Before I describe my grading scheme, I first want to establish the rules and policies used in my grading criteria:

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1. Song Structure + vocals only! No lyrical interpretation!

This might be obvious, but you don’t know how frequently reviewers look at the lyrics when grading a song overall. I have absolutely no problem with reviewers doing that, but for me, what I am only interested in is the composition of the song itself and the vocals that compliment it. I am not Korean, so I don’t understand the lyrics at all, and this had me explore song composition even more.

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2. Title songs or non-title songs with music videos

There is a reason a song out of several to 20 songs in an album is chosen to be the title track for that album and comeback, and I take those intents seriously. I will only be analyzing title tracks (always has a music video) or tracks that are promoted (which almost very likely have a music video as well) for now (I also really don’t have time to critique every single song in an album, I have a life to live). In the future though, if there are album tracks that stand out moreso to me than the title track, then I will certainly review them as well.

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3. Japanese + Mandarin songs also considered!

Not all K-pop artists really music sung only in Korean. Artists are always exploring the opportunities to venture into other foreign markets, and what better to make a presence there by releasing an original song in that language? That is why I will also analyze these kind of songs, as they always have the potential to contribute to the success of K-pop artists’ careers.

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Now that we have the rules established, let us go deeper into how exactly my mind critiques songs:

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All songs will be graded on a scale of 0 to 10 in intervals of 0.1.
You're probably saying "WTF", but trust me, I am a very lenient grader. In fact, my leniency is why I have the increments set at 0.1; it is extremely rare for me to give ratings below 6, but it is also even more rare for me to give ratings above 8! I have a positive attitude towards songs in general, and so I really hate giving songs ratings of 5s, 4s, and so forth, but because I am always telling myself how this song can be improved every time I am listening to that song, I get very judgmental as songs start to creep up around the 8 rating. And for those of you thinking what a perfect song is rated, yes it has to be a rating of 10. No 9.9 or 9.95, NO EXCEPTIONS! That is why finding the perfect song is considered a lifetime goal for me. Most of the songs I critique will have ratings in the 7s.

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To give you a better idea, here is a breakdown of my guide in critiquing a song:

0-3.9: Probably shouldn't even be considered music at all!
4.0-4.9: Extremely poor quality, absolutely no direction or meaning at all
5.0-5.9: Very bland, no inspiration or artistic flavor at all
6.0-6.4: Lack of taste, some structure but overall a weak showing
6.5-6.9: Below average, minimal amount of good parts, but still imbalanced
7.0-7.4: Average, a steady structure, with some parts left to be desired
7.5-7.9: Above average, a song that exceeds expectations
8.0-8.4: A legendary masterpiece, songs that define generations to come
8.5-10: Songs you will probably never ever hear in your lifetime :(

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So how exactly do I critique songs? Here are the main factors I look at:

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Vocals- This is probably the most obvious factor I look at, as you cannot have at least a decent song without strong vocals to complete the song. But does this mean that the better the vocals, the better the song? Nope! What I listen to is how well the vocals complement the song production and vice versa. What I like are vocals and instrumentals that can work well together to create out-of-this-world melodies and harmonies. So yes, you can say I prefer vocals that create deep, catchy, melodic hooks rather than outstanding vocals that don't evoke any flavor at all. Of course there is a limit to just how processed the vocals are, and I don't want to hear excessive, squeaky, off-tune vocals at all, nor do I want to hear auto-tune or sound effects, especially during a melody kicking in full gear. Of course, I am all for surprises, and I am always interested in seeing how vocals can further be used to create special effects like never before.

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Production- The theory I've always thought about is that the catchier the song is, the more you want to listen to the song over and over, and the better the rating of the song is, right? Not necessarily. "Catchy" can have many different definitions associated with it, but in my dictionary, catchy can sometimes overlap with "cheesy". Sometimes a hook can sound too clean and too polished to where it sounds like it is being over-excessively used. I am looking for production that is complex down to the very core, yet to where all the instruments and effects mesh together beautifully and create 1 unique sound. I am looking for hooks that don't sound repetitive even when it is being used in the song over and over again (this is where vocal harmony can make a huge difference!), as well as killer chord progressions that have you ready to hear the next parts in the song.

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Structure- This is where more of my personal taste and bias kick in. Songs are becoming more and more experimental to where the bridge may come before the chorus, or the song ends in a verse, but for me I've always found the classic song structure to work for me: Intro -> Verse 1 -> Pre-Chorus -> Chorus -> Post-Chorus -> Verse 2 and you know the rest. Pre-choruses and post-chrouses are often not necessary and can sometimes elevate a song that is already good, but rarely have I given HIGH ratings to songs that deviate a lot from that structure. The intro should grab the listener's attention immediately and gives the listener expectations of what to hear later, followed by a verse that pays respect to the chorus. I say that because too often do I get an aura of energy right after listening to a melodic and evoking verse followed by an uplifting pre-chorus, only to be let down by a chorus that completes blows off steam, a chorus that is usually just a hook that you heard at the beginning. That is an absolute NO, and I like a song that can get me hooked from beginning all the way to the very end.

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