There are a myriad of talented artists in K-Pop no wonder this genre of music is amassing huge fanbases across the globe. With talent, there is absolutely no question, but when it comes to the most powerful and moving vocals in K-Pop, there are certainly artists who set the bar and are apart from the rest.
As a fan of K-Pop, I have made a ranking of what I believe are the best live vocal performances so far. This list is my own judgment so you may not agree with this list and that you may have your own set of best live vocals.
1. Please Don’t Go by Onew and Jonghyun
First on my list is the most powerful and emotional duet of SHINee’s Onew and the late Jonghyun. This tops the list because of how these two harmonized each rendering a perfect blend of emotion, power, and vocal nuances.
I only discovered this video this year and thank the universe I did. For everything I have seen in K-pop live vocal performances, this definitely is the best. The vocal ability of SHINee’s Onew and Jonghyun in this performance is the most heartfelt and the most emotionally charged live vocal performance I have ever seen. The interaction in this duet sent me chills everytime I stream it (I actually stream it every single day). In addition, Onew has a growl in this performance contrary to the recording version which added a different flavor; I actually prefer the growl than the clean one in the recording version. This is just powerful! Period.
2. Start by Gaho
Gaho’s band version of Start is my runner-up. If you know Gaho, you know how vocally powerful he is so him being on this list is truly a no-brainer.
This song has put Gaho in the best of spotlights. We all know this song.
Itaewon Class introduced us to this amazing OST. This band version perfectly suits the emotion and the vibe of the song. It is not only inspiring but Gaho in this live performance brought the song so much power and life.
The drums feel like asking you to seize the moment and get through the day and the vocals? Well, Gaho hit all the perfect notes and nuances of this song making this the top 2 of my best live vocals.
3. Hold my hand by IU
Top 3 is IU’s Hold My Hand. She has a lot of amazing live performances but this one is my personal favorite.
This performance is part of her Love, Poem concert last 2019 and it’s my favorite part from that concert. It’s fun and playful but IU was able to sustain the vocal requisites of the song; that’s why it’s not a wonder that the song returned to the charts in South Korea after 10 years since its release. She truly is South Korea’s ‘Digimon’ (Digital Monster).
4. An Encore by SHINee
Rank 4th is the live performance of SHINee with their song An Encore. From this clip you will see how each member showcased their individual vocal styles creating a very emotional rendition of the song.
Similar with my discovery of Please Don’t Go, I only knew about this song this year also. This is because I am gradually loving SHINee. I actually feel a small pang of regret that I only get to appreciate their music this year. Watching this clip sealed the deal for me. They are truly very talented plus they offer really amazing songs. Their vocals in this performance are so on point. It makes me emotional watching this clip. The song’s message is also very beautiful. This song is from their 4th album Odd. This is presently the number 1 in my Spotify On Repeat.
5. 20cm by TXT
5th on the list is TXT and their live performance of 20cm. Click the clip below and you’ll see why this young group is part of this list…
Tomorrow X Together is not called Monster Rookies when they debuted for nothing. This specific performance showcased their talent and the capability of their vocals. Taehyun here is a monster. His high notes are so good and he can easily transition to falsettos without difficulty. Yeonjun here, however, is a revelation. As a TXT stan, I already know how talented he is but this performance cemented that even further. His adlibs bring color to the song. He truly lived up to his name as the legendary trainee of Big Hit.
There you go! My personal Top 5 best vocal performances of K-pop. What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
*Featured photo from SM Town
