Hello and welcome to the first ever edition of “The Best of the Best”: a monthly countdown of the best in Girls’ Generation music, CFs, and related media. While for this first month I decided to go with the Top 5 Duets, you guys can tell me what you want to see next month by voting in the poll at the end of the article. More votes are always better, so please tell me what you want! As for this week, I implore you to listen to the song as you read my explanation of each choice, and you can easily purchase the song with the helpful link included after every chosen track.
Let’s start shall we?
#5 – Jessica and Tiffany’s duet “Talk to Me”
The two American girls come together for a smooth and calming song that melts you with every gentle note. While the simple lyrics and upbeat tempo do not create the same effect as a tear-jerking ballad, they lighten the mood and help build an atmosphere that everyone can really enjoy, not to mention that this song stuck out in the midst of a heavy pop album as a track that sounded a bit more mature, conveyed by the two members with soft enough voices to get the message across. I’m a sucker for these types of songs, so this one naturally appealed to me, not to mention that Jessica and Tiffany are my favorite members of the group. I personally believe that due to the more upbeat message it did convey, it isn’t as great of a song as the others mentioned here. Sure the song is calm in its tone and evenly paced, but to me, it doesn’t show any of their true vocal ability.
Buy Girls’ Generation Vol. 2 – Oh!
#4 – Taeyeon and Sunny’s OST song “It Must Be Love”
The Dandyus came together for a duet that ended up surprising many. While Taeyeon often gets the chance to show off her powerful voice, this is one of the rare times where we actually get to see Sunny’s amazing vocals. My love for Sunny has grown, especially in the last few months, and I think she deserves more of these duets, or a dedicated solo song. So far, this is one of the best indicators of her vocal ability to me. Taeyeon and Sunny’s voices match quite well in my opinion, so this track stands out instantly. The duo provide a sad duet which may seem basic in its meaning but excels in its execution.
#3 – Kangta and Taeyeon’s duet “7989”
With a title made up with the years of the two singers’ birthdates, Kangta and Taeyeon come together to sing a ballad that’s happy yet sad at the same time. Kangta, Taeyeon’s senior from the first generation boy band, “H.O.T.”, perhaps opened the door for Taeyeon’s now flourishing career in duets with this amazingly composed song. The two singers talk of a romance from two drastically different perspectives, one with slowness, trying to extend every moment the two lovers have together, the other with swift action, trying to do the most things or go to the most places in these few moments, causing the audience to feel things from their perspective while appreciating the duet’s amazing vocals. Being the first time I heard of a first generation Kpop singer, it really opened my own eyes, as well as others, I am sure. It was also one of the first moments where we saw Taeyeon shine, this duet showed a side of her that we rarely saw, and perhaps another performance which solidified her as a great singer in the Korean music industry as well as a great one in my own mind.
Buy Girls’ Generation Vol. 1 – Girls’ Generation
#2 – Onew and Jessica’s ballad “One Year Later”
Jessica combines with SHINee’s leader Onew to provide a powerful ballad that surely touched my heart. Their two voices combine to tell the story of a longing for a loved one, in lyrics that many can relate to. Commenters on Soshified went as far to say that the lyrics were “sad,” “beautiful,” and “touching.” Not to mention that these two have a type of chemistry on stage which seems unmatched, not only in their body language but the way their voices mesh in beautiful unity. I simply enjoy seeing them perform together, and that is important for me in appreciating a duet. I almost feel bittersweet at the realization that the song sounds so sweet and pretty but has its roots in a deeper and sadder meaning. Regardless, this duet shines among many as a brilliant track. I just think that their voices sound so amazing together, which is interesting considering how unique both of their voices are.
As a bonus, check out the video SSF released of the performance that Jessica and Onew did on the August 1st, 2009 edition of Music Core here.
Buy Girls’ Generation 2nd Mini Album – Genie
#1 – K. Will and Tiffany’s duet “A Girl Meets Love”
My choice for the best duet that a Girls’ Generation member has ever been in is one that many Sones might not be entirely aware of. Released in the first half of 2009, “A Girl Meets Love” is a showcase of what a duet really should be. With the opening half of the song sung by the vocally talented K. Will, Tiffany follows up with the great vocal power that she rarely gets to show off. As most other duets do, the song talks about a sad love story, but that isn’t what makes it stand out to me. Rather, it is the emotion that each singer puts into the song that completely amazes me. Tiffany’s voice is one that is easy to listen to, but in this song it hit me on a completely different level. This track suits her really well in my opinion; it lets her sing straight from the heart without any limitations. K. Will has a voice that is often underexposed in the Kpop industry and truly shines in this duet.
If you don’t really believe me, check out this live performance:
Buy K. Will – Dropping the Tears
Honorable Mentions: “Different” by Taeyeon and Kim Bum Soo, “Fading Memory” by Taeyeon and MATE, “Like a Star” by Taeyeon and The One.
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What are your favorite duets?
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