8 Favorite Male Voices

Part of what makes K-pop so amazing are all the talented people that make up the whole phenomenon. There are idols with flawless dancing abilities, mad rap skills and of course the one with chill-inducing voices. Below I have listed some of my favorite voices in K-pop in no particular order, and note that this isn't based on technical skill or vocal control but rather whose vocal tone I find the nicest to listen to.


[Disclaimer]
As I was making this list I decided only to include idols, which means I had to leave out some amazing vocalists who otherwise would have been on the list (Jung Dong Ha and Park Hyo Shin for example). I might make another one of those lists later.

B1A4's Sandeul


It's a shame I can't seem to get into his group more, but B1A4's Sandeul is definitely one of my favorite vocalists in the K-pop industry. Not only is the tone of his voice extremely pleasant to listen to, but his vocal control is amazing and the way he sings with emotion is also praiseworthy. One my favorite performances of his is on "Immortal Song 2" when he sings Yim Jaebum's "I Am A Candlelight In Front Of You", and I can't even count how many times I've watched it.

EXO's D.O


Say what you want about this group, but they for sure have some great vocalists. Although I really like Baekhyun's tone and Chen's perfect pitch and never-ending vocal register, it's D.O's honey voice that I have fallen in love with. His voice is super smooth and cozy, and it sucks he isn't allowed to sing more R&B because that's what it's made for. I always listen extra carefully for his voice on EXO's tracks, as I find that it stands out in a way that makes a good song even better.

Kim Jaejoong


Oh oppa, why must you be in the army? Kim Jaejoong of TVXQ/JYJ fame has one of K-pop's most distinct voices, well distinct everything really, and still every time I watch him and hear him sing I'm amazed at how he's actually a real person. Like, how can anyone be this perfect? What he lacks in pitch control he makes up for in an incredible range and a raw sensibility to his singing. I simply cannot get enough of his voice.

SHINee's Onew


While I do understand Jonghyun's position as main vocalist, I still think that Onew should be given more belting and high notes than what he's given right now. I don't know why he's constantly underplayed as a vocalist, because he has, in my opnion, the best and arguably most stable voice in his group. Not only does he always sound pitch perfect, but his singing is incredibly controlled and his voice is simply magical. It's warm, clear and definitely angel-like.

Vixx's Ken


Fellow main vocalist Leo is also great, we all know that, but anyone who says Ken isn't their best singer is honestly kidding themselves. His range is spectacular and his tone is rich and full, and although it might sound vague you'll understand when you watch the clip. Like with Onew, he's slightly underplayed in his group and I cannot for my life understand why. Give him all the high notes, please! He will perform them excellently.

Winner's Seungyoon


I could honestly listen to him sing for hours without getting bored, and I'm not even sure YG understand how lucky he his to have a singer like Seungyoon in his company. Not only do I think he has excellent technique but the tone and timbre of his voice is heavenly. It's a bit on the darker and fuller side and is also incredibly strong and powerful when he decides to belt it out. What makes his voice so interesting though is that it sounds nothing like your standard idol-voice, and I think he could have been an amazing indie singer-songwriter if he had chosen that path instead.

Big Bang's Daesung



So underrated. So underrated. If there's one person who deserves more credit as a vocalist it's Daesung, because even though he out-sings band member Taeyang at any point during the day it's the latter one who's acknowledged for his singing, at least in Korea. I don't care too much for Big Bang but I always love hearing Daesung's voice, as it too has that kind of richness and power to it that I'm so drawn towards.

Super Junior's Kyuhyun

I know the audio quality isn't the best in this video, but I love Kyuhyun's rendition of "Etude of Memory" so much I had to include it anyway. Kyuhyun's voice is first of all incredibly warm and soft, but is also very versatile and although he mostly sings ballads it suits all kinds of music styles. It's not for nothing he's been dubbed a second generation ballad prince, because his voice is that wonderful to listen to.

There you have it, my eight favorite voices in K-pop; the male edition. Now I'm curious as to who you're favorites are! Leave in the comments below if you agree with me or if you think I missed someone.