The Top 5 K-pop songs you should be listening to right now
By Jess Romulus, Staff Writer
June 6, 2022
So far in 2022, many K-Pop groups have already made extensive debuts, such as NMIXX, KEP1ER, and IVE, as well as the artists that fans already know and love, such as TWICE, ITZY, BTS, and SEVENTEEN. This year has been a good year for fans already because there have been a lot of amazing comebacks, concerts, new songs, albums, and merch from our beloved Korean artists. Here are the top 5 K-Pop songs you should be listening to in 2022.
#5 Wa-da-da : KEP1ER
These 9 awesome girls debuted on January 9 with their first mini-album, "First Impact", which consists of 6 songs. Fans only have good things to say about their title track, "Wa-da-da". This track attracted 30 million views during the first week it was released. According to The Biaslist, the song’s chorus was easily its weakest point. The song overall is upbeat and the lyrics could use some work, but somehow, the song has made fans put it on repeat as a result of the Korean-English combination. The choreography is very feminine and repetitive making it an easy listen.
Available on: YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music
#4 JIKJIN : TREASURE
These 12 guys are part of an astonishing team who debuted 3 years ago on August 7, 2020 with their first single album, "The First Step: Chapter One", which has 2 songs. JIKJIN however is part of their mini-album"The Second Step: Chapter One" which was released on February 15. The mini-album has 6 songs, and as of March 2, their title track "JIKJIN" has gained 5o million views.
The fans were all over this song, and yet the digital charts seemed to disagree. However their B-side, “Darari”, got tons of publicity and even became a huge trend on Tiktok. The hashtag, #Dirari, has 878.1 million views. The song itself stands at a little over 40 million views on Youtube. The word JIKJIN comes from the Korean language which means “straightforward”. The song is upbeat and the beat changes a few times throughout the song, which enhances the vibe of the song, which is why fans love it so much.
The choreography is nothing short of perfection, it's a little advanced for beginners, but it's one of those choreos that gets you hyped and your blood flowing through the many fast-paced movements. Truly they outdid themselves.
Available on: YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music
#3 Alexa: WONDERLAND
알렉사 (ALEXA) is a solo artist under ZB Label who debuted October 21, 2019, with her first single "BOMB" her newest song, “WONDERLAND” has now gone viral for its wonderful beats and the flawless switch between the fast and slow pacing. While Alexa is Korean, she was born in America. This song is sung in mostly English, which can sometimes prove to be challenging for some K-Pop artists because they aren't native speakers, however, that is not the case here. The pronunciation and everything else about the song is astounding; it really draws in the listener. The song itself stands at 95k views, and the choreography is a good combination of light and fast, but not boring and slow. She has also sung live on the popular show “American Song Contest” on NBC representing her home state of Oklahoma and has even advanced to the finals.
Available on: YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music
#2 StayC- RUN2U
StayC is a wonderfully made group of 6 talented girls under High Up Entertainment. They debuted on November 12, 2020. Recently, these girls came back with their second mini album, "Young-Luv.com". “RUN2U” is the title track. The beat is Korean Dance/Electronic, and the choreography is simply to die for. It's not too easy, not too hard, just smack dab in the middle.
This is a really good choice for people who are interested are a little more advanced and want to improve their dance skills. “RUN2U” has racked up tons of fans, and even gathered 1 million views in the first 24 hours of its release, surpassing their other singles, "STEREOTYPE" and "ASAP". Their outfits and wardrobe changes were beautifully done as well.
Available on: YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music
#1 SEVENTEEN: DARLING
This set of boys are one the most talented in the K-Pop industry. The 13 of them debuted on May 26, 2015 with Pledis Entertainment. Their recent single "DARL+ING" has blown some minds and records. This is their first full English song. The music video was absolutely stunning, and the plot was post/pre apocalyptic and it was very beautiful. The wardrobe was amazing, and you can truly feel the chemistry between the bandmates. The song itself acts as a sweet love letter. The choreography from the music video was so simple and beautifully elegant. According to Trendsmap, The song reached 2 million views in the first 24 hours.
Available on: YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music