For K-pop, this year was somewhat significant. Highlights included a vital dose of second-generation nostalgia provided by the Girls’ Generation reunion, an even greater fixation with BLACKPINK, and the legendary (and unexpected) rise of rookie group LE SSERAFIM. But this discussion will focus on the year’s top singles.
Yes, one could argue that a number of these songs deserve to be at the top (and believe us, they’re all competing equally here), but we’ve painstakingly gone through each K-pop single and undergone the difficult task of ranking them so you don’t have to. Here are the top 15.
“Antifragile,” by LE SSERAFIM
You have now reached our favourite K-pop song of 2022, which also happens to be performed by LE SSERAFIM, the biggest rookie debut of the year. The searing hot single “Antifragile,” an unaffected anthem of confidence, most clearly captures the group’s moniker, which is a brilliant anagram for “I’m fearless.” The current time is LE SSERAFIM.
“Attention,” by NewJeans
One of the many bands to emerge from 2022 and leave a lasting mark is NewJeans. The young collective’s age-appropriate thoughts about the concept of infatuation are highlighted in “Attention,” their debut single, but it also has a smooth, ’90s R&B pulse to it that shows NewJeans can also function as a veteran-level group with a good grasp of technicality.
“Beatbox,” by NCT Dream
If we’re being honest, every version of NCT is worth listening to this year, but the NCT Dream single “Beatbox” is so excellent that it fits with the group’s earlier hits and goes above and beyond with the nostalgia, drawing on ’90s hip-hop and fusing it with NCT Dream’s distinctive sound.
“Bop Bop,” by VIVIZ
Three members of the rookie band GFRIEND (RIP/forever in our hearts) formed VIVIZ in 2022. Full-on pop with a side of ’70s nostalgia, the band’s successful re-debut single “Bop Bop” put the band’s members back on the map as musicians who are still worth keeping an eye on. “Bop Bop” is a bop because of its unrelenting tempo and breathy, whimsical speech.
“Doom Du Doom,” by P1Harmony
For the past two years, P1Harmony has been attempting to establish itself, and with each new song, they’ve gotten closer. The pop/hip-hop hybrid duo subsequently won a spot on our regular Spotify rotation when they released the underappreciated summer single “Doom Du Doom.” One of those carefree, innately self-assured bops.
“Forever 1,” by Girls’ Generation
Girls’ Generation’s joyous 15th anniversary song, “Forever 1,” seemed like a true love letter to their devoted fans and, more significantly, to one another after years of hoping for a reunion. All is well in the K-pop industry as the nation’s prophecy about the rebirth of female groups has finally been realised.
“Good Boy Gone Bad,” by Tomorrow X Together
One of the top K-pop groups, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), has defied expectations with an explosive punk-themed vamp season courtesy to their eye-catching 2022 hit single, “Good Boy Gone Bad.” The group’s bad-boy, rebellious period has arrived. The ensemble has created a mesmerising sound by mixing parts of hip-hop with this guitar-heavy track.
“Illusion,” by aespa
It’s unlikely that the four-member girl group aespa expected their pre-release single “Illusion” to receive more streaming interest than their main follow-up single “Girls,” but given their single-heavy past, anything is conceivable. Their distinctiveness is highlighted by the hyper-pop song “Illusion,” which incorporates siren-like noises, gritty bass backings, and a skillfully placed surge of slow to midtempo transitional vocals that complete the chorus and bridge.
“INVU,” by Taeyeon
Taeyeon has accomplished everything at this point in her career, but she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. The deep track “INVU,” from Taeyeon’s recent solo comeback, is one of the year’s most distinctive, sophisticated powerhouse pop productions. Although 2022 had a number of great soloists, the vocals of the lead singer of Girls’ Generation and the member of GOT the Beat remain unmatched.
“Love Dive,” by IVE
It was obvious that IVE would have a significant influence on the business once their second hit, “Love Dive,” became so well-known, and this is still the case months later. IVE’s fusion of contemporary K-pop ideals with classic dance demonstrates an adventurous spirit that will undoubtedly aid them in the long term. This is demonstrated by the use of well-known snap beats, dramatic transitions, and elegant harmonies.
“NANANA,” by GOT7
The GOT7 song “NANANA” is not about anyone’s nana; rather, it is a joyous, tenderly produced pop hit, and after their difficult journey leaving their previous record label and temporarily severing their relationship, they deserve to have some fun. Each member of the ensemble is powerfully brought back together by the dreamy pop melody. When you listen to it, you can almost sense how happy they are to be back together.
“Shut Down,” by BLACKPINK
We’re going to pay attention whenever BLACKPINK releases new music because they haven’t done so yet. The instrumentally heavy “Shut Down” gives us a chance to watch the four women perform their greatest work. String instruments nicely fit all the light shade-throwing in the song’s lyrics, in which each band member alternately calls out their detractors.
“Step Back,” by GOT the beat
Even though the all-female SM Entertainment group GOT the beat has only released one song thus far, with four generations of K-pop heavyweights already in their repertoire, they really only needed one single to demonstrate their incredible talent. The supergroup members attempt a really challenging notion throughout “Step Back,” yet they make it seem simple. In 2023, how about a follow-up single?
“Talk that Talk,” by TWICE
At this point, TWICE essentially owns the genre of upbeat pop music, so when their single “Talk that Talk” was released, fans knew exactly what to expect (in a good way). The fact that the ensemble maintains its reputation as bubblegum pop while flitting between amusing fads, like the Y2K approach to their most recent 2022 release, is remarkable.
“Thank You,” by Brave Girls
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again with no problem. As some of the most dynamic K-pop performers in the industry, Brave Girls’ rise to fame this year has been both incredibly entertaining to watch and, more importantly, a long time coming. The empowering and upbeat dance-pop song “Thank You” by the band has a unique, nostalgic vibe that can’t (or shouldn’t) be imitated. Actually, we should be thanking the four female members of the group who are effectively using this song to express gratitude to their increasingly large following.
