EXO's Chanyeol on "Promise EXO 2014"

SM Entertainment's boy band released their "Love Me Right" repackage in early June, and while the title song is absolutely fabulous, it's "Promise EXO 2014" that really stands out vocally. And Chanyeol's rap is enough to make a person stop and stare. The song is a heartfelt ballad, but the rap in the middle is the emotional highlight. Offering a sharp change from Baekhyun's soft vocals that immediately preceede it, Chanyeol's pain-filled rap is angsty and building in the best way possible. We haven't seen a lot of long raps from EXO's members who rap because many of their songs are dance songs, but "Promise EXO 2014" is arguably the group's best song to date.

History's Jang Yi Jeong on "1CENTURY"

It's not every day that a group's lead vocalist turns out to secretly be a rapping beast. History's youngest member Jang Yi Jeong's solo song, "1CENTURY," on the group's latest album exhibits Jang's flexibility as a musician. Gone are the smooth vocals usually associated with Jang as the lead vocalist of History. Instead, Jang gives a sharp, biting rap performance on his solo.

A.Kor Black on "How We Do"
Kemy and Minju of A.Kor form the group's hip hop subunit, A.Kor Black, and their latest song "How We Do" is a hip hop throwback with steel drums and synths. The pair is at their best when playing off one another's raps, and "How We Do" is the best example of this to date.

Seventeen's Vernon on "Adore U"

With thirteen members, Seventeen has several rappers but it's the group's Korean-American member Vernon who stands out from amongst the crowd. Vernon was featured multiple times on the group's debut track "Adore U," his deep voice distinct from all of the other rappers. While it's too early to really speak about the potential of Seventeen's members (and several of the other rappers are intriguing,) standing out in a group with more than even five members is hard, so props to Vernon.

Monsta X's I.M on "No Exit"

Monsta X had fans from before debut because of a competition show, but the group's youngest member I.M came in halfway to surprise everyone with his deep voice. While Monsta X's main rapper Jooheon stands out on their title track "Trespass," I.M's darker rap surprises on many of the group's other songs, most noticeably on "No Exit," offering some necessary depth to the song.  

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