The Top Kpop Songs of 2022 (Summer Update)

Welcome to the mid-year rankings! This has been a pretty solid year musically, not quite as front loaded as 2021, but there’s a lot to love. I will have a short bonus article this weekend with my favorite English songs so far as well, so if you think a song is missing, it may come up there.37. Ichillin’- Play Hide & SeekI really loved Got’ya, and I’ve just been waiting for Ichillin’ to release another banger of that quality. While this song isn’t quite to that level, I do think it’s fairly interesting musically, the beat in particular is pretty odd, and it reminds me of Lemon Candy by Pink Fantasy from last year, a song that was on my radar all year but never climbed up.36. Rocket Punch- Chiquita

I am a pretty open Rocket Punch fan, but their music has definitely had a fall-off in the title track department. Chiquita is a fun retro song, but it doesn’t have anything specifically that I can point to that’s truly good. Sadly, this will be the last Rocket Punch song on the list, as I feel the b-sides on Yellow Punch are their weakest yet. Come on Woollim, get these girls back on the strong songs.

35. WJSN Chocome- Super Yuppers

I am not currently counting Queendom songs towards this list, so this will be the only WJSN currently, but rest assured, you can’t keep a good Ujung down, and they’ll be getting more. Super Yuppers is exactly what I want from this sub-unit, Orange Caramel-esque quirky songs. The spoken word section from Dayoung is really disruptive on first listen, but there’s something fun and charming about it. I also like the fun superhero styling going on.

34. Ravi- Virus (feat. JustThis)

For a long time I thought Ravi just made music that wasn’t for me, but he’s starting getting a little more mainstream with what he writes, which was much needed. I really like the way JustThis’s voice works with Ravi’s, they have a good balance, unique while still being complementary. This song just doesn’t elevate beyond being “good” which keeps it down here, but it’s a solid soft-slow hip-hop entry.

33. Viviz- Bop Bop!

When I saw that this was the half of Gfriend that stuck together to debut again as Viviz, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Even without expectations, they caught me off guard, as Bop Bop! Is not like anything in the Gfriend discography. The groovy vibes flow, and Eunha’s high register really gets to shine as the main vocal without Yuju, but SinB is the real star for me in this song, feels like a completely different idol with more lines and dancing much more to what we always knew she was capable of.

32. Red Velvet- Feel My Rhythm

My favorite part of this song is how much fun Red Velvet seem to be having when they perform it. It feels like they’re fully in the swing of things again after Wendy’s injury and hiatus. I really like the use of drums and strings to drive the song forward, it gives it a unique feeling of fun and optimism that we don’t usually hear in kpop. That said, this also has that kinda weird flare that Red Velvet can sometimes have, and feels so uniquely them, which is a good thing for me.

31. Wheein- Pink Cloud

Of all the Mamamoo members, Wheein is the only one to connect to me with her solo music, it’s soft, fun, and palatable. I really love how her vocals sound in isolation too, she really does a great job of slipping in and out of falsetto to help tell the musical story.

30. Purple Kiss- Oh My Gosh

memeM is a strong album, that’ll be clear as you go through this list and see how many songs come off of it. Oh My Gosh, is fun and some really cool mix-ups going on in the beat, especially after the first chorus where it’s clear the composer or producer was having a blast. The vocal highlight comes between the 2nd and final chorus, that whole stretch has some fantastic moments.

29. Ravi- Winner (feat. Ash Island)

This song feels very supportive, I like being told I’m a winner, it makes me feel good. The chorus has some electric guitar helping to elevate the energy which is pretty nifty, and Ravi’s rap is more interesting here than in Virus. I do think we could have actually done without the feature and given that verse back to Ravi, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the song either.

28. Rolling Quartz- Delight

My wife and I do not agree on the Rolling Quartz songs this year at all, she likes the others and isn’t huge on Delight, I think Delight is great, but don't care for the others. I like that this is low-key structured like a heavier song than it is, anthemic metal style, almost. The guitar riff sounds like it’s torn straight out of a Rise Against song too, which is fresh for Rolling Quartz, and I think suits them really well. Also, it’s always so pleasant to listen to Jayoung’s lower register, she’s got a beautiful voice in a fairly unique range.

27. Dreamcatcher- Locked Inside A Door

I should mention here that I am very high on soloists this year, and every Dreamcatcher song after this will be a solo. What this does well is mastering that playful guitar and that dark jazzy feeling. The instrumental is the sell for me on this song overall, but verse two and the rap also rise above the rest.

26. Taeyeon- Can’t Control Myself

What an interesting music video this has, one of the more interesting videos this year in my opinion. I love Taeyeon’s vocals here, she’s so good at conveying emotion and using her voice in a variety of ways to advance her music. This song’s biggest knock is that it is a little slow, but man does Taeyeon do fantastic as always.

25. Le Sserafim- Blue Flame

This song gives me huge American Boy by Estelle vibes which I really didn’t expect to get from any kpop song this year, and it works really well. The vocals are very raw feeling too, getting a lot of vocal color from all the members, it really sounds like nothing else right now. I am also fully on board the Kazuha train, she’s amazing.

24. Kwon Eunbi- The Colors of Light

The only reason this isn’t higher is the fact that it’s a one and a half minute intro track, and it feels messed up to have it higher. That said, this track is fire, I don’t ever care for intros, but this one is actually sitting on my playlist, and I’m never skipping it. I love the electronic dreamscape that was crafted here, it’s incredibly cool.

23. Nmixx- O.O

This was wild, it hits you hard right out of the gate, and then there are also three other songs that feel stitched together. Plus, you’re slammed with Pepsi advertising in it, which is truly random. The thing that stands out is, yes, it’s like a whole album’s worth of songs in a 3 minute span, which is kinda fun, and then the chorus is great, energetic, intense, and well performed. I think it’s clear that Nmixx has a lot of talent, and I’m curious to see where their music goes next.

22. Hyolyn- Layin’ Low (feat Jooyoung)

Hyolyn is back once again, bringing her unique brand of covering her butt as little as possible while making genuinely great music. I love the chorus in this song, Hyolyn kills it, and I think this style of song suits her vocal color the best, with that edge of darkness to it.

21. Yezi- No Name

What a sick rap, Yezi is all over the place hitting every interesting way she can rap back to back without ever letting up. I love the way she uses volume throughout the song to control the feeling and really maximize the backtrack.

20. Purple Kiss- Cursor

The best slow song of the year so far, I think the vocalists really shine here, they’re all used correctly, getting to flex their talents. I really love Chaein’s line leading into the electro beat, and the electro beat itself. That said, outside of the vocalists, I don’t think this is a great song for the other 4 members, and I think they could have gotten away with doing this with just the 3 members.

19. Fromis_9- Escape Room

A sexy suit song, something we get way less often than we did a decade ago, but Fromis are great for this, they really have that air of experienced confidence that lets them rock this concept. Also, for better or worse, this makes me think of Knuckles stages in Sonic Adventure 2 for some reason that I can’t explain.

18. Dreamcatcher (Jiu Solo)- Cherry (Real Miracle)

Jiu is a great all-rounder, and my personal favorite member, so it’s no surprise that a cute song about how much she loves her dog, Cherry, totally works for me. One of the things I love here is how different it is from the Dreamcatcher concept, no darkness, no shadows, just sunny happiness. This is something that Jiu has always been good at and held back from due to her group’s concept, and I’d love to see more of it in the future.

17. Purple Kiss- Pretty Psycho

We’ve kinda got a dark carnival thing going on here, and I’m always on board for that when done well, I’m a Venetia Fair after all (if you haven’t heard of the Venetia Fair, check them out, one of the best things to come out of the Massachusetts rock scene). This song is a fantastic follow-up to Zombie in tonality and musicality, although I do think Zombie is the stronger song in the duology. The best thing here, and one of the vocal highlights of the year for me are the echoed “psycho” in the chorus which are insane notes that are hit so smoothly it’s sickening.

16. Dreamcatcher (Gahyeon Solo)- Playground

Speaking of breaking the Dreamcatcher concept in their solo song, Gahyeon goes full cute and fun and it’s so charming and enjoyable to listen to that you can’t help but smile. I love the chorus and the tonality that Gahyeon brings with her vocals, it feels like a completely different vocalist than when she’s in the group and gets far less to do.

15. Ichillin’- La Luna

I said Ichillin’ didn’t quite capture the Got’ya quality I was hoping for with Play Hide & Seek, but b-side La Luna hits exactly what I wanted. It has a unique yet familiar sound that I still can’t place, a great rap section, and a chorus that really takes off, which is exactly where Got’ya shined too. I don’t know what it is about this group, but they can occasionally have some of the best choruses the genre has to offer. I could listen to the La Luna chorus for hours and still not feel bored.

14. Weeekly- Ven Para

I always thought I wasn’t huge on girl crush, but I think it’s just that most groups don’t sell me on the attitude. Thus, color me surprised when the cute, high school concept Weeekly sells me on being tough and cool like it’s who they’ve always been. This chorus slaps, it’s so powerful and dominating and I love it, I do want cute Weeekly back still though, they were the only group that really did cute well anymore. Also, Monday feels unleashed when not forced to be cute, that girl loves this concept.

13. Lunarsolar- Do You Wanna Get Down

Lunarsolar had some great songs, and their disbandment song here is no exception. It’s a weird piece that centers on a minimalist electro beat and I totally love it. Eseo’s rap and the vocals from everybody else have always been best utilized in strange instrumental arrangements in my opinion, such as Oh Ya Ya Ya, so I’m happy they got to go out on this strange note. Lunarsolar, you will be missed.

12. Purple Kiss- memeM

And finally, our final PurKi song is their title track memeM. Listen to the start of the second verse and tell me that Swan isn’t the most incredible vocalist in a 4th gen girl group, you can’t, she’s incredible. Besides Swan’s insane vocal skills, I like that memeM let’s everybody shine, from Yuki’s raspy rap vocals, Goeun’s power notes, to Dosie’s dance, this song is very complete while still being unlike anything else released this year.

11. Wheein- Pastel

Oh look, Wheein’s back! Pastel is so much fun, and I love Wheein’s “OOP” in the chorus, it just makes me happy.

10. Oh My Girl- Real Love

I have been a fan of Oh My Girl for 7 years and they recently have decided to release songs I think I don’t like before they grow on me. I thought this song was fairly simple and uninteresting on release, but something clicked a few days later. This is simple, but it’s an earworm that is nice to listen to, and there’s some fun moments, such as Yooa’s section in the second verse that really help to keep it spiced up.

9. Yein- Plus n Minus

Lovelyz may have disbanded, but it may have been worth it for how much I love Plus n Minus. This is perfect chill jam, it’s not going to get you hyped, it’s not going to put you to sleep, it’s just going to lay you down on the grass and tell you to enjoy watching the clouds. I love this energy and wish we’d get more of it in kpop.

8. Yezi- Acacia

Yezi is out here channeling powerful women like no other, bring step on you mob boss energy, and you’re going to like it. I think it’s cool that we see such a range from Yezi, rapping, singing, climbing into high notes, and being an absolute slayer. The chorus of this song hits so hard, and every time it starts I pop off, you can absolutely do high intensity muscle exercises to this too, because you can channel what Yezi brings to the table here. The spoken bridge section before the third chorus is usually not something I’d like either, but it clicks for me here, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if I have this song higher at the end of the year.

7. Kwon Eunbi- Magnetic

While for groups I am biased towards WJSN and Fromis_9, I should mention here that Eunbi is my top bias on a single idol level, and I’ve been so happy with her output this year compared to last year. Magnetic’s almost staccato violin work really creates this tension that keeps you focused on the song the whole time. I think the composition here is intense and exciting, maybe my favorite instrumental all year.

6. Kwon Eunbi- Esper

Oh look, here’s another Eunbi entry in the top 10. Esper is a fantastic song, and really feels like a pre-release setting the tone for her album despite being a technically separate project. Whoever has been working with Eunbi has really found how to use her strengths too, getting the most out of her vocals while leaving ample time for her to flex her dancing ability with musical breaks. “You’re my esper” is a fantastic drop into the chorus too, I really love that line.

5. Stayc- Run2U

Black Eyed Pilseung just understands their group and how to give them perfect songs for them. I am so happy with how well utilized every member is too, they all get to shine vocally, which is super unusual, especially in a medium sized group like Stayc. The standouts for me are obviously J, whose rap section is bonkers, but also Isa and Sumin, who sound fantastic and get to show off their less typical vocal colors, Isa’s softness and Sumin’s lower tones.

4. Kwon Eunbi- Glitch

Yup, Eunbi has 3 songs in my top 7, she really is the glitch. This song is great right from the get go, coming in with an energetic beat into Eunbi’s vocals over just a snapping beat, leading into this minimalized electro chorus that almost comes out of a DDR song. Then, if you aren’t impressed after the 2nd chorus, the whole thing goes nuts, dropping and getting super intense. And Eunbi’s dancing with the tutting influence is top tier, she’s so diversely talented.

3. Stayc- Young Luv

Speaking of leaning into idol’s talents, this song is almost exclusively this high because Sieun is an incredible vocalist. She hits her oohs in the chorus so beautifully the first few times around, and then when she’s unleashed to belt them, holy moly she is bonkers good when she can let loose, oh, and she crushes the passion in the chorus lines she sings too. This isn’t even to say the other 5 members are slacking, everybody is great here, but Sieun is just insane.

2. Yena- Smiley (feat. Bibi)

First of all, I actually like the live version where Yena raps Bibi’s part. She's always been such an interesting rapper, and I love listening to her. That said, this song is pure fun and happiness, it’s there to be uplifting on a hard day, and it nails that role. Yena manages to be soft and gentle while still being so energetic in her vocals and performance too, it’s a really unusual blend and it makes the song work in a way that I think it wouldn’t for most other singers. I will even go so far as to say this song is very close to number one for me but it’s just barely beat out by…

1. Fromis_9- DM

I adore this song, it’s got the whimsical romantic charm to it that just sweeps you away as you listen to it. I really love the rapid pitch raise in Hayoung and Jiwon’s “doesn’t matter” part of the chorus, it’s fun and exciting. I also think everything clicks and fires on all cylinders here though, the vocals, the choreo, the instrumental, even the styling, it fits together so perfectly. I also want to highlight Nagyung who I think has really been great vocally these days, despite being overshadowed by the main vocalists. Jiwon is the ultimate star for me here though, this whole song is perfect for her.