VEL'S TOP K-POPS OF 2024
hiiiii! for a few years now i've been compiling a list of my favorite k-pop releases of each year after it ends. in 2025 i took quite some time to gather my thoughts about 2024, but i can finally share what i consider to be my favorite k-pop songs of last year! important notes: no b-sides this time around, only title tracks were considered; i also have a rule of only one song per artist. AND i don't pretend that pictures and videos don't influence my opinion - they absolutely do and i've been swayed by music videos in the past. overall, i'm looking at the whole of the comeback title. now let's get to it!!! ^__^
honorable mentions: f5ve - ufo: a j-group release but nonetheless extremely fun and so much more replayable than i initially expected! yves - viola: if loona disbanding is what it took for her to release music like this, then i'm almost glad loona disbanded nayeon - abcd: thank you nayeonce g-idle - wife: i cook cream soup taste is coco loco. yena - nemonemo: i love the j-poppy sound
10. TTYL by loossemble well what a bop. i cannot resist this dynamic production, the extremely fun choreo, the baddie rizzing me tonight. and so on. an absolute earworm. i might have overplayed it a bit but i still can't deny it's just a banger. reminds me a lot of loona's hula hoop aka their single best song as a full group. really good year for post-loona girls
9. bam yang gang by bibi who else up being told they always want too much but actually only wanting sweet chestnut red bean jelly .. bibi is possibly my favorite voice in all korean music, and a sugary, bite-sized song like this from her is a real treat. i love the sentiment behind it, and i love its goofy mv, and i love how simple and lovely and bittersweet it is. and i love that everybody ate it UP.
8. earth, wind & fire by boynextdoor bonedo are just so much FUN!!!! i became such a fan of theirs this year and i think it's because they just emanate such a FUN vibe. i love their music videos so much, they add so much to the whole of each release. i also think they're all phenomenal performers and i can't get over how it just always seems like they're genuinely loving their time on stage. "earth, wind & fire" is such a cute silly little bop with a cute silly little concept. they're also so good at coming up with these killing parts - "manners maketh man"? like come onnnn i had that line on loop in my head for weeks after this dropped!!!! no notes truly. this is possibly my favorite boygroup nowadays. they're singlehandedly bringing back FUN BOYGROUP MUSIC!!!
7. heya by ive ive remain pop hitmakers - that's all there is to it. a super fun song accompanied by an equally charming music video, all apparently inspired by korean folklore about the creation of the sun and moon. the tiger who ate the sun is such an intriguing premise for a popsong, and the added layer of using the legend as a metaphor for seduction achieves such a fantastically tasty effect. the song itself seems to have a pretty classic pop structure with gorgeously melodical choruses, last one being so explosive and euphorical and providing the most delectable catharsis. it's pop perfection. TO ME.
6. love attack by rescene i'm fascinated by rescene. it feels like their music is trying to seduce me and it's working. i had a really tough time choosing which song of theirs to include here - i'm a huge fan of "uh uh", "yoyo" and "pinball" too, but i decided on this one just because it was the highest on my wrapped. rescene's music is fantastical, sparkly, larger-than-life but somehow still delicate with its meticulously layered production. it's like a beautiful piece of sheer fabric. it's just stunning and i can't wait to hear more from them.
5. armageddon by aespa imma get it done!!!!!!!!!! listen. listen here. i KNOW everybody loves supernova. i love supernova too. but when it comes to which of the two never ever became boring to me? which still intrigues me and makes me feel like there's some grand, slightly edgy, secret backstory hidden behind it? well. giselle's part in the second verse is my absolute favorite, but there are so many more highlights, each with its own potential to get stuck in your head for days. throwitbackthrowitbackthrowitback born like a queen born like a king yuh.
4. cosmic by red velvet who would i be if i didn't include my girls? BEST, weirdest concepts and execution in the business. there isn't that much left to say about red velvet's genius that hasn't been said before, but i'll try. gorgeous song with dark undertones becoming obvious once you break through the surface. i really believe they only keep getting better. I JUST CAN'T SAY GOODNIGHT!!! what was up with all the sun-centered concepts this year, by the way?
3. midas touch by kiss of life this song is pleasantly heavy, gilded, slightly cool to the touch. this is girlgroup perfection - i love the britney vibe, the gorgeous gorgeous cinematography of the mv and the distinct imagery for each member. what a production. what drama. i loved this one so so much. i need more music like this from groups in 2025.
2. virtual angel by artms one of the rare instances where the song sounds exactly like what the title is. this one isn't just about virtual angels - it IS a virtual angel in itself; if an angel lived in your headphones, this is exactly what it would be. gorgeous, ethereal and electric, this release dominated the year for many, and that included me. "virtual angel" embodies a brand new shrimp emotion; an emotion usually only accessible to otherworldly beings, if you will. it's encouraging and comforting, but then slightly alarming and haunting too. even so, when they say they'll be there for me when my wings break, i believe it.
1. dash by nmixx if you had told me in 2023 that nmixx would release some of my favorite kpop of the year in 2024, i probably would've laughed - and yet here we are. this song is like a drug. this song made me addicted to speed. nmixx have fantastic vocals, and this is huge for me as someone who unfortunately finds many jyp vocals a bit, uh, squeaky. the jazzy, funky, and hiphoppy influences sound so good on the girls, and the city jungle cool but casual concept fits them like a glove. and oh, don't even get me started on the classic "nmixx change-up" finally done RIGHT. i'm not exactly a "mixpop" apologist but i HAVE to give this one to them - the lyrics going "i just wanna continue my pace" right before they LITERALLY go right back to the original beat is a stroke of genius. k-song of the year for me. easily. i wanna dash i wanna run it run it!!!
thank you for reading and here's to a great k-poppy 2025 ^_^ don't look at when this is being posted. don't look at the month being march. shut up
