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The year’s best songs released by Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai artists! Things to Note Before Reading
#150: The Crane, “take it or leave it”: The ultimate “Take me as I am” song and the musical equivalent of a shrug! #149: Ahn Sung Hoon, “The road is different”: A hopeful ballad that wishes for all to find their personal definitions of success and happiness. #148: Aimer, “SCOPE”: A song that smartly splits itself in two to give words and their sonic equivalents on both sides equal importance. #147: ONEUS, “DEVILISH LOVE”: Delivery that channels a specific character but not to a comical extent; a nice balance between light and dark mood-setting. #146: PassCode, “A certain Motor-Heart is not working right!”: A puzzling scene-setter that emphasizes turmoil as much as it does determination to overcome it. #145: 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! #144: ALI & eill, “LOVE IS KILLING ME”: A busy back-and-forth between sounding playful and anguished - feeling the “love” and the “killing me” parts! #143: PP Krit, “Oopsy Daisy”: A charming faux-apology for people instantly falling in love with him! #142: LiSA, “Shine in the Cruel Night”: A scene-setting OST with a fiery spirit. #141: Kim Hye Rim, “F5”: The theme of leaving the past far in the dust is channeled effectively, with an accelerating chorus and lyrics about dodging what she now recognizes are traps. #140: SCANDAL, “Doukashiterutte”: A pity party soundtrack full of offbeat twists! #139: ONEWE, “Indelible”: Each member giving it their all, from Yonghoon’s vocals to Kang Hyun’s guitar solo to Yonghoon and Dongmyeong’s succinct but summative outro. #138: Emotional Oranges & JAEHYUN, “Call It Off”: A smooth-as-it-gets and super loop-worthy single. #137: Yoga Lin, “When Demons Dwell in You”: An equally eerie and electrifying soundscape. #136: Pagaehun, “Hi+Fiv3”: Youthful yearning in a sing-along-ready style! #135: COOING, “PSYCHO”: A party-ready romp that heaps pity on an ex! #134: B.I & Heize, “Ferris wheel”: An inner-child-embracing song worth appreciating both as a whole and for its details, like the sounds of people playing on a playground. #133: Penthouse, “Nonsense”: An “illogical but delightful frenzy,” with “lyrics that fall between passive aggression and morbid humor”! Read more here! #132: King Gnu, “TWILIGHT!!!”: An anxious mood lightened up with a funky and kaleidoscopic sound. #131: CHUNG HA & SUNMI, “Salty”: Sassy yet sincere confessions that come in a retro, feel-good flavor. #130: f5ve, “Television”: A clubby, crowd-pleasing sound replete with personalized pop culture references. #129: indigo la End, “Ramune”: A one-of-a-kind take on nostalgia and how to not get lost in it. #128: AleXa, “Arrogant”: A scorching breakup anthem that heavily implies a sassy smirk on her face as she sings it! #127: i-dle, “Girlfriend”: A pop-punk breakup song with universal appeal mixed with idle-specific references. #126: back number, “Sincerely, from a Future”: Wise words of advice about embracing life’s mysteries and trusting that all tough times are temporary. #125: Billkin & PP Krit, “GFF Ghost Friend Forever”: “Can’t live with you, can’t live without you” confessions between cute and compatible vocalists! #124: BSS, “CBZ (Prime time)”: A punny life motto that doubles as a theme song for Casual Fridays! #123: X-UNIT, “Because I am Stupid”: An unassuming earworm; the kind of song that doesn’t consciously stick in one’s head right away but seeps into one’s subconscious! #122: O3ohn & Car, the garden & youra, “BIG BIRD”: A deceptively groovy mood for an opaque cry for help! #121: SKY-HI, “At The Last”: A testament to SKY-HI’s raps zigging when expected to zag and vice versa! #120: TWICE, “THIS IS FOR”: A smile-worthy hype song sprinkled with sound effects! #119: Sakurazaka46, “UDAGAWA GENERATION”: The giant question mark that is adolescence is turned into an exclamation point, as they refuse to be boxed in by stereotypes - “The word ‘Gen Z’ is just a marketing term” anyway! #118: ONEUS, “IKUK”: Generic words get a memorable makeover with a mature mood and multi-part chorus. #117: Timethai, “Why tho?”: An “admirably honest breakup song courtesy of a swoon-worthy singer!” Read more here! #116: UVERworld, “NO MAP”: Uncontainable chaos courtesy of killer drums and guitars and a show-stealing harmonica! #115: BAEKHYUN, “Chocolate”: Silky-smooth singing about love’s many flavors and forms. #114: ILLIT, “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)”: From the opening string melody, to the French house music beat, to the trilingual lyrics, to the 1989 anime sample, this lovely musical collage pastes an impressive array of pieces together. #113: SEULGI, “Praying”: A realization that SEULGI has been getting in her own way dawns on her through clever metaphors that tie back to the era’s overall storyline. #112: Bi-ray & YOSHIKI, “Butterfly”: Powerhouse pipes spanning a remarkably wide range make this rookie act sound experienced beyond their years! #111: 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! #110: 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. #109: LE SSERAFIM, “Come Over”: A danceable delight straight out of the sixties. #108: siso, “Seashell”: An unfiltered admission of struggling to find one’s place in the world, with her confusion and absence of direction felt in every line. #107: May J., “Yurari”: May J.’s pristine voice proves perfect for a song about wanting to have the same comforting and gentle presence as a soft breeze. #106: KiiiKiii, “I DO ME”: A breezy but lively song with a refreshingly uncynical worldview. #105: ATEEZ, “In Your Fantasy”: A sultry, Justin Timberlake-esque treat! #104: gongwon, “escape”: A “shoegaze-influenced song from an underrated indie rocker.” Read more here! #103: SUPER★DRAGON, “Dark Heroes”: A sonic roller coaster that goes from orchestral and cinematic to EDM to rap-focused in no time! #102: noa, “Snipe the Heart”: Peppy, polished, piano-led pop that proves noa benefits from being so hands-on with her song-making. #101: 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 has ended)! #100: BLACKPINK, “JUMP”: Rave-ready “Hardstyle” with a classic BLACKPINK punch! #99: 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. #98: Stray Kids (HAN & Felix), “Truman”: A combination of silliness (like game character references) and sincerity (like thank-yous to the fans); a light and fun song about not treating their platform lightly or un-seriously! #97: SIX LOUNGE, “Grotesque LOVESONG”: An enjoyably excessive complaint with a note held for a jaw-dropping length of time! #96: ONE OK ROCK, “The Pilot </3”: A thoughtful addition to the “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” mantra in one of the band’s previous singles, “Broken Heart of Gold.” #95: N.Flying, “Born To Be”: The return of an old-school N.Flying sound with meaning that is also broadly applicable and relatable. #94: ONEW, “ANIMALS”: Momentum is built up and knocked down with ease and a palpable eagerness to live loudly and proudly. #93: HxW, “96ers”: A hip-hop/bounce/pop hybrid with good-spirited personal recollections and a more general toast to the good life. #92: MINNIE & YUQI, “Drive U Crazy”: Punk-edged pop with electronic impulses and a warning to strap in for a wild romantic ride! #91: 4s4ki, “Performer”: Intriguing indicators of self-awareness wrapped in industrial/electro-pop packaging. #90: 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. #89: Ado, “Elf”: “The uninspired theme of being oneself loudly and proudly is reinvigorated, thanks to all-consuming audio and artwork… A nice finishing touch is the use of play-on words, as Ado bids ‘Adieu’ to the memories she wants to erase!” Read more here! #88: JUSTB, “Han Geol Eum Man”: A heartfelt song about stumbling into the realization that everything happens for a reason and that one can hold on simply by putting one foot in front of the other. #87: P1Harmony, “Murmur”: An ultimate hater clapback in the form of R&B meets brassy boom-bap. #86: JENNIE, “like JENNIE”: A hybrid of metallic baile funk and Phonk that switches on a dime lyrically, from self-hype to scoffing at those who don’t join in as her icon status is recognized! #85: BOWKYLION & NONT TANONT, “Sometimes”: “This ballad makes a convincing case that the truest love appears in understated ways and tends to not resemble thrilling, binge-worthy fiction!” Read more here! #84: JO YURI, “Overkill”: Venting about a two-timer while unleashing her inner rockstar like never before! #83: 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. #82: 20th Century Boy’z, “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS”: “Its intensity unexpectedly declines for a delicate moment, but after resuming rousing rock, the next verse has added rawness, as if needing to overcompensate for the moment of fragility!” Read more here! #81: Stray Kids, “Parade”: From the “Rat-tat-tats,” to the whistles, this group’s “Everything but the kitchen sink” approach remains a winner! #80: Aimer, “yasashii butoukai”: A sound that seems to loosely derive from music-box music in ways that suit the picture of a moonlit ball the lyrics paint. #79: 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! #78: YEDD, “do this do that”: A jazzy and ironically upbeat song warning parents not to live vicariously through their children. #77: Omoinotake “Hitorigoto”: Clever descriptions of longing that toss in humorous dashes of self-deprecation. #76: Fujii Kaze, “Hachikō”: Proof that being a chill-vibes-focused song and one with an interesting backstory are not mutually exclusive. #75: CHUU, “Only cry in the rain”: An endearing friendship tribute with a memorable pledge to postpone sadness for when the cuckoo clock goes off! #74: David Tao, “Moonchild”: A sparkling 80’s homage. #73: 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! #72: ONEWE, “Alice”: Traction generated by vocal contrasts and a plethora of Alice in Wonderland references make this song one-of-a-kind. #71: back number, “Blue Amber”: “Putting a period on [the] ‘Nothing is wrong with you; embrace who you really are’ message are the final lines: ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘Hey, you’re beautiful.’ 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! #70: 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. #69: ATEEZ, “Now this house ain’t a home”: Refreshing candor in addressing the ways fame widens physical and metaphorical distances. #68: ONE OK ROCK, “NASTY”: A barnstorming album opening that doubles as a warning for the musical mayhem to come! #67: Little Glee Monster, “Yumejanainara Nannanosa”: A generic “Go for it!” message that sounds anything but, thanks to the members’ spectacular voices. #66: PassCode, “DESTINEX”: A full-speed-ahead pop/rock concoction that efficiently incorporates everything from guttural screams to digital distortions. #65: 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. #64: Forestella, “Everything”: A soaring, string-filled stunner. #63: Pets Tseng, “The Subtext”: Thoughtful contemplation on the many possible ramifications of going “off-script.” #62: JENNIE, “with the IE (way up)”: An A+ when it comes to reviving early-aughts R&B/pop energy the right way. #61: 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! #60: 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. #59: ENHYPEN, “Bad Desire (With or Without You)”: An engaging sound that has wide appeal but loyal roots in ENHYPEN’s ever-present musical narrative. #58: 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! #57: P1Harmony, “DUH!”: Modern trends meet 90’s hip-hop for this boastful insistence that the group needs no introduction. #56: cosmosy, “Lucky=One”: A whistle-centered earworm that draws on cross-cultural influences. Read more here! #55: The Volunteers, “Rules”: A mid-song instrumental break gives listeners ample time to let the astute observations sink in, regarding the comfort some people actually get from having rules to follow, as well as the mental state of those who recently lost someone who was their rock. #54: STU48, “Chiheisen wo Miteiruka?”: Orchestral pop at its finest, with memorable framing of past and present thoughts alike. #53: Xdinary Heroes, “FiRE (My Sweet Misery)”: Deliciously dark pop-rock drama! Read more here! #52: CHEN, “Broken Party”: A big and bold sound that harnesses CHEN’s vocal prowess in a new-to-him way. #51: Kwon Jin Ah, “Just For Today”: A relatable, empathetic piano ballad about trying to continuously postpone dealing with the messy elements of a relationship. #50: LEE CHANHYUK, “Vivid LaLa Love”: Plucky meets polish sonically, while enigmas meet intrigue lyrically. #49: 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 sensibilities - but also a defiant dose of danceability! #48: 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! #47: 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! #46: Jin, “With the Clouds”: A warm, OST-ready song with an unexpected, atypical structure. #45: The Crane, “DISEASE”: A lamenting of a lack of inner peace that is set to a surprisingly upbeat rhythm! #44: Lexie Liu, “FFFFF”: A “darkly delicious dose of hedonistic hyper-pop!” Read more here! #43: BEOMGYU, “Panic”: An “indie-rock song that encapsulates the experiences both of panicking and of encountering slight but certain silver linings...” Read more here! #42: PoLin, “Let Me Move On”: An infectiously free-spirited toast to life with double-take-warranting high notes! #41: Mrs. GREEN APPLE, “KUSUSHIKI”: Feverish frivolity with lyrical zigzags befitting the instrumental ones; a jovial jumble of sounds that is inherently, indescribably funny! #40: Tabber, “Hysteric Glamour”: An eccentric but intoxicating thrill that handily achieves the difficult task of giving its title a sonic equivalent! #39: ILLIT, “little monster”: Quaint vintage style matched with a modern hook and impressionable, inventive lyricism. #38: 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! #37: BAEKHYUN, “No Problem”: A multi-sided number with savvy switches between its more whimsical and more mature, polished instincts. #36: KUN, “Deadman”: The debut of a new side of KUN, who ditches his old sound for something more soulful and useful for showing his expansive slate of vocal strengths. #35: WOOKI, “Reborn”: A viscerally effective album transition. #34: PURPLE KISS, “DOREMI”: Enchanting voices befitting the dream-like, nostalgia-inducing sound. #33: 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. #32: Kimberley, “Toxic Love”: Fear and doubts are channeled through quiet verses as effectively as resurgences of resolve are channeled through the emotional bursts of which the choruses consist. #31: 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. #30: i-dle, “Good Thing”: A bridge-burner that is stingy on neither mockery nor noughties electro-pop energy! #29: TXT, “Beautiful Strangers”: A layered and richly meaningful song, for casual listeners and those familiar with TXT’s lore alike. #28: IVE, “TKO”: One of IVE’s strongest B-sides to date, with hushed and compelling voices backed by a hip-hop rhythm, a clever use of boxing terminology, and unexpected string flourishes post-chorus. #27: 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. #26: JO YURI, “Farewell for now!”: Some of JO YURI’s most profound lyricism to date, delivered in a new-to-her rock style. #25: Jeff Satur, “Tell Me The Name”: An astounding character transformation that is completed with attention to details, “especially his striking post-bridge high note and the stuttering of certain letters.” Read more here! #24: DOYOUNG, “Luminous”: A ballad that delicately touches on many of the album’s core themes, with subtle lyric switches that add to a sense of shaky but eventually sturdy evolution. #23: ONEW, “Winner”: Proof of ONEW’s strong intuition for when volume and inflection changes can have the maximum possible impacts. #22: David Tao, “From Dust to Dust”: A successful revival of an old-school folk-rock spirit. #21: 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! #20: Sakurako Ohara, “Sakura”: A “clever and engaging way to portray the passing of the seasons and all that it represents.” Read more here! #19: 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! #18: AHOF, “Rendezvous”: The nuances of embarking on a new and unfamiliar journey are captured well; this is a hopeful yet hesitant expression of cautious optimism. #17: CHEEZE, “Mask girl”: A chipper-sounding but insightful assessment of one’s public-facing self and its utility or lack thereof. #16: HUNTR/X, “Golden”: An earworm with earned popularity, not least because of the expertly-executed performances from a technical standpoint. #15: 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! #14: 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! #13: LISA & Doja Cat & RAYE, “Born Again”: A liberating, 80’s-inspired anthem performed by three singular superstars. #12: indigo la End & nishina, “Night Calm”: Thoughtful contemplation set to a low-key groove into which instrumental layers are woven with skillful subtlety. #11: SHINee, “Poet | Artist”: A classic SHINee song on many levels: 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.) #10: sEODo BAND, “A Sea of Us”: Deep emotional provocation, but with an intensity that ebbs and flows, like the waves about which sEODo sings. #9: 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! #8: 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. #7: 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! #6: 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! #5: 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? #4: 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 towards himself. #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’ lists below! Best Songs of 2024 Best Songs of 2023 Best Songs of 2022 Best Songs of 2021 View the Substack version of this piece here!
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