Uncategorized – The 555 Reviews

Top 10 K-Pop Songs of 2023 (Rank 10-1)

If you haven’t, please do check out the Honorable Mentions and T-Pop countdowns for this year!

10. NiziU – Heartris

From the 8-bit synths to the lyrical content, everything is in agreement. The theme is very creative. NiziU with bubblegum pop will always work for me, and now they have brought that over to the K-Pop scene.

9. ZB1 – In Bloom

A great start for the Boys Planet group, interpolating the iconic synth riff in the robust chorus. With the amount of vocalists in there, you can hear a lot of highlight vocal moments.

8. NMIXX – Roller Coaster

NMIXX temporarily ditched their abrasive sound for subdued atmospheric house, and the strong confident vocals shaped Roller Coaster to become a sturdy hit, and the best of its kind.

7. RIIZE – Memories

Memories is a solid B-side by characteristic, with some interesting production touches, but the song is able to stay this high all because of its propelling chorus. It’s just that amazing.

6. ILY:1 – My Color

My favorite pop music is one that evokes nostalgia. An extended opening leading into the song is something we don’t see often, and the chorus has the “anime character feels hopeful” feeling all over it.

5. NCT Dream – Broken Melodies

Anthemic rock is rarely associated with a group like NCT, but Broken Melodies gave us exactly that. The last minute of the song really went all out in a way we don’t see from bridges in K-Pop songs often anymore.

4. NINE.i – Turn It Off

The energy is somehow never turned off here. Being continuous reveal of highlights, one after another, without slowing down its pace at all. I really need to keep an eye on this group because this is so, so good.

3. The Wind – Sirius

This year, the Wind’s main title tracks are all excellent, channeling their inner GFriend aura. However, Sirius is their most magical moment. Listening to everything from the pre-chorus on for the first time feels like soaring up to the sky. It was the best idea to walk into the spotlight with this song as a pre-release.

2. Kwon Eunbi – The Flash

The Flash takes sometime to start its engine, but never lets down after that. Kwon Eunbi really has the potential to become a top dance-singer female soloist title, and this song proves that. Its dynamic pre-chorus and chorus is made ready for the dance floor.

1. IVE – I Am

We totally did not see this coming, don’t we?

I Am is a pop with a capital P, every single part is filled with highlights, with IVE themselves tackling each one with confidence. That is not until the final moments of the song where everything comes together, ending the song on a high.

Furthermore, I Am just has that universal appeal. The message is simple and straightforward, and this kind of empowerment is meant for anyone and everyone.

It’s another great year for K-Pop, even if some of my favorite acts haven’t released stellar songs, there are still a lot of highlights to be found this year, including new rookies emerging in the industry. Fingers crossed for 2024, hope it will be an even better year.

Do you agree with the list? Are there any songs different in your top 10 this year? Let’s discuss together!

Top 10 K-Pop Songs of 2023 (Honorable Mentions)

Now it is the time to reveal the honorable mentions of the top K-Pop songs this year!

15. Seventeen BSS – Fighting ft. Lee Youngji

This song is heavily reliant on its gimmicks and comedic effect, and those gimmicks are excellent. Fighting never fails to lighten up a bad day.

14. IVE – Kitsch

Kitsch is one of the biggest growers of this year, interpreting the popular girl crush concept in a different way that fits IVE like a glove.

13. H1-KEY – Time To Shine

H1-KEY scored a hit this year with Rose Blossom, but I prefer its more lively and optimistic sister Time To Shine. The New Jack Swing and rock combo makes an interesting soundscape.

12. Golden Child – Feel Me

Feel Me is a direct continuation of Golden Child’s cathartic sound. This does not measure up to their amazing singles run, but this is Golden Child we’re talking about, and bonus points for anything rock.

11. STAYC – Teddy Bear

A pop song that simply does its job well without the need of anything dramatic. It’s made to be sung along and dance. Judging by that metric it’s a success.

Top 10 T-Pop Songs of 2023 (Honorable Mentions & More…)

Notes

The 555 Reviews is (finally) back!

I am currently going through a lot of things during my last year of high school, but regardless, these few days before 2023 is done will be used for recapping what T-Pop and K-Pop offered this year. The 555 will have another year end ranking! While I didn’t pay attention to every single critically acclaimed release, my rankings will definitely be reflective of what my favorites this year are. If a song you think is excellent isn’t here, it is either because 1) I have not listened to it yet or 2) I simply don’t like it.

2023 Overview

As time passes, I think my interest in music has slightly shifted. If I’m being honest, some of the artists/groups that used to wow me slowly went down my favorites list, while some newer acts sparked my interest instead, and kind of replaced that empty space. It’s especially hard when it all totally depends on my music taste, which is very volatile. I might end up not streaming the music of a certain artist much often when I feel like their stuff is not up my alley anymore, which is totally natural and happens all the time, but it still feels a little weird looking back.

Onto the good things, I definitely gained some new favorite groups that I am enjoying, and look forward to what they bring to the table for 2024.

New Favorite Acts

Sakurazaka46

(I know they are not new.)

Sakurazaka46 technically stayed for a much longer time than everyone else on this list, but I became a huge fan musically just this year. I rarely listen to J-Pop beyond 48 groups, but their singles run this year was incredibly strong, and their B-sides are also solid. I would say they successfully rebranded themselves and made their own name.

Favorites: Start Over!, Sakurazuki, Cool, Seijyaku no Boryoku, Mamoribito

Zerobaseone (ZB1)

This one is quite unexpected, as I never watched one bit of Boys Planet, but their music direction seems very good for a survival show temporary group. I like their take on the drum ‘n bass sound. They also have a very stacked vocal line.

Favorites: In Bloom, Melting Point, Take My Hand

The Wind

It feels like forever since we’ve had a boy group doing songs this heartwarming, so The Wind immediately stood out to me. It’s nothing deep, just straightforward bright smiles.

Unfortunately, some sad news of the group came not long ago, with main vocalist Jaewon leaving. I hope the members can continue with this music direction, and everyone involved is doing well.

Favorites: Summer Vacation, Sirius, We Go

MXFRUIT

With only 4 songs, they are a rare great example of quality over quantity. Their focus on harmonizing has a lot of potential and I hope they get more opportunities to utilize that. Strawberry Ice Cream is and will always be a banger, but they’ve also released three more amazing songs this year, for both the teary eyes and head-bopping crowds.

Favorites: Strawberry Ice Cream, I’m Here, Get To Know Me

Favorite Music Videos

aespa – Drama

Drama is simply a very consistent video. I love how different ways the black-red color combination is used throughout the video. The revolving car lights and mirrors are also simple elements but are used very effectively. Pair this video with the song itself and it becomes an insane audio-visual experience.

tripleS – Girls’ Capitalism

Girls’ Capitalism is a great example of how to craft a concept without having to create a deep storyline. The introduction of different ‘rules’ makes a nice transition into a new scene and is something viewers look forward to as the video progresses, keeping their attention. There are also a lot of funny iconic moments without distracting you from the song.

New Discoveries

Aside from new songs, there are also a lot of older songs that I discovered this year and loved, especially Japanese songs, as I am still trying to dive into music of this country.

NMB48 – Must Be Now

After BNK48 announced the release of their rendition, I gave the original one a try. This is amazing! It is exactly what I would expect from a Japanese EDM song in a good way. The relentless energy of 2010s pop was really something else and I wish that sound would come back into trend again someday.

Back Number – Tegami

This is my new favorite Back Number track. It slightly feels like a Christmas song but vague enough to be associated with anything wintery. I like how heartwarming. The music video on the other hand is tear-jerking, but it is indeed beautiful.

Now let’s have a look at this year’s Top 10 T-Pop honorable mentions!

Top 10 T-Pop 2023 (Honorable Mentions)

15. PiXXiE – Dejayou

A continuation of their superstitious fairies concept. The chorus could use more variety, but this song is clearly made to become a hit. It is indeed an earworm.

14. CGM48 – 2565

This was released at the very end of 2022, but the song is too good to be ignored. 2565 feels like a winter breeze at the mountaintop, perfectly encapsulating the image of Chiang Mai.

13. ATLAS – Mangosteen

Out of everything ATLAS released this year, Mangosteen is *that* song. They are fully committed to the song and the concept that you can’t help but bop to it.

12. MXFRUIT – I’m Here

I’m Here roughens the edges a bit compared to their debut, adding more character to the group. If you like some fun drum ‘n bass, this is the song for you.

11. PROXIE – Hurting

PROXIE have earned the title of heartbreak anthem kings. While their singles mostly stay on the low-tempo side, Hurting is my favorite for its synth-rock sound.

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