K-pop continued to reach new heights in 2024 with more globalization and an economic boost for South Korea. This year we have seen iconic comebacks, songs being viral on TikTok massing thousands of streams, and more infiltration into the overseas mainstream. Some of the songs below are based on my own opinion, if an artist is left out do not take offense.
Untouchable - ITZY / album 'BORN TO BE' released on January 8th
Despite having one member on hiatus (welcome back Lia!), the four members pushed through a powerful concept for this comeback and a world tour titled 'BORN TO BE'. Untouchable is a powerful anthem for women across the world.
DASH - NMIXX / album 'Fe3O4' released on January 15th.
With another changeup in the books, NMIXX showed their charms from vocals, stage presence, and choreography. The song is very catchy and fun and then the changeup gives us a little break in the middle. I have loved NMIXX since debuting with their songs having switch-ups and powerful vocals.
Sugar Rush - BIBI / single album 'Bam Yang Gang' was released on February 13th
BIBI brings back her sultry voice in the second song on this single album. After showcasing a song that could be in musicals, her brand is brought back in Sugar Rush with a catchy beat and rapping. Her key verse went viral on social media for the lyrics. Iconic verse "No artificial sweetener You gon' eat it up 'til yo' teeth hurt I don't need a man for no dessert I got popsicles in my freezer"
Shopper - IU / album 'The Winning" released on February 20th
Vocal queen IU brings us a fun song, and her vocal training is coming out strong. Shopper is all about being greedy and of course shopping! IU is a stellar Korean vocalist with so many tones, techniques and more being showcased across her discography.
Magnetic - ILLIT / album 'SUPER REAL ME' released on March 25th
Formed from the survival show R U NEXT?, ILLIT's debut song Magnetic is a super cute and light song that will make anyone go from sad to happy in just a couple minutes. Magnetic became widely popular across TikTok with many big creators doing the choreography or using the sound for their posts.
Colors - Solar / album ' COLOURS' released on April 30th
Solar is an underrated vocalist from the idol group Mamamoo. She made her solo comeback with COLOURS which continues to showcase her style and acceptance for LGBTQ+. Colors the song has a funky EDM beat, fun lyrics and self-love becoming a great confidence booster. Solar personally invited a local drag house to perform Colors on music show stages.
Woke Up - XG / single released on May 21st
XG brings a bass-heavy rap track with Woke Up. Most notable are the rappers in the group who shine heavily in this song. Jurin, Maya, Harvey, and Cocona known as XG's rapline all have strong lines with Juria, Chisa, and Hinata highlighting the chorus with their vocals.
Supernova - Aespa / released as a single May 13th then on album 'Armageddon' May 27th
An extraterrestrial track from Aespa, heavily addicting with iconic choreography moves. Supernova became a top song for all dancers who frequently cover K-pop songs on TikTok. Aespa follows their powerful girl crush concept with the release of their 1st full album.
Sticky - Kiss of Life / single album released on July 1st
Kiss of Life exploded in popularity due to Sticky, earning their first-ever music show win. It became a staple for this summer with many clips going viral for the choreography, collab dance challenges on TikTok, and overall people being in love with the concept and fun song.
source: https://www.cherrychumagazine.com/entertainment/kiss-of-life-stickyBlush - WOOAH / released as a single on April 8th then on the album 'UNFRAMED" on June 17th
Blush is a love song that is effortlessly fun and cute. WOOAH known for their cute girly concepts brought this addicting song with more difficult choreography than usual. The comeback 'UNFRAMED' presented a new concept for WOOAH and helped gain them more fans than before.
Hurricane - BADVILLIAN / single released on June 24th
BADVILLIAN continues their powerful hip-hop concept from their debut with this single. Hurricane continues a heavy bass sound with a focus on the rap skills of this group. BADVILLIAN recently debuted on June 3rd, they gained attention due to their top-notch dance skills and bad girl concept.
Strawberry Rush - Chuu / album 'Strawberry Rush' released on June 25th
Chuu comes back with another album that can only be described as just Chuu, she brings a level of cuteness and routines that can only be executed by her. Strawberry Rush took me a minute to get into but since then it has been equally addicting with the main bridge and chorus. Chuu embarked on her world tour shortly after its release.
Chk Chk Boom - Stray Kids / album 'ATE' released on July 19th
Stray Kids did not disappoint with this comeback. The experimentation with influences from Latin EDM is strong in Chk Chk Boom with a hype beat mixing with lyrics. 3RACHA worked to create another masterpiece that will be added to their long list of iconic K-pop songs.
