Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that dominated 2024, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. Though my favorite group of the year was a rookie, most of my favorite music came from artists who debuted in years prior. As usual, the criteria is built around these three factors:
- Quality of work
- Quantity of work
- Influence of work on the industry
The first criteria far outweighs the next two, and is entirely subjective. This is not a countdown of the most successful or prolific acts in 2024. This is a celebration of the groups/artists that really shaped the year for me. Rookies are ineligible, as they have their own countdown.
Just like last year, there’s only one repeat 2023 artist on this year’s list. K-pop moves fast and it’s becoming quite rare for artists to have consecutively excellent years. Here’s hoping 2025 changes that trend!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
CRAVITY
EPEX
G-Dragon
ITZY
QWER
10. DAY6
In a very strange twist, DAY6 arrive on this list not so much based on their 2024 material but based on much older songs. They had a major resurgence this year, placing both old and new songs on the charts. it really felt like they were taking a well-deserved victory lap.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: Welcome To The Show, Melt Down
9. MOONBYUL
Moonbyul surprised me with a series of great singles. To me, she’s the most musically interesting of the Mamamoo soloists, able to weave between genres with ease. She really found her footing with a funk-pop sound in 2024.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: Think About, Touchin&Movin, Is This Love?
8. NMIXX
It’s been fun to watch NMIXX develop their sound over the years. 2024 felt like an especially breakout year for them, kicking off with a strong mini album and following it with a well-charting hit. Their work also showcased an increasing versatility that bodes well for the future.
Last Year: n/a
7. AESPA
Aespa really land here based on one song. Supernova was one of 2024’s defining hits and has cemented them as a leading force in the industry. I wasn’t sold on other singles and album tracks the way others were, but it’s exciting to watch a girl group dominate to such an extent.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: Regret Of The Times, Supernova, Armageddon, Hot Mess, Whiplash
6. KISS OF LIFE
While aespa dominated the girl group landscape in 2024, Kiss Of Life feel like the buzziest up-and-comers. They have a truly global sound, right on trend and quite addictive when the material is just right. If anyone will help lead the industry going forward, I’d put my money on them.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: Midas Touch, Sticky, R.E.M, Get Loud
5. FROM20 / HELLO GLOOM
My favorite indie performers/producers scored another strong year. This time, Hello Gloom joins from20 on the list and actually released my favorite song between the two of them. Their music is refreshingly dance-focused and always of high quality, sleek and versatile enough to work in any music market.
Last Year: 7 (from20)
2024 Singles: Demon, Mamacita, Your Love, Somebody, Blue
4. ZEROBASEONE
In their second year, ZEROBASEONE doubled down on what makes them a great group. Their spring album was rather forgettable, but their late-summer Cinema Paradise truly sealed the deal. Add to that plentiful OSTs and Japanese releases and you’ve got a very active idol group with a high batting average.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: Yura Yura, Sweat, Feel The Pop, Good So Bad
3. THE WIND
The Wind were my rookies of 2023, though even then I suspected RIIZE would edge them out in the long run. Still, these guys proved they’re here to stay with an excellent suite of 2024 songs. Even without their leader/main vocal (and operating as a five-piece for a time), they doubled down on the elements that make their music great. They’re one of the few groups consistently delivering strong melody and bright, nostalgic energy. I hope more people discover them in the new year because they have a bulletproof discography so far.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: H! TEEN, Sirius Pt.2, Hello, My First Love
2. BOYNEXTDOOR
Sometimes it takes me awhile to click with a favorite group, and I’m ashamed at BOYNEXTDOOR’s relatively low ranking on last year’s rookies countdown. But, it’s not always the beginning that counts, right? BOYNEXTDOOR remain one of the industry’s most idiosyncratic groups, able to buoy any material through sheer strength of personality. I’ve retroactively gone back to adore some of their 2023 hits, but it was their springtime mini album How? that cemented their sound for me.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: Earth, Wind & Fire, Dangerous, Nice Guy
1. RIIZE
Ignore the controversy (and fair enough if you can’t), and RIIZE delivered an absolutely stunning year of music. They were constantly active, churning out great hits of varying genres. Love 119 climbed its way to the top of the charts and eventually took me with it, while the double punch of Impossible and Boom Boom Bass cemented the group as descendants of SHINee’s SMP sounds. We also got a great rock anthem in Combo and a catchy summertime J-pop debut. Their discography is still relatively small, but it’s consistently great. Yes, I’ve even come around to the NCT-esque Siren! I’m so excited to see where they go from here. Don’t keep us waiting too long, SM.
Last Year: n/a
2024 Singles: Love 119, Impossible, Boom Boom Bass, Lucky, Combo
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
My Spotify Unwrapped cemented RIIZE as a group that has dominated my playlists.
Love 119, One Kiss, Impossible, Boom Boom Bass, Combo. All amazing and diverse. That and I must highlight the synergy of the group, from Sohee’s and Anton’s vocals, Shotaro’s dancing, Wonbin’s magnetic stage presence/aura, everything just clicks.
As a decade plus fan of Kpop, I haven’t been this interested in a group’s future output in a long while and I’m hoping that they have an even better 2025.
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Riize has had a really strong year, though it sucks I barely could enjoy it, keeping in mind I’ve been boycotting cause of everything that’s surfaced and how it affected my love for the group. But when I finally listened to their songs when Seunghan finally was “active” (and that too, Impossible and BBB only, couldn’t get to listen to the rest :’)), they were both solid. I can imagine the rest being just as strong (except Siren ofc!). Can only wish the best for them knowing how SM and those “Briizes” can ruin them anytime soon.
But man, aespa’s had a strong year. Supernova was strong, Armageddon and Whiplash were good too and the B-sides were meh (I honestly haven’t enjoyed an aespa album since Savage tbvh…), but they deserve the success they are getting.
And glad to see NMIXX settle on a sound. Their Fe304: Break album is my top album of the year, and See That? is good too! (haven’t got to listen to the Stick Out album, my bad!) Wishing the girls the best!
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I’m glad Siren has grown for you, though I acknowledge it’s NCT-ness (mind you that’s not a bad thing because I consider myself a fan), but it also reminded me of the crazy energy of first gen
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Riize had an excellent year.
Together with IVE and KoL they are definitely my artist of the year!
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i need 2025 to resurge ive, this blog really made me love ive sooo much during 2021-2023, world tours always make groups better performers tho so i hope kpop stans can stop sleeping on heya and accendio
in fact this blog / nick is one of the main reasons i realised how much love i hold for ive’s music
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Same. This year was quite middling as a Dive.
2025 will be our year, trust!
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I would give my top 10 K-pop artists based on my 2024 list, but Apple Music only shows your top 15 and out of those, I only have 3. Would love it if our music platforms gave us a complete year in music!
Anyway, besides my mini-rant, I couldn’t agree more with the assessments given to RIIZE, BOY NEXT DOOR and KISS OF LIFE. 2023 was a shaky start of RIIZE and KISS OF LIFE, in terms of the quality of their music. Don’t get me wrong, Siren, Talk Sexy, Shh or Bad News are ok songs, but they are not at the quality level of the material they dropped this year. Meanwhile, BOY NEXT DOOR stayed consistent. I must admit I didn’t listen to them as much as I did in 2023, but their songs are bangers.
I also loved aespa and I agree Supernova was a big part of their year. Unfortunately, Armaggedon as an album was inconsistent (how can you put songs like Mine and live my life on the same album?). I do think they corrected that with Whiplash, while it is not a sonically coherent, I did enjoy all the songs (Flowers, Kill It, Flights Not Feelings).
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Honestly I felt that aespa’s strongest release this year, if one were to look at the release as a whole and not just the title tracks, was Synk: Parallel Line i.e. the solo tracks release. Karina’s Up is definitely the highlight but all 4 songs are very strong and there’s absolutely no filler.
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Regarding Day6, I read a few days ago that Happy, a b-side from their new album, really took off in the charts, and the group acheived their “first ever perfect all-kill.” I was curious about it, so I listened, and can see why. It has an almost Springsteen-Born-to-Run like urgency, and sounds fantastic in live versions as well. https://www.soompi.com/article/1691715wpp/day6-achieves-1st-ever-perfect-all-kill-with-happy
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JUSTICE for Stayc & OhMyGirl 😭. The two of them definitely are fighting alongside C:Lassy for best comeback this year in my heart.
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my top 5 (because i couldt come up with more than 5) artists, including rookies and soloists, not ranked, would probably be this:
artms: my favorite 2024 debut, and an incredible full album. i dont think i’d call myself an orbit, but loona are among my favorite girlgroups and that love goes to artms, as a loona sub-group/re-debut (?) as well!
aespa: they obviously had a huge hit with ‘supernova’, but i found myself enjoying ‘whiplash’ as well. really a strong year for them, though their first full album was somewhat inconsistent and weak at parts.
taemin: honestly, he’s mostly here because i just really like his older music. (mystery lover, sexuality, move and press your number are particularly amazing) but thats not to say that he didnt do stuff this year; he was actually quite active, though mostly with his already established fanbase. he had a comeback under a new agency after leaving sm and is currently on a world tour that sold out nearly everywhere (and i say that with experience, because i tried -and failed- to get tickets for his concert in my country). so he definitely deserves a spot here!
yves: i really like the direction her music is going in! the more indie style suits her well and her 2nd ep was already an improvement from the first one, so im excited for any future releases.
ive: they released two of their best title tracks yet (heya and accendio), and went on a huge world tour, performing in front of huge venues, as well as lollapalooza. i actually saw them live earlier this year, which probably impacted their place on this list, because they were amazing! heya was a stand-out moment at the concert, and immediately solidified it as one of my favorite girlgroup releases this year.
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My #1 is NewJeans. They held up under adversity and managed to put out 4 excellent songs even though HYBE was actively trying to destroy them in full view of the world. And when HYBE wouldn’t back off, NewJeans told HYBE where they can stick it and quit. Remember, their average age is 18, and their youngest is still only 16 Corporations don’t own artists, and I hope NewJeans’ brave stance inspires other artists to assert their power. Just imagine if an American company tried to pull that sh** on Beyonce, Ariana Grande, or Taylor Swift.
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i’m definitely rooting for NMIX, aespa, and Kiss of Life!….i am also hoping one of my fav female kpop groups gets back to the top (ITZY, cause i love me some ITZY!)….
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I’ll admit I haven’t listened to a ton of K-Pop the past few years, and this year was probably at an all-time low. Part of it is just me–I’m writing a PhD thesis and a bunch of research papers and haven’t had the mental energy to keep up with K-Pop. But also not much of what I’ve heard has really gotten my attention. Even old faithful Dreamcatcher underwhelmed me this year, which led to them falling to 3rd on my Spotify Wrapped after ruling the past six years. That said, I have been reading this blog and trying to catch up on things I’ve missed. I’m enjoying TWS, that one Dignity B-side, and Riize, though the controversy with Riize has left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Most of my listening this year has been Japanese rock/metal. My top artist was Foreground Eclipse, a post-hardcore act whose music was mostly rearrangements of Touhou songs. Second was Release Hallucination, a great Japanese progressive/symphonic metal band who opened a merch store this year (I bought a shirt).
Recently I’ve really gotten into Ado, partly because she was featured on this blog a while back, so thanks for that! I admittedly wax hot and cold on her work (which for better and for worse sounds like a lot of modern K-Pop), but “New Genesis” is brilliant and her cover of “Unravel” has converted me into something of a diehard (I’m quite a fan of Ling tosite sigure but I think her version is the one I mostly listen to now). I like a lot of her stuff, and even her musical “missteps” are interesting enough to me.
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I already predicted that we would have different placements here
Honorable Mentions
Hello Gloom
Red Velvet
Twice
Zerobaseone
10. Kiss Of Life
In a year in which they fully embraced their artistic maturity — even though they were formed just a year ago — Kiss Of Life became one of the most talked about topics, demonstrating notable popularity and relevance.
2024 Singles: Midas Touch, Sticky, R.E.M, Get Loud
9. CRAVITY
Like some of this year’s artists who embraced mellifluous, musically melodic offerings, Cravity stood out as a group who, in my opinion, demonstrated remarkable consistency with their string of solid singles. I hope that next year they will further expand their abilities and establish themselves as a major force in the K-pop industry.
2024 Singles: Love Or Die, C’est La Vie, Now Or Never
8. Vahn
I could never have imagined that the solo presence of Vahn, a member of NINE.i, would be exactly what we needed this year. However, he established his position with conviction, demonstrating full competence by delivering an impeccable work of melodic rock.
2024 Singles: Crush On You, Feeling (ft. 블랙젠이)
7. EPEX
Taking advantage of euphonious influences and rock nuances in their music, I consider 2024 the year in which EPEX enjoyed its greatest artistic expansion, releasing a diverse selection of singles that highlight its creative evolution.
2024 Singles: Graduation Day, Youth&Youth, Breathe In Love, My Girl, Universe, Closer
6. SF9
I never imagined that it would be necessary to wait approximately eight years to witness one of the best works of SF9, as happened at the beginning of this year. The group continues to excel in the music industry, demonstrating admirable artistic commitment and reaffirming its vitality through promotions and a strong presence.
2024 Singles: Bibora, Don’t Worry, Be Happy
5. Aespa
Aespa never caught my attention, but 2024 marked a significant turnaround, with more captivating singles that demonstrate a remarkably sophisticated and striking style, intrinsic to the group, completely distinguishing themselves from the artificial intelligence-based proposals that initially introduced them to the industry. .
2024 Singles: Supernova, Armageddon, Live My Life, Whiplash
4. Moonbyul
To me, Moonbyul has always stood out as a charismatic and upstanding K-Pop idol. I’m happy to see that, this year, she gained the recognition she deserves, delivering well-composed solo singles full of animation, further consolidating her position in the music industry.
2024 Singles: Think About, Touchin & Movin, Is This Love?
3. Vanner
Although Sungkook’s military enlistment, and consequently his retirement in May this year, had an impact on the Vanner group, they demonstrated remarkable resilience by taking the reins of their trajectory, delivering vibrant singles marked by contagious energy.
2024 Singles: Jackpot, Automatic
2. The Wind
As an extension of their trajectory from the previous year, The Wind continues to solidify their musical identity, skillfully blending melodic and abrasive elements. The group remains in evidence among the Korean public, possibly because it evokes, like in me, a nostalgic feeling that takes us back to simpler and more memorable times in K-Pop.
2024 Singles: H! Teen, Hello, My First Love
1. RIIZE
RIIZE has stood out as one of this year’s most promising groups, both on the general scene and within SM Entertainment. The company provided the group with a significant sequence of single releases, demonstrating a consistent and well-structured evolution. This trajectory reinforces the group’s potential, consolidated since its debut last year, marking a solid progression in its career.
2024 Singles: Love 119, Impossible, One Kiss, 9 Days, Boom Boom Bass, Cosmo
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When you were doing the reader survey, I was trying to remember how and when I discovered your blog and couldn’t recall it at all. But after some ruminating, I think it’s from when you were not-actually-recapping Boy’s Planet. I knew some of the participants from their previous work, but mostly didn’t care enough to watch the entire actual show, so I was seeking out people blogging about it. And then I guess I stayed for the song reviews 😀
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Amazing….
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RIIZE and BOYNEXTDOOR really made this k-pop year for me. Although not a big fan of Aespa’s music, we have to acknowledge that this year was truly theirs and will remain iconic in their discography.
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The quality and quantity of Moonbyul’s work this year can’t be argued with! Great article!
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