Music has taken over as a form of therapy, motivation and source of entertainment, around the globe. It was initially linked for the purpose of entertaining and for performances. However, the meaning associated with music has changed and evolved with each passing year. There are various types of music that are being made and practiced around the world. One of the best works done by the music industry is closing the gaps between different nations. Music has connected different parts of the world, and transcends them towards a global understanding. It has paved a way for cross culture exchange and a more liberal way of viewing the world with its diversity.
In recent years, one of the trending genres of music is Korean music. It is widely known as K-pop music. The industry of K-pop music releases a long list of K-pop songs that are heard in various countries. The trend and excitement for K-pop music started around 2016, with the increasing popularity of K-pop boy band, BTS. It first hustled the western music industry with PSY’s Gangnam Style, released in 2012. Later, the second generation of the K-pop music industry added to the popularity of K-pop songs all over the world. Currently, K-pop songs have stormed various charts in different countries, adding to the popular quotient day by day.
In this article, there will be an elaboration to what K-pop music is. It will also discuss the distinct qualities of K-pop songs. This article will also shed light on reasons for K-pop songs to be famous. Lastly, this article will include a detailed list of 10 best K-pop songs in 2023.
Table of Contents
K-pop Songs And What They Are
The K-pop songs are the musical activities that are confined to the Korean pavilion, that is South Korea. It includes the group music, individual artist and the idol formation. The K-pop songs are inclusive of both dance and singing. A K-pop singer has to be well-versed with dance and have excellent singing skills. The prominent dance forms for the K-pop music industry include formation, popping, hip-hop, and break dancing.
The K-pop songs are also differing based on genders. The female K-pop singers are induced in making songs that are high-pitched, with a catchy phrase. These female oriented K-pop songs have also been subject to objectification of women’s bodies, to a certain extent. The male singers in the K-pop music industry have songs that are strong and include various actions. There are various qualities that are subjected to K-pop songs. These are elaborated in the next section.
Distinct Qualities of K-pop Songs
The very reasons for K-pop songs to have an increased fans and popularity are their distinct qualities. These distinct qualities of K-pop songs also set apart the K-pop music industry and increase its long-term dominance in the music market. The distinct qualities of K-pop songs are:
Lyrical Association
K-pop songs have been best known for depicting various emotions and human-experience situations. The lyrics of the K-pop songs aim at various happenings and also act as a source of association for the listeners. For instance, songs like “I Need You”by BTS reflect on adolescence, and the feeling of lack of support. Further, songs like, “Hitorijania” by Seventeen, is a latest example of reflecting on the currently subsided pandemic. The K-pop music industry emphasizes on creating music that binds people. Due to their meaningful lyrics, the K-pop songs have transcended beyond South Korea. It presents situations that can happen to people at different stops of their lives.
Dance and Sing-Together
Another highlight of K-pop songs are the mixing integration of dance moves and singing. The group or the individual singers are expected to dance along with the singing the song. For this, the singers are sent for rigorous training for years. It is believed that the integration of dance and singing helps the supposed artists to achieve stability. Usually, the artists are trained to combine the lyrics and produce an choreography that presents the idea of K-pop song through movements.
Idol Culture
One of the most rigid yet strongly followed features of the K-pop music industry is the idol culture. For an artist to start a career in the K-pop music industry, it is essential to abide by the idol culture. That is, for the audience or the listeners, K-pop artists are idols. He or she is someone that the common people look up to. Due to this, the K-pop idols have to maintain a very ‘clean’ image. They have to work on their appearance, abide by a strict diet and abstain from alcohol. Further, the K-pop idols have to remain clean of all criminal allegations and bullying instances.
Fashion and Style Settings
Another highlight of K-pop music is its setting of fashion trends. The K-pop music industry invests a huge amount in demonstrating the latest clothing styles through the musicians. Further, the K-pop singers are also fashioned to be expected trend setters. For instance, K-pop singers like V of BTS, Jennie of Blackpink, G Dragon of Big Bang, are some of the fashion trend setters. The K-pop music industry induces various top fashion designers to design the clothes for the K-pop singers. For instance, Louis Vuitton has been exclusively tied up with BTS, for designing their clothes for events and music videos.
Curious Music Genres
The K-pop music industry is well known for its quirk yet curious music videos. With the songs already being catchy, their music videos will keep the listeners hooked. The K-pop music industry has a probable chance of remaining in the musical forefront due to its myriad music genre videos. For instance, korean band, TXT’s music video of their song, Lover=Loser, has gained praise. The dripping blood, secret doors, and changing surfaces are some of the characteristics specific only to music videos of K-pop songs.
These are the distinct features that set K-pop songs on highlight and separate it from the western music industry. There are various reasons for K-pop songs to be listened to by an increasing number of song lovers. These are discussed in the next section.
Reasons for K-pop Songs Fame
There are many reasons that have added increasingly to the fame for K-pop songs and K-pop artists. These reasons for K-pop songs to be well recognized are:
On Point Choreography
One of the main reasons for K-pop songs to be famous are their strong choreographies. The songs usually are choreographed with hip-hop dance forms, formation and vigorous steps following one after another. The synchronization of the K-pop bands is also one of the major highlights. The K-pop singers are trained well to perform the dance in sync. Further, there is also a hook step for every K-pop song that makes the listeners be enthusiastic about them.
Personalisation
K-pop songs are well known for giving listeners a personalized experience. The songs are made to lead the listeners in connecting with their own situations or experience. This personalized feature of K-pop songs has brought in more interest towards them. For instance, K-pop songs cover topics like mental health, family, motivation, relationships, and different quests of living. This also links the listeners to connect their experiences and provides a pathway for the K-pop singers to reveal their vulnerabilities.
Dual Performances
One of the strongest reasons why K-pop songs are heard in multitudes is the amalgamation of dual performances. The K-pop singers are trained to sing and dance simultaneously. This creates the exciting and surprising elements for the listeners. It also draws more attention, as listeners or watchers are more concentrated towards seeing and listening. The K-pop songs also instill dance moves that actually settle in sync with the lyrics. This further grabs the attention of the listeners. The dual performances also give a complete package of K-pop entertainment, as the people listen and dance, altogether.
Collaborations
K-pop songs have recently grabbed a famed position due to their collaborations with fellow K-pop artists and western singers too. These collaborations bring in double listeners towards the K-pop songs. The fans of both parties unite to listen to the collaborated songs. The collaboration amongst the K-pop artists and western music industry has increased recently. For instance, collaboration of Blackpink with Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, has added to the girl K-pop band’s fame. Similarly, Jhope of BTS and his collaboration with Becky G, has got him international recognition. The collaboration also increases cross-culture connection. It paves a neutral yet effective way of creating a song that diversity can listen to.
Artists Visuals
Faces are the widely regarded reasons for the K-pop songs to be famous. The K-pop singers visuals are highly groomed, to grab the attention of the listeners and the young age group. The K-pop artists are sent into various skin care treatments and have to maintain an ideal weight. The visuals of the K-pop artists have been globally regarded too. This can sometimes pressurize the K-pop artists too, and they might suffer through health and mental disorders. However, in the Korean music industry, the artists and their visuals are of great importance. The audience, too, are very peculiar about how the K-pop artists look. The visuals of K-pop idols have gained global attention too.
These are the reasons for K-pop songs to be famous and globally acclaimed. There are various K-pop songs that have emerged. However, some of them have stood out. The next section has a list of 10 best K-pop songs of 2023.
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10 Best K-pop Songs of 2023
K-pop songs have continuously grabbed momentum and topped national and global charts. Below is a list of 10 best K-pop songs of 2023.
Pink Venom- Blackpink
A comeback almost after 4 years, Blackpink soared up the musical charts due to their song Pink Venom. The song is from their album Born Pink. The song has 90.4 million views on YouTube, on its release day. It has garnered attention due to its catchy beats and the music video concept. The concept of the K-pop music video revolves around dark themes and the quest to break free. The song has also been named as the first song by a girl K-pop band to surpass a billion views. The K-pop singers in Blackpink have also achieved milestones with their single performances.
That That- Psy and Suga
Catchy beats and tapping feets, that is what That That had done to the listeners on its first go. The song is a collaboration with the two K-pop singers, PSY and Suga of BTS. PSY has also been widely recognised on global platforms for his previous hit, Gangnam Style. The song is a part of PSY’s album, PSY 9th. The song was released and considered as a fresh tune after the pandemic was over. The song had surpassed 200 million views on its release day. The song has a backdrop of vintage Korea, and involves rigorous dance steps that will surely make you dance wherever you are.
Run BTS
A masterpiece of the global popstars, BTS, Run BTS is all about withstanding oneself from all the manipulations. The song prioritizes the importance of living each day and being true to one’s identity. The song is a part of BTS’s latest album, Proof. The song has been majorly produced by the band member, Jhope. The song along with the album had topped the Billboards 200 list in 2022. With this, BTS became the only korean band to have topped the Billboard six times with different albums. BTS, is currently, leading amongst the list of best K-pop bands in the world.
Good Boy Gone Bad- Tomorrow X Together
If you want to listen to a perfect blend of angel and devil, Tomorrow X Together’s Good Boy Gone Bad is an ideal choice. The song reflects on the character shift of human beings, as they tumult between good and bad. The song is a part of the K-pop group’s album, Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child. The song has gained popularity due to its shifting backgrounds and the band members’ visuals. The song had surpassed 5.4 million views in only 24 hours since its release. The song also took the band under top 10 of Billboard’s chart.
Anti Fragile- Lee Sserafim
A beat that will keep you dancing and tapping your feet, Anti Fragile by Lee Sserafim is the latest release of the newly entered group amongst girl K-pop bands. The song is a part of the band’s album Anti Fragile, and it also marks their first ever comeback. The song has various parts to be interested in. It includes strong lyrics and an amalgamation of light with striving dance parts. The song has also become a hit amongst the short dance challenges on You Tube, Instagram and Tik Tok. The K-pop singers of Lee SSerafim are known for their pitched vocals, sassy appearance and catchy dance.
HOT- Seventeen
Musical genius and one amongst the K-pop artists who produce self-made songs, Seventeen’s HOT will make you do all its body waves. The song is a part of the band’s latest album, Face the Sun. The song has elements that reflect on the main idea of the album, that is to face one’s fears openly. The concept of the music video has also grabbed the attention of the listeners due to the stark features of the band members. The song has won the Music Bank, topped the Japan charts and gained a nomination in MTV Music Awards in 2022. Apart from the group success amongst list of trending K-pop bands, Seventeen also had solos of group members.
Future Perfect (Pass the Mic)- Enhypen
Debuted just 2 years back and during complete pandemic shut down, Enhypen have not gone slow with their latest release. Their song Future Perfect, Pass the Mic has gained attention due to its glitchy tune and fierce lyrics. The song reflects on the staunch belief of putting out one’s unique voice. The song has got the band three awards from The Show. In addition to this, the band has successfully performed the song on global stage, such as the KCon 2022. They have also performed the song on their first world tour, MANIFESTO. They are one of the most famous K-pop bands of 4th generation K-pop music.
Wa Da Da- Kep1er
One of the new and recent girl K-pop bands to debut, Wa Da Da is the first song of Kepler. The song with its high pitched tone and colorful visuals will surely capture your attention. The song is a part of their first extended play, First Impact. The song got the girl K-pop group their first award on Mnet’s M Countdown. The girl group had also performed the song successfully at the KCon music fest in 2022. Kepler is one amongst the rising K-pop bands, in girl K-pop group category.
Love Dive- IVE
A breath of fresh yet classy air, the song Love Dive by IVE will keep you streaming it again and again! The song is a part of the girl K-pop group’s second album, of the same name. The song has got itself various accolades, both in South Korea and at global levels. The song has won several awards at the recently held Melon Music Awards. The girl group has also successfully performed the song at Kcon Music Fest, held in 2022. The prominent award received by the group for Love Dive is Best Song of the Year, at the MMA 2022.
POP!- Nayeon
The first individual song of Nayeon from TWICE, Pop! made a global impact, with the song being hit on various platforms. The song has the typical elements of enchanting melodies and dance that is easy to do. The song has won various awards, and a total of five awards at the Music Show. The song has also won on SBS Inkigayo in 2022. The song also got Nayeon with the Best Female Artist of the Year at the 2022 MAMA awards.
These are the 10 best K-pop songs of 2023. The songs are well recognised, both by the Korean audience and on global levels.
Conclusion
The article above discusses what the K-pop music is. It also sheds light on the distinct features of K-pop songs. Further, the article also discusses what are the reasons for K-pop songs to be popular. Lastly, the article also has a complete list of 10 best K-pop songs of 2023.
Commonly Asked FAQs
- Who produced the song That That?
The song That That was produced by two K-pop singers, Suga of BTS and PSY.
- Is Pink Venom famous?
The song Pink Venom by Blackpink is a hit, and has gained numerous global awards and nominations. It has also topped major charts like Billboards, iTunes, and more. The K-pop artists are amongst the most famous K-pop bands.
- What are the best K-pop songs of 2023?
The best K-pop songs of 2023 are:
- Run BTS
- Future Perfect(Pass the Mic)
- Pink Venom
- Pop!
- HOT
- Who is the most famous K-pop artist?
Currently, the most famous amongst K-pop artists, is BTS. Other artists, such as Blackpink, Seventeen, are also widely recognized.