Katherine’s Top K-pop Songs of 2019: A (Somewhat) Brief Summary

“Fear” is a distinct concept change for SEVENTEEN, and it’s significantly darker and sexier for a group that’s primarily known for delivering fun bops. But the members are pretty much concept chameleons who fit anything, so the result was as perfect as one could imagine. Though the sexiness is very subtle and subdued, there’s a nice tension that radiates throughout the whole song and choreography. I don’t know why I find that simple shoulder roll so appealing, but I do. Fans had been waiting for “dark SEVENTEEN” for years, and they definitely delivered.

While “Enough” chose to focus on SF9’s vocal talents, “RPM” was a return to the sharp dance-heavy style that they normally promote. I know some people don’t like choruses that are instrumental and don’t involve any singing, but I actually like them a lot. And I LOVE the chorus for “RPM.” It’s so syncopated and interesting. I also appreciated SF9’s return to their futuristic tech-inspired aesthetic. I liked the music video’s idea of them all chasing each other through a video game or alternate tech world or whatever it was – very Tron like.

I’ve mentioned on this blog many times that I have a bit of a disconnect with NCT Dream – I like them, but their early songs are just so young. (Again, I’m 30.) But in 2019, their music shifted from being so youth-oriented and became much easier to enjoy. “Boom” is a certified bop, and I love its laidback groovy vibes. The choreography is impeccable as always, and I like how it slows the main parts down for maximum impact. I was a little concerned about how NCT Dream would fare without Mark since he was such a major part of the team, but they did just fine. Jeno and Jaemin stepped up and proved that they’re rappers with their own distinct flavors. And “Boom” strikes a nice balance between the rappers and the vocalists. Actually, it might be the NCT Dream song that best highlights all of the members. All in all, a job well done.

Up until 2019, a lot of Dreamcatcher’s music sounded very similar to me. Not so much that it was like they were making different versions of the same song, but enough that you could tell everything was in the same family. So, I liked “Piri” because it changed things up a little bit. While Dreamcatcher’s edgy rock sound was still a major presence, the melody was slightly catchier. And the recurring ocarina sounds provided an intriguing and alluring aspect. If the song sounds mysterious and suspenseful, the music video builds on those qualities and amplifies them. As expected of Dreamcatcher, it’s delightfully haunting. (But be careful about watching it if you’re scared of creepy dolls like I am.) A lot of K-pop groups have difficulty sustaining one concept over time – especially such a niche one – but Dreamcatcher is only getting better and better.

I have such mixed feelings about SuperM. I love all of the members involved, but SM’s marketing strategy is just so bizarre. When I first heard “Jopping,” I knew SM thought it was a song that your typical pop-loving American would like… which it’s not. (Source: I am your typical pop-loving American.) I don’t know about Gen Z, but I’m pretty confident any of my millennial friends who don’t know K-pop would not really enjoy it. But if you take out the “breaking into the U.S.” aspect and look at it purely as a K-pop song, it’s great. It’s a classic example of how SM is never afraid to be bold and experimental. It’s larger than life, with a super expensive looking music video (that I think was filmed in Dubai). SuperM has some of the company’s best vocalists, rappers, AND dancers, and all of that shows. “Jopping” was proof that SuperM could be an all-star group… if SM actually targeted the correct music markets.

This is quite possibly my favorite MAMAMOO song. I already mentioned this a bit with “gogobebe,” but “HIP” is exactly why South Korea loves MAMAMOO and thinks they’re so cool. Not only is it a freaking bop that cheekily points out how they’re trendsetters, it also hits back hard at all their haters and all the criticisms. And the ladies weren’t afraid to name specific examples. I’m not the biggest MAMAMOO fan, but I totally was living for this song (and I still am a year a later). It’s jazzy, it’s fun, and super trendy. Everything about it is iconic, and I wish they would keep making music that’s more this style.

Much like TXT and “Run Away,” “Numb” is a song that ended up really high on my list despite my lack of familiarity with CIX (outside of the survival show connections). Seriously, I was incredibly taken with this song. Although it does sound like a regular boy group pop track in several ways, I found the melody pretty unique. It flows so smoothly, but there are also a couple of nice surprises along the way. And while I don’t really think too much about lyrics (since I always have to look up translations), I really appreciated how CIX tackled a serious topic about having darker feelings. K-pop very rarely gets deep or heavy, so I was really impressed.

Oh my god, I listened to this song SO MANY times during my summer vacation. I don’t know many other people who like it, and I see can how it’s not really exciting or creative as far as Red Velvet music goes. But it’s just such a bop! And there’s something so pure and wholesome about it. It kind of reminds me of the Radio Disney style music I listened to when I was a kid, so maybe I was enjoying the nostalgia. And I think the music video is super cute.

In contrast to the introverted homebody life I lead, my absolute favorite type of music is dance songs that you hear in the club – the type that make you want to get up and move. I always rely on KARD for good songs like that, and “Dumb Litty” is an excellent example. I literally cannot sit still while listening to it; it just goes that hard. The dance is so much fun, too. I feel like KARD’s choreography sometimes favors certain members’ dancing more, but this one is well suited to all of them. And while I found the mythology-based aesthetic a little random, I was still totally living for it. I just so happened to be one of those mythology-obsessed know-it-alls when I was a kid! It’s like this song was MADE for me!

“Senorita” is just so much fun. I love how the latin and jazz influences blend together to create a really entertaining and classy song, and I also like how it was a good opportunity for the vocalists to shine. While I don’t normally watch music videos on repeat – and I definitely didn’t in 2019 – I did watch this one a lot because I really enjoyed the plotline. The idea of having all these accidents and all these narrow misses was really entertaining, and I thought it was quite clever. Music videos rarely have storylines anymore, so I remember this was the point where I started to think that (G)I-DLE was a really creative group.