Welcome to my top kpop songs of 2020 through the super logical day of June 14th, I keep a running ranking of my favorite songs throughout the year, I have since 2015, and currently have 28 songs on my personal list for 2020. I have enjoyed more than just 28 songs this year, these are just my favorites, as maintaining a list with every song released this year would be exhausting and tedious. If there is a song from this year that you adore but I don’t have here, I don’t necessarily dislike the song, although that may be the case, but these are just my opinions. Also, I do prefer girl groups, so don’t expect too many, if any, boy group appearances. Now, to the list.
29) Twice- More & More
I was a pretty big fan of Twice for a long time, I used to consider them in my top 5 groups. Since Likey they have slowly fallen off for me, not that I think they are bad, but I’ve had my tastes change, they’ve had their sound change, and a bunch of great new group have risen up in the last few years. I liked Fancy decently well, but More & More is the first song since Twice’s stylistic shift that has really clicked for me, enough for me to put it on this list, which I haven’t really felt in 2018 or 2019.
28) Cignature- Nun Nu Nan Na
Fun fact, most of the members of Cignature were previously in a group with the members of REDSQUARE called Good Day, who I had never heard of before this year, and who I still haven’t gone back to listen to for some reason. Nun Nu Nan Na is a fun song, it’s got a great happy energy. Sometimes it’s nice to get a reminder of what a good cute concept looks like in a field of Girl Crush, and that’s exactly what this song offers, it’s not anything innovative, just really good in the specific style.
27) Gfriend- Crossroads
This is a typical Gfriend song, which is both a critique and a praise, as the group really sits in a set style, but it’s so good that I really don’t mind. This is not my favorite Gfriend title track, maybe not even top 5, but I still enjoy listening to it whenever it pops up.
26) Iz*one- Spaceship
Airplane 2.0, and an Eunbi creation, who is one of my top biases in all of kpop. This song is just fun, I really have little more to say for it, the dance is fun too, again very Airplane, but that song was good enough that a sequel was more than welcome.
25) WJSN- Where You Are
So, I will preface this as a warning for the appearances of all WJSN songs on this list, in my Neverland album review I may have set a tone or expectation for where these songs might rank, and which might make the list. That said, this list will not necessarily be consistent with that review, I’ve had a few more days since the album released and writing that article, which I did a few days before posting it, and have developed my opinions on it a bit more. This song I have similar opinions on, I kinda wish it went somewhere more, but I also think that it is extremely pleasant to listen to, and it will be a surprise if I ever take it off of my personal playlist.
24) Rocket Punch- Bouncy
Rocket Punch is such a fresh group, two albums in and they’ve risen to be one of my favorites. I am biased towards this group musically and in terms of all their content they’ve put out. Bouncy is better than Bim Bam Bum minus BBB’s second chorus which is one of the best in the last few years. This is also the catchiest (Ketchy-ist even) song of the year, my wife and I are constantly humming and singing this, there are a bunch of parts that just never leave your head. That said, Bouncy is one of least favorite songs from this album, so look forward to more entries from them down below.
23) Astro- Knock
Astro are a good group, ever since Always You I’ve liked every single title track that they’ve put out. I’m happy that Knock went the direction it did too, as their prior title track, Blue Flame, was my least favorite directional move from them in the last two years. The knock-knock-knock section threw me off a little bit on first listen, but I left it on the side and tried coming back, and after giving it time, it has grown on me enough to hit this spot, it probably won’t climb anymore, but it also will likely only drop due to new releases.
22) REDSQUARE- Colorful
This song opens in a way I really don’t like, but the rest of the song is really good, and is kinda reminiscent to SNSD songs towards the middle of their career. The music video is also pretty bold, never showing the members faces in a group that caught a lot of people’s eyes during their teaser period due to the strong visuals. I’m looking forward to getting more music from them, and some variety content to learn their personalities from, apprehensively looking to support this group. ChaeA has also caught my eye in their performances so I want to see more of her. This song has room to climb further up next month.
21) Apink- Dumhdurun
The most annoying song title to say so far this year by a mile, but Apink continues to knock it out of the park with their post-contract renewal mature style. This song is an earworm, just quietly repeating in the back of your mind, but not impactful enough to ever sit at the forefront. There is also a really cool moment in the choreography with some partnered arm movements that is very fun to watch.
20) WJSN- Our Garden
This song is pretty cool, it’s got a few genres and movements stitched together, mostly cleanly, and it is also written by Seola, one of the members, and I can always appreciate when members help in production. The whisper singing sections stand out in particular, they sound really good, and the jump into the 90s boy-band pop-jazz style after works oddly well, no complaints on this one.
19) GWSN- The Aerialist (Wonderboy)
I love GWSN’s music in general, in terms of discography they are a top 6 group for me. This song has a really nice groove to it, managing to be very chill and relaxing without falling into the trap of being uninteresting. I also love their performance outfits for this song, the suits are really cool, and the dance is classic GWSN smoothness.
18) (G)I-dle- Maybe
(G)I-dle has really lost me musically after Senorita, which I think was their best song along with Hann. Uh-oh was fine, Lion was not to my taste, and Oh My God the same, just don’t like it. They also usually don’t put out b-sides that I like. All this to say that Maybe is a huge exception to this for me, and I think if the group moves into this musical direction more that I’d be willing to start buying their physicals again, because this song is awesome. This has potential to move up, as it has been slowly creeping since release.
17) Ateez- Horizon
The weird high pitched voice in the beat reminds me of Danganronpa music, which has some of the best soundtracks in gaming. Ateez are a great group, and I think this is one of their best songs, as always the rapping is one point especially, as are the dancing and singing, if you still don’t have eyes on Ateez I recommend paying attention. I will also say, this is for boy groups on my list, sorry boy group fans.
16) Dun Dun- Everglow
I know a lot of people loved Adios and didn’t like Dun Dun as much, but I am completely the opposite, I thought Adios wasn’t good at all and loved Dun Dun. The whispered pre-chorus is absolutely fantastic and catchy and a truly frightening thing to have somebody whisper in your ear without context, which makes me laugh. That said, this is not Everglow’s last appearance on this list, as I think they are a great group in terms of b-sides, maybe even better than title tracks.
15) Itzy- Wannabe
Itzy’s title tracks are so good. They manage to fit a certain style and mood while keeping things constantly varied, and although this song is a little bit more mainstream it does not sacrifice that Itzy flavor at all. That said, this is not their catchiest title track to me, which holds it back at 13, but I believe that I will probably have this on my playlist for years. The choreography is also fantastic, maybe even iconic, and Ryujin’s shoulder movements are probably going to be the most remembered part of any dance this year.
14) Sejeong (Gugudan)- Plant
I am absolutely Sejeong biased in general, despite not being a Gugudan or ioi fan, she seems like a good kid and is one of the best parts of Busted, one of my favorite shows in the last few years. That bias may be giving this song a boost, as I usually don’t like ballads very much, I tend to appreciate more energy. This song is beautiful though, and she sings with an incredible amount of emotion that you can really feel across language boundaries, one of the best kpop ballads.
13) GWSN- Bazooka
This song had me feeling iffy at release, it wasn’t quite like anything GWSN had done before and I wasn’t sold on it at all. That said, I’m obviously buying in now, as it’s climbed this high and has potential for more upward mobility. This song is one of the catchiest of the year, and the “play bazooka” line, and its variations throughout the song, was my least favorite part on first listen but is now my favorite part of the song. Sometimes songs just need some time to grow on you, and Bazooka did just that. I will say that this is one of my least favorite choreographies among GWSN songs though.
12) Dreamcatcher- Sahara
I implore you to hop on over to Youtube and watch their video for this song, it’s very fun and mostly just the members having a good time and messing around. That said there are some fairly cool shots and moments actually, which you wouldn’t expect considering the members were just filming in the back before music show performances. The song is probably not as good as the video, and may move down a few slots in the future, but it’s fun to headbang to the chorus after seeing the group do it.
11) April- Lalalilala
April has been around for a while, and I have never liked any of their songs, including the very popular Oh My Mistake. This song has changed that, as it’s a really solid song, and the chorus is super catchy. I also think the “rap” section is actually one of the best this year, and is actually the most catchy part of the whole song, which was a pleasant surprise.
10) Dreamcatcher- Black or White
This song just got me, I’m usually not too huge on sampling or blatant musical references in general, although I think they can be extremely good if used effectively and not overemphasized. That said, if this doesn’t just merge Michael Jackson and kpop in a way that isn’t absolutely perfect I don’t know what does, it just gets you bopping your head front the first beat of the chorus and doesn’t allow you to let up. The choreography is also great, and their first live performance has some incredibly cool editing. Sua abs are also freed in these outfits, which I think everybody can appreciate.
9) Everglow- No Lie
This song is so catchy, “baby no lie” just randomly pops into my head sometimes, because it can. This is one of the best Everglow songs yet, I’d actually go so far as to say it is my personal favorite. Some people I know have given this song flak for having one of the worst line distributions in kpop, but I think that you can’t let that skew your taste of a song.
8) WJSN- Hola
Hola is pure energy, and I love it for that. It’s always a breath of fresh air to get a song like this when kpop usually leans darker and moodier in tone, or less frequent but preferred, soft and gentle. If every song was like Hola it would likely be extremely exhausting to listen to, as the energy levels are that high, but due to this style not being common, it’s mostly just exciting.
7) Iz*one- Ayayaya
I mentioned that Eunbi is my Iz*one bias, and for some reason I just think of this as the Eunbi song of the album, kinda like Highlight before, and Rumor from Produce 48, I guess I just connect her to this style. Also, I always like songs with the word “hush” in them, I think I just like that word for some reason. I really like that Iz*one has this side to them, the more mature side with the older members, it gives their albums good variety, and I think those members shine here, which they are otherwise held back from. Also “ayayaya” is a surprisingly catchy word when sung. This may slide down a bit over time, as it’s not a song I’m always in the mood for, but it’s also not a song I’m looking to skip past any time soon.
6) Elris- Jackpot
This is the first of two songs that aren’t a digital single or b-side in the top 10, and additionally, as with April I had never cared for anything Elris had done before. I actually only caught onto this song because I saw it every week on the Kville charts and one of the members caught my eye, which made me decide to listen to the whole song. I’m happy I made that choice, I really couldn’t tell you anything about the group or the members, and I won’t be looking to go all in on Elris in the future, but I do love this song. The chorus is one of the best this year, which is what really elevates the song to this level for me, I am always hyped once it starts.
5) Rocket Punch- Lilac
Rocket Punch’s second appearance on the list. This song is lovely, from front to back. It’s not their high energy style of their title tracks, but it’s also not too slow as to bore me. Like Sejeong’s Plant, the emotions in the vocals are very well projected, which lets you really drift along with the song, and it takes you to that softer place. This song could actually move up a spot or two by the end of the year, as it is just so absurdly pleasant to listen to.
4) Rocket Punch- Fireworks
Speaking of Rocket Punch, here they are again, this is what I was talking about earlier, with their discography being great. This is their third song on the list, and yet all three have very different feelings, and that variety really shines through. I am fairly certain that this was written with KARD in mind, as I can imagine exactly how they would sing it, and it would be fantastic. That said, I’m happy Rocket Punch got this, because it is a new side for them, and I’d like to see more, because they knock this more relaxed tropical-house-ish style out of the park. Like Lilac, this song is just so pleasant to listen to.
3) ANS- Say My Name
ANS has exactly two songs, and for me, exactly two hits. Boom Boom was one of my favorite songs last year, and Say My Name lives up to that easily. This is a high energy song that sometimes feels a little absurd to me, but in a good way, if that makes any sense at all. I also think the beat has a little bit of an ominous dark carnival kind of feeling to it, which I think is really interesting, although my wife doesn’t hear it, so that might just be a personal interpretation. It may also be impossible to not sing along with “Speak up, speak up” and “JUST SAY MY NAME” and that is a good thing as far as I’m concerned.
2) Purplebeck- Valenti
Speaking of songs that are easy to listen to, this song is super relaxing. Valenti does not hit hard, doesn’t have a crazy beat or some insane drop, the energy never really gets too high or too low. This song is just perfectly chill, I always feel good while listening to it, it always makes me happy afterwards. I really don’t have too much to say about Valenti beyond that, it isn’t something that is going to be a major talking point now or in the future, and I think I’m potentially rating it higher than most other kpop fans, but second absolutely feels right for this song, although Say My Name does keep it close.
1) WJSN- Butterfly
The second and last title track in the top 10, and the winner of the first half (ish) of the year for me. This song grows on me every single time I hear it, it’s catchy and dynamic enough to hold my attention, but not so unique it grows tiresome. This song is smooth and sweet, but still brings a solid amount of energy and excitement. The chorus is carried by a different set of members as well, so the only repeated parts of the song never sound exactly the same, which is a great move in opinion that other groups can learn from, although it does come with this assumption that every can carry the same parts of a song to a similar quality. I do acknowledge that this could be recency bias, and general WJSN bias on my part, but for now, I’m happy to call Butterfly my song of the year. Are your rankings similar to mine, or wildly different? Do I have any opinions you really liked, or did you find any songs that you hadn’t really noticed before today? Let me know, I always like seeing what other people think on topics like this one.