I spend the whole year plucking “buried treasures” from K-pop’s vast slate of albums, and now it’s time for those b-sides to have their own countdown! As usual, some of 2022’s strongest music was never promoted with a glossy video or music show blitz. Over the next two days, I’ll be counting down my forty favorite b-sides of the year.
This countdown encompasses any track that didn’t receive a full music video. This includes album tracks, as well as songs that may have been performed but never actively promoted. It also includes Japanese b-sides from Korean acts. Just like the Top 50 Singles list, all songs here were released between December 1st, 2021 and November 30th, 2022.
Honorable Mentions:
CRAVITY – New Addiction
Oh My Girl – Replay
Mirae – Welcome To The Future
BTOB – Higher
Rocket Punch – In My World
Kwon Eunbi – Simulation
Yena – Pretty Boys
Pentagon – Call My Name
Tempest – Raise Me Up
iKON – Dragon
OnlyOneOf – Gaslighting
Monsta X – Burning Up
Xiumin – Feedback
Yuju – You’re My Americano
Lee Chaeyeon – Danny
2022 YEAR-END MASTERPOST
40. TO1 – TROUBLEMAKER
TO1 embrace their inner rock stars with a bounding track that thrives on its heavy guitar riffs and energetic rapping. (full review)
39. ITZY – FREE FALL
Free Fall‘s gimmicky chorus is sure to polarize, but this is my favorite ITZY song of the year. It’s surprisingly funky and delightfully weird. (full review)
38. GHOST9 – MONSTER
Recorded as part of KBS’s Listen Up series, Monster could have easily been a title track. It’s got all the bells and whistles. Even better, it’s one of the few examples of jarring tempo changes working to enhance a mood. (full review)
37. MIRAE – JUICE
Mirae proves themselves adept at light, funky sounds. Juice surpasses both of their 2022 title tracks thanks to its buoyancy and catchy bubblegum hooks. (full review)
36. OH MY GIRL – PARACHUTE
Speaking of lightness and buoyancy, Parachute is well-named. It unfurls as a gentle glide through beautiful scenery. A giddy chorus acts as rocket fuel to the horizon.
35. KINGDOM – BLINDER
Kingdom excel at their Renaissance Faire schtick, but their secret weapon is genre flexibility. Blinder‘s fizzy EDM showcases that asset with gusto. You’ve gotta love its climactic high note. (full review)
34. BRAVE GIRLS – LOVE IS GONE
Brave Girls harness their dancefloor supremacy for a disco throwback that hits all the right notes. The track swirls with gleeful abandon, centered by the group’s strong vocal performance.
33. BAE173 – ANNOYED
Another Brave Sound production, BAE173’s Annoyed throws back to an earlier K-pop generation, when heartbreak fused with club beats to create a dramatic, strobe-lit fantasia. (full review)
32. CHUNGHA – LOVE ME OUT LOUD
Dance music is an excellent venue for heart-on-your-sleeve catharsis. Love Me Out Loud plays as a galvanizing confessional, anchored by its gutsy chorus. (full review)
31. H1-KEY – HEART LIGHT
The summer smash that never was, Heart Light merges punky guitar with pinwheeling dance beats to create an anthemic mix that put this rookie group on the map. (full review)
30. IVE – MY SATISFACTION
IVE’s discography may be small, but they have a strong track record. My Satisfaction is my favorite IVE b-side — a song that takes advantage of their vocals and delivers a killer shot of attitude underlined by tense percussion. (full review)
29. OH MY GIRL – BLINK
This is the kind of funky summertime pop that Oh My Girl do best. It feels like an aural sequel to YooA’s Diver, highlighted by a sing-along post-chorus that sends the track soaring. (full review)
28. DREAMCATCHER – FAIRYTALE
I love when Dreamcatcher embrace the cheesier elements of stadium rock. Fairytale smooths their edgy sound and injects a hearty dose of pop melody. It’s hard to resist something this upbeat. (full review)
27. DRIPPIN – TRICK AND TREAT
DRIPPIN took a hard heel turn with the pummeling rock of Trick And Treat. Its incessant shoutiness shouldn’t work, but the song has its tongue in its cheek and delivers a youthful energy that begs you to chant along. (full review)
26. SF9 – DRIVER
SF9 pull off smooth funk better than most groups. Driver adds a synth-fueled breeziness to that recipe, resulting in an incredible chorus that will sweep you off your feet. (full review)
25. WINNER – 10 MIN
10 Min‘s icy synth palette fueled many a summer day this year. Its chorus is a major standout, but the entire track drips with personality and energy. (full review)
24. LE SSERAFIM – THE GREAT MERMAID
The Great Mermaid reminds me so much of f(x)’s quirky electropop. This is a sound I’ve missed in K-pop and LE SSERAFIM revive it with flair. That chorus is delightfully edgy. (full review)
23. JINJIN & ROCKY – LOCK DOWN
Jinjin and Rocky are a fun match on the groovy Lock Down. Its thumping bassline is lethal, pushing the song forward with a single-minded intensity until we hit the bombastic chorus. (full review)
22. VERIVERY – VELOCITY
A brisk house track like Velocity is practically made for me. I love this unflagging energy. It’s like being strapped into a race car and slamming on the accelerator. (full review)
21. GIRLS’ GENERATION (SNSD) – YOU BETTER RUN
Girls’ Generation are a formidable match on the bold You Better Run. The clamorous chorus is an off-kilter beauty, fusing chants and high notes with an ear-catching instrumental that’ll make you think twice about messing with this group. (full review)
