The 25 best K-pop songs of 2021
While most the world took its on sweet time coming out from the pandemic-induced nightmare that was 2020, K-pop jumped out of the gate swinging, with milestones, achievements and record-setting feats aplenty in 2021. From Brave Girls going viral with their 2017 single ‘Rollin’’ to BTS’ 11-week run atop the Hot 100, and everything in between, this was a year for the ages.
But in a year full of diverse hits, curiously, a loose theme started to reveal itself while combing through the best and brightest K-pop had to offer this year. Whether it was nostalgia for sounds and trends of the past – be it disco, punk, synthwave or even traditional Korean instrumentation – or keeping an eye on the next level of the music industry, many of this year’s top releases reflected on the nature of time, lyrically or otherwise.
And how appropriate it is, considering the amount of time so many of us have spent in a strange and uncertain limbo, for both us and our favourite musicians to find some form of relief through the same pieces of music, as we slowly but surely return to normalcy. But enough with philosophising the meaning of pop music, let’s jump into it, shall we? Here is NME’s list of the 25 best K-pop songs of 2021.
Puah ZiWei, Commissioning Editor (K-pop)
Words by: Abby Webster, Angela Patricia Suacillo, Bashirat Oladele, Carmen Chin, Gladys Yeo, Lucy Ford, Mariel Abanes, Puah ZiWei, Rhian Daly, Ruby C, Sofiana Ramli, Tanu I. Raj and Tássia Assis
25. ONEUS – ‘Luna’
‘Luna’ is a homecoming of sorts – ONEUS excavate their heritage with hefty use of traditional Korean instrumentation (evoking earlier single ‘Lit’) while lacing in the sextet’s penchant for lush storytelling. Gayageum strings warbling over trap beats touched by ’80s synthwave strike this delicate balance between new and old. With every iteration of the chorus, something new enters the fold: first, a dose of stabbing percussion, then, a rousing climax of vocal harmonies. At times, ‘Luna’ threatens to trip on its own momentum or bend under the gravity and historic pull of its production, but ONEUS never waver in their tightrope walk and the result is nothing short of exquisite. Deep roots make for the sturdiest branches, after all. AW
Best bit: The utter anguish and catharsis of the haegeum on the final chorus, as the string instrument lets loose a noise akin to a feral wail.
24. NCT 127 – ‘Sticker’
NCT 127’s music seems to happen in a liminal space, like a dream that is a carbon copy of reality – yet you can’t figure out why the mirror is blurred or your phone keyboard is blank. Experimentalism is imbued in their essence, a sonic gift that is both brilliant and boundary-pushing.
In that scenario, ‘Sticker’ arrives as one of their most polarising productions. With an instrumental rooted on a piercing flute and a drunken dance between bass and piano, NCT 127 leap through a disorienting spaciousness. What anchors this song is the exquisite vocal performance, each member steering the melody wherever they want through growls and flared inflections. It’s a multidimensional track that unravels with time, and once you ease into its oddness, will be glued to your ears “like a sticker, sticker, sticker”. TA
Best bit: When the song takes another U-turn after the bridge and a wild electronic breakdown invites us to “roll up to the party”.
23. Rosé – ‘On The Ground’
The K-pop world has watched Rosé grow and develop over the past five years, from her humble beginnings with BLACKPINK, that Yves Saint Laurent ambassadorship and, earlier this year, her long-awaited solo debut with ‘On The Ground’.
Here, the Korean-Australian singer opens up and brings us to her reality as she strips off the rose-tinted lens of fame and being a K-pop idol, taking us on a slower and softer ride with acoustic guitars and an understated EDM beat as she reflects on life as a global superstar. It’s vulnerable, electric and a real statement piece. BO
Best bit: That moment before the final chorus, when the instrumental cuts out and it’s just us and her voice. Chef’s kiss.
22. Sam Kim – ‘Love Me Like That’
This low-key viral hit is proof that one need not be the loudest in the room to draw attention. Sam Kim’s ‘Love Me Like That’ isn’t led in by a grandiose introduction or instrumental; nevertheless, it has made listeners sit up and take notice from the very first line and note.
The beauty of this acoustic confessional is in its simplicity, and its power in its vulnerability. Kim’s gentle, emotive vocals make the perfect conduit for its raw, heartfelt lyrics. Baring one’s soul doesn’t exactly come easy, but with this, we now have a soundtrack for all of our deepest feels. RC
Best bit: If we really had to choose, then it’s the vocal shift in this pre-chorus line: “Keep my heart from building walls / So high, you can’t get through / Treat me soft and tender” – it’s clear that the walls came crumbling down by then.
21. Chung Ha – ‘Bicycle’
“‘Cos I’m the baddest queen / I’m sicker than all of them,” Chung Ha boasted on ‘Bicycle’, the title track of her long-awaited debut album ‘Querencia’. The revving banger proved those weren’t just empty words, with the solo star dominating as she slalomed through alluring, twinkling verses and a chorus so fierce and forceful it left you practically begging to join her biker gang.
Even nearly 12 months since it was released, ‘Bicycle’ still provides an instant electric shock of energy with every listen, stoked by Chung Ha’s empowering dynamism that injects the whole song with an irresistible power. AS
Best bit: The sheer – but secure – boldness that drips from Chung Ha’s voice every time she declares, “And when I say it’s done, it’s freaking over”, like a true boss.
