Underrated K-Pop: Ranking Every Single by 4TEN/Poten

20 hours ago 3

K-pop is littered with acts who – for one reason or another – didn’t get the full spotlight they deserved. I’ve spent plenty of time ranking and reviewed the industry’s biggest artists, but these underrated acts should never be forgotten.

This feature will take a look at disbanded groups and rank/rate their entire singles run, placing them in the pantheon of K-pop history.

Next up is 4TEN (briefly known as Poten)!

Career timeline: 2014-2016

Overall sound: From EDM to buoyant summer pop, it’s all over the place.

4. Tornado (2014)

You don’t often hear this kind of straightforward festival EDM in K-pop, but the energetic Tornado made for an exciting debut. It’s a bit plug-and-play generic, but I appreciate the energy.

Rating: 8.25

3. Why (2015)

This alternates between sugary sweet verses and an anthemic chorus. I miss this style of lively melody. It wraps you up in its sentiment without trying to be cool or edgy. There’s something so refreshing about that straightforwardness. This also feels like it could have been the theme to an anime.

Rating: 8.5

2. Go Easy (2015)

This is a big growth in maturity for the group’s material. Parts of it lean toward the sultry side before the track bounds into a splashy, brass-kissed chorus that sounds like summer. Best of all, the girls totally belt out the melodies.

Rating: 8.75

1. Severely (2016)

This is a banger and a half. Long before the retro 80’s trend hit the K-pop industry hard, Severely hit us with some incredible synth riffs and an escalating chorus that melded nostalgic elements with an exciting J-pop sound. I liked it back in 2016 and it sounds even better now.