The Best Of The Best
The Top K-pop Songs: 20 To 11
The Best Of The Best, from a shoulder to cry on in the dark to a friend to pull you onto the dance floor to a bubblegum explosion of love. (See 50 to 41 here)(See 40 to 31 here)(See 30 to 21 here)(See 10 to 1 here)
#20: You Better Know by Red Velvet
If you’ve read at least one of the disclaimers at the top of my reviews, you’ll know I’m neurodivergent. I have autism, and I kind of didn’t let myself believe it for a while. But one day I was walking outside and You Better Know came on, and its message was just what I needed to finally let go and let myself stim for the first time. If you don’t have autism, it’s almost impossible to explain the pure rush of joy that stimming (especially after so long repressing it) can bring, and so whenever You Better Know comes up on my playlist, I find myself fighting a huge grin and getting the urge to dance. God, I love this song so much. I’m trying not to smile right now.
#19: Hai Cheng by Xu Minghao
(Coming Soon)
Because was actually the first song I’d heard by OnlyOneOf, since it was recommended to me about a week after it came out, and, as previously stated, changed my mind that I was only a girl group stan. I was surprised by it right out of the gate, and was soon won over by the quite convincing intimacy between its two characters, its quiet folding of paper cranes, and overall bluntness of its subject matter. The song is nostalgic and feels lived in, waffling between comforting and melancholy as the characters have a fight and go their separate ways while all their best memories replay, then reconnect many months later (though it’s left open whether they get back together). It’s genuinely quite touching; I wince when Junji’s character smacks the paper cranes off of the table and I hurt for Rie’s when he’s heartbroken. It was my favorite of their songs when I first watched it and it’s stayed that way since.
Stay is the companion title track to Playing With Fire, and unique in their discography, the rare song to both be almost entirely in Korean and showcase their vulnerability. Its folk-country inspirations and harmonica strip down the superstars behind one of the biggest groups in the world and reveal…that they’re just people. I loved seeing Rose play the backing acoustic guitar and may or may not have teared up watching them reunite and dance together at the end. This is another of their songs that holds a special place in my heart, as it happens to be the first that I learned (and performed) on piano, and the first song I performed that wasn’t in English, all the way back in early 2020. God, I feel so old.
Love Wins All has a lot to live up to with such a great title. It starts out soft, a bit wistful, a bit sad, and then the chorus begins. IU’s voice, at possibly its most affecting, is backed by building strings, as if daring the listener to disagree with her declaration that love can conquer anything. Every new verse and chorus ups the ante, saturated in both joy and sorrow. It’s an exquisite ballad, powerful in the face of unimaginable odds, And the MV, which features Taehyung (V) of BTS, is stunning too; even though you know this love story won’t end well from the first note, that doesn’t matter. Because IU refuses to be afraid and refuses to be regretful: she has loved and she has lost, and she is proud. And she encourages us to do the same.
#15: Don’t Look At Me Like That by Song Jieun
Don’t Look At Me Like That, as mentioned, is one of my favorite k-pop songs of all time. So, what makes it so incredible, so one-of-a-kind? Well, I’m not even a ballad enjoyer typically; though I appreciate them, I rarely go out of my way to listen to them. But this one is different. Right from the start, you can tell that it’s a song driven by pain, and its barely restrained fury bubbles under its surface until erupting in the chorus, where Jieun screams, “Don’t look at me like that! All we did was love each other!”, a message that resounds from queer people to those in interracial or interfaith relationships. It’s defiant, fed up with politeness and making excuses, instead choosing to explode. The “tell me what is wrong, tell me, what is love?” lines in the bridge, backed up by electric guitar, always give me chills, and this time was no exception.
(Coming Soon)
End Of A Day has always been one of my favorite singles of Jonghyun’s, and I’m not alone. There are few songs as heartfelt, and led by only his quiet, comforting voice and a gentle piano, it feels like a warm hug from someone you love. Telling the listener to “lean on my shoulder” and “let me cheer you up”, it features Jonghyun at perhaps his most earnest. I paused what I was doing for a few minutes just to appreciate the peace that this one radiates, and take a deep breath in and out.
Snooze’s opening of only violin and piano is more melancholy than their other intros, adding well to the song’s general sense of nostalgia and disillusionment. The chorus brings in some much-needed levity, turning that nostalgia into something brighter but still deeply felt, connecting to many people who also feel like their childhoods have been lost. This may be my favorite so far! I’m a sucker for bittersweet songs with a driving beat, and as someone who grew up near the ocean, the beach and lighthouse in the MV only made me love it more.
#11: Animal Farm by Bibi
(Coming Soon)
Let me know your thoughts!