Best K-pop Songs of 2024 (Mid-Year)

3 months ago 6

In my review for Riize’s Impossible last month I had stated quite clearly that I had “fallen out of love” with K-pop. And while I do still hold that statement (to a certain extent) to be true, 2024 has delivered quite a few gems. In fact, it wouldn’t be a far cry to call 2024 one of the most consistent years we’ve had in a long time. And while some of my picks won’t be anything new for those who keep up with lists such as these, I hope you’ll find some enjoyment in those familiar faces.

Honourable Mentions

ARTMS- Virtual Angel

Drippin- Beautiful Maze

EPEX – Youth2Youth

IVE – Accendio

Kiss of Life – Midas Touch

Moon Byul – Touchin&Movin

Red Velvet – Cosmic

Riize – Boom Boom Base / Love 119 / 9 Days

Seola – Without U

SF9 – Bibora

tripleS – Girls Never Die

Waker – Atlantis

Special Mention – Just B – Daddy’s Girl (explicit version)

A classic pop rocker that heavily recalls the sounds of debut era 5SOS, Daddy’s Girl was a pleasant surprise made even sweeter by its bafflingly great explicit cut. Not only does it feel more natural but it brings the kind of camp that songs like this thrive off. But given that the clean version stands as the official cut, it just misses out.

Top Songs

aespa – Supernova

A bonafide smash both commercially and musically, Supernova stretched the limits of aespa’s experimental sound whilst still retaining the melodic bombast of many a past SM classic.

Cravity – Love or Die

Providing a change of pace from the frothy pop of their more recent releases, Love or Die delivers a propulsive pop rocker streamlined to near perfection. One that counters its relative simplicity with a chorus for the ages and some excellent rap verses.

Kep1er – Shooting Star

Buoyed by a sparkling fantasia of synths and a gorgeous melodic centrepiece, Shooting Star introduced a layer of sentimentality to Kep1er’s discography in the most satisfying of ways.

Nayeon – ABCD

By harkening back to the explosive hip hop sounds of the 90’s and early 00’s, Nayeon gave the brassy pop sounds of her debut era a powerful makeover to deliver the year’s most potent display of individual showmanship. The hook here is just *chef’s kiss*.

ONF – Bye My Monster

Embracing a darker and more theatrical approach than past efforts, Bye My Monster delivers a wonderful ode to K-pop’s second generation whilst still retaining that distinct ONF touch.

OnlyOneOf – dOpamine

Punctuating an addictive drum and bass soundscape with a sense of real sensuality and an absolute ear worm of a hook, dOpamine continued to expand OnlyOneOf’s trademark sound in truly fascinating directions.

RIIZE – Impossible (full review)

By balancing both the trendy and the inventive aspects of modern pop music to perfection, the propulsive house driven energy of RIIZE’s Impossible delivers one of the year’s most exciting musical moments. What a thrilling collection of hooks we have here.

RIIZE – One Kiss

Sometimes harkening back to pure pop sensibilities can be just as exciting as experimentation.

Exhibit A: RIIZE – One Kiss.

With a gorgeous multi pronged chorus that feels like the musical equivalent of a big warm hug, this is the kind of hyper melodic pop music I love.

TAN – Hypertonic

A thrilling electronic soundscape punctuated by stabbing synths and a palpable crunch, Hypertonic‘s euphoric collection pre-chorus’s and funky hooks delivered a swan song for the ages.

TWICE – I Got You

Painting a synth laden backdrop to one of the most emotive melodies of their career, TWICE delivered a fan song with a real pulse. As a long time fan, it’s hard not to feel a little emotional during that soaring hook.

TWS – Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey! stands as a “lighting in a bottle” effort from one of the industries most exciting rookies, delivering a powerful guitar driven anthem that perfectly encapsulates the excitement and euphoria of youth without forgetting the notable yet often disregarded melancholia that resides behind it all.

TWS – If I’m S, Can You Be My N?

The equivalent of reaching into a goodie bag full of randomly assorted candy, TWS’ excellent summer single delivers a cavalcade of hooks at every turn. And while not every turn is equally successful, it’s all held together by that immensely catchy and relentlessly singable chorus.

TWS – plot twist

One of the years biggest domestic hits, plot twist announced TWS’ arrival with a frothy pop soundscape and wonderfully addictive chorus that instantly resounds with a sense of childlike nostalgia. And just when you think it’s expended all its tricks, the chanted climax rolls around to sweep you off your feet.