I’m the type who likes to listen to every major K-pop album at least once. Maybe that’s a bit obsessive, but it guarantees that no buried treasures slip through my fingers. And although much emphasis is put on title tracks, more and more the best K-pop songs are relegated to b-sides.
This countdown encompasses any track that didn’t receive a full music video. This includes album tracks, as well as songs that may have been performed but never actively promoted. Just like the Top 50 Singles list, all songs here were released between December 1st, 2019 and November 30th, 2020.
Honorable Mentions:
SuperM – Together At Home
ITZY – Nobody Like You
TXT – Your Light
BTS – Inner Child (V solo)
ONEUS – Airplane
Dreamcatcher – Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind
Twice – Do What We Like
April – Doll
40. OH MY GIRL – NEON
A perky 8-bit retro track that pixelates Oh My Girl’s pop sound while retaining their personality-rich performance. (full review)
39. ROCKET PUNCH – SUMMER PUNCH!
A missed opportunity for summer ubiquity, Summer Punch crystalizes much of the season’s clichés and forges them into a rollicking good time. (full review)
38. P1HARMONY – NEMONADE
A quirky funk track with moments of robust melody that make this a real treasure trove of hooks.
37. TXT – EVERLASTING SHINE
A surging anime anthem, powered by chugging acoustic guitar and a swirling, cinematic refrain. (full review)
36. NCT 127 – ELEVATOR (127F)
An unbearably funky throwback jam, anchored by one of the year’s most addictive, wordless refrains. (full review)
35. ATEEZ – HORIZON
A beguiling blend of hypnotic chants and EDM fury, Horizon continued to push ATEEZ’s sound in exciting new directions. (full review)
34. GFRIEND – GRWM
A thumping prelude to the party, GRWM gives GFriend the mighty dancefloor stomp they’ve always deserved. (full review)
33. STRAY KIDS – TA
A thundering call-to-arms, melding Stray Kids’ hip-hop power and a driving EDM beat to create boundless energy.
32. LOONA – VOICE
A stately synth-pop trifle, Voice is so good that LOONA gave the English version its own music video. (I, of course, prefer the Korean!) (full review)
31. DREAMCATCHER – BLACK OR WHITE
A guitar-driven funk track, punctuated by moments of strings-assisted majesty and groovy bass. (full review)
30. NCT DREAM – DEJA VU
A carnival-like dance track that paints Dream’s youthful charm with an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink beat that’s just as bright. (full review)
29. GOLDEN CHILD – THAT GUY
A gorgeous ballad, built around bravura power notes and a satisfying sense of build and release. (full review)
28. DRIPPIN – LIGHT
A kaleidoscope of synth textures and melodic hooks, Light climaxes in a sweeping, two-part chorus that reaches for the sky.
27. KAI – NOTHING ON ME
An atmospheric slow-burn that pulls you in before delivering a hard hitting synth drop that vaults the track to another level. (full review)
26. VERIVERY – BEAUTIFUL-X
A convincing argument for VERIVERY to return to the light dance pop of their debut year, Beautiful-x pulses with the kind of funk energy they deliver best. (full review)
25. UP10TION – STOP THE CLOCK
A good old-fashioned funk-pop track, bursting with rhythm guitar and bolstered by a dynamic, full-throated chorus. (full review)
24. THE BOYZ – INSANITY
A brittle dance track, Insanity becomes more addictive the more you hear it, spearheaded by the staccato post-chorus hook that recalls K-pop’s second generation. (full review)
23. EVERGLOW – UNTOUCHABLE
A continuation of La Di Da‘s retro flair, Untouchable settles on a delicious synth groove and tethers a bright, addictive melody on top. (full review)
22. MCND – BUMPIN’
A track that truly lives up to its title, grooving with a potent blast of percussion that forms the backbone to a funky, SHINee-esque hook. (full review)
21. GFRIEND – TAROT CARDS
A robust reminder that GFriend’s music can be fierce and hard-hitting, Tarot Cards boasts a guitar-fueled drive that feels like a gut punch in the best way. (full review)
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Everlasting Shine and Tarot Cards are so good. Wondering, what would be the rank of Labyrinth…
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I absolutely loved each and every one of these songs!
It’s so annoying how these songs were never chosen as the title track!
My predictions on the Top 20:
TOO – Step By Step
Golden Child – OMG ,Lean On Me and H.E.R
TXT – Drama , Wishlist and Ghosting
GFriend – Labyrinth
Stray Kids – Haven
Onf – New World
Ghost9 – Reborn and It’s Gonna Be Hot
YooA – Abracadabra and Diver
DRIPPIN – Overdrive
WJSN – Pantomime, Hola
Yukika – Yesterday
Lucy – Flare
That’s the best I have, am wondering what’s the missing one track…
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Day6 – Love me or Leave me?
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I forgot about Day6! Yes, then Love me Or Leave Me will be in my predictions.
Nick , for my predictions , what is your percentage for me (out of 100%) for how right my predictions are?
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Now, you know I’m not going to tell you that! You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow 😉
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Dang it!
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Nick, WAIT! remove WJSN’s hola and add Oh My Girl’s Dolphin.
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Some of my favorite b-sides this year that are not included here (from the groups I already checked out, I am still checking every group’s discography lol, currently doing back to back listening party to Red Velvet and WJSN’s albums and man, it’s incredible experience)
GFriend-Eye of the Storm
*Just like what Nick said, Dreamcatcher meets GFriend on the best way possible
GFriend-Room of Mirrors
*I love the vibe of this song, and the vocalsss
TXT-Eternally
*What??? is going on??? Still, like it
LOONA-Oops!
*I like it especially the rap section!!
IZ*ONE-Spaceship
*I love this song TwT so refreshing and raw
IZ*ONE-Welcome
*This give me a weird feeling
GFriend-Three of Cups
*Well, I want to put all GFriend’s bsides here lol but I would try to not
BLACKPINK-Bet You Wanna
*I know, instrumentals are very important but the vocalsss, they snapped, I love it
ITZY-Don’t Give A What
*I would never shut up about this being better that the whole ITZY’s discography lol but seriously, it deserves at least performance
Weeekly-Weeekly
*Addicting. The only Weeekly song I actually like.
After Red Velvet-WJSN combo, my next listening party would be Dreamcatcher-OMG. I’m excited!!! (I’m a gg stan obviously)
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Oh, I forgot about WJSN’s Pantomime, that masterpiece
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accurate description of eternally !
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I love it when you throw us LOONAtics a bone! ♥️
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oooo yay bsides!!! looking forward to seeing step by step (my personal favorite of the year) on the list. p.s. v’s solo song is inner child, you have it as inner voice.
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Of course I do! haha
I’m glad I have you guys to keep me in check. I think I was thinking “V” for “voice”? Who knows?
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Whoa, I love some of these tracks!
Wondering if Dolphin would end up in the top 20, and a little sad Your Light missed the list 😦
Thank you for the ranking Nick 🙂
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Honestly, I have no idea what my top b-side ranking would be, since this year I’ve mostly only been blasting WayV’s Awaken The World — and it’s not eligible for this countdown!
Even if it were, though, I’d still be hard-pressed to make a list. After all, how do you choose between Domino, After Midnight, and Electric Hearts? It just can’t be done! Even the interlude — the INTERLUDE — is great. There’s only 2 meh songs in the entire album, which is really saying something since it’s 10 tracks long.
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Oooo I am glad to see Elevator by NCT on the list. I remember when all the little videos were released for each b-side I was nodding my head along and smiling to the promotion. This b-side definitely made me feel warm inside.
I think my favorite b-sides of the year were:
Queen- Twice
New World (Spin off version)- ONF
Airplane, Phobia- SKZ
Forest- Han Seung Woo
Nostalgia, Paradise- Pentagon
Its gonna be hot, reborn, SPLASH, Red sign- Ghost9
Thriller, Guess Who, BEASTMODE- Monsta X
And probably many more that I cannot think of right now.
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I have a feeling that either ONF’s New World, GFRIEND’s Labyrinth, or DRIPPIN’s Overdrive would take the top spot. My pick from those three is Overdrive, what a song.
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Campaigning for GFriend here!
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I want Labyrinth to take hold the crown. What an ‘opening track’ it is! The combination of Rough, Navillera and Fingertip.
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Yay Stop the Clock made it! I find myself obsessed with this track for sure. Along with Dawn its my favorite bside off the album (and probably the year. But im biased)
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