Top 10 Songs That Defined K-Pop's Monumental Year in 2020

Top 10 Songs That Defined K-Pop's Monumental Year in 2020
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In no particular order, here are the 10 songs and that defined K-pop’s year in 2020.

This year, K-pop accelerated its expansion into all sorts of mediums—novels, podcasts, documentaries. And yet, for all the satisfaction these new forms brought with them, the music remains the heart of this global phenomenon. Despite the pandemic’s impact on the worldwide recording industry, releases from South Korea saw no decline in quantity or quality, and a slew of artists produced their best work to date.

The K-pop songs and albums that defined the year transported us to places we miss most—from the theater to the jazz bar to the island vacation that lives only in our memories or imaginations. Some prompted nostalgia for things we once took for granted, while others inspired hope for their return. Through these releases, many of our favorite artists experimented with their sounds, all while building deeper connections with an audience they could only interact with from a distance.

In no particular order, here are the 10 songs and that defined K-pop’s year in 2020.

"Answer" - ATEEZ

“Answer” is a song of triumph and celebration, as ATEEZ makes clear from its first word: geonbae, the Korean term for “cheers!” From the moment vocalist San opens with “let’s make a toast like a thunder” to the track’s final minute packed with booming instrumentals, “Answer” arrests listeners with a grand exuberance shared by the two-year-old group’s best tracks. Released just days into January, the anthem captured the energy of a new decade brimming with potential. As 2020 rapidly spiraled downward, the spirit of collective rejoice in “Answer” has become both a memory of the “before times” and, more importantly, a vision for that moment when we can raise our glasses together again.

"Nonstop" - OH MY GIRL

In a year when a number of K-pop girl groups gravitated toward darker, sexier concepts, OH MY GIRL embraced a bright and youthful image in their tropical banger “Nonstop.” The track channels summer vacation on an island: sunny, vibrant melodies buoyed by upbeat synth notes; dreamy, airy vocals about harboring feelings for a crush. Despite its freshness, the track has a mature sound. Husky-voiced rapper Mimi’s verses contrast with occasional chirping chants, adding a different type of charm to the repeated phrase: “I was a little fluttered.”

"Home;run" - SEVENTEEN

Broadway was shuttered for the majority of 2020, but SEVENTEEN brought us theater music, if only for three minutes, with “Home;run.” The orchestral accompaniment of the swing-based track is dramatic and flashy—fast-paced beats resonant of claps and snaps build a groovy rhythm over a majestic brass section. A delicate bridge with jazzy piano riffs leads to the high-energy final chorus, not unlike the instrumental interludes of a musical. In keeping with the Semicolon EP’s theme to “take a break” because “there’s a long journey ahead of you,” “Home;run” invites the listener to revel in the music and join the party onstage—albeit only in our minds.

"Maria" - Hwasa

Of the solo releases this year, Hwasa’s “Maria” leaves the most searing impression. The track is sleek and sultry, oozing with the Mamamoo vocalist’s distinct charisma as she sings in her low-toned, rounded voice over syncopated drum beats. Hwasa dropped her first solo project in 2019, and returned with a much more personal EP using her baptismal name as its title. The words in the Latin-infused track “Maria,” which Hwasa co-wrote, read both like a diary entry and a love letter to herself. The artist wrestles with the public criticism and online hatred she receives, but sings: “Oh Maria, I’m saying this for you/ Why are you trying so hard? You’re already beautiful.”

"Dumhdurum" - APink

Retro- and disco-infused tracks from Korean artists were a major trend in 2020, the most visible example being BTS’ history-making “Dynamite.” A number of songs with similar influences received less mainstream recognition, but are standouts in their own ways—case in point: Apink’s “Dumhdurum.” The synth motif in the chorus, formed by a sequence of notes across five keys, is one of the most memorable riffs of the year. But “Dumhdurum” didn’t just leave a mark for its electronic production. The track puts the singing of its members front and center, highlighting these six seasoned performers—Apink debuted in 2011—as they effortlessly command attention with their vocal prowess.

"Daisy" - Pentagon

If a good breakup song is one with lyrics that resonate, a great breakup song is one in which the artists unabashedly emote the pain contained within them. PENTAGON’s “Daisy” is this type of song. In the alternative rock track on which group leader Hui and rapper Wooseok contributed to the writing, the members’ voices are saturated with despair and desperation as they lament being “burned by a fake love.” Most poignant is the refrain in which the eight active members sing in unison, “Lie, it’s all a lie, it’s a lie.” The final verse adds depth to the track, using wordplay to reveal a longing: whereas gojinmal, the Korean word for “lie,” was repeated earlier in the song, the members close with gaji ma—“don’t go.”

"Lovesick girls" - BLACKPINK

The arrival of BLACKPINK’s first full-length album—so highly anticipated the project was simply titled The Album—was one of K-pop’s biggest news events in 2020. While the pre-release singles “How You Like That” and “Ice Cream” with Selena Gomez charted higher on the Billboard Hot 100, “Lovesick Girls” is the true gem on the album. The heavy electronic production characteristic of BLACKPINK’s crowd-riling bops remains intact, but it’s stripped back to accentuate sung melodies from the four members. Their voices are layered over an acoustic guitar to create a breezy and mellow ambiance, taking a more pensive and melancholic turn from the hard-hitting nature of the group’s 2018 and 2019 title tracks.

"La di da" - EVERGLOW

Think of “La Di Da” as the exhilarating theme song to a superhero movie. EVERGLOW takes the listener on an electrifying ride in this track that stands out among the year’s retro-inspired songs for its spunky synth backbone and dynamic melodies. The chorus is the standout, with soaring lines and high notes from vocalists Sihyeon and Mia contrasting with rapper E:U’s lower-pitched, “La di da di da.” As the swift tempo escalates the track’s tension, you can’t help but root for the artists as they proclaim that they “got no time for haters.”

ITZY’s track released at the start of the year, “Wannabe,” launched a viral shoulder-shimmering dance. But “Not Shy,” dropped in August, is the group’s 2020 release with greater replay value. It’s truly a challenge to tire of the bold saxophone tunes, urgent percussion and the group’s sassy utterance of its own name throughout the chorus. The five-member act has established a repertoire of self-empowering anthems in the short period since it debuted in 2019, and “Not Shy” is all about giving authority to one’s own voice. In the context of admitting a crush—a confession often marked by hesitancy, ITZY snaps, “Why can’t I just say what’s on my mind?” and repeats, “I want you, who cares, ’cause I’m not shy.”

"Kick it" - NCT 127

The bombastic electronic noises in the first few seconds of “Kick It” are jarring. So are the first lines of the track, which are neither delivered as song nor rap but as chants. And yet, this chant—“let me introduce you to some new thangs”—has become one of the most iconic lines of K-pop in 2020 largely because of its overflowing swagger. NCT 127’s martial arts-themed “Kick It” quite literally packs a punch. The jabbing rap verses and thudding bass threaten to knock you down, but the vocalists’ melodies, so sweet and tender, promise to soften the blow.

Which one is your favorite?

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