The Top 50 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024 (20-11)

If you want to check out my rankings for other years:

2024 List

50-41 + Honourable Mentions // 40-31 // 30-21

20. RIIZE – Boom Boom Bass

SM entertainment have a long history of delivering funky classics (see Married to the Music and Love me Right**) and RIIZE’s Boom Boom Bass joins their ranks in wonderfully groovy fashion. It’s a track that takes everything I love about funk music and ties it into a taut 2.5 minutes full of musical goodies. The rhythm is free flowing, the groove sticky and the joy palpable. By the time we get to the celebratory finale, it’s hard not to break into a few moves yourself.

**This is legitimately one of the best songs ever made so it’s not really comparable but I just wanted to mention it haha

19. aespa – Whiplash

Devilishly addictive and undeniably stylish, Whiplash served as aespa’s own interpretation of the electro-pop craze popularised by the massive cultural phenomenon that was charli xcx’s BRAT. It’s an instantly iconic collection of hooks and the pulsing electronics that frame almost every inch of the production are absolutely killer. But most of all it’s the girls, who ensure that the track not only bangs but struts forward with the kind of “cunty” energy it no doubt should.

18. BABYMONSTER – Forever

I’ve long maintained (and already mentioned on the countdown) that a killer chorus can completely transform both the perception and overall effect of a track. And no song this year was a bigger example of that sentiment than Babymonster’s Forever. While the disjointed rap verses do little to inspire, they give way to a shimmering eurodance-esque chorus that just soars. It recalls the very best of the agency’s past whilst giving Babymonster the single greatest melody of their career, one that urges you to head straight for the replay button after every listen. Something I did many, many times this year.

17. ONF – Bye My Monster

Channeling their signature sound through a darker, more symphonic lens, ONF delivered a wonderful ode to K-pop’s high concept second generation with Bye My Monster. Supported by swirling strings, grungy guitar riffs and an ever evolving arrangement that grows to some truly majestic highs, Bye My Monster delivered the kind of theatrical magic that initially drew me into k-pop. Add to that an equally engaging performance and you’ve got yet another excellent addition to an already immense discography.

16. Kiss of Life – Sticky

Breezy and addictive in ways reserved for only the best summer jams, Sticky succeeds simply thanks to a pitch perfect collection of ingredients. It’s a fantastic interpretation of modern afro-beat, melding persistent yet laidback percussion with some gorgeous layered melodies to deliver a track perfect for the hazy summer weather. But amongst it all, it’s the freewheeling energy and performance that really lets Sticky endure. Take that little giggle near the end. A small, almost insignificant detail but one that brings a sense of real authenticity and character to the final product.

15. RIIZE – One Kiss

Anchored by a classic multi-part chorus that feels like the musical equivalent to a big warm hug on a cold winters night, One Kiss is the kind of track I will almost always fall head over heels for. It’s achingly melodic, tracing a structure far removed from both modern trends and the experimental nature of many recent SM releases. It’s a track that’s basically all melody, performed in a wonderfully earnest and unabashedly optimistic manner. And when the melodies are this strong, what more could you want?!

14. Cravity – Love or Die

Cravity have often flirted with the idea of releasing a real stunner but Love or Die stands as the first time they’ve managed to bypass that flirtation and make a move. Standing as a change of pace from the (quite solid) frothy pop of their past few releases, the propulsive pop rock of Love or Die melds exhilarating rap verses with a streamlined energy that never lets up and a chorus for the ages. It’s yet another track that takes a simple template and alters *just* enough to deliver a complete standout.

13. DKB – Flirting X

DKB and I have had a …. mixed relationship over the years. But while their past releases have done little (or do anything at all really) to inspire , Flirting X is just undeniable. An absolute revelation in my books, the track finally brings the groups always strong vocal blend together with an equally scintillating arrangement. And the results are just magnetic. The guitar riff that punctuates each chorus is killer but it’s those impassioned, ever-present adlib’s that truly make the track soar. If they continue down this route, I might just be on board.

12. TWICE – I Got You

Nine years into their career and on the back of a few English releases already, Twice had no business releasing an English fan song this good. Painting a synth laden backdrop over one of the most rousing and emotive melodies of their career, the girls perfectly tapped into modern trends without losing the unique touch that has coloured their most iconic efforts. It’s a gorgeous release that succeeds on the knifes edge of technical brilliance and emotional bias. But come on! As a long time fan it’s hard to not get a little sentimental during that soaring hook.

11. OnlyOneOf – dOpamine

OnlyOneOf may not release songs all that often (at least by k-pop standards) but whenever they do, you know it’s going to have the sauce. dOpamine stood as their solitary 2024 release but boy did it pack a punch. Punctuating an addictive drum and bass soundscape with a underlying sense of sensuality and an absolute ear worm of a hook, dOpamine took the very best aspects of the groups unique concept and expanded it in new, unexpected directions. It’s a track that’s got a real sense of acceleration, an attribute that becomes increasingly more potent over each iteration of that dynamic chorus.