap moments in recent memory, anchoring the track.

22. Ah! Yah! Mah! (2017)

Ah! Yah! Mah!'s verses are some of the best of Ninety One's discography, overflowing with raspy and nasally personality over a sparse beat, only for the chorus to come in with a jackhammer synth that grates your ears, hurting much of the rest of the song's brilliance.

21. All I Need (2018)

All I Need may follow a trendy structure, but its production is solid, with great electronic flourishes adding much personality to the track. Combine this with some catchy hooks, and you have a song that punched over its weight, despite its generic structure.

20. eMoji (2023)

eMoji sounds like a chill little tune that Ninety One would jot down in their free time, and I have little doubt that was how it was written. Even if its ambition is certainly lacking, the fantastic chorus melody creates a song that has lasted longer on my playlist than expected.

19. Why'M (2019)

Why'M's chorus stagnates much of the song's momentum, but the emotive verses remain amongst the best by Ninety One, with a surging melody over emotive angst at its very best. In a way, it acts as an unofficial predecessor to WINNER's Soso, which would improve on the track's overall structure.

18. Aiyptama (2015)

Aiyptama not only is the Ninety One's debut, but arguably the first "true" Q-Pop song ever. The thundering EDM beat and the G-Dragon-esque attitude are hardly unique, and Ninety One had yet to form a style of their own, but the song has loads of charm on its own, almost all of it driven from its melodic and rebellious chorus. Aiyptama is not perfect, but it breathes and lives on its own, in addition to an incredible legacy, headed by a thundering melody.

17. E.Yeah (2018)

A breezy summery pop hit, E.Yeah recalls Doja Cat's hits a few years before them. E.Yeah might be light, but strong performances anchor it, creating an outlier, yet still solid, entry into Ninety One's discography.

16. Senorita (2020)

A song I underrated upon release, Senorita initially underwhelmed as the group's first song as four, the repetitive melody, and awkward MV. Nonetheless, the central hook has aged like fine wine, proving catchier with time. (Full Review)

15. Biz (2023)

Biz's chorus could have used a strong hook, but the song oozes with charm, with classy production, fancy hip-hop samples, while the verses allow the Ninety One members to do their best in years. While it is too new to know how it ages, it is quite fantastic as is.

14. Aperem Ai (2023)

As an upcoming single, Aperem Ai is hard to judge, but it features a killer groove, bopping around with funk-pop influences at their simplest. Ninety One's nasally delivery adds a level of personality that will likely quickly grow addictive.

13. Synbaim (2023)

Synbaim's stomping rock melody gets better each listen, something that I believe will help it slowly grow into one of my Ninety One favorites. The fantastic melody really acts as a canvas board for the incredible MV, however, which is easily the best to ever come from Q-Pop so far.

12. Drift (2022)

It's a travesty Drift was not included in Gap, as its moody piano-driven structure would have resulted in one of the album's most central tracks. As is, however, Drift proved one of the best trap songs in recent memory, pulling back after a dark chorus for a killer Zaq verse. The slow-motion burn of Drift is greatly appealing.

11. Bayau (2017)

Bayau's dark and minimalist storytelling was a stark turn from the noisy and energetic releases of Ninety One up to that point. In a way, its not a song that blows you away on the first listen, but slowly creeps up on you, up to its euphoric climax, adding Reggaeton to the mix after its slow burn build.

10. Jurek (2022)

Jurek is a song that is all about the vibes. From the quirky second-verse anime references to the slow-burn synth-pop beat, it gives off a feel. Thankfully, the vibes are immaculate, resulting in a song that feels organic.

9. Suraqtar (2022)

Suraqtar relies heavily on its catchy groove, one that slams through with its funky 8-bit synths and nasally delivery. Ninety One perform with loads of personality, and the catchy hook is bound to get stuck in your heads for days on end.

8. Taboo Ft. Irina Kairatovna (2020)

Easily the most politically-charged song in Ninety One's discography, the quartet collaborated with Irina Kairatovna for an aggressive rap track on the political situation in Qazaqstan at the time. The end result is a song that (at least to an outsider observer) looks startlingly anti-authoritarian, and features some fantastic flows and lines.

7. Bari Biled (2019)

Bari Biled's chorus boldly states that everyone knows what is right, but few are willing to look and work for it. As one of the most political songs in Ninety One's discography, Bari Biled never overwhelms with any themes, and instead pairs its message with an addictive and elastic dance beat, resulting in one of Ninety One's best choruses. While I rank Bari Biled here, it has aged like fine wine, and will likely only improve with time.

6. Qiyalman (2021)

Between its eye-catching vertical MV to its reference to every single popular film online, Qiyalman is a celebration of the chronically online. All of this is paired with some of the band's catchiest hooks, ones that will get stuck in your head for months on end. Qiyalman might be one of the, if not the, most underrated single from the early 2020s' pop-punk trend. (Full Review)

5. Abuse (2022)

While abusive relationships are quite common in idol pop, Ninety One's Abuse is one of the few songs that tackle the difficult theme without any romanticization, remaining shockingly bleak through its all-too-short runtime. Abuse may not be fun by any mean, but it remains an essential entry into their increasingly dark discography. (Full Review)

4. Darn (2021)

Darn saw Ninety One trade their hip-hop sound for synthwave akin to The Weeknd, and the end result was a fantastic single. Yes, the second verse is a bit of a buzzkill and the audio version does fine-tune some of the weaker elements, but when Darn gets going, it is one of the most euphoric pieces of pop music in the young decade. That transfer from the second verse to the chorus (in the audio version), and the first verse are lightning in a bottle. (Full Review)

3. Men Emes (2019)

In theory, Men Emes should not work. The song relies on trendy elements, swag-heavy lyrics, and a song structure that had already been done to death in hip-hop by 2019. Men Emes, does not crash and burn as expected, but rises and roars, ending up as one of Ninety One's very best releases.

Almost all of this is due to the members of Ninety One's conviction when they proclaim "You're cool, but not the coolest, 'cuz you're not me." Cool productional flourishes play add much texture to the beat, giving an almost elastic sense of push and pull, along with loads of charisma. Zaq, in particular, stands tall and proud in this song, providing the two best verses in Ninety One's discography.

2. Katyadan (2016) 

Ninety One's first classic, Katyadan took every lesson the young Q-Pop group could have learned from before and compiled it into one killer package. From the poetic Qazaq lyrics, the hip-hop ballad sound, and a full utilization of the group's dynamic blend. Alem and Ace's golden harmony in the chorus while Bala grounds the song with his yearning verses, only for AZ and Zaq to provide some of the most emotive verses of their careers.

Katyadan became the hip-hop mid-tempo to end all hip-hop mid-tempos, trading badassery and aggression for a sincere yearning, blending global genres with a distinct Qazaq feel to create idol Q-Pop's first true classic. Seven years later, Katyadan's stripped-down honesty and pain echoes and reverberates through the hearts of Q-Pop fans across the globe.

1. Mooz (2017)

While Ninety One had already a few classics under their belt, it seemed presumptuous for there to be a movie about them during only their second year of existence. Even now, this decision still seems presumptuous, but is justified for one reason; the film gave us Mooz, simply the greatest Qazaq song ever.

Ninety One always thrived on their emotional storytelling through hip-hop, told in a vast, expansive desert, but Mooz took every element to their natural peak. The self-doubt and yearnful hope of the lyrics added a sense of finality over a pulsating Trop-house beat. Mooz is a story as much as it is a song, telling, and this is assisted by some brilliant performances by the members. Ace, in particular, turns the melody of the chorus into a full story, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

All of this is made possible, however, by one of the best melody in recent memory. Every hook weaves its way into your head, while still carrying the expected weight of such a thematic release. Mooz hits like a ton of bricks in the best way possible, culminating in a euphoric coda that brings every element of the song together for a fantastic finale. (Full Review)

Image Source: Stan KZ