When the world ground to a halt just a few short months into the year, music was a means of escapism — a way to feel something other than adrift, or to wallow unmoored. But that's the prismatic beauty of K-pop. It breeds innovation and excitement, color and dynamism. For many, it's already a source of escapism, comfort and really good pop songs.
90 More Great K-Pop Songs
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T his year, K-pop accelerated its expansion into all sorts of mediums— novels , podcasts , documentaries. And yet, for all the satisfaction these new forms brought with them, the music remains the heart of this global phenomenon. The K-pop songs and albums that defined the year transported us to places we miss most—from the theater to the jazz bar to the island vacation that lives only in our memories or imaginations. Some prompted nostalgia for things we once took for granted , while others inspired hope for their return. Through these releases, many of our favorite artists experimented with their sounds, all while building deeper connections with an audience they could only interact with from a distance. Released just days into January, the anthem captured the energy of a new decade brimming with potential. Despite its freshness, the track has a mature sound. A delicate bridge with jazzy piano riffs leads to the high-energy final chorus, not unlike the instrumental interludes of a musical.
Top K-Pop Songs
Diana has been writing on Spinditty for over 3 years. She is a K-pop enthusiast with a deep love for Korean culture. This list covers the most popular K-pop songs ever!
Former robotics engineer Lee Soo-man—founding chairman of the SM Entertainment empire, and the de facto progenitor of K-pop as we know it—is a mad scientist of the music industry. These teams of six are meant to be functionally interchangeable—performing the exact same songs, dancing roughly mirrored choreographies, and filming shot-for-shot identical videos—save for their respective languages. They release their music simultaneously, and promote it in their respective territories like local branches of a single corporate entity.
