The Mixtape: allkpop's Top 10 'Idol Comeback' songs

Welcome to 'The Mixtape', a special bi-weekly feature that brings you the best K-pop playlists! We'll be sharing songs that we think you guys should really check out, and possibly introduce you to some great tracks that you might not have heard before � all of which surrounds a special theme. This edition is dedicated to the incoming wave of comebacks slated to hit the industry this fall. We've picked the Top 10 tracks that really signalled a 180-degree shift in an idol's career. Check 'em out below! --- ? Girl's Day - "Nothing Lasts Forever"�? Do you guys remember that song "Tilt My Head" by Girls' Day? Yeah, I don't want to either. Though the girls had a rough debut, they truly redeemed themselves with this powerful track. Preserving their outgoing charisma, they cranked up their appeal by donning fierce leather outfits and ditching the heavy autotune they were once mocked for. Not only did they received praise for their change in sound, netizens took them more seriously as a talented young girl group. -- ? Wonder Girls - "Nobody"�? The Wonder Girls shot to fame with their smash hit, "Tell Me", but what set them apart from other K-pop artists is the fact they successfully tapped into the U.S. market. Receiving international recognition by placing on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and touring with the Jonas Brothers, the Wonder Girls set a milestone for other K-pop acts thanks to their biggest hit, "Nobody." - ? Brown Eyed Girls - "Abracadabra"? Long before the girls cast their hypnotic spell on us, they were a simply a talented R&B based group with a modest fanbase. Humbly performing at small venues, it seemed as though the girls would inevitably fade. That all changed in July of 2009 after they unleashed their heavy synth-pop track, "Abracadabra". The global K-Pop community was absolutely dumbfounded by these sexy sirens, who almost seemed to appear out of thin air. The girls skyrocketed to superstardom, and haven't looked back since. -- ? SNSD - "Gee"�? The impact of "Gee" on SNSD's career was so massive, that many believed it was SNSD's very first single. The girls actually debuted in 2007, and the song came out in 2009, nuking records right, left, and center. The most notable record is that SNSD won #1 for nine straight weeks on 'Music Bank', in addition to grabbing the triple crown achievement on SBS's 'Inkigayo'. -- ? IU - "Good Day"�? Though IU gained some recognition with her song, "Boo", it wasn't until she teamed up with producers Lee Min Soo and Kim Lee Na that she became a household name. Strike that -- thanks to "Good Day", IU actually became meme-worthy with her impressive 3-range note. We've included our favorite parody clip below. -- ? Big Bang - "Lies" ? Big Bang's initial success was limited to a smaller crowd compared to their fellow K-pop competitors back in the day. It wasn't until "Lies" that Big Bang exploded onto the K-pop scene. The offered something fresh and unique to K-pop at a time when music was centered around ballads and bubblegum pop. The piano driven house-pop track infused an anthemic pop chorus with slick rap verses. It was through this track (and the following ones from the same album) that we saw a shift in music trends for K-pop. -- ? Lee Hyori - "U Go Girl" ? As explosive as her debut was, Hyori's second album failed to reach the heights of her first. The lead single of her "Dark Angel" album, "Get Ya", was accused for plagiarizing Britney Spears' single, "Do Something", which forced her to prematurely end her promotions. Two years later, Hyori redeemed herself with "U Go Girl", whose smash-hit status restored her title as Korea's sexy pop queen. -- ? SECRET - "Shy Boy" ? Before "Shy Boy", SECRET was one of those girl groups that were nice to listen to, but hardly a leader of the pack. That all changed with "Shy Boy", an infectious retro-pop track that drove the boys wild and even charmed the ladies (a difficult feat considering how hard it is to impress female K-Pop fans). The song�was refreshing to listen to, and it was so successful that it signalled other K-Pop groups to start releasing retro-flavored songs of their own this year. -- ? KARA - "Mister" ? KARA�possesses�one of those success stories that make you marvel at how far determination can take you. These girls didn't enjoy a very strong debut, and they had to struggle to stay relevant by constantly appearing on variety shows. One of their members quit, and it took a while for the public to gain a good grasp of the group's identity. Slowly, they began seeing the fruits of their labor with the successes of "Honey" and "Wanna", but it was "Mister" (and its corresponding 'butt dance') that really put them on the radar. -- ?�Baek Ji Young - "I Won't Love" ? Ok, so Baek Ji Young technically isn't an idol, but she's managed to make one hell of a comeback and we felt she had to be included in this playlist. Baek Ji Young is consistent chart-topper today, and it's hard to believe that she fell from grace in her early years. She debuted with a string of latin-tingled dance hits that were well-received, however, success quickly came to a halt after a sex scandal leaked out that tainted her public image. For a long time, it seemed impossible for her to reclaim popularity in the K-pop market. Five years later, she climbed back to the sun with a heartbreaking ballad titled "I Won't Love", blowing prejudices out the window as everyone marvelled over her talent once again. �Since then, she became one of the most sought-out vocalists for Korean OST ballads, while still being able to maintain the versatility of dance music.