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Top 10: Best K-Pop Songs of 2022 [Subjective Opinion]

As soon as I finished making the 2021's list, I was already saving all the songs from 2022 that I had liked to be able to make one of 2022. Finally, it's here. (It is becoming a habit, so this 2023 will also have its required Top 10.)


In general, I wouldn't say that it was a year full of great songs, at least not from more well-known groups, but I must admit that it took me a long time to choose the Top 10—which this time has 7 special mentions..., and they are very good songs. I also have to stress that I feel like I left out some really good songs, so I suggest you listen to my entire list of the best songs from last year. The link will be provided at the end of the post.


Disclaimer: I left out K-Rock, K-Hip Hop (underground music) and songs in English that for me do not fall into the K-Pop category.


Without further ado, let's get started!




Special Mentions.



« CRAXY (크랙시) 'REQUIEM' »


I adore this song, so when I was sorting out the honorable mentions and realized I already had 5, I cheated (because it's my list) and now there are 7 honorable mentions. REQUIEM had an MV before, but something happened to CRAXY's official YouTube account —I hope nothing bad...— so I was forced to put up one of their performances. Now you can see how great the choreography is and their perfect live vocals.


CRAXY should get a lot more attention than they actually receive. Not many idols can dance and sing at the same time, which sounds weird considering it's their job. Nor should we leave aside CRAXY's great discography and title tracks throughout the time.



 




« WayV (威神V) 'Phantom' »


WayV is not K-Pop, and I know it. It's a C-Pop group that also promotes in South Korea because it is part of NCT. The song is *chef kiss*, but not part of the K-Pop Top. It's actually in the honorable mentions for the year and months that SM Entertainment took to give them a comeback and some promotion, which wasn't satisfying either. Also, they delayed the release of the song twice, although the second time is justified (although there wouldn't be a second time to delay Phantom if they hadn't delayed it in the first place...).


Somehow, Phantom is on this list as a form of protest. SM treat WayV better.




 




« 위아이 (WEi) 'Spray' »


I'm obsessed with Spray. In fact, following the logic that I made up in the back of my head of the standards to sort out songs for the Top, being honest, very honest, Spray should not be here. Why will you wonder, and I will say I don't know. My standards are hard to explain so they're going to hide where they came from. It will never be explained in words. I love this song to death though, especially Daehyeon's rap's instrumental, which is the rap after the first chorus.


Thank you WEi for always giving us such good songs. Never change. Please.




 




« 이찬혁 (LEE CHANHYUK) '파노라마' (Panorama) »


It's funny that the way I describe Panorama is with the word art. It feels like seeing art, physical, tangible. It really feels like I could touch it. It's not that I've heard it a thousand times as crazy, but every time destiny plays it, it leaves me with a very nice feeling in my chest. It feels like an anti-stress song to me.


I would recommend looking at the promotions as well, they are very peculiar, not to say interesting. I wonder what the line of thought was to lead to that way of showing this song to the public.





 




« KIHYUN (기현) 'Youth' »


I know somewhere in the world (next to me, ha) my sister is disappointed that Youth didn't make the Top 10, but it's in the honorable mentions, which means it's special in its own way! And what's special about Youth is how happy and exciting it is. This is a song that makes you get up from your chair to go fulfill your dreams and enjoy your life.


Or at least that's what it conveys to me. The good thing about music and art in general is that it can have thousands of forms of interpretation. Art is that cool.





 




« 크랙시 (CRAXY) 'Dance with God' »


To be honest, I thought Dance With God wasn't from last year, so I hadn't considered it for the Top, but after re-listening to all the songs from 2022, I found myself in a dilemma of where it should be. Unfortunately it didn't make the Top 10, but I still think it's a very unique song in the amount of stuff that came out last year. Although many times unique doesn't mean good or better, I think after listening to so many clones of the same songs over and over again, seeing idol groups doing something more unique gives you a much-needed breather.


CRAXY is the definition of girl crush!


I also love the choreography. It's catchy and easy to follow (only its killing parts...).





 




« woo!ah! (우아!) '별 따러 가자' (Catch the Stars) »


As soon as I heard this song for the first time, I was sure that it was going to be in the Top 10. As you can see, I was not willing to have faith in 2022, and I continue with the same mentality in 2023. I surprised myself leaving it in the Top 11, which is not a bad thing, but it's surprising either way. I like surprises.


In a certain way it's a simple song , yet it knows how to captivate the listener with overloaded happiness. As always, I also love the choreography. Catchy choreography should come back to K-Pop. The best songs have choreographies that stay in your head for years...




And with my little trap of 5 special mentions + more special mentions, I present to you my Top 10 of 2022:







- TOP 10 -

« 체리블렛 (Cherry Bullet) 'Love In Space' »


This song has never left my head since it came out, and I feel like that's enough to show how much I think it deserves a place in the Top 10, even if it's last. Also, it never hurts to have a nice song that mentions space, just because.


It follows the perfect formula for a K-Pop song that should be successful: catchy in its melody, in its choreography, and pretty vocals that highlight the concept of the song. Love In Space is a perfect song to enjoy at any time of the year, at any time, anywhere.





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 9 -

« B.I (비아이) 'BTBT (Ft. DeVita)' »

To be honest, before I officially started making the list, I thought it would be much higher than 9th place, but life is mysterious, and although BTBT is a jewel that no one can deny, I think that its monotony could get a little old. The cut of the MV favored the songs (it lasts 3:26 while the official audio 3:39).


That doesn't mean that it's a song that I haven't stopped listening to since it came out and I always enjoy doing it. There was a time when I had it in infinite loop for days, so it shows that repetition is not such a big problem. I think anyone listening to it could enjoy it without any problems. BTBT is something of a song for any person, gender and age, although I don't know how well a 90 year old would receive it, but I think you get my point...





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 8 -

« SEULGI (슬기) '28 Reasons' »


It sounds rude to say it this way, but this is one of the only title tracks that SM Entertainment released in 2022 that is worth the listening. Performance, choreography and the whole album is worth it. 28 Reasons is a song that helps reinforce Seulgi's strengths and makes her shine more in her solo debut.


I hope her upcoming comebacks can retain the dedication shown in this song and individualism. I know better than to get my hopes up with SM, but human beings are dreamers.





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 7 -

« 권은비 (KWON EUN BI) 'Underwater' »


What I feel for Underwater is love. I promise, proclaim and assure it. It's probably going to play at my funeral and if I turn being a ghost, I'm going to haunt the world by playing this song every day without fail. The only bad thing about it is that it doesn't last long. It should be eternal.


I do not have much to say. If you listen to it, it should be enough to understand why I love Underwater. And even though it sounds like I'm saying that if you don't like it, you have bad taste, that's exactly what I'm saying.


I'm in underwater, underwater...~





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 6 -

« 민서 MINSEO 내 맘대로 (#.Self_Trip) »


A song that I consider a healing song. A great song to enjoy all the time, but more if you are on vacation or on a car trip, looking at others walking and the other vehicles passing by you...


Like many others, I haven't stopped listening to it since it came out and I'll never get tired of it. Although it's a bit difficult to talk about what makes it different from others, there's something there, like a spark that makes you want to keep listening to it as soon as it's over.





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 5 -

« 유주 (YUJU) '놀이' (Play) »


Play is an amazing song. There is nothing more rewarding than listening to a traditional instrumental with Yuju's voice doing it justice. I wish there were more songs with this level of "power". That "power" to captivate as soon as you listen to it once, although a lot of it has to do with the quality of Yuju's voice to capture the meaning and feeling of the song .


The best debut of 2022 without a doubt.





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 4 -

« VERIVERY 'Undercover' »


If you know me in person, or virtually, but know who I am, Undercover shouldn't come as a surprise. I say without hesitation that it earned this place without much of a fight. It's that good. I have never heard a song that could capture so well the feeling of, you could call it, haughtiness. In fact, one can't help but feel superior listening to this song. Undercover makes you invincible.


I do not receive opinions from people who have not reached the "V connection" part. And after listening to it, I don't get bad comments either (hehe). No, but seriously, I think this song definitely deserves its place here.


And the choreography, concept, costumes, the genre of music, ah... it's all perfect. My sincere respects to the songwriters and producers.





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 3 -

« Im Yoon Seong (임윤성) 'Midnight Driver' »


This is a curious entry. I hadn't considered it to be in the Top 3, but here it is, and I don't regret it. I've been leaning towards this style quite comfortably lately. It's easy to listen to, entertaining, and full of feeling, especially in the voices of the artists.


I think what I appreciate most about this song is actually the ease of listening to it. A song that you will never skip and that every time it comes out it makes you vibe along with it. I'm actually getting distracted listening to it and trying to write at the same time.


My favorite part is the trumpet!





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~





- TOP 2 -

« 권은비 (KWON EUN BI) 'Glitch' »


Eunbi deserves to have both of her 2022's comebacks on this list, because no one (no one...?) could release two masterpieces in the same year.


I have no words to describe it. Glitch just is, and with that it took second place in my heart and last year. Like all the songs on the list, I wish they would receive more attention from the general public. I feel like focusing on just the surface of K-Pop doesn't let you see all the awesomeness behind it.

By the way, I love the ending. Everyone likes a music box effect.





~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~




Epic drumroll...






- TOP 1 -

« VERIVERY - 'O' »


Eunbi isn't the only one who can release two masterpieces in the same year, because VERIVERY did too! Crowned by the whole world, or so I'd like to think, O is the best boygroup song released in 2022, and in my humble opinion, the best song of last year. From the voices, the style, the nostalgic mood that it possesses, to the lyrics, the stage, the emotions in the performance, O is perfect.


The MV is a gem, and considering that it follows a storyline along with the other songs and albums VERIVERY has put out over the years, it just makes it a perfect piece of cinematography. I am sure that acting out the strong emotions narrated in 3:19 will have been quite a challenge and it could not have had a better result.


I hope this 2023 to be able to find more songs like O, or like any of the ones mentioned on this list.


 

With O we come to the end of this list, although it is the beginning considering that it is number 1, so it should say that we come to the end of this entry. Like I said at the beginning, I had a hard time sorting the songs and while overall it hasn't been a satisfying year for K-Pop, I think there are plenty of 10's and 9's in the ashes. It might even have been a good year.


I hope you will give a lot of love to the artists mentioned in this list and I hope I have introduced you to some new songs that will go straight to your playlists and daily routines. You can leave your own Top 10 in the comments or recommendations of 2022.


Thank you for reading!


Here I leave the playlists with the best songs (in general) of 2022 as well as this Top 10 + 7:





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