Top 25 Best KPOP Songs of 2017
25 Fingertip by GFRIEND- GFRIEND is usually not to my taste but this song is so different from their usual style. It is like music from an '80s action movie. In the video I really wish that they had used their "Fingertip"s as guns instead of the plastic ones.
24 Ko Ko Bop by EXO- EXO did not impress me as much this year as they usually do. The dance breaks in this song were trying too hard to be cool. LOL. But, the parts where they sing actually are cool. And cool is the best word to describe this funky laid back track. The choreography was for the most part excellent, but at times I think the arm movements were too fast to make a proper impact.
23 Save Me by I'M- This is a slow song from a former member of Topp Dogg. I believe he is someone that deserves more attention. I love the layering of the vocals and the changes in melody. The heavy hearted mood created by the song is captivating.
22 Gashina by Sunmi- This song is like a journey. A fun journey with your friends. A journey where something fun is always happenning and the destination isn't really the point of the trip. I think that metaphor will stand as the only sort of review I give this song.
21 Like This by Pentagon- Pentagon had 6 comebacks this year. "Like This" was the strongest. It has a chorus that soars. A lot of songs this year were just simple and pleasant background music and "Like This" almost falls into this category too. But there is something uplifting about it. It isn't just background music it makes you feel something. I get a similar feeling when I hear rock songs like Don't Stop Believin', Journey and Beautiful Day, U2.
20 Reborn by Jay Park, BOI B, DOUBLE K- The year cannot be complete without hearing at least one thing from Jay Park with this kind of sound. It is Jay at his usual greatness, what else can I say? I understand it is an ad for a digestive medicine: Hwalmyeongsu. Such a shame that a good song will be associated with sickness.
19 Whisper by VIXX LR- VIXX LR has a different sound to it than VIXX or than Ravi's solo rap. VIXX LR is my favourite version of VIXX. This song is sensual and melodic.
18 Run The Streets by DEAN- I love DEAN's unique voice. He has a sincerity in his voice. He is not being over theatrical. The lyrics are really dramatic and he doesn't over do it to sound like he is bragging or like he is venting. He is just stating and it seems more sincere that way. He goes into a bit of a scat in the middle, which is brilliant.
17 Energetic by Wanna One- I haven't enjoyed anything as much as I enjoyed Produce 101 Season 2. This show had me falling in love with every contestant. They didn't even have to try to make good music after that, but they did! The human piano was inspired! and that "why~~~" near the beginning of the song just makes me melt. Then in the chorus they do that "got me feelin energetic" with the 'Macarana' type dance moves and I'm hyped! This song gives me a total range of emotions.
16 Kiss Me by WJSN- The cute girl concept usually doesn't appeal to me but this one is too catchy to ignore! It is not even really cute in the typical sense. It's just fun and fluffy. That must be why I enjoy it. It is also very consistent. There is no part that stands out as better or worse than another. It flows nicely and always sounds like it's over too soon. I could loop this for an hour.
15 Dance With Me by VAV- VAV has song writers from SM Entertainment and they put great riffs and runs in this song. Since this was a group that I hadn't heard much from VAV before it took me a while to realize how good this song actually was. It includes harmonies in the background which is something a lot of groups don't bother to do. It really enriches the sound.
14 All Night by Girls' Generation- This kind of sound has been missing from Girls' Generation for a couple of years, and I'm so glad to hear it again. More than that, however, I love the outside-the-box outfits. I feel like a lot of Kpop groups have been playing it safe and wearing clothes that are conventionally pretty. But we can count on SM entertainment have the balls to dress their artists in all kinds of deliciously tacky sparkles and feathers!
13 Cherry Bomb by NCT 127- NCT 127 has made a creative effort again this year. This time it landed a little better than last year's "Firetruck". Every verse and chorus and dance step gives me something I haven't quite seen or heard before. It falls short of off-putting and lands in engaging.
12 I Love You by Bobby- Bobby seems so natural and comfortable in this song. He has the natural YG swagger, even if his style of swagger is a little more youthful and vibrant than other YG artists'. The song has a little bit of the Carribean flavour that has been so popular in 2017, but not so much that you would call it tropical.
11 What's Good by Niel (feat. Justhis)- Niel is an amazing dancer. The choreography in the rap break is killer and Justhis' rap is brilliant. The chorus and the verses both move you to groove along.
10 Sorry by The Rose- This singer takes the opposite approach from DEAN and I like it that way too. The singer puts so much emotion into every word that you can feel it even when you don't understand the language. I think that is something very special about music in a foreign language. It allows you to listen to peoples emotions without being distracted by their words. I don't usually fall for the rock genre but I will be looking out for The Rose in the future.
9 Don't Wanna Cry by Seventeen- This song is very sparse in terms of vocals. The dance is my favourite thing about it. I want to call this the choreography of the year.
8 Stranger's Love by Barberettes X Jang Jinyoung- These girls have buckets full of talent. I'm thrilled to be putting the Baberettes in my top 10 list this year.The tone of this song is so seductive.
7 Dirty House by Nam Taehyun (South Club)- I'm not a K-rocker, but I think this song is so cool. Play it while you are cleaning the house. Ever notice how the word house sounds a lot like the word hoes. Dirty hoes? I kind of like how the song crashes for a few seconds in the middle and then recovers.
6 Fruity by Hyolyn (feat. Kisum)- How can an ad for a fruity drink be such a good song? I hope these companies keep pumping money into KPOP if this is the result.
5 O Sole Mio by SF9- This song is framiliar sounding. The Spanish guitar rhythms are gorgeous and delicate. Can we talk about how they sing four languages in only one line O sole mio Italian, te quiero Spanish, neo nae taeyang Korean, O my Lady English. The innovative wardrobe caught me eye too. Their large shirts are like a modern take on the matador cape. So many details in this song.
4 On/Off by ONF- If you look up the word bop in the dictionary this song starts playing. Someone had to bring a happy, catchy boy band sound this year. We got it from the debut song of ONF! Well done new boys!
3 Sixteen by Samual (feat. Changmo)- The best post-Produce 101 song. This has early Justin Beiber feels to it. Or at least Justin wishes his video were this good. Samuel makes dancing look easy and natural.
2 Wake Me Up by BAP- This song is about a big and important issue, but read a translation of the lyrics and they are just ambiguous enough so that the song can be about any issue that the listenner wants it to be about. Even with the video there are still gaps left open for the viewer to fill in. It's really cool when the same art means something different to different people.
1 Goodbye by 2NE1- The perfect goodbye song. 2NE1 is a group that got a lot of people hooked on KPOP. The world would not have been the same without them. If they had to leave I am glad they left on such a beautiful note.
