This is adapted from an email I sent out this morning. Here's a selection of songs that topped my brain’s charts in 2023 (but may or may not have come out this year). In terms of the format, I decided to forgo the “big countdown” in favor of thematic groupings, each of which has an internal countdown, except the vocal section where it's in the order I thought had the best flow - is that convoluted enough? And yes, it's all Kpop. Maybe I'll start listening to other genres again in 2024.
All songs are in a playlist here, and embedded one by one below
Like The 80s, But Moreso
3. H1-Key - Seoul (Such a Beautiful City)
Dreamy synths that sound eerily similar to Van Halen’s Jump leads off this shimmering ball of inspiration. But this is more than a theme song for the Seoul Chamber of Commerce. Rather, as the title track of Seoul Dreaming, a concept album about the members’ own journeys to Seoul to pursue their Kpop dreams, the lyrics express the heartfelt desire of the young to be where they can do something that matters. And who but the most hard-hearted among us would not feel a stirring at the “I’ll never stop dancing / singing / dreaming” part?
2. Chaeyeon - Danny
Lush, bubbly synth and Chaeyeon’s pleasant singing drive this cute love story that can’t not be danced to.
1. Brave Girls - After We Ride
The 80s weren’t all fun, inspiration, Jumping, and giddy romance. There were also breakups. Sad, gut-wrenching breakups. And this is the breaking-up-est breakup song of them all. This is the song year hear when you cry your eyes out, drink too much, and then dance til 4am at the club to forget it all. It doesn’t matter what songs the DJ actually plays, they’re all this song.
Club Bangers
5. Luna - Free Somebody
Future house is not exactly a regular stomping ground for me but this is an ideal specimen of the genre. It’s hard to get enough of that thumping bass, piano, and Luna’s diva howls. The video is fun as well, with the rare mix of hand-drawn animation and live acting, a (very) thinly veiled reference to dropping acid, and the only-in-Kpop randomness of Luna’s yellow Powerpuff Girls shirt changing to a yellow DHL shirt and back again. I can just picture the stylists: “Well this one is yellow… Whatever, just wear it!”
4. Orange Caramel - Catallena
I was hooked the minute I heard the nonstop 16th note Italo-disco synth bass that forms the backbone of this classic. But the fun and whimsical exterior delivers a serious lyrical message about the dehumanization of women in the Kpop industry. It’s a song that lets you think deep thoughts, bop to the beat, or both - it’s up to you.
3. Girls’ Generation - Trick
The early 10s were the golden age of sawtooth wave synth EDM in Kpop. This is basically what I always wished the “electro-clash” genre would be back in its early aughts heyday, but it never quite was. The vocal effects are especially fun. The ending may be a bit abrupt but we can’t all be perfect can we?
2. Aespa - Black Mamba
Ah, Aespa. After so many 2023 memories, which song should I pick for this list? There are many candidates, but something about their debut song still pushes it to the top. It's just a quintessential hard hitting dance track with a badass chorus and lyrics that laid the groundwork for Aespa's MCU-like lore, describing their quest (with the help of AI avatars) to defeat an evil force detected in the metaverse. All good silly fun, and Winter and Ningning bringing the heavy vocal artillery in the bridge (2:27-2:50) is the chef's kiss.
1. Kwon Eunbi - Glitch
The production on this is just un-freaking-real? Every single sound is so carefully and exquisitely crafted, like a Swiss chocolate truffle of electronic music. But it’s not just those scrumptious sounds in and of themselves, it’s how they are arranged. The momentum, the pacing, the build to true intensity, the soft outro. A masterpiece in our midst.
But, Like, The Vocals???
6. Red Velvet - Feel My Rhythm
Classical music interpolation may be overdone, but it was never done better than this song where the orchestral riff blends in so perfectly that it makes one wonder if Bach had Red Velvet’s voices in mind when he wrote it some 300 years ago. The frenetic complexity of the percussion melds with the airy simplicity of the strings and vocals to a truly mystical effect. This one hit me like a lightning bolt in my nascent Kpop fandom of early ‘22 and led to an enduring obsession that put me in the top 0.1% of Red Velvet listeners in 2023, according to Youtube!
5. STAYC - Young Luv
An unusual (for Kpop) new wavey instrumental undergirds this emotional powerhouse, with a high-pitched bass line and light guitar floating on top (how very New Order-ish). The end of the bass riff back to the beginning creates a dissonant tritone, also rarely heard in Kpop, lending the song a mood of unresolved yearning. The vocals feel raw and vulnerable, with each member bringing a distinct vocal color that blends perfectly. The sequence around 2:40 where Sieun’s soft lines lead into the isolated guitar and then the chorus comes roaring back gives me goosebumps every time.
4. Taeyeon - I Got Love
Vocals that sound like they literally came from heaven telling a story of senseless seduction over a hauntingly sparse instrumental. Sold.
3. IU - Eight (Acoustic Version)
It wouldn’t be hard to find IU songs with more technically impressive vocals, but you’d be hard pressed to find one that packs pure emotional expression into a catchier package than Eight. The acoustic version has a delicate beauty all its own, and a superb 5-string bass performance elevates it even further.
2. Younha - Stardust
Turn on subs and get your tissues ready! This song builds on a simple vocal melody that repeats throughout with constantly varying tone, expression, and backing music keeping things interesting. The lyrics raise the bar for poetry. If you’ve ever wished a meteor would strike the Earth, bathe the planet in aurora and open a mystical portal in spacetime that helps you resolve deep issues about your sense of belonging and your place in the world, this is for you.
1. Younha - Run
If you were finding these ballads a bit soporific, here’s a high energy rock anthem to wake you up - you’ll need it for what’s to come. But seriously, 10 years younger Younha wasn’t playing around with this one. When she hits the post chorus with “Cause I love you” you’ll feel like you’re wearing a jetpack and blasting through obstacles and alongside flying whales. And cheesy as it may sound, my favorite part of the MV has got to be the gigantic smile on Younha’s face as it fades out and she keeps on running towards…wait, what is she running towards? We never find out. Maybe running, itself, was the goal.
Concept Queens (And Kings Too)
5. Dreamcatcher - Shatter
The end of the year brought us this dark and dramatic performance that suddenly became my favorite Dreamcatcher song and cemented their status as the undisputed goth metal queens of Kpop.
4. Purple Kiss - Zombie
Peak Halloween camp that is funky as hell with killer raps and ace vocals? Yes, yes, yes, and yes!
3. NMIXX - Soñar (Breaker)
NMIXX can be hit or miss, but this one hit so hard I almost fell off my chair. It took multiple listens to even make sense of what I was hearing, like looking at one of those point paintings that gradually takes shape as a recognizable form. Songs like this are, basically, the reason I'm a Kpop fan. Producers will throw pretty much anything at the wall as long as it’s about 3 minutes and has a chorus. Some works, some doesn’t, a whole boatload of it is formulaic pap, and then every thousandth song or so you get something that sounds like it came through a wormhole from a parallel universe, like this.
I mean what can I even say here. There’s the intricate percussion (the switch to triplets and back in the gunshot part makes my brain explode every time), the mid-song genre “change up,” the chants, the vocal battles, the totally insane choreo… I give up.
2. Exo - Mama
If you’re playing the video and are a bit confused by the lengthy bombastic spoken word intro, here’s the backstory. Exo originally debuted as a bi-national group, Exo-K in South Korea and Exo-M (Mandarin) in China, and their songs were to be released in both languages, with occasional combined mega-group performances. That’s what the “two halves that were separated” storyline is all about. As it happened, a bit later the departure of several Chinese members along with souring trade relations between China and South Korea led the company to just throw the remaining members into one group and drop the hyphen.
Anyway, the blend of powerful industrial drums, neo-classical instrumentation, and over the top, operatic vocals is irresistible for me. The middle section where it suddenly goes metal is hilarious (and great). Mama means something like “your majesty” in Korean (they’re not actually singing about their moms), and the song is about stratification and selfishness in South Korean society.
1. Irene & Seulgi - Monster
And here's Monster coming back for a second year in my top spot. So where do I start? The dark, foreboding atmosphere, deep bass, and judicious application of dubstep. Seulgi’s dramatic vocal tone perfectly balanced by Irene’s more restrained style. The allegorical lyrics, inspired by the 19th century gothic novel Carmilla. The epic bridge at 1:59, where it all comes crashing down. All of this in an extremely replayable 3-minute package!
Postscript: Holiday Faves and Honorable Vid Mentions
Best Halloween Vibes Video: Sunmi - Stranger
Homage to last century b-movie horror with incredible visuals, fabulous singing, and a fun genre switch.
Best Dance Practice: Loona - Hula Hoop
12 members can be overwhelming at times, but it exponentially increases the opportunities for choreo formations, as this dance practice amply demonstrates. Superhuman synchronization, fluid transitions, and contagious enthusiasm are also on vivid display. The only downside is my irrepressible urge to throw darts at the Blockberry Creative logo on the back wall.
Best Christmas Video for a song has nothing to do with Christmas: Chuu - Heart Attack
Loona started off with an ambitious (and ill-fated) pre-debut era that showcased a solo project from each member, of which Chuu's was the best, and that's saying something. The video brings all the best artistic design sense Kpop has to offer (Did you see that color scheme? The creative use of shape, size, and perspective? Chuu and Yves’ on-point acting?), plus a randomly Christmas-themed finale apropos of the late Dec. release date.
Best New Year’s Eve Song: Red Velvet - Sassy Me
Where's the party? Wherever Red Velvet are in upbeat “red” mode, I'd say! As soon as the horns start up and Seulgi comes in with the vocal fry, I'm ready to get down. Then you've got the usual RV vocal harmony heaven, with silly and fun flex lyrics, and a perfect bridge leading to the finale. This is about as close to the audio equivalent of a bubbly glass of fine champagne as I can imagine.
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