A packed November and surprisingly busy December provided a strong close to the year in K-pop. Female artists put up a particularly strong showing, including some of the comebacks featured in this edition of Unsung Artists. Songs by Class:y, Kep1er, and Twice were end-of-year highlights, but didn’t make this list due to their subpar MVs. Also not included are a handful of perfectly charming holiday-themed releases. Nevertheless, if readers are looking for an unhinged Christmas classic, I cannot recommend more highly 100RED’s “The Last Christmas,” which showcases the burgeoning star power of One Hundred Company in the most bananas way possible. A sneak preview: the title is literal.
For some less apocalyptic end-of-2024 fare, we turn to the seven comebacks of this special double edition of Unsung Artists!
Bibi – “Derre”
Bibi is one of the most reliably creative MV-providers in the Korean music scene, and “Derre” is no exception, even if it doesn’t reach the heights of her peak work.
Her signature off-kilter mischief is alive and well in this bouncy yet menacing love song. In the MV, Bibi runs herself happily ragged to sneakily woo her school crush, a jock played by actress Jeon Jong-seo. The result is a delightfully nonchalant sapphic love story, complete with Bibi leaping into a burning building to save her love by princess-carrying her to safety.
Like most Bibi MVs, “Derre” brings an interesting narrative to vibrant life through strong styling, intriguing camerawork, detailed sets, and Bibi’s own formidable acting chops. That being said, there are a handful of things to quibble over. One is that “Derre” is not Bibi’s strongest track musically; the verses are rhythmic and catchy, but never build beyond that. Another issue is that none of the MV lives up to the brilliance of its cold-opening, making the whole thing somewhat anticlimactic. On the flip side, the opening minute of “Derre” is a veritable masterpiece of playful horniness. Frankly, the MV would be worth checking out for that alone.
Ateez – “Ice on My Teeth”
As with “Derre,” the dubiously titled “Ice on My Teeth” is far from Ateez’s finest work, yet it still showcases the group’s signature swagger and wit. Sporting lyrics that are often as cringe-inducing as its title, plus an admirably experimental but ultimately flat musical style, “Ice on My Teeth” is nevertheless a pretty good time.
The MV sees Ateez cosplaying as a twisted, possibly magical crime family. From ballet dancers, to flames, to floating furniture, to dentists, there’s likely several visual elements too many in this (also) semi-gothic video. At the same time, the MV is packed with arresting images; You can stop the MV at nearly any point and find yourself with a frame-worthy screenshot. Ateez also, as always, commit fully to their concept. “Ice on My Teeth” may be an oddball song with a strange MV, but in Ateez’s capable and confident hands, the song sometimes feels downright sophisticated. In that sense, this substandard comeback still serves as a testament to Ateez’s performance prowess and seemingly unshakeable excellence.
Meovv – “Toxic”
After an intriguing but divisive autumn debut with “Meow,” Meovv have returned in very different form with “Toxic,” an honest-to-goodness ballad with completely English lyrics. It’s a bold risk that largely pays off, though Meovv do hedge their bets with the more traditionally dramatic b-side “Body.”
Alternating between black and white aesthetics and constantly swathed in soft lighting, the Meovv members convincingly portray heartbreak in the straightforward but effective MV. The first chorus, which sees the members donning gothic wings in a sun-soaked snowy field, is genuinely stunning. It also captures the song’s mix of hard and soft, with Meovv simultaneously decrying and embracing a poisonous romance. The rest of the MV also consistently evokes this contrast, though never quite so strikingly as in its opening refrain.
One criticism of “Toxic” is that it glorifies its titular trait; while emotional complexity is always welcome, and the song does occasionally succeed in conjuring it, the track ultimately endorses love at all costs. That being said, the song is still a fantastic showcase for Meovv’s vocal prowess and versatility, and sets up an exciting continuation of their rookie run in 2025.
TWS – “Last Festival”
Speaking of promising rookies, TWS close out their rookie year in stunning fashion with “Last Festival.” By far the most emotionally and visually sophisticated of their releases so far, “Last Festival’ also seems to mark the conclusion of TWS’s coming-of-age concept, raising anticipation for their 2025 activities.
For now though, TWS bid a heartfelt goodbye to the naivete of youth in “Last Festival,” even as they declare “I’m not at the end, this is only the beginning.” Following the members through a school festival performance and graduation ceremony, the MV presents its school setting through the soft gaze of nostalgia, as if what is playing out on screen is slipping into memory even as it occurs. One the MV’s nicest devices is how it switches between small-scale school theater sets and larger, more polished versions of the same sets, giant carboard birch trees towering behind the dancing members.
Alongside these dreamy performance sequences, members compete for the affection of their shared crush, their impending graduation adding urgency to their efforts. “Last Festival” has a lot of plot, and a mid-MV interlude that advances said plot is ultimately not worth the momentum-loss that it causes. Still, every element of “Last Festival” comes together cohesively to paint a beautifully bittersweet image of painfully inevitable endings, precious memories, and the frightening but wonderous possibilities of an unknown future.
Irene – “Like a Flower”
There are many, many reasons to criticize SM Entertainment, but the quality of their artists’ 2024 solo releases is not one of them. After a raft of strong NCT solos and standout comebacks from Taeyeon and Hyoyeon among others, Red Velvet’s Irene swooped in a the end of year with a strong solo debut. “Like a Flower” and its same-named EP may have a bright, refreshing tone that seems better suited to summer, but music this good is welcome all year round.
The MV is a stylish missing-persons caper in the vein of Red Velvet’s time-honored happy-murder tradition. Indeed, it’s a shame that “Like a Flower” doesn’t differentiate itself more from Red Velvet’s visual style. The MV is rescued by two elements: A myriad of well-shot sequences that showcase the track’s excellent choreography, and Irene’s brilliantly cheerful but uncanny performance. While it would have been nice to see more visual ambition from “Like a Flower,” the track nevertheless establishes Irene as yet another compelling SM soloist.
Onew – “Mansae”
From a current to a former SM soloist: Onew’s “Mansae” (also titled “Yay” on some international streaming platforms) is a pre-release for his forthcoming album, which will be the second with his new company Griffin Entertainment. As teasers go, it’s hard to get better than this soulful, relentless earworm of a song.
Onew begins the MV, hermit-like, in an underground house:
I feel dizzy again, I don’t want to take the scary call
Sometimes even texting drains me
I become a loner everyday
In the midst of growing isolation, I want to escape
As the song progresses, he gradually crawls his way out of his cave, slowly but surely fighting off the lonely stagnation that had imprisoned him in a comfortable cage. His journey is full of visual whimsy, with bright colors and cheap but concept-appropriate VFX creating a playfully off-kilter vibe.
Where “Mansae” truly shines though is in its painfully relatable and poignant narrative, not to mention the way its rhythmic melodies allow Onew’s incredible voice to shine. Onew’s solo releases to-date have been a masterful collection of wide-ranging vocal showcases, from soft and sweet ballads, to dexterous and upbeat dance numbers. “Mansae” is a very worthy edition to the pantheon, and brings a seize-the-day energy we could all use a bit of in 2025.
Yugyeom – “Sweet Like”
In “Sweet Like,” Yugyeom proves that sometimes all you need is moody lighting, a handful of intriguing quick cuts, and a groovy beat to ensure a good time. Got7’s main dancer and maknae has been one of the more low-profile soloists during the group’s multi-year hiatus (they are scheduled to make a comeback at the start of 2025), but he shows real potential in this comeback. Full of smoldering yet laidback charisma, he commands his solo shots effortlessly.
Interestingly enough, given his dance prowess, it is in the choreography sequences that “Sweet Like” falters. The timing and vibe between Yugyeom and his backup dancers doesn’t seem fully cohesive, and the MV uses too many awkward middle-length framings. A charming seated choreography scene during the song’s second pre-chorus is the exception to the rule.
With the ongoing debate about short song lengths, some might find the track’s two-and-a-half minute runtime a turn-off. However, “Sweet Like” isn’t a deep treatise, it’s a short but sweet bop, and its length suits that. Like so many of the strongest comebacks of the end of 2024, “Sweet Like” will prove even sweeter if it turns out to be an appetizer to something even more impressive in the new year.
(YouTube[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Lyrics via YouTube[1][2]. Images via Griffin Entertainment, HYBE, Pledis Entertainment.)
English (US) · 