Best Kpop Songs of 2021

The king of dance had Shawols and kpop fans alike in a chokehold when he dropped his album ADVICE. With a dark and mysterious tone matched with a light trap beat, Taemin created a one-of-kind masterpiece.

The catchy bubble gum pop song had us hooked as soon as Chaeyoung’s voice echoed the words, “Boy, I, boy, I, boy, I know. I know you got the feels.” The Feels is Twice’s first all-English single, and with its addictive post-chorus and relatable message, it took over my Spotify playlist like a thief in the night.

Enphyen’s first release Given-Taken was a great debut song; however, their second single, ‘FEVER,’ off the follow-up album BORDER: CARNIVAL, solidified the group’s potential to have longevity in the kpop world for years to come.

Leaders of the elegant concept, WJSN, return to their roots with Unnatural. A sweet pop song about trying to act natural in front of your crush and ultimately failing in the process.

Ateez’s Deja Vu could easily be seen as soty material. Upon first listen, the song instantly captures your attention with the lyrics “Da, da-da-ra, da, da-da-ra.” As the music continues, each member adds their own element to the track to create a cohesive and compelling piece of work. The MV only maximizes the song’s greatness, making it even more memorable.

Rose’s GONE was an easy to love heartbreak song about feeling used after your significant other breaks your heart. Her soft vocals matched with hard-hitting lyrics captivate us.

riBBon is a light, airy song about being renewed and reinventing yourself, whether it be for yourself or someone else. With a cohesive mix of pop and trap sounds, Bambam’s Ribbon is a true masterpiece that showcases his potential to be a front-runner in the kpop industry for a long time to come.

In 2021 the power couple gave us an explosion of Y2K realness with their song “PING PONG.” The two orchestrated the project 1+1+1, with Dawn writing the track and Hyuna working as the visual director. The duo expressed their love for each other through a killer Moombahton beat.

Continuing with the Y2K theme, Sunmi’s Can’t Sit With Us is a nostalgia-packed track that manages to bring millennials and Gen Z’s together by combining their two favorite things, early 2000s themes, and late 80s synth-pop.

Woosung’s additive voice, matched with a retro-infused beat, all come together to create the high-quality song “Dimples.” The track itself is a playful sonnet about falling for someone because of their cute dimples.

‘TRIBE’ has been releasing hits since their debut in Feb 2021, and it seems like the only people who notice are their fans. Not only did the girls release a monster 2nd Single Album [CONMIGO] with ‘RUB-A-DUM’ acting as the title track, ‘TRI.BE’ also released their first mini-album [VENI VIDI VICI], with ‘WOULD YOU RUN’ being the lead single. Both projects are gems. However, we’d like to highlight ‘Would You Run’ for its addictive sound and beat.

Diving into the retro trend, BTS dominated and ignited the summer with their single Butter! The catchy tune melted hearts worldwide and had us all singing the iconic line “Get it, let it roll!”

From20 is a soft rock song about reflecting on life during your 20s. The music perfectly describes the in-between adult stages most people go through during that time. From feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders to just being free and loving life. From20 is like a letter to your younger self.

I’m convinced that WJSN is allergic to mediocrity. In a kpop world filled with Moombahton and Trap-influenced music, the group decided to take a different route and release a track with a pop and R&B flair. The song was a breath of fresh air from its tantalizing post-chorus to its alluring main chorus.