As long as I could remember, the genre of K-pop instantly led me down a rabbit hole of hip hop/R&B/pop combinations, and quickly took over my Spotify playlists and taste in music. The fusion of musical genres make the songs really catchy and I just can’t stop listening. The choreography is absolutely amazing though it factors into the hearing experience noticeably less. I hope I can get you falling down this rabbit hole soon too. These are my current top ten K-pop songs in no particular order. Enjoy!

illa illa by B.I: illa illa is the title track of B.I’s first album as a solo artist, WATERFALL. This album is a story of his musical journey and the struggles he had along the way. B.I debuted as the boy group iKon’s leader in 2015 and left the group in 2019 due to a drug controversy. illa illa is about the challenges he faced while pursuing his passions. The title of the song translates to the word ‘beach’ and this specific combination of trap and pop music definitely makes me think of the sea.

Starry Night by Mamamoo: From Mamamoo’s sixth album, Yellow Flower, this song delivers catchy lyrics and uptone beats. The MV of this song is haunting but very interpretive. One very unique part of this MV is that it contains the lyrics “the stars are shining” in Korean Sign Language incorporated into the choreography.

La Di Da by Everglow: La Di Da is the title track of the girl group Everglow’s second mini-album, -77.82X-78.29. This intense synth pop song is one of Everyglow’s most energetic songs by switching between vocal slams and instrumental breaks. It’s climax is very intense and accompanied by some amazing choreography.

Eight by IU and Suga: IU and Suga collaborated to create the digital single Eight. Despite both being extremely high profile K-pop artists, fans were worried the product would just be another one of many boring ballad collaborations but it definitely did not disappoint. The instrumental along with Suga’s rap and IU’s airy voice make this rock infused pop song incredible.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears by BTS: BTS is possibly the most famous boy group and if I were to be entirely accurate, there would be two BTS songs on this list, but I did not want to repeat artists or groups. Blood, Sweat, and Tears is my favorite song of theirs and the title track of the group’s second studio album, Wings. The lyrics are about uncertainty and growth and the choreography is more intense than the climaxes, which are already very intense. This track fools you into thinking the song will be a simple hip hop ballad by the opening instrumental but shatters that thought soon afterwards.

Aurora by ATEEZ: Aurora is the fifth track in boy group ATEEZ’s third mini album, One to all. ATEEZ is widely known for their dream-like hip hop ballads and Aurora is the epitome of that. The MV does not have the intense choreography that other songs have, but it matches the song itself very well.

Howling by VICTON: Howling is the title track of the boy group VICTON’S sixth mini album. I have always been amazed at the choreography in this MV. The song itself is nothing too special in the K-pop world – just another hip hop rap tune, but the choreography brought it to life for me. This song doesn’t really have a climax anymore and it’s something that I like about it. No matter how you look at this track, it doesn’t fit in any one box.

Anti-Romantic by TXT: Anti-Romantic is the first track in boy group TXT’s second studio album Freeze. This is a R&B ballad that covers it’s depressing lyrics in happy beats and beautiful voices. This MV is also really cheery for a song about losing faith in love.

Deja Vu by Dreamcatcher: Deja Vu was the reason K-pop ever came into my life. It is the title track of girl group Dreamcatcher’s first special album, Raid of Dream. Deja Vu is a pop-rock track about how everyone gets yes, deja vu of the painful realities in life. The song is hauntingly beautiful and has some amazing and dramatic climaxes that fade away as fast as they appeared.

How you like that by BLACKPINK: How you like that is the first track of girl group BLACKPINK’s first studio album, The Album. This song has elements of hip hop, pop, EDM, and trap music which sums up the BLACKPINK experience. I particularly like this song because of the MV and how the members are absolute girl bosses but the song itself is also quite catchy.