The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things kick off with the big one… The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday.
To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had a Korean release as a title or promotional track between Dec. 1st, 2018 and Nov. 30th, 2019.
Curious about last year’s countdown? Check out the masterpost here!
50. Dongkiz – Fever
Though still unknown to many, Dongkiz have quickly proven to be one of K-pop’s most consistent purveyors of feel-good pop. Fever‘s ecstatic disco beat is as infectious as it is cheesy. Embrace the jazz hands, guys! (full review)
49. Park Jihoon – L.O.V.E
Initially, L.O.V.E‘s beat drop chorus felt too trendy for my taste, but the song’s EDM elements ended up being its strongest asset, warping the instrumental to sky-high peaks of electronic bliss. (full review)
48. IZ*ONE – Violeta
Many were bowled over by 2018’s La Vie En Rose, but as far as I’m concerned, Violeta was the song that fully capitalized on IZ*ONE’s potential. It’s an electronic dance track taken right from WJSN’s playbook, stuffed full with dynamic splashes of synth and powerful vocals. (full review)
47. TXT – Nap Of A Star
Nap Of A Star may not have been promoted beyond its stunning music video, but its ethereal, harmony-rich sound marked it as one of the year’s strongest ballads. We don’t hear this kind of dreamy, alt-pop style nearly enough in the idol group world.
46. R.Tee x Anda – What You Waiting For
What You Waiting For is the BLACKPINK song that never was, and arguably superior to anything that BLACKPINK actually released this year. R.Tee and Anda make a powerhouse duo, echoing charismatic vocals with fractured, complex EDM wizardry. (full review)
45. Astro – All Night
Astro’s All Night was a step in a different direction for the group, but retains their crisp, polished vocals and penchant for a good synth-assisted hook. The song is delightfully retro without being a pastiche, and “matures” their sound without going unnecessarily dark. (full review)
44. Lovelyz – Beautiful Days
Lovelyz got a Sweetune-assisted jolt into my top ten last year. Beautiful Days fits more strongly within their wheelhouse, marrying their refined vocals to a sprightly dance beat that gives the track just the right amount of oomph to stand out. (full review)
43. GOT7 – You Calling My Name
GOT7 haven’t made my year-end countdown in the last three years, but all it took was some nimble funk hooks and gorgeous vocal textures to bring them back. You Calling My Name is so good that I can even forgive its awful English-language bridge. (full review)
42. Dongkiz – BlockBuster
The second track by one of 2019’s most underrated rookie groups, BlockBuster arrived just at the right time this past summer — a jolt of energetic, goofy fun in a season stuffed with self-serious hip-hop. I’m not usually a fan of over-obvious samples, but the Ghostbusters theme is used brilliantly here. (full review)
41. Twice – Feel Special
In a year that saw Twice re-purpose their once-cheerful sound into something more sophisticated, Feel Special was the icing on the cake, and proof that Fancy was no fluke. It turns out the girls pull off deep house just as well as — if not better than –bubblegum pop. (full review)
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I am quite surprised….
Of these 10 songs only you calling my name, blockbuster and feel special would make my list. And at much higher spots.
I just you find room for Dream Catcher’s 2 singles!
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Damn, the devil works hard but you work harder! Can’t wait to see the rest of the recaps.
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You know it!
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Surprised You Calling My Name placed so low, but glad to see it in your top 50. Is it controversial to say that Fancy sounds like Twice covering a Got7 song?
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I have both DongKiz “Blockbuster” and “Fever” on my guilty pleasures playlist. Both have well-done references to old songs and it all puts a smile on my face. “Won’t you take me to, Dongkee town!”
I have Got7 “You Calling my Name” in my top 10, but I don’t know where yet, probably in the 7-8-9 range. This song seriously grew on me, especially after so many people on this blog went all nutso on it. It uses empty air and spare construction better than most kpop songs. If I have a complaint, it is that I don’t have a grasp of the Got7 sound taken broadly. Someone could say this was by a dozen other groups, and I would believe it.
I watched TXT “Nap of a Star” more than a few times for the fantastically creative video. If Wes Anderson made kpop videos, this would be it. But I cannot remember the song at all.
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Xeno is ambling down the school hallway towards the Music and Arts department. He notices 5 trophy display cases near the teachers office, only one of which is lit up. The case contains 10 trophies; 7 with blue ribbons, 3 with pink. Given the reverse sequential numbering on each trophies placard, Xeno surmises this is a ranking system.
While initially startled at the gender disparity, Xeno shrugs slightly. Knowing full-well that boys are icky things with cooties, Xeno chooses to focus on the pink beribboned trophies. IZ*ONE “Violetta” at 48? Lovelys “Beautiful Days” at 44?? TWICE “Feel Special” at 41??? Has the faculty completely lost its senses? Should Xeno check the teachers lounge for pods? What is this madness?
Xeno then returns to his locker to begin construction of a properly festooned “Kick Me” sign for stealthy application to the music teachers back.
To be continued…
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You always make me chuckle.
To be fair, Twice and IZ*ONE didn’t even make it within striking distance of last year’s countdown, so I guess this is progress?
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Pingback: The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2019 (Day Two: 40-31) | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion
Pingback: The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2019 (Day Three: 30-21) | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion
TWICE? In my good TheBiasList yearly countdown????? I’ve never been so happy! I was a little worried when you said us girl group connoisseurs might be disappointed – and while I can always use more girl group love, I must say that seeing Twice and Lovelyz here is pretty nice! Personally, I wouldn’t rank either “Feel Special” or “When We Were Us” much higher in my personal countdown (at least relative to last year), so I don’t even disagree. I have to say, though, I have a feeling that this year our taste diverges /pretty heavily/ otherwise.
OT: Unfortunately, I’ve been ignoring kpop the past five months or so due to general disillusionment with the industry (obvious reasons here!), all of my favorite groups disbanding, and my life being way busier than it’s ever been! I might try to make a list, but frankly 2019 has been a year with many long, boring stretches in kpop, to the point where I found myself listening to Knock Knock for the 470000th instead of looking for new music. Either way, I’ve been waiting with bated breath for your year end lists to start up, and I’m definitely hyped to see what’s in your top 10 this year!
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JYHB! You’re back! Sorry to hear that you’ve disconnected a bit from kpop of late. As you well know, I was feeling the same thing this past summer. But, as usually happens, a strong month or two turned things back around. I hope they’ll be more pleasant surprises for you in the top twenty slots!
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Pingback: The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2019 (Day Four: 20-11) | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion
Pingback: The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2019 (Day Five: 10-1) | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion
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Pingback: K-POP Best of 2019 Masterpost | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion