2021 has ended and I’m back with yet another Top 10 list for the year. I don’t really have any pithy comments or things I want to say about this year. I’m a tad bit sick and dreading working over New Year’s, so I’m just going to keep the intro short this year. The one thing I will mention is I somehow ended up with nearly half a list of songs sung entirely in English, which was not my intention. But it’s my list, so we’re going with it anyways. Here are my top 10 Korean songs for 2021 and I hope you enjoy them! Feel free to comment or share anything you liked from the year too!
10. Pulling Off The Stars - KIRARA
KIRARA remains one of my absolute favorite indie electronic artists, and they are still very unknown to most people. They make incredibly creative music that utilizes a variety of sounds and styles, even experimenting with sounds that border on unpleasant at times. Pulling Off the Stars is one of the best examples of their work, an over-9 minute musical journey that rises and falls and drops in amazing ways that always keeps you guessing. I love putting it on and just letting it take me where it will.
9. The Feels - Twice
The Feels is actually a last minute addition to the list for me, a more recent obsession. I bounced off it when it first released, but another listen a month or two ago made me a fan. This is mostly due to how ridiculously catchy it is, especially being entirely in English and being super easy for me to sing along to. The verses have this great punch to them, and I love some of the little vocal runs and fun stresses given to things. Best of all, however, is the amazing chorus, which has popped into my head at least once a night for weeks now. This is just a fun pop song, something that Twice is startlingly good at again and again.
8. Next Level - aespa
Next Level has one of the coolest sounds of the year. I love how the song keeps switching up its style again and again; every section has the same deep synth production, but it goes from super dirty and raw sounding to a bit more playful and back again and it’s great. I love how it keeps you guessing constantly, and it’s a lot of fun seeing where the song goes next. The ‘tude-filled vocals and performances follow deftly with each style change as well, which is impressive. This is just a song that doesn’t really sound like anything else this year, and it struck me immediately when I first heard it.
7. We Go - fromis_9
fromis_9’s We Go has one of the most stupidly catchy hooks of the entire year. It’s a song that instantly dug its way into my mind and never faded away, both due to its bouncy production and pleasant vocals. The chorus is appealing to my ears in a way that makes it nearly impossible for me not to bounce and sing along to, despite not knowing a word of Korean. Nothing about this song really stands out as unique or does anything special, but it is simply a remarkably solid pop song that I want to listen to again and again.
6. Abittipsy - Youha
Youha’s Abittipsy is actually the first song I enjoyed enough to add to my shortlist for this year, and it’s neat to see it on the final list too! The production has an amazingly powerful, synthy hook to it that immediately made me take interest. Add in some deftly punchy vocals that dance perfectly along with the strong beats and compelling lyrics about drinking to deal with the hard parts of life and you have a track that has stuck with me since it was released in January. I particularly like the parts where the song slows down, as if the alcohol is wearing off and reality is sinking in again before drinking and getting happy again. It’s handled so well, especially in the also fantastic video.
5. Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes w/ Lee Sun Hee - AKMU
It was hard picking my favorite AKMU song from 2021, but I have to give it to Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes. It is one of the most gorgeous songs I heard all year, and everything about it is simply amazing, from the haunting anti-war lyrics to the striking black-and-white music video. It’s a song that somehow manages to be beautiful and emotional and yet still be catchy at the same time, especially the harmonic chorus that stands out so strongly. The vocals are as on point as ever, thanks to how well the brother and sister duo always manage to synergize with one another. Add in guest vocalist Lee Sun Hee and you get a breathtakingly memorable track.
4. Gone - Rosé
Blackpink member Rosé’s first solo release, Gone is an amazingly evocative and uncomfortably sad song that has stuck with me all year. What immediately grabbed me was the twangy, melancholic instrumentation, particularly the percussive acoustic guitar slaps that give the song its beat instead of a traditional drum sound. The vocals are equally impressive, conveying so much sad emotion despite remaining very measured for the most part. It’s a very subdued, controlled sadness, and it adds so much to the tone of the song for me. It’s really a fantastic performance that manages to be appealing to hear again and again despite the subject matter.
3. Pinktop - The Volunteers
Pinktop was one of the biggest surprises for me all year, from The Volunteers first full-length album, a group including Yerin Baek, a phenomenal vocalist whose solo work very nearly ended up on my list for 2020. This song is so unlike anything else I heard this year, and it’s really hard to describe its sound. Well, I mean, Pinktop is an indie rock track, but it doesn’t really sound like anything else: poppy sometimes, folksy at others, and just remarkably unique. The main guitar riff is killer and I love it so much. Yerin’s vocals are laid-back and suit the singular sound of the track perfectly. Even the relatively simple breakdown section at the end of the song works surprisingly well. This song just vibes with me in a way that I absolutely adore.
2. LMLY - Jackson Wang
Another Jackson Wang track makes its way onto my Top 10 list! This year, it’s LMLY, or Leave Me Loving You. Just like with last year’s 100 Ways, Wang has crafted an experience that stuck with me all year. It just has so much about it that I love. A catchy, driving beat and solid production paired with his gorgeous voice that I just can’t get enough of. A sad story told smartly through both the lyrics and the video itself. Another great performance from Wang in the gorgeously produced and shot music video. I just feel like he is so good at making this kind of song, and he has both the vocal and acting chops to pull off both sides of it. I absolutely adore this song and video and can't wait to see what he does next.
1. Butter - BTS
To understand why Butter is at the top of my list, I need to provide a little context. At my workplace, they play music constantly. This is generally a mix of slightly older Top 40 music and classic rock/pop hits (or currently, Christmas songs >_<). You can imagine my surprise when I heard Butter playing at work for the first time. I couldn’t help but dance and sing along a bit, and I do it every time I hear it, even though it doesn’t come on all that frequently. I really think that’s why it feels like the song that needs to be at the top of my list. I mean, it’s definitely a great song with some very smooth production and flow designed to slide into your head, especially that absurdly catchy chorus that I love singing along to. But I don’t vibe with boy groups very often, and I know a big part of my love for Butter is just being able to have a bit of fun when I’m frustrated at work. It may not be the best reason to call it my favorite Korean song of 2021, but it just feels right.
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