2018 was the year I truly got into K-pop. While I haven't been around for too long, I've definitely exposed myself to a decent amount of new music this past year that I've fallen in love with. Here are my favorite K-pop songs of 2018 in no particular order:
1. “Shine” by Pentagon
“Shine” by ridiculously underrated boy group Pentagon is one of the best comeback songs of 2018. It’s spurred a viral, fervent response from many idols that eventually led to positive word-of-mouth and the group charting both domestically and internationally for the first time ever. It’s hard not to fall in love with this song. There’s nothing seriously complex going on, with the production opting for brassy, minimalistic synths, piano, and verbal cues as percussive instruments, yet the song never delves into mainstream, and it’s never tiring even as it remains incredibly catchy and a massive earworm. The song is a breath of fresh air, which is fitting, given that the song is about the euphoric and heart-fluttering feelings of unrequited love and the awkwardness of not having the courage to express them. Even as I say this, I don’t think I’ve properly expressed how magical of a song this is. You’d have to check it out yourself to get what I mean.
2. “Baby Don’t Stop” by NCT U
Oh, where to begin. If you’re new to this blog, just know I’ve been obsessed with this song the moment it was released all the way back in late February of this year. Everything about this song is just unreal. S.M. Entertainment definitely has their long history of poor choices, but if there’s one thing they did right, it’s making Taeyong and Ten an NCT U lineup and letting this song see the light of day. It’s extra exciting for fans to see Ten again, who hasn't played such a big role in NCT releases since he debuted with NCT U's debut song "The 7th Sense" all the way back in 2016. I continue to be surprised by the breadth of talents that the duo possess, and this song perfectly showcases these two incredibly charismatic members and their natural and explosive chemistry in ways that are beyond engaging. They are performers that transcend the concept of performance itself. The production starts off simple before delving into a playful, sprawling soundscape backed by an intense bass track, 8-bit sounding synth instrumentals, and other unconventional percussion to support Ten’s smooth (and shockingly good) vocals, the ASMR-like, passionately whispered chorus, Taeyong’s deep, gravelly rap as well as his surprisingly light vocals, and the mesmerizing choreography. The song is quirky and unique and unconventional, yet it just works. As expected of arguably NCT’s best performers.
3. “Yestoday (Extended Version)” by NCT U
I’ve always maintained the opinion that NCT U (with its whole concept being a rotational unit that switches member lineups with each song so as to have the best lineup of members that fit the concept of the song) is the superior NCT unit, and with good reason: even when the group throws it back to 90’s-vibe hip-hop, what comes out is still magnificent and surprisingly emotional. Stripping the usual theatrics associated with NCT's previous releases, the song focuses on the unique flows and delivery of rappers Taeyong, Mark, and Lucas in their verses. Complementing the three rappers is main vocalist Doyoung, who has been given deserved opportunities to showcase his vocal talents this past year. He effortlessly weaves the rappers’ disparate verses with his voice, crafting a sort of dreamy, contemplative, almost heartbreaking song about coming to terms with our past selves in order to build a brighter future.
4. "My Pace" by Stray Kids
It was a toss-up between the rookie group's aggressive and angsty debut song "District 9" or their equally aggressive yet more playful comeback "My Pace". JYP's rookie boy group is truly one of the most promising and exciting groups of this year, and their debut was equally confident and distinct, but I think it was there comeback song "My Pace" that really solidified my genuine love for the group. The song, simply put, is just fun. The rappers of the group cap off their impressive debut bars with different flows and styles at play, diversifying the group's musical and rhythmic palette. For the sake of context, I've always thought Stray Kids was the perfect marriage of what makes self-producing group Seventeen and hip-hop-and-western-influenced group BTS so great, yet "My Pace" shows that the boys are here to make a mark for themselves. Why not have a little bit of fun along the way?
5. "I Want You" by SHINee
SHINee came back after a year and a half (and unfortunately, without the presence of late member Jonghyun, who passed away in December of 2017) with deep house-influenced, suave track "I Want You", the second single of their three-part release schedule. It's a feel-good song, showcasing the members well-known charisma in their performances. Above all, the song proves why this ten-year-old group are considered the princes of K-pop. SHINee elevate any material they touch, and "I Want You" is no exception.
6. "The Truth Untold" by BTS (feat. Steve Aoki)
BTS admittedly doesn't have the strongest vocalists in K-pop (nothing wrong with that; the group debuted with a more hip-hop influenced sound anyway), but their singers Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have probably the most distinct voices in K-pop. Even that said, "The Truth Untold", a stripped-back, emotional, powerful ballad, is arguably Love Yourself: Tear's strongest moment. To add another layer of surprise is the fact that EDM hype-king Steve Aoki (who remixed BTS's loud and bombastic "Mic Drop" into something even more energetic and aggressive) produced this song. You can clearly tell how much BTS's vocalists have grown musically since their last comeback, and this song is a testament to that growth.
7. "Oh My!" by Seventeen
After exploring slightly more aggressive and melancholy influences with their 2017 comebacks, self-producing idol kings Seventeen came back with a refreshing, bubbly concept with "Oh My!", a perfect time for summer. It's a welcome throwback to the material that Seventeen became known for (ex: "Pretty U"), yet also introduces new sounds to the group's already diverse musical palette. It's never a disappointment with Seventeen.
8. "Shoot Me" by Day6
For the time being, I'll have to stick Day6 with K-pop, but I am aware that they are more of a K-rock group (though you could argue that their songs are more pop-rock if anything). Technicalities aside, Day6's long-awaited 2018 Korean comeback came with the bravado that was expected of a song title as "Shoot Me". The band has toyed with a harder rock sound with their Every Day6 project in 2017 ("I Wait", "How Can I Say", etc.), but "Shoot Me" stands out for just how far the band has pushed for their new sound. For one thing, Day6 has yet to disappoint fans on a single release, so it's no surprise "Shoot Me" has made its way on this list, but it's deserved nonetheless. The rest of the songs on the album are equally good, so this is another chance for me to tell you to listen to the entire album (and then their entire discography because they are THAT good).
9. "Lullaby" by GOT7
As much as I genuinely respect Got7's talents and chemistry as a group, I always found myself disappointed by their generally mellow-impact discography of the past few years (they were okay at best, generally stale at worst). With their third full-album comeback with Present: YOU and title track "Lullaby", Got7 finally nailed down the kind of synth-breezy, dance-funk sonic landscape they attempted to achieve with "Look". In short, "Lullaby" is Got7's best song in years. The hook of "sweet talk to me babe/it's magical" is an instant classic of a hook, immediately leaving a lasting impression (I could not stop singing it to myself for at least a good month after the song's release), and one that won me over with this song in general. While one song isn't enough to guarantee a group's return to form, I welcome the crystallization of the group's sound for the first time in years. I'd also suggest you check out the track's three other language versions (in addition to Korean, the track is also sung in English, Chinese, and Spanish).
10. "Candy (so good)" by The Rose
More of a band, less of an idol group, but we'll have to make do. Relatively new band The Rose released their debut EP "Void" in April of 2018, and less-than-three-minute track "Candy (so good)" made the strongest impression on me. Reminiscent of The 1975, "Candy (so good)" is the kind of breezy indie rock that makes you want to listen to it again and again.
11. "City 127" by NCT 127
I have mixed feelings regarding the now-ten member group's title track "Regular" off their first full-length studio album Regular-Irregular. Oddly enough, "Regular" is probably on the album's weaker songs, especially considering B-side tracks "Come Back", "My Van", "No Longer", and "Replay (1:27 PM). The song I can't stop listening to is the first song in the album "City 127", which so clearly brings to mind autumn, late-night walks in the city. Taeyong and Mark trade verses that offer lighter, breezier fare from normally hard-hitting raps in most NCT 127 discography. The vocal harmonies are also delightfully simple yet effective in their delivery, and the whistling in the background just rounds off this perfect track.
12. "Jealousy" by Monsta X
Talk about a god-tier chorus. "Jealousy" freewheels between so many disparate genres, but somehow it works incredibly well in this song. Monsta X has been a relatively recent discovery of mine, and I must say I love pretty much everything about this song by the group.
13. "Idol" by BTS
The boys surprised everyone with their off-the-walls track "Idol", dialing up the incredibly idiosyncratic energy that BTS is known for and coming up with a track that arrives with one of the most freeing, climatic choruses of their recent discography. Favorable comparisons have been made to their equally bold "Not Today". I love "Idol" for how weird it is and for how much it embraces that weirdness, fitting for a song ultimately about how the boys of BTS view themselves and how they've learned to love themselves, a perfect bombastic conclusion to their introspective and thoughtful Love Yourself series. Also of note is the traditional Korean elements the boys incorporate into the production, choreography, and music video visuals, implying to fans and the general public of how distinctly proud the members of BTS are about their Korean heritage and how proud they are to represent their country as they hit higher and more international stages.
14. "Tempo" by EXO
Everything about this song is perfect with exception to what sounds like bed squeaks in the chorus. I love the song's funky leanings, sounding two steps away from some polished Korean barbershop quartet music. The EXO comeback was a long time coming, and "Tempo" reminds everyone why EXO remains relevant to this day. It's just fun and light and addictive. 15. "Not That Type" by Gugudan
I know literally nothing about this Jellyfish Entertainment girl group other than the some of the former I.O.I members, but I've heard nothing but high praise for Gugudan's recent comeback, so I checked it out. This song delivers and more. It's the kind of power anthem I need in 2018 while not taking itself too seriously. It's enjoyable, energetic, and a really good time. Gugudan, I'm watching you. 16. "Bad Boy" by Red Velvet
This song is nothing short of legendary. While this uniquely dual concept girl group has done "velvet" concepts (aka their more R&B, less bubblegum pop style) in the past, "Bad Boy" is their most "velvet" yet, completely throwing away any hints of anything particularly cute or approachable and embodying the sort of badass Red Velvet that paid off in spades. The production is impeccable, approaching this concept with the kind of minimalism that kicked off 2018 with a bang. The attention this song received is well-deserved. "Bad Boy" is Red Velvet at its best. 17. "Woman" by BoA
The Goddess of K-Pop came back with her first full-length studio album in years this year with lead single "Woman", a perfect blend of groovy bass, sharp confidence, and female empowerment. Despite being in the industry for almost two decades (if you were born in the 21st century, she's been a K-pop star longer than you've been alive) and being sidelined by newer acts, BoA continues to prove what makes her legendary with this song that manages to show off another side of the incredibly versatile performer. 18. "Siren" by Sunmi
Sunmi's new singles after departing JYP Entertainment have been nothing short of extraordinary. From song of summer 2017's "Gashina" to January's incredible "Heroine" to late summer's 80's inspired "Siren", Sunmi has shown time and time again how incredible of a performer she is. "Siren" really took the cake, though, with its infectious hooks and production as well as Sunmi's mesmerizing performance.
Those have been my favorite eighteen K-pop songs of 2018! This year has been an incredible year for me, and here's to an exciting 2019!
April marks around the 3-month mark since I've gotten into K-pop (like, really get into it), and boy has it been a journey. Since this is my first post, you should probably have an understanding of where I'm at as you read future blog posts (and before I update you on what I learned in K-pop after this post). I've listened to so much K-pop at this point that I've managed to learn a lot about different groups, the culture, and the idols that I really love and the ones that I don't. Here is what I know about K-pop in a nutshell.
Groups that I stan:
Stan: Like, really deep into the fandom, knows too many inside jokes, knows random facts about all the members, and would buy their albums if I had the financial means to do so
Seventeen
Thirteen members (not seventeen)
Have four international members (two Americans and two Chinese members); one is biracial
Originally supposed to have seventeen members but PLANS CHANGE OKAY
Debuted in 2015
Came from a bankrupt company (Pledis Entertainment) and single-handedly brought the company out of financial ruin
Known in the K-pop industry as the "self-producing idol group", which means that they do EVERYTHING (write and produce their own music, choreograph songs, and have a lot of creative input in what they produce for their fans)
Their choreography is really hard and they've rightfully won awards for them; syncing 13 members w/ different styles and body types is extremely difficult and keep in mind that only three members have a background in dance and they self-direct themselves with the choreography
Their earlier concepts lean more towards "boy" concepts but they've matured with every comeback and I think that's very artistically healthy for a group with members that don't stay young forever
They really, really love their fans (called Carats) and their fans really love them; in general, I would say they are one of the chillest fandoms (can't say the same for EXO-Ls and ARMYs)
Three different sub-units (vocal, hip-hop, and performance) that release their own tracks but don't promote outside of the group's activities, instead operating under the Seventeen umbrella
Very recently, three of the members debuted as a unit called BooSeokSoon (a combination of the members' names) and their song "Just Do It" is a bop
Their music is some of the most consistent, most high-quality stuff I've listened to in general (which means it's not just limited to K-pop)
Seventeen never disappoints with their title tracks and their albums are always very good as cohesive units
They work really hard and it shows in the quality of their content
They honestly have a really fun time with each other no matter what they're doing and I get really strong family vibes from them
The members are really weird and just so hilarious the memes sort of generate themselves at this point
BTS
7 members
In Korean they're known as Bangtan Sonyeondan (which literally means bulletproof boyscouts)
Debuted in 2013
Came from a really small company called Big Hit Entertainment (Big Hit and BTS basically grew up together)
Their youngest member (or "maknae"), Jungkook, is known as the "Golden Maknae" in the K-pop industry because he's known for being good at basically everything
Their concepts are really well-thought out and between different concepts, there are connections, suggesting at a larger story that fans have worked to construct theories for
Their rap line is truly one of the best rap lines in K-pop
Their vocalists don't have very strong technique but their voices are quite distinct and very easy to differentiate, which is sometimes hard for K-pop groups to do
Always have a special place in my heart because they were the first group I stanned
They all work really hard and write and produce a lot of their music
They dance really well too considering only three of the members are professionally trained in dance
Everyone in that group is so weird and nothing like their on-stage personas
They're also known as one of the few K-pop acts with exclusively Korean-nationality members, meaning all members are ethnically Korean and born and raised in Korea
If you haven't heard of them by now I don't know where you've been
Pretty much taking over the world as you're reading this so might as well inform yourselves about them
NCT
18 members (and counting)
Debuted in 2016
NCT stands for "Neo Culture Technology", which their company CEO has stated to mean that the group plans to localize K-pop in various parts of the globe and try to modernize and expand the limits of what people understand to be K-pop; the group's concept is to have an unlimited amount of members: there is no limit to their expansion as a group
Honestly most fans don't really know what's going on we're just going with the flow
Under S.M. Entertainment (THE biggest K-pop company in South Korea)
They currently have three sub-units that pretty much promote separately (there are a handful of members in more than one sub-unit, with one member, Mark, in all three)
Their concept as a group isn't too hard to understand (people are just overreacting) I just think remembering all the members is kind of tough and new members coming in makes it a bit harder
I really didn't think I would get into them because I normally don't like S.M. groups (S.M. isn't known for really emphasizing quality music), but NCT releases have surprised me
NCT U (a rotational unit) has never failed me with music releases (all of their songs are SO good and are, in my opinion, the most consistent quality-wise)
While I don't dislike any of NCT U's songs, my favorite releases of theirs are probably "Baby Don't Stop" and "Yestoday", but their debut song "The 7th Sense" is really good; it's probably one of the best debut songs in all of K-pop (along with "Energetic" by Wanna One, but I digress)
NCT 127 (their fixed unit based in Seoul) is sort of hit or miss for me but they dance extremely well (if you want to be in awe check out the dance for their song "Cherry Bomb")
Some of NCT 127's lyrics are questionable (just read the lyrics from "Baby Don't Like It" and "Whiplash" and you'll get what I mean)
NCT Dream (their rotational, graduation-based unit of minors) hasn't really been my style but their songs are not bad (and their new song "Go" is definitely a departure from previous concepts and more up my alley)
Along with "Go", other good songs are "My First and Last", "We Young", and "My Page", but they are quite standard, bubblegum pop songs
Every member dances really well (along with BTS, I think this group has the most interesting choreography)
They have underutilized vocalists that deserve more attention from S.M.
Their line distribution is awful (Dream's line distribution isn't too bad) and there are some members who just get no appreciation from S.M. whatsoever (Yuta, Johnny, WinWin, Kun) and that is just really frustrating for fans
For such a new group they already have a lot of crazy fans (known as sasaengs, or privacy-invaders)
Two members (Taeyong, leader of NCT 127, and Mark, the dude in all three units) contribute lyrics to their songs, which is a rarity for idols under S.M. (and unheard of for new groups like NCT)
Their rapping is okay (considering S.M. rappers are not good) but I think they focus too much on rapping
In general, they're known to have very experimental sounds and influences, which is kind of fitting for a group called Neo Culture Technology
As of now, half of their members are international members (one Thai, one Japanese, one Canadian, one American, five Chinese)
The concept of NCT as the way they have envisioned it isn't fully realized, but I think there could be great potential in future success if S.M. doesn't screw up (and S.M. is known for screwing up groups in the past, soo....)
Groups I sort of like:
GOT7
7 members
Debuted in 2014
From JYP Entertainment (one of the "Big 3" K-pop companies in South Korea)
Title tracks have been hit ("Never Ever", "If You Do", "Look") or miss ("You Are") for me
Their B-sides are okay and sometimes better than title tracks but they kind of sound the same at times
I really only like them because I think the members have great personalities and they really enjoy their jobs
South Korea is sleeping on them but they get a healthy amount of love internationally
They have three international members (one American, one Chinese, one Thai)
Probably the fairest line distribution in all of K-pop right now
They're really friendly people who are very supportive of other idols and just get along with everyone (can't say the same for other groups *cough* S.M. *cough*)
EXO
9 members (but one member hasn't promoted with them in almost two years, so it's currently an 8-member group)
Basically the national boy band of South Korea (they performed at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony in 2018)
Debuted in 2012 w/ 12 members (of the three members that left, two had on-going lawsuits with S.M. before they were settled)
Under S.M. Entertainment
I don't think I like them as much because I think their music just isn't as good as BTS's (again, personal opinion), but I think they dance really well
They have very good vocalists (in terms of vocal technique, I think they have an upper hand against BTS)
Their rapping sucks lol no offense to Chanyeol (the main rapper of the group) but they're just not as authentic blame SM though
They do a lot of solo endeavors like acting
There's an official unit of EXO called EXO-CBX that consists of three members of EXO (the "CBX" is the compilation of initials from the three members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin)
My favorite tracks from them are "Monster" and "What U do?"
Their fans (EXO-Ls) are essentially engaged in a fandom war with ARMYs (BTS fans) even though the group itself actually gets along very well with BTS
There have been a lot of really awful incidences of sasaengs doing really creepy stuff that makes me feel bad for them
Random artists that I like at least one of their songs (I'm just not a fan of much else beyond that or haven't taken the time to get into them):
iKON
7 members
Under YG Entertainment (the other "Big Three" company)
Their song "Rubber Band" is really good
They dance well I guess
WINNER
4 members but debuted with five
Their song "Really Really" is good
ASTRO
6 members
Under Fantiago Entertainment
Their song "Crazy Sexy Cool" is very good
They are really weird and a mess 99% of the time
Red Velvet
5 members
Under S.M. Entertainment
I like their songs "Russian Roulette", "Red Flavor", and "Peek-a-Boo"
They dance very well considering they have to dance in stilettos most of the time
They move seamlessly between cutesy-girl concepts and mature concepts and I think that's really cool
One international member (Canadian)
The age range is pretty wide (oldest was born in 1991 and the youngest was born in 1999)
They are all very weird but that's cool keep it weird
Sunmi
She was part of the JYP girl group Wonder Girls before they disbanded
Her song "Gashina" was one of the biggest songs in South Korea in 2017 and it's such a good song
The dance for "Gashina" is also iconic
Suran
She collaborated with Suga of BTS for her track "Wine" (he produced it) and it's really good
Her voice is really good
I don't think she's characterized as an idol but she's a very good singer
BIGBANG
5 members
Literally one of the biggest K-pop groups of all time; they essentially defined modern K-pop
Under YG Entertainment
Their songs "Fantastic Baby" and "Bang Bang Bang" are iconic K-pop songs and are the epitome of K-pop
Currently on hiatus because all of the members are serving mandatory military service
Wanna One
11 members
Debuted in 2017 and will disband in 2018 (more on that later)
Their song "Energetic" is probably one of the greatest K-pop songs of all time (again, I know nothing about K-pop but even music critics agree soo...)
They were formed through a reality competition show called Produce 101 Season 2, which took 101 trainees from various entertainment companies and narrowed it down to 11, which debuted as Wanna One and would promote for 2.5 years before having to disband and go back to their respective companies
Their age range is pretty wide (10 years, with the oldest born in 1991 and the youngest born in 2001)
They dance very well as well
Their company overworks them but they continually have very positive attitudes about their job and are always grateful
