|
A ranking and review of the top 150! View the Substack version of this piece here! Some things to note first
Keep up with all of the “Best of 2026 So Far” lists here! #150: LEE SEUNG YOON, “The Rebels”: A thoughtful and resonant remake. #149: Hinatazaka46, “SHUWA SHUWA”: Cute and clever analogies between crushing on someone and handling strong yet fleeting beverage flavors! #148: DJ Didilong & Shen Wen Cheng, “Nina in Taitung”: A revitalized decades-old song that goes in delightfully weird directions! #147: SUPER★DRAGON, “Break off”: Electro-rap-rock that stays entertainingly shaken instead of stirred! #146: RILLAZ, “Soju Everyday”: Laid-back lyrics and a surprisingly soulful sound. #145: ILLIT, “It’s Me”: Propulsive, princess-y pop! #144: KIM PUREUM, “You’re my summer”: Chill yet bubbly, sunny yet mellow… this song is summer vacation in a bottle! #143: Ssup & Park Jung Eun, “Ssup Time”: Surprisingly smooth blends of rapping and singing, strings and piano, and solo and duo moments. #142: Girls2, “Eagle Eyes”: A bouncy bop that brings to mind “Curious” by UNIS, with a fast, bubblegum-pop-expectant bounce but punk-slanted guitars. #141: Jinyoung (aka PARK JINYOUNG), “EVERLOVE”: Wise words about what causes people to live closed-off lives, with a corresponding music video that offers an idea for how to reverse that trend. #140: Karencici, “100 Degrees”: A little bit of a lot, making it a great choice for an album opener. #139: ANGIE & PIZZALI, “98765”: An amiable love story about timing finally aligning and paths finally crossing again. #138: Rinne & Wataru Omori, “GIRICHOCO”: A funny realization of a relationship’s performative gestures and overall artificiality. #137: STU48, “Sukisugite Naku”: A sweet, sensitive song about loving someone to the point of tears. #136: UNCHILD, “UNCHILD”: A gritty and groovy good time! #135: AARON & AYANE, “Ima wa Aenai Koibito e”: On-point commentary about what it’s really like post-breakup, statements reinforced by the ways both voices and verdicts stay on the same page. #134: indigo la End, “Kagura”: A song about a formal ceremony that is anything but formulaic. #133: sumika, “Honto”: A stridently sunny ode to this “sparkling” life! #132: MUSM (ft. wooee, Lee Gwanggil, Holly squad), “Good Day”: An offbeat equivalent of a sonic sermon. #131: HIRAIDAI, “Kotaeawase wa, dessert no ato de.”: High-octane encouragement to love and accept life as it is, since everyone “has their own main course” and can delay finding life’s answers until “after dessert”! #130: Rothy, “Don’t Be”: A welcome introduction to a sassier, more wink-and-nod-inclined side of Rothy! #129: Z-uK & Kim Chae Won, “장래희망”: An adorable duet about keeping childhood dreams alive and well. #128: FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE, “SUNFLOWER”: Windswept whimsy; the sonic equivalent of a gust of wind swooping someone into an inviting, imagination-fueled land! #127: QWER, “CEREMONY”: The high-flying soundtrack for anyone with self-described “main character energy”! #126: JUNG DAE HYUN, “One”: A briskly-paced song with optimism that swells as the sound does. #125: Ha Hyun Sang, “Odyssey”: A spirited insistence on being set free that caters to his vocal sweet spots. #124: P1Harmony, “Wednesday Girl”: An impressive balance of solo rapping and singing flexes and group-wide harmonizing. #123: OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM, “Elderflower”: A powerful declaration of devotion that deserves its movie OST placement. #122: EJAE, “Time After Time”: Nail-on-the-head lyrics sung by an inimitable songstress. #121: IVE, “Hush”: Consolation for an inner child that is even more moving when seeing it as the growth-revealing sequel to “Dear, My Feelings.” #120: yanaginagi, “FutarinoHajimari”: A lovable ode to the escapism and excitement of reading. #119: CiON, “Bet on me”: A bright and brassy bash! #118: HEART OF WOMAN, “Lost in Proof”: New Jack Swing with a personalized makeover. #117: CHOIJUNSEONG (aka Jun S), “L[]VE”: A song committed to its good-natured glide path, befitting its topic of wondering without worrying. #116: LEE SEUNG YOON, “What Do I Steal?”: A song that leaves listeners in thought about what it means to “steal” something and who “you” become in the process. #115: Lee Young Ji, “Robot”: An addictive earworm with silly yet relatable lyrics! #114: go!go!vanillas, “Fallin’ / Falling”: A humorously humble message and a song with a big and memorable sound that’s about feeling small! #113: TIA RAY, “CALL ME”: A blues-brushed dedication to those who feel alone in a crowd. #112: BOYNEXTDOOR, “Upside Down”: The lively, swing-jazz soundtrack to a “more the merrier” party! #111: YENA, “Catch Catch”: A delightful dose of second-generation K-pop girl group nostalgia. #110: BOYNEXTDOOR, “Forever You”: A moving promise to no longer take loved ones for granted that lets this band prove they have gotten older and wiser since they last sang about family. #109: JIWOO, “Lily”: A declaration of loyalty that grants JIWOO a bright spotlight to show her vocal power and passion. #108: IVE, “BLACKHOLE”: A stadium-ready sound suiting its manifestation message. #107: LE SSERAFIM, “CELEBRATION”: A techno banger made even better with its self-references and over-the-top corresponding video! #106: TenTwenty, “Eleven Back”: An inspiring song about redefining one’s reality and regaining a pep in one’s stop. #105: Satoshi Hayashibe, “Boukyaku no Tango”: A gently elegant ode to love. #104: THORNAPPLE, “Good Old Days”: A song about putting in blood, sweat, and tears that serves as proof of concept. #103: Dailog, “First Phrase”: An amusing track in which he argues with himself while agonizing over what kind of smalltalk he should use to woo a crush! #102: EXO, “Suffocate”: Proof of the band’s remarkably durable synergy and skill at combining musical styles. #101: YEL, “Narcissist”: One of the year’s most underrated and insightful releases. #100: ExWHYZ, “NOT ENOUGH”: An electronic experiment that continuously powers itself up and down. #99: gongwon, “Lullaby”: Harsh truths that hit home, like how it can feel like “A whisper… overpowers the sounds of arguing.” #98: STU48, “Gomen ne Newton”: An amusing analogizing of gravity to feeling stuck in life that turns into an apology for going against “Newton’s Law” upon seeing the crush who prompts the feeling of floating! #97: FIRST CONTACT, “Bless the Nature”: A lovely flute and hopeful live orchestra are joined by guitars befitting an upbeat rock OST. #96: Sakurazaka46, “Coin Laundry”: An encapsulation of Sakurazaka46’s go-to topics: complaining about doing “grown-up” tasks, lamenting social norms and pleasantries, and yearning for a rekindling of a youthful inner flame. #95: V8, “Friend”: A self-reference scavenger hunt for day-one SEVENTEEN fans that begins with an especially sentimental audio sample! #94: Sakurazaka46, “Ookamitachiyo”: A breathless B-side that paints the corresponding album’s topics in even more vivid hues. #93: P1Harmony, “UNIQUE”: Bright, trilingual Brazilian phonk that suits the band’s unique sense of swagger and globe-spanning appeal. #92: Chevon, “Daisy”: Whether this song is really about Daisy from The Great Gatsby or just brings the character to mind, it does a good job summarizing Jay Gatsby’s warning that his “twisted” side will eventually reveal itself to his naive former lover! #91: DxS, “Blue”: A well-structured power ballad into which both singers pour their souls! #90: DeVita, “Sailing”: The most enthralling vocal performance on an album full of them. #89: Melody & Christine, “Crazy Little World”: An aced assignment, capturing the sensation of a world that is messy yet through which one can persevere, coping by creating one’s own cocoon within the chaos. #88: Tani Yuuki, “Ainouta”: A conventional love song with an unconventional presentation, including a clap-along portion and acapella opening. #87: GOOD BYE APRIL, “Villain”: A classic GOOD BYE APRIL song with its city-pop foundation and personality-rife lyrics. #86: JOOHONEY, “NO BRAIN NO PAIN”: An unflinching self-interrogation that is ironically about not overthinking! #85: LIL LEAGUE from EXILE TRIBE, “LILMATIC”: An inventive interpolation of Beethoven’s “Für Elise.” #84: YongYong, “BLUE HAAATZ”: An ode to outcasts with a fragmented electronic mixing that matches her toast to who and what feel “broken”! #83: YENA, “April’s Cat”: A grounding force on the LOVE CATCHER EP, scaling back the sugariness of the sound while keeping its core quirky flavor. #82: SHOWNU X HYUNGWON, “Do You Love Me”: Proof of the duo’s surprising compatibility and unsurprising dexterity. #81: Bii, “323 Times”: A winding rock ballad that, naturally, is about staying the course. #80: KIM SION, “CRUMBLE”: Outstanding oscillations between jazz and rock influences. #79: ChRocktikal, “Free!”: A satisfying album conclusion that borrows words and phrases from nearly all of the songs before it. #78: natori, “Puppet”: A carnivalesque sonic cornucopia best summed up with the lyric “In the end, it all comes down to goofing off”! #77: Luli Lee, “OCD”: Her EP’s rawest moment and “the musical equivalent of the moment visceral panic strikes.” Read more here! #76: MINA from MISAMO, “Turning Tables”: A tongue-in-cheek calling-out of haters with a delightfully jazzy delivery! #75: TIA RAY, “OCEAN OF THE SUN”: An indirect follow-up to 2023’s “BORED,” expressing the strengthened sense of self-worth that is forged through fire. #74: cosmosy, “Silence ~ body & soul ~”: “Demure voices glide on house-beat-driven synths in a way that could sound forgettable but is instead trance-like…” Read more here! #73: STARGLOW, “Good Boys Anthem”: Clean-cut charm without a cut-and-dry delivery; friction courtesy of the vocals’ surprising huskiness! #72: i-dle, “Crow”: Gloriously greedy glam-rock! #71: Kim Sung Kyu, “Over It”: Invigorating alt-rock that was an excellent pre-release choice to gin up album anticipation. #70: Silence Wang, “就要活得不懂艺术”: One catchy component after another, from the bass to the beat-drop-defined chorus. #69: SO-SO & Tani Yuuki, “Loop Line”: A song that essentially says “We make our own fun” and walks the walk, with tempo turns and constant rearrangements of foreground-versus-background components. #68: DxS, “Guilty Pleasure”: DK’s falsetto and SEUNGKWAN’s more grounded voice have a yin and yang effect that keeps the groove melancholic yet multifaceted. #67: Lil Ghost, “Sad Ass”: An existential crisis that comes with a dose of dark humor! #66: VERNON from V8, “mia”: An aughts-indebted, pop-punk track that sonically complements VERNON’s previous solo song “Shining Star” but lyrically is more of a counterbalance. #65: AKMU, “Stains”: The musical equivalent of a victory lap; an album finale that says hello to new adventures more than goodbye to old ones. #64: BTS, “NORMAL”: A song that has both personal and universal layers, the former including a continuation of a thought from SUGA’s solo song “People” and references to not picking “red” or “blue” sides of themselves to present to the world (South Korea’s flag has both); the latter including lyrics about rumor-chasers and general online chatter. #63: Ian Chan, “Gossip”: A self-penned, scorching salvo against the spreaders of misinformation. #62: AKMU, “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart”: A relaxed yet resolute reminder that natural miracles abound for those who look for them. #61: JOOHONEY, “STING (Feat. Muhammad Ali)”: The track that most fully crystallizes this JOOHONEY era’s creative vision, from the audio sample choice to the “bee” and “honey” pun! #60: Fairy, “ily”: One of 2026’s most underrated earworms, with a mellifluous melody and old-school finishing touch. #59: SUPER BEAVER, “Climax”: A momentous song for fellow strivers. #58: SHINee, “Anti Believer”: A standout B-side thanks to SHINee’s distinct color and character. #57: TAEYONG, “Storm”: Suiting the song title, TAEYONG embodies an uncontrollable and unpredictable force, through tonal turbulence and volume variations. #56: TenTwenty, “Abyss Red”: Rhythms race as fast as this rock band’s thoughts on this adrenaline boost about living fast and free. #55: tripleS, “Baby Flower”: Convincing words of encouragement delivered in versatile ways, from a stutter-featuring rap verse to a stellar ending high note! #54: A-Lin, “Alone”: A ballad that “effectively embodies the loneliness one struggles with prior to choosing to seek solace in a virtual companion, as well as the weight lifted off of one’s shoulders after ‘opening the door’ again to a fellow human.” Read more here! #53: NARIN, “Glasses”: Energizing acapella that adds a nice twist to the “seeing the world through new lenses” cliché. #52: CODA BRIDGE, “Flower Vase”: Cooing over a retro groove that’s interrupted by punchy periods of sass! #51: Jay Chou, “My Daughter, Your Highness”: A charming tribute to which all loving parents will relate, about children who convince their parents to do all sorts of things that they otherwise never would! #50: idntt, “Pretty Boy Swag”: The musical equivalent of the weekend; a song with time for Saturday playtime and Sunday church service! #49: Asian Kung-Fu Generation, “Welcome Back Jonny”: Astute observations about the state of relationships, people’s sense of autonomy (or lack thereof), and how to ultimately chart a new path. #48: SUPER★DRAGON, “Call Me Asap”: A sonic collage that takes some of the catchiest components of different song styles, from choral to clubby, and puts them all together. #47: LUCY, “All Ages”: A jovial journey back to a time of rosy cheeks and rose-colored glasses. #46: Ha Hyun Sang & SUMIN, “biscuit”: An acoustic-guitar-led collaboration about wanting to block out the outside world due to “mind fog,” choosing to focus on a crumbly snack over the crumbling state of the world and its “broken pieces”! #45: dodree, “Just Like a Dream”: An inspired presentation of South Korean culture’s timelessness and transcendence, reflected in the rhythms and visuals alike. #44: BNK48 & AKB48 Team SH, “Sky Lantern Wish”: A gorgeous, harp-laced number with a deservedly beautiful companion visual. #43: Yorushika, “Bubble”: A structurally immersive admission to feeling stuck inside oneself. #42: HANRORO, “GAME OVER ?”: A song with the appearance of real-time construction, from almost sounding acapella, to synths and percussion gaining steam, then whistles and sound effects topping it off. #41: HENRY, “ENJOY THE SHOW”: A hoedown-approved romp that ignites both spirits and attention from the get-go! #40: Seori & Kim Jong Wan of NELL, “My Gravity”: A deeply-felt vocal tour de force. #39: indigo la End, “How Long This Curse”: An elusive and intriguing contemplation of the lies people tell themselves and why. #38: Novelbright, “Chasing blood”: The ultimate “rising above the haters” song, dripping with disdain yet leaving some room for sympathy. #37: babyMINT, “I’m not perfect”: A one-of-a-kind sampling of The Cardigans that “offers catchy coverage of modern dilemmas.” Read more here! #36: ATEEZ, “NASA”: A twisty techno treat that keeps JONGHO’s trademark high note to make it even better! #35: yanaginagi, “Hearts in the Air”: An interesting spatial structure sinks listeners into an absorbing, romantic recollection. #34: natori, “Serenade”: A classic natori number both instrumentally, with its “more is more” approach, and lyrically, with A+ channeling of the protagonist’s inner turmoil. #33: Lil Ghost, “Saturday Night”: A rambunctious rouser that elevates the eccentricities in this rockstar’s voice. #32: Stray Kids, “RUN IT”: A rousing, on-point sound for the song’s topic: the taste of victory yet endless hunger for more! #31: MISAMO, “Deep Eden”: A heavenly, high-quality orchestral number that lyrically breaks the forth wall, nicely tying into the era’s overall “art about art itself” theme. #30: THE FIX, “HIGH”: Rocking out that goes from good to great, with fast-rising momentum that gives the second verse compared to the first one, as well as the choruses compared to the verses, an extra kick. #29: Foi, “Ghostwriter”: An alternative approach to jazzy rhythms and a hands-off approach to instruments’ staggered entrances and exits. #28: Vicky Chen, “Birdy Fly”: A breakup ballad that emulates “the difficulty of making a goodbye the goodbye.” Read more here! #27: Xdinary Heroes, “No Cool Kids Zone”: Angst-fueled instincts unlocked and unleashed, to dizzying yet dazzling results! #26: TXT, “Dream of Mine”: A grunge album detour with a nuanced mix of confident and vulnerable sounds and sentiments. #25: Hinatazaka46, “Kind of love”: “If any song topic deserves to be represented by a spirited and splashy soundscape, it is falling in love for the first time, and that ‘about to burst’ intensity warrants the excesses of” this song! Read more here! #24: PompadollS, “little world”: One of 2026’s best OSTs, for the fun and full instrumental bridge, the endlessly upbeat piano, and the period placed on their statement via the last few guitar and piano notes. #23: TXT, “Stick With You”: An impressive focus track for both technical and textual reasons, the former due to a vocally-stretching chorus that TXT make sound easy, and the latter due to lyrics that stay loyal to the era’s ethos. #22: EXO, “Crown”: A fortunate return to circa-2012 EXO that delivers on both video-lore-related and vocal fronts. #21: WOODZ, “Bloodline”: Respects are paid to rock music history, while WOODZ’s personal spin and cutting conviction are also felt and heard in every note. #20: ORORA, “Hold My Breath”: A gorgeous vocal performance with an admirable intimacy and long-lasting impression. #19: Andrew Tan, “Crushing Blow”: A visceral ballad about the still-open wounds that stem from breakups that are not clear-cut. #18: JunSung, “I Don’t Care About”: “Countless tiny details combine for a catchy, colorful sound that suits its message of tuning in only to the beat of one’s own drum.” Read more here! #17: Ado, “Vivarium”: “‘Vivarium’ is not just sung; it is performed, matching its tonal shifts and vocal limit-stretching to the edge-of-sanity state that touches on many related themes…” Read more here! #16: CORTIS, “REDRED”: Decisive dance-rock about living by one’s self-defined rules as to what is and isn’t permissible. #15: TAEYONG, “WYLD”: A “wildly” entertaining whirlwind that doesn’t waste a single nanosecond. #14: Forestella, “Armageddon”: An extravagant musical number akin to several scores in one. #13: YOASOBI, “BABY”: A song that “knows where it wants to go; it just takes wild and roundabout ways to get there, making it sound like an identity crisis when it is actually sure of itself!” Read more here! #12: Emi Noda, “RETAKE”: Peppy and passionate; bright and breathless; full of starts, stops, springs forward, and slow-downs… “RETAKE” is the musical equivalent of a major second wind! #11: SHINee, “Atmos”: An instant classic for SHINee’s specific discography; SHINee staples include the harmonized and rhythmic layers, electronic bursts, general bounciness, and “soaking in the moment” message. #10: WOODZ, “GLASS”: One of the album’s most powerful and poetic parts, both musically and lyrically embodying the state of feeling “heavy [even though] there’s nothing left to hold.” #9: SCANDAL, “Girl is Ghost”: A funk-rock jam that puts a comical twist on “woe is me” remarks! #8: BLACKPINK, “GO”: A song that “has its own adrenaline shots in the form of beat drops, [an] EDM chorus [that] suits the sensation of a furiously fast force, and [a] disjointed bridge [that] suits the strange state of calm after a storm…” Read more here! #7: Little Glee Monster, “Face 2 Face”: A song with a well-chosen format. It’s bookended by sticky guitar notes, the pop beat comes and goes with the choruses to give listeners a chance to miss it, and the vocals bolster each other’s in an impressive range of ways. #6: LA POEM, “Survive”: “Strings and an organ quickly get going after an epic acapella intro, and the members build on the momentum well, with an extra ‘It’ factor courtesy of Choi Sunghoon’s countertenor.” Read more here! #5: Xdinary Heroes, “KTM”: A calamitous confrontation with one’s own convictions and inner chaos agent! #4: I.O.I, “Suddenly”: A long-awaited reunion song that manages to be both emotional and easy-listening. It feels faster than it is, thanks to super-short pre-choruses, yet it does not feel rushed, in part thanks to a “final chapter.” The members’ voices finally harmonize for some final “lalala”s, solidifying the song’s stickiness while bringing home its message about a memory’s permanence. #3: DPR IAN, “THE SHOW”: “DPR IAN remains allergic to genre and format constraints, making this song somehow sound like just one song, two in one, and three in one…” Read more here! #2: Mrs. GREEN APPLE, “lulu.”: “‘lulu.’ is akin to a lively, percussive sermon. Each rise, crest, and fall feels full and momentous, as sounds and voices continuously feed off of and grow alongside each other. On top of the sonic symbiosis are effective finishing touches in the chorus, including cymbal crashes and whimsical string flourishes. The mood gets even higher in a later chorus, especially thanks to an electric guitar. The emotional peak does not overextend its welcome, and the song naturally declines from ‘exuberant’ to ‘chill’ on the ‘feel-good’ spectrum!” Read more here! #1: Jay Chou, “Children of the Sun”: A rich narration of the corresponding short film that makes the “rock ballad” categorization feel much too limiting. Catch up on past years’ picks here! Best Songs of 2025 Best Songs of 2024 Best Songs of 2023 Best Songs of 2022 Best Songs of 2021
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
|
