The Best Songs of 2025

The top 150 songs released by Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai artists!

View the Substack version of this piece here!

Note: For the sake of variety, each artist was only eligible for up to two spots on this list. However, songs by subunits and soloists were treated as songs by separate artists. For example, TAEMIN was eligible for up to two spots on the list as a soloist and two spots as a member of SHINee.

#150: SKY-HI, “Success is”: A compelling compendium of personal reflections and advice for next-generation artists.

#149: PP KRIT, “Oopsy Daisy”: A charming faux-apology for people instantly falling in love with him!

#148: Xdinary Heroes, “LOVE ME 2 DEATH”: An on-the-nose musical equivalent to the LXVE to DEATH album cover, concluding the album perfectly!

#147: SCANDAL, “Doukashiterutte”: A pity party soundtrack full of offbeat twists!

#146: TWICE, “Like 1”: A JIHYO-penned J-rock song that sounds as bittersweet as it feels.

#145: Tabber, “Hysteric Glamour”: An eccentric thrill that handily achieves the difficult task of giving its title a sonic equivalent!

#144: Jung Dakyung, “I’m coming to meet my love”: A well-structured story that dials its intensity up and down in relatively slight but substantial ways.

#143: JENNIE, “with the IE (way up)”: An A+ when it comes to reviving early-aughts R&B/pop energy the right way.

#142: Sakurazaka46, “Unhappy birthday Koubun”: A funny-because-it’s-true assessment of a birthday party’s most arbitrary aspects and sources of faked smiles!

#141: Kwon Jin Ah, “Just For Today”: A relatable, empathetic piano ballad about trying to continuously postpone dealing with the messy elements of a relationship.

#140: Hinatazaka46, “Onegai bach!”: Adorable insistence that music can convey the feelings nothing else seems capable of - after all, “Bach is always on the side of the lover!” Read more here!

#139: KEY, “Picture Frame”: An apt analogy for feeling stuck that finds its sonic equivalent in the mix of stuttering and slippery vocal proximity.

#138: BoA, “Crazier”: Carefree, pop-rock encouragement for anyone and everyone to let their hair down!

#137: Lexie Liu, “X”: A compulsively loop-worthy pop song for fans of Tate McRae.

#136: BILLKIN & PP KRIT, “GFF Ghost Friend Forever”: “Can’t live with you, can’t live without you” confessions between cute and compatible vocalists!

#135: ONE PACT, “100!”: Vintage vibes with a personal touch, thanks to a title with a double meaning (the group is now “100%” back together, since Jay Chang’s hiatus ended)!

#134: KiiiKiii, “DANCING ALONE”: An amiable ode to the kind of friendship that makes physical distance irrelevant, since being on the same wavelength and on each other’s minds comes naturally.

#133: KEY, “GLAM”: Dance-floor-destined, front-facing funkiness!

#132: KiiiKiii, “I DO ME”: A breezy but lively song with a refreshingly uncynical worldview.

#131: ILLIT, “little monster”: Quaint vintage style matched with a modern hook and impressionable, inventive lyricism.

#130: SCANDAL, “Soundly”: A structure that suits the song’s wide, conflicted view towards a hazy future; an effective structure with much fuller and more exuberant choruses that make the verses sound plain by comparison. 

#129: natori, “DRESSING ROOM”: Sonically slapdash in the most complimentary sense! A dizzying display of seemingly opposite instrumental tendencies: to generate a snowballing sensation and to stutter as if stuck in place!

#128: Bi-ray & YOSHIKI, “Butterfly”: Powerhouse pipes spanning a remarkably wide range make this rookie act sound experienced beyond their years! 

#127: Rainie Yang, “Yes, but?”: The beat drop and pop pivot in the choruses bring to mind JOLIN, while the message about escaping thought confines lands in ways of which Rainie Yang is uniquely capable.

#126: DUSTCELL, “BLUE”: An effusive electronic smorgasbord that kicks off the album-listening experience on a high!

#125: Macaroni Empitsu, “Shizukana Umi”: Grappling with the continuous conundrum of finding the perfect words to articulate strong feelings, with a perspective shift that doubles as a plot twist.

#124: SUPER BEAVER, “Kataomoi”: A natural partner song for the thought-provoking inner monologue on life’s intangible necessities that is prompted by “Namida no Syotai.” Read more here!

#123: BamBam & Timethai, “Dancing By Myself”: A catchy and convincing claim of contentment!

#122: The Crane, “DISEASE”: A lamenting of a lack of inner peace that is set to a surprisingly upbeat rhythm!

#121: Ariel Tsai, “Galaxy of You”: Lighter and denser instrumental layers form impressively compatible textures on this self-produced, self-composed love song.

#120: Yoga Lin, “When Demons Dwell in You”: An equally eerie and electrifying soundscape.

#119: Anson Kong, “Panic Animals”: A whirlwind of genres and moods from the first seconds to the crash landing.

#118: UVERworld, “NO MAP”: Uncontainable chaos courtesy of killer drums and guitars and a show-stealing harmonica!

#117: BAEKHYUN, “Chocolate”: Silky-smooth singing about love’s many flavors and forms.

#116: Timethai, “Why tho?”: An “admirably honest breakup song courtesy of a swoon-worthy singer!” Read more here!

#115: Nasi Li & Ben, “So Be It”: “This pleasant pop ballad easily persuades listeners that everything will be alright! Nasi Li and Ben sing with natural ease and equal footing; she never overpowers his voice nor vice versa...” Read more here!

#114: DAY6, “Take All My Heart”: The ultimate “waiting in the wings” song and a uniquely DAY6 spin on a retro romance story.

#113: back number, “Sincerely, from a Future”: Wise words of advice about embracing life’s mysteries and trusting that all tough times are temporary.

#112: Penthouse, “Nonsense”: An “illogical but delightful frenzy,” with “lyrics that fall between passive aggression and morbid humor”! Read more here!

#111: CxM & Lay Bankz, “5, 4, 3 (Pretty woman)”: An inspired and sun-soaked take on “Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison.

#110: P1Harmony, “Murmur”: An ultimate hater clap-back in the form of R&B plus brassy boom-bap.

#109: Yerin Baek, “Lovers of Artists”: Sharp insights about being used in a previous relationship, delivered with seemingly snowballing confidence as the pace quickens.

#108: LE SSERAFIM, “Come Over”: A danceable delight straight out of the sixties.

#107: PassCode, “DESTINEX”: A full-speed-ahead pop/rock concoction that efficiently incorporates everything from guttural screams to digital distortions.

#106: TAEMIN, “Veil”: A single that speaks to TAEMIN’s cinema-oriented, sensual sonic strengths!

#105: KUN, “What a Day”: Another self-started image makeover from KUN, one that proves he can thrive with theatricality!

#104: JO YURI, “Overkill”: Venting about a two-timer while unleashing her inner rockstar like never before!

#103: ATEEZ, “In Your Fantasy”: A sultry, Justin Timberlake-esque treat!

#102: Yves, “White cat”: A combination of sharper edges and smoother sides that nabs Yves’ industrial/electro/hyper-pop niche. 

#101: WeiBird, “Jennifer”: A creative character introduction to a stand-in for anyone with a public yet elusive presence.

#100: ALALA, “SWEET LIES”: A T-pop bop with “divine harmonies… a rap detour, and a show-stopping instrumental breakdown for a bridge.” Read more here!

#99: TWICE, “THIS IS FOR”: A smile-worthy hype song sprinkled with sound effects!

#98: YUN MIN SOO & Lee Ye Joon, “Walking You Home”: A devastating duet with a fittingly tear-jerking music video.

#97: RIIZE, “Fly Up”: A focus track that’s begging to be featured on a movie musical’s soundtrack, especially if that musical is set in the fifties!

#96: BSS, “CBZ (Prime time)”: A punny life motto that doubles as a theme song for Casual Fridays!

#95: DAYOUNG, “body”: An infectiously upbeat listening experience that earns DAYOUNG the “Song of the Summer 2025” crown!

#94: i-dle, “Girlfriend”: A pop-punk breakup song with universal appeal mixed with idle-specific references.

#93: SIX LOUNGE, “Grotesque LOVESONG”: An enjoyably excessive complaint with a note held for a jaw-dropping length of time!

#92: David Tao, “From Dust to Dust”: A successful revival of an old-school folk-rock spirit.

#91: TRiDENT, “MIRACRAID”: A galvanizing and galloping romp about being brave so that a butterfly effect can commence.

#90: SEVENTEEN, “THUNDER”: A suitably celebratory song marking SEVENTEEN’s ten-year anniversary with the same dynamism and wit that created fans in the first place.

#89: YUQI, “M.O.”: A witty, rhythmic, and rebellious use of the blueprint of another great YUQI song, 2024’s “Radio (Dum-Dum).”

#88: IVE, “ATTITUDE”: A fresh take on an oft-sampled hook (“Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega) that adds a cherry on top with a head-turning high note!

#87: MINNIE, “Blind Eyes Red”: MINNIE revs up and unleashes waves of synths on listeners in all the right ways and at all the right times, while spinning complaints into convincing condemnation.

#86: Fujii Kaze, “Hachikō”: Proof that being a chill-vibes-focused song and one with an interesting backstory are not mutually exclusive.

#85: EJAE, “In Another World”: An outstanding, ascending ballad.

#84: NONT TANONT, “Afterglow”: A satisfying album conclusion with both heart and humor.

#83: indigo la End, “Ramune”: A one-of-a-kind take on nostalgia and how to not get lost in it.

#82: CHAEYOUNG & SUMIN & Jibin of Y2K92, “RIBBONS”: Beneath the sparkly surface lies an insightful assessment of the nature of celebrity.

#81: PURPLE KISS, “Unhappily Ever After”: From orchestral finishing touches to the disdain dripping from their voices, this song is perfectly structured and sung to emphasize the girl group’s strong suits.

#80: gongwon, “escape”: A “shoegaze-influenced song from an underrated indie rocker.” Read more here! 

#79: ONEWE, “Alice”: Traction generated by vocal contrasts and a plethora of Alice in Wonderland references make this song one-of-a-kind.

#78: back number, “Blue Amber”: “The shame-to-self-love journey leaves enough details up to interpretation to allow the widest possible audience to project their own experiences onto the main character’s.” Read more here!

#77: Omoinotake “Hitorigoto”: Clever descriptions of longing that toss in humorous dashes of self-deprecation. 

#76: RIIZE, “Fame”: An alternative and refreshingly nuanced take on both a rock sound and the topic of fame’s drawbacks.

#75: f5ve, “Television”: A clubby, crowd-pleasing sound replete with personalized pop culture references.

#74: BLACKPINK, “JUMP”: Rave-ready “Hardstyle” with a classic BLACKPINK punch!

#73: TABLO & RM, “Stop The Rain”: An admirably vulnerable outpouring of memories and dark feelings, turned into an accessible reminder that life is less about stopping rain and more about making peace with its presence.

#72: JEON SOMI, “CLOSER”: An inventive and invigorating interpolation of “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston!

#71: JUNHEE, “Too Bad (15:00)”: Out of the many swings at the country-rock genre that K-pop stars took in 2025, this is the one that pulls it off the best. It’s also solid proof of JUNHEE’s increased musical maturity, both lyrically and vocal-wise.

#70: Ian Chan, “The Weeping Tree”: “In this moving ballad, Ian Chan takes on the voice of a tree, describing his presence in a loved one’s life as valuable and loyal but taken for granted… Personifying a tree could have easily sounded plain silly, but instead, his thoughtful words and voice make the effort full of life.” Read more here!

#69: Jin, “With the Clouds”: A warm, OST-ready song with an unexpected, atypical structure.

#68: CLOSE YOUR EYES, “All My Poetry”: A song as worthy of appreciation for its old-school R&B vibe as it is for its specific role as an artist identity introduction. 

#67: Jeff Satur, “Tell Me The Name”: A solid character transformation down to the striking post-bridge high note and intentional bursts of stuttering.

#66: TOMONARI SORA, “HOKO”: One of the year’s most marvelously multidimensional OSTs! 

#65: GOOD BYE APRIL, “SYMPATHY”: A smooth mix of modern and retro styles, with evergreen advice about avoiding trivial arguments that one will soon regret.

#64: YEDD, “do this do that”: A jazzy and ironically upbeat song warning parents not to live vicariously through their children.

#63: DOYOUNG, “Sonnet”: A piano ballad that pivots into a more energizing, band-pop-oriented sound, as if DOYOUNG is pulling himself out of the dark hole about which he sings. 

#62: ATEEZ, “Now this house ain’t a home”: Refreshing candor in addressing the ways fame widens physical and metaphorical distances.

#61: MIYEON & Colde, “Reno”: An engaging exposition of the album’s fictional psychological/criminal/mystery plot.

#60: Stray Kids, “CEREMONY”: Boastful baile funk meets EDM and trap beats for a full and fun foundation suiting the group’s colorfulness.

#59: ID:Earth, “UTOPIA”: A song that is “as ominous as it is oasis-appropriate. It is multilingual in more than the usual ways for ID:Earth, with lyrics that can be read in reverse and the use of ancient tongues, creating a rich and haunting musical memory.” Read more here!

#58: WENDY, “Believe”: Fittingly, WENDY’s sparkling soprano soars throughout this ballad about feeling ready to “fly.”

#57: Catch The Young, “The Young Wave”: An instrumental-only journey that is sprawling yet certain regarding where it wants to go and at what speed.

#56: PoLin, “Let Me Move On”: An ecstatic toast to life with double-take-warranting high notes!

#55: ENHYPEN, “Bad Desire (With or Without You)”: An engaging sound that has wide appeal but loyal roots in ENHYPEN’s ever-present musical narrative. 

#54: CHEN, “Broken Party”: A big and bold sound that harnesses CHEN’s vocal prowess in a new-to-him way.

#53: YEONJUN, “Forever”: An old-school synthesizer sweeps listeners down atypical roads, matching its message about living in the moment with no time for regrets or excessive deliberation.

#52: YUTA, “TO LOVE SOMEONE”: Rattling and raucous guitars and percussion turn what starts out as an unassuming ballad into the opposite, a fitting contrast in an album full of them.

#51: KUN, “Deadman”: A testament to KUN’s old soul and wider-than-assumed vocal potential. 

#50: BAEKHYUN, “No Problem”: A multi-sided number with savvy switches between its more whimsical and more mature, polished instincts.

#49: Lexie Liu, “FFFFF”: A “darkly delicious dose of hedonistic hyper-pop!” Read more here!

#48: PURPLE KISS, “DOREMI”: Enchanting voices befitting the dream-like, nostalgia-inducing sound. 

#47: Haezee, “TWO BROKEN SOULS”: Dark and deep layers twist and turn to match the intense emotional boomerangs about which Haezee so skillfully sings.

#46: Ian Chan, “Pessimism”: “This ballad artfully speaks to love’s magnetic pull… ‘Pessimism’ grapples with the ‘Was it worth it?’ question that inevitably comes with a relationship’s end...” Read more here!   

#45: RADWIMPS, “Tamamono”: “‘Tamamono’ (‘Gift’) describes life as a rollicking journey and has the lively ups and downs to emphasize it… They learn they should stay the main characters in their own lives and treat all environments as temporary stages for that character development.” Read more here!

#44: Kimberley, “Toxic Love”: Fear and doubts are channeled through quiet verses as well as the resurgences of resolve are channeled through the emotional extensions of which the choruses consist.

#43: ILLIT, “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)”: From the opening string melody, to the French house beat, to the trilingual lyrics, to the 1989 anime sample, this lovely musical collage pastes an impressive array of pieces together. 

#42: GoodBand, “Fake It and Make It”: A spicy, accusatory interrogation about who “you” trampled on to get to the top, wondering on which step in that ladder you lost your old self.

#41: AHOF, “Rendezvous”: The essence of embarking on a new and unfamiliar journey is captured well; this is a hopeful yet hesitant expression of cautious optimism.

#40: David Tao, “Moonchild”: A sparkling 80’s homage.

#39: i-dle, “Good Thing”: A bridge-burner that is stingy on neither mockery nor noughties electro-pop energy!

#38: Nasi Li, “Burn To Ashes”: A rock ballad that “handles its movement well” and “rise[s] to the occasion of taking leaps of faith…” Read more here! 

#37: CHEEZE, “Mask girl”: A chipper-sounding but serious assessment of one’s public-facing self and its utility or lack thereof.

#36: cosmosy, “Lucky=One”: A whistle-centered earworm that draws on cross-cultural influences. Read more here! 

#35: JENNIE, “like JENNIE”: A hybrid of metallic baile funk and phonk that switches on a dime from self-hype to scoffing at those who don’t join in as her icon status is recognized!

#34: JO YURI, “Farewell for now!”: Some of JO YURI’s most profound lyricism to date, delivered in a new-to-her rock style.

#33: JEONGHAN & Omoinotake, “Better Half”: The emotional core of its corresponding album that “finds a pragmatic way to frame the simultaneous joy and pain of having someone worth missing in one’s life…” Read more here! 

#32: Marz23, “Łuvsick sïmp”: “Marz23 brings his typical macabre aesthetic and punk edge to this music video and synth-pop banger! ‘Łuvsick sïmp’ is the opposite of a sellout song, and his go-tos are still guttural screams and cutting lyrics…” Read more here!

#31: WOODZ, “I’ll Never Love Again”: Visceral angst punctuates everything about this blistering cry, from the dramatic organ intro to the metal-inspired chorus.

#30: BOYNEXTDOOR, “I Feel Good”: With semi-fourth-wall-breaking (“Microphone check, 1, 2”), a fun-loving spirit, and on-brand bluntness, BOYNEXTDOOR ensure their “I FEEL GOOD!” declaration stays believable!

#29: BOYNEXTDOOR, “Hollywood Action”: Swagger and a swing rhythm make this big and brassy number likeable and perfect for an act that has made a name for itself through injecting new life into generic titles! 

#28: TEMPEST, “In The Dark”: A tender, tortured tale that gets the music video it deserves.

#27: LEE CHANHYUK, “Vivid LaLa Love”: Pluckiness meets polish sonically, while enigmas meet intrigue lyrically.

#26: ANGIE, “The way U hate it”: A “liberating breakup song that meanders among stylistic lanes… As ANGIE’s voice vibes with the house beat and bluesy guitars alike, she sings about choosing herself…” Read more here!

#25: LISA & Doja Cat & RAYE, “Born Again”: An empowering, 80’s-inspired anthem performed by three singular superstars.

#24: HWASA, “Good Goodbye”: A peace-seeking parting song akin to a river; it is relentless yet relaxed, unstoppable in and certain of its flow into an inevitable “ocean” of resolution. HWASA sounds convincingly content, compassionate, and compelling.

#23: Kwon Jin Ah, “How have you been”: A beautiful piano ballad with equally beautiful lyrics that capture the messy layers of feelings pertaining to a relationship that leaves a permanent mark.

#22: GoodBand, “The Very Last Time”: With paper-thin fragility and solemn strings and guitars, the song pierces listeners with a sense of cold comfort at the clear, concise conclusion to a relationship. 

#21: JISOO, “Hugs & Kisses”: A solid way to end a “from crushing to breaking up for good” EP; a firm farewell that shames and blames an ex with stinging sass and pop-rock defiance.

#20: TXT, “Beautiful Strangers”: A layered and richly meaningful song, for casual listeners and those familiar with TXT’s lore alike.

#19: indigo la End & nishina, “Night Calm”: Thoughtful contemplation set to a low-key groove into which instrumental layers are woven with skillful subtlety.

#18: Marz23 & Faye, “An Extraordinary Song”: “This compassionate call for self-advocacy reveals rugged-voiced rapper Marz23’s softer side… The pair’s voices merge more as the song progresses, not in terms of technical harmonies as much as getting more clearly on the same page, finishing each other’s sentences more…” Read more here!

#17: YEONJUN, “Talk to You”: YEONJUN exudes infinite swagger in his kinetic, personalized form of catharsis.

#16: ME:I, “MUSE”: A “short and sugary-sweet showcase of ME:I’s sound and style [that] dazzles with a cute and catchy post-chorus and a glitch-filled, mid-song breakdown.” Read more here!

#15: sEODo BAND, “A Sea of Us”: Deep emotional provocation, but with an intensity that ebbs and flows, like the waves about which sEODo sings.

#14: KARDI, “Not But Disco”: “‘Not But Disco’ brings to life the borderline-spiritual experience of moving to intoxicating music in an immersive environment…” Read more here! 

#13: Vivian Hsu, “A Voice Within”: An artfully-made ballad performed with decades-old instruments but about a very modern question: What memories were to remain if everything that is digital disappeared?

#12: Jeff Satur, “Lost and Found”: “‘Lost and Found’ excels in Jeff Satur’s musical sweet spots and dives deep into the contents of a world-shattering event’s innermost outcomes.” Read more here! 

#11: JOLIN, aka Jolin Tsai, “Good Girl”: The “most polarizing but praiseworthy track” on JOLIN’s 2025 album; “It strikes the perfect chord to epitomize JOLIN’s image as a cunning character with a richly riveting presence.” Read more here! 

#10: SHINee, “Poet | Artist”: A classic SHINee song on many fronts: the harmonies, the electro-pop style, and the moving memorializing of the late JONGHYUN’s influence on the group. (JONGHYUN’s demo vocals are blended into this updated version of the song, and JONGHYUN co-wrote and co-composed it.)

#9: TXT, “Song of the Stars”: A beautiful new theme song for TXT and their fans, with so few words needed to summarize the entire journey they have taken and continue to take together.

#8: HUNTR/X, “Golden”: An earworm with earned popularity, not least because of the expertly-executed performances from a technical standpoint.

#7: MARK, “1999”: From the jump-along pace of the “1! 9! 9! 9!” chants, to the surprising falsetto focus, to the equally surprising ways with words, this self-written and self-composed funk-pop blast is intrinsically Mark Lee!

#6: Ryokuoushoku Shakai, “My Answer”: Thorough and thoughtful reflections on how “life often halts them in their tracks but always puts them back on a smoother path eventually. As much as ‘Happiness comes with a cruel shadow, eerily clinging,’ were they to get a do-over, they would still make the same choices leading to that caveated happiness…” Read more here!

#5: JUN from SEVENTEEN, “Gemini”: A musical and symbolic metamorphosis. A deceptively ballad-like opening slides into an electronic style, with guitar riffs perfectly punctuating JUN’s moments of personal triumph and clarity. He takes time to find his own rhythm, just like the song does, and he finds that rhythm while using clever dual meanings. For example, his “other half” is his reflection, so each reference to “you” is actually directed at himself.

#4: AtHeart, “Plot Twist”: One of 2025’s best examples of how to embody an album’s ultimate essence. The group delivers their own “plot twists,” by starting and ending with acapella segments (an unconventional choice not just for K-pop, but for K-pop rookies), EDM rushes that retreat just as often as the fleeting emotional states about which they sing, and naive lyrics as to which mood might strike them next. Youthfulness and curiosity come through in every detail.

#3: PoLin, “Arrow, After Me”: “‘Arrow, After Me’ astounds from the very first to the very last second… The palpable suspense is repeatedly knocked down and rebuilt, as he sings about endlessly retrying to succeed… After doing justice to the heaviness of experiencing what feels like a last stand that gets followed by a second and third wind, the song also does justice to the gut punch that occurs when all efforts appear suddenly worthless…” Read more here! 

#2: YUTA, “TWISTED PARADISE”: An “equally aching and euphoric tour de force,” in which “[s]ensitivity and emotional detachment remain unlikely partners, as he compares his woes to those in a theatrical tragicomedy…” Read more here! 

#1: Xdinary Heroes, “Beautiful Life”: “The structure is downright grand when compared to the current wave of under-three-minute singles. It is refreshingly unrushed, building up to and coming down from its dramatic moments in a way that allows for maximum impact. Its twists and turns keep listeners on their toes and, ideally, remind them how important the bridge is! ‘Beautiful Life’ takes listeners on a journey, with moments of light and darkness, fierceness and frivolity, and a host of other contrasts, which is perfect for a group whose narrative foundation is built on juxtapositions.” Read more here!

Check out past years’ “Top 150 Songs” lists here and more reviews of 2025’s best music here!