I’ve been wanting to write this post for awhile because I think it’s really fun to look back at old reviews and re-evaluate them with fresh eyes. Opinions on music change over time, and that’s just as true for songs I despised when they were first released.

Here, you’ll find the nine lowest-rated songs in Bias List history. Each has a rating in the 3’s or below. I’ve linked their full, original review, pulled a sample quote and re-evaluated their standing with fresh 2022 eyes.

So without further adieu, here’s the worst of the worst. Or… maybe not?

EXO-SC – What A Life

Full Review

Sample quote: “The entire arrangement is so murky and sluggish and unrelentingly dour.”

2022 thoughts: This is one of those reviews that wasn’t fair to the song itself, because it was less about the track and more about my disappointment with where K-pop summer songs were headed in general. Bright, buoyant summer fare had started to become more down-tempo and vibe-driven, which has definitely continued to this day. And as a big-name example of this style, What A Life bore the brunt of my frustration.

This isn’t a particularly stellar example of its sound, but it’s not nearly as bad as my rating made it out to be. The vocals in the hook are actually kind of nice. Today, I’d probably give it a “7.”

Jackson Wang – Okay

Full Review

Sample quote: “It’s simply a claustrophobic, depressing piece of music without the skill or imagination to transform that emotion into anything compelling.”

2022 thoughts: I really wasn’t holding back on this one, was I? It’s funny to look back knowing what we know about Jackson’s solo career now. He’s far usurped the quality of his early material and become a compelling vocalist in his own right. I still don’t care for this track (that chorus is just awful) and Jackson’s delivery feels like cosplay. If I’m being generous, I might elevate this into the 4’s, but it wouldn’t be much of a jump.

Miss $ – Don’t Speak Without Soul

Full Review

Sample quote: “It’s rare that a kpop song leaves me so cold. Literally, the moment it was over, I had no thoughts about it whatsoever.”

2022 thoughts: 2016 was such a different time in K-pop. For me to rate something this inoffensive in the 3’s means the bar for music was super high. Don’t Speak Without Soul is indeed boring, but it’s not something I would go out of my way to avoid. It’s a perfectly serviceable mid-tempo, driven by a strong performance. Mid-7’s for me now.

Nada (Wa$$up) – Trippin’

Full Review

Sample quote: “Trippin‘s musical centerpiece is a disaster for the ages — an ugly, overstuffed hodgepodge of grating production elements thrown together without any sense of purpose beyond being loud.”

2022 thoughts: Ah, the instrumental drop chorus. I was particularly annoyed by this trend in 2017… and I’m still annoyed by it today! The drop here is certainly an assault on the senses, but the rest of the track is decent enough. Nada is a compelling rapper, and I like the experimental nature of the beat. Do I want to listen to this often? No. But, I’d probably bring it up to the mid-6’s at least. It’s abrasive, but also kind of cool.

24K – Bingo

Full Review

Sample quote: “24K have seemed to developed a strong allergy to choruses. “B-I-N-G-O” just does not cut it.”

2022 thoughts: My god, this could be released today and fit right in with what all the boy groups are doing! That’s a depressing reality, but also makes for a great comparison. In the grand scheme of things, Bingo’s verses are decent. The chorus is still as obnoxious as ever, throwing everything it can at the wall without much of a hook to fall back on. I admire just how noisy the song is, but this still isn’t for me. With today’s (more generous) eyes, I’d probably put it in the 5’s.

Ravi – Still Nirvana

Full Review

Sample quote: “Still Nirvana imagines a world where computers have finally replaced human musicians, churning out cheap, mind-numbing trap beats with no sense of adventure and no heart.”

2022 thoughts: This one really broke me in 2019, didn’t it? I guess I was going through a phase… or something? I still hate the vocal effects on Still Nirvana, but the song was clearly acting as some sort of sacrificial lamb for my pent up emotions! The track itself is… fine. Mid-6’s for me in 2022.

Lay – Sheep

Full Review

Sample quote: “As soon as the track throws an actual sheep sound effect into the mix, any hope of this disaster becoming salvageable is over.”

2022 thoughts: Okay, this song is just funny. I certainly don’t like it, but I also can’t hate it because it’s just so… stupid. That drop chorus is awful and the “I am the sheep” line is iconically bad. But, the rest of the beat kind of slaps in a cheap EDM way. I’d probably give this a mid-6’s rating just for the comedic effect.

Episode – Open My Door

Full Review

Sample quote: “Open My Door is its own special level of bad. I don’t think I can point to a single redeeming quality, and that’s rarely the case for me.”

2022 thoughts: Now we’re getting down to the songs that are just poorly produced. I feel for Episode, because no group deserves a hack job like this. Open My Door is unlistenable from a serious perspective, but works as unintentional comedy. If anything, I’d probably lower this into the 1’s. It’s an iconic example of bad K-pop and I love it for that. “Oh poo, my door!” indeed.

Eternity – I’m Real

Full Review

Sample quote: “Eternity is like a nightmare come to life. You half expect the girls to pause mid-song, voice lowered to a hellish tone, and mutter ‘I’m going to kill you in your sleep.’”

2022 thoughts: Now we’ve reached the MVPs of badness. This AI group is responsible for the lowest-rated song in Bias List history, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. I’m Real is an experience I’ll not soon forget. It haunts my dreams to this day. I almost want to pull it down to a “0” rating just for how singular it is. I still can’t believe someone actually made this, but I’m glad they did.

(Honestly, though… that guitar-led bridge kind of slaps.)