Favorite Kpop Songs of 2022!
Dec. 6th, 2022 07:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kpopwinemomLike I said in my books wrap up...there might be more to come, but I'm leaving town, so all my wrap up posts are coming now. So here are my top kpop releases this year. My criteria is: it has to have made it into my Spotify wrapped (because...that is how I have kept track of what I listened to) and it has to have come out this year. There is no other criteria. Some of these songs were not the lead single on the album, and thus don't have a music video. (Cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is my favorite song this year, period. All criteria is created for the purpose of its inclusion.)
(EDIT: Here I had originally included my 2022 Top 100 playlist but the playlist that embedded was...not my top 100. So I have removed it.)
This list is in no particular order, because I do not choose to rank my beloveds. They are all near and dear to my heart.
1. Cyberpunk by Ateez
This song is perfect? Everything about it is so good? The vocals? Mingi's rap? I truly cannot articulate how immaculate and tailored to my tastes this song is. I will die mad they didn't promote with it because honestly this is the best track they have ever released.
2. Venom by Stray Kids
This is also just so incredibly tailored for me and my tastes. The sound effect at the beginning of the song scratches at my brain in the best way. It gives me literal chills. I'm choosing to only include one track from this album, but really all of Oddinary appealed to me, I also loved Maniac and Lonely Street.
3. Feel My Rhythm by Red Velvet
I didn't like this song at all when I first heard it...and then I could not stop listening to it. It's so discordant, and so strange...I love how it incorporates classical references both in the music, in the costuming, and in the music video. It's so, so gorgeous, and so fun to listen to. They also incorporated a lot of the same sounds in their new release, Birthday, and I am really vibing!
4. Beatbox by NCT Dream
It really was a toss-up between this and Glitch Mode, both of which are excellent. The Beatbox repackage is the first Dream album I have ever bought, because every single song on it is just so good. Saturday Drip? Excuse me? I play her every single time I drive to get coffee (Saturday Drip Coffee...I make myself laugh)
But our final selection from this list does have to be Beatbox. Even my mom liked Beatbox. It's just a good, cheerful, get moving sort of song!
5. Because by Rie (OnlyOneOf)
The fact this came out in like, the final week of Spotify's counting and still made it into my top 100 really should tell you something. I love this song, I find myself singing it all day. I love what OnlyOneOf is doing with their queer cinematic universe, and this song in particular is so gorgeous.
6. Be Free by KB (OnlyOneOf)
I make the rules and thus I am including two songs from OnlyOneOf's Undergr0und Id0l project. This was my first beloved, which was sadly unseated by Because. Both songs are simply gorgeous though, and I love everything OnlyOneOf is doing with this project.
7. HypeBoy by NewJeans
This song is so fun, and has my favorite choreo this year! (My second favorite is Glitch Mode) and I loved seeing every single performance of it. I really feel like NewJeans has done a good job showing what teens are actually into/like or at least, from my POV, what it feels like to be a teen. As someone who was a digital native and had social media all through middle school and high school, these videos are definitely giving me flashbacks! The video I linked above is my favorite of the mvs for this song, though the others are cute, too!
8. Jikjin by Treasure
I was not following Treasure at all until this song came out. And then I was hooked. I love how this song sounds in headphones or in the car, the zooming between earbuds is so delicious. They've had some great releases this year, and I'm really glad they are starting to hit their stride! Their latest single, Hello, is also on loop in my household.
9. Love Theory by Taeyong and Wonstein
I love how silly and low stakes this music video is, and how colorful! This is my favorite song to mess up the lyrics to. "You are my lovely fairy, I need a love dictionary, I need a pet cemetary, I need you, I need you". Anyone who knows me knows that I literally never know the lyrics, and live to make things up. This song is great for that. It's also just a super catchy earworm!
10. Wonderland by AleXa!
Alexa blew the competition out of the water on American Song Contest and she WON. So proud of this Oaklahoma girlie for absolutely slaying. This song is so flippin' good, so danceable, so sing-able, so completely loopable, is it any wonder it was in my top five songs of the year? No, it is not! I love this song, I love all the little sounds in it (gear spin! YES!) and I love Alexa's vocals.
11. Too Bad by Wei
"No, it's not too bad!" Wei assures us in this song, and you have to believe them, because when you are listening to this song it cannot be. If you are having a bad day, put this song on and dance around your kitchen. I promise it will make everything 100% better. This was my most played song of 2022, and I promise you it is going to stay in my top played songs well into 2023.
12. Forever 1 by Girls Generation
They are back and better than ever! I love this poppy, vibrant release from SNSD. It's so fun and cheery and I am sorry but we just have to support women in their 30s releasing pop music and looking fabulous, it is the law! Every track on this album is actually perfect, particularly Villain and Lucky Like That.
13. GingaMingaYo by Billlie
I love a noisy girl group! This sound is so weird and so good. I love hearing a different sound from a girl group. As soon as I heard this song, I knew I would be playing it again and again and again. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is for me!
14. Villain by Key and Jeno
Key is truly showing his colors with this album and I for one am here for it. Also, I do love that both he and SNSD released songs entitled Villain this year, I do feel like your 30s are your villain era? At least, I am in mine, and Key and I are the same age, so. I am so glad they got to promote this song because it really is delicious. This is another case where the whole album is absolutely excellent, and I also love Bound and I Can't Sleep.
15. No Problem by Nayeon and Felix
Nayeon's solo debut was filled with fun, poppy songs! This song featuring Felix is a windows down kinda song, perfect for long summer drives! It's cheerful and bubbly and the absolute epitome of summer.
I am absolutely stopping myself here, because I can still think of more songs that I think deserve the moniker. This was a really good music year, and I felt like every single release was a solid bop!
(EDIT: Here I had originally included my 2022 Top 100 playlist but the playlist that embedded was...not my top 100. So I have removed it.)
This list is in no particular order, because I do not choose to rank my beloveds. They are all near and dear to my heart.
1. Cyberpunk by Ateez
This song is perfect? Everything about it is so good? The vocals? Mingi's rap? I truly cannot articulate how immaculate and tailored to my tastes this song is. I will die mad they didn't promote with it because honestly this is the best track they have ever released.
2. Venom by Stray Kids
This is also just so incredibly tailored for me and my tastes. The sound effect at the beginning of the song scratches at my brain in the best way. It gives me literal chills. I'm choosing to only include one track from this album, but really all of Oddinary appealed to me, I also loved Maniac and Lonely Street.
3. Feel My Rhythm by Red Velvet
I didn't like this song at all when I first heard it...and then I could not stop listening to it. It's so discordant, and so strange...I love how it incorporates classical references both in the music, in the costuming, and in the music video. It's so, so gorgeous, and so fun to listen to. They also incorporated a lot of the same sounds in their new release, Birthday, and I am really vibing!
4. Beatbox by NCT Dream
It really was a toss-up between this and Glitch Mode, both of which are excellent. The Beatbox repackage is the first Dream album I have ever bought, because every single song on it is just so good. Saturday Drip? Excuse me? I play her every single time I drive to get coffee (Saturday Drip Coffee...I make myself laugh)
But our final selection from this list does have to be Beatbox. Even my mom liked Beatbox. It's just a good, cheerful, get moving sort of song!
5. Because by Rie (OnlyOneOf)
The fact this came out in like, the final week of Spotify's counting and still made it into my top 100 really should tell you something. I love this song, I find myself singing it all day. I love what OnlyOneOf is doing with their queer cinematic universe, and this song in particular is so gorgeous.
6. Be Free by KB (OnlyOneOf)
I make the rules and thus I am including two songs from OnlyOneOf's Undergr0und Id0l project. This was my first beloved, which was sadly unseated by Because. Both songs are simply gorgeous though, and I love everything OnlyOneOf is doing with this project.
7. HypeBoy by NewJeans
This song is so fun, and has my favorite choreo this year! (My second favorite is Glitch Mode) and I loved seeing every single performance of it. I really feel like NewJeans has done a good job showing what teens are actually into/like or at least, from my POV, what it feels like to be a teen. As someone who was a digital native and had social media all through middle school and high school, these videos are definitely giving me flashbacks! The video I linked above is my favorite of the mvs for this song, though the others are cute, too!
8. Jikjin by Treasure
I was not following Treasure at all until this song came out. And then I was hooked. I love how this song sounds in headphones or in the car, the zooming between earbuds is so delicious. They've had some great releases this year, and I'm really glad they are starting to hit their stride! Their latest single, Hello, is also on loop in my household.
9. Love Theory by Taeyong and Wonstein
I love how silly and low stakes this music video is, and how colorful! This is my favorite song to mess up the lyrics to. "You are my lovely fairy, I need a love dictionary, I need a pet cemetary, I need you, I need you". Anyone who knows me knows that I literally never know the lyrics, and live to make things up. This song is great for that. It's also just a super catchy earworm!
10. Wonderland by AleXa!
Alexa blew the competition out of the water on American Song Contest and she WON. So proud of this Oaklahoma girlie for absolutely slaying. This song is so flippin' good, so danceable, so sing-able, so completely loopable, is it any wonder it was in my top five songs of the year? No, it is not! I love this song, I love all the little sounds in it (gear spin! YES!) and I love Alexa's vocals.
11. Too Bad by Wei
"No, it's not too bad!" Wei assures us in this song, and you have to believe them, because when you are listening to this song it cannot be. If you are having a bad day, put this song on and dance around your kitchen. I promise it will make everything 100% better. This was my most played song of 2022, and I promise you it is going to stay in my top played songs well into 2023.
12. Forever 1 by Girls Generation
They are back and better than ever! I love this poppy, vibrant release from SNSD. It's so fun and cheery and I am sorry but we just have to support women in their 30s releasing pop music and looking fabulous, it is the law! Every track on this album is actually perfect, particularly Villain and Lucky Like That.
13. GingaMingaYo by Billlie
I love a noisy girl group! This sound is so weird and so good. I love hearing a different sound from a girl group. As soon as I heard this song, I knew I would be playing it again and again and again. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is for me!
14. Villain by Key and Jeno
Key is truly showing his colors with this album and I for one am here for it. Also, I do love that both he and SNSD released songs entitled Villain this year, I do feel like your 30s are your villain era? At least, I am in mine, and Key and I are the same age, so. I am so glad they got to promote this song because it really is delicious. This is another case where the whole album is absolutely excellent, and I also love Bound and I Can't Sleep.
15. No Problem by Nayeon and Felix
Nayeon's solo debut was filled with fun, poppy songs! This song featuring Felix is a windows down kinda song, perfect for long summer drives! It's cheerful and bubbly and the absolute epitome of summer.
I am absolutely stopping myself here, because I can still think of more songs that I think deserve the moniker. This was a really good music year, and I felt like every single release was a solid bop!
