My Top 20 K-pop Songs of 2019! ——

I can’t order these, I could barely narrow them down. So here they are in alphabetical order by artist. Yee haw!

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A-TEN – KING – Is it pop, is it rock, is it rap, is it hip hop? I have no idea, but I love A-Ten’s relentless underground sound.

ACE – Savage – Straight thuggin’ meets pretty vocals meets moody beats meets bombin drops. I like.

Astro. – Moonwalk – Perhaps the most traditionally k-pop sound on my list, but I can’t deny those angel vocals or the driving, grooving beat.

Ateez – Say My Name – Hard-pressed to think of a way this song could be improved. Best song of the best Ateez album of the year.

Ateez – Utopia – A lot of Ateez b sides could have made this list, but I picked Utopia because of the superior Jongho vocals. One of the best vocalists in Kpop and he’s only 19.

Bang Yongguk – Hikikomori — Smooth, bluesy, mature and so full of emotion.

CL – +PARADOX171115+ – The entire album is fantastic, but this track stands out for CLs moving vocals and funky beats.

CLC – Devil – Bless these women and the savage talent they bring to the industry

Doshi – Movin – I think Drive Thru its probably a better song, but Movin gets me, well, movin’. I love Doshi’s mix of catchy hooks, happy beats and lazy rap, I’ve been listening to this on repeat for months.

Giriboy – I’m Sick (ft many) – Signature bright and clean beats overlayed with a cornucopia of some of the best rappers in k hip hop right now. Giriboy is something special.

Jvcki Wai, et al – DDING – Jvcki Wai somehow manages to annoy me and really entice me at the same time. She’s a welcome female voice in the k-hip hop scene, and the other strong rappers round out a beautifully-produced track.

MINO – I liked Fiance a lot, but something about this creepier beat and that relentless refrain of “This song is the trigger” does things to me. Also, MINO can write some lyrics.

OnlyOneOf – Savanna – A smooth sound we don’t hear much in Kpop. Effortlessly cool and groovy with impressive vocals from a debut group.

OnlyOneOf – Sage – OOO comes back with another unique, mature sound paired with gorgeous lyrics and killer vocals

Oneus – Lit – Love the traditional influence and strong rapping. What the kids call a “bop”

Stray Kids – Victory Song – I love me some Miroh, but Victory Song is like it’s cooler, better structured cousin. There’s just so much here to like in the layered instrumentals and the variances of the raps, verses and drops.

Stray Kids – Double Knot – I liked this song from the moment Han Jisung opened his mouth. The pacing is perfect, the beat is wonderfully moody, and the stripped down melody is catchy as hell.

TREI – Lonely night – A soulful song that still makes me wanna get up and dance

WINNER – SOSO – A surprisingly moving song with vocals that are at their best when they’re a little wild

Zico – Extreme – Also called: How many ways can Zico rap? (I lost count)