At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade.
February 2022 Overall Thoughts
Oof. I predicted February would be slow, and unfortunately I was right. Despite a few big releases, this was one of the driest months I’ve covered in quite some time. On top of that, my reaction to new music tended to be muted, topping out at an “it’s good” mid-8’s rating.
To be honest, I don’t think I’ve heard an instant, top-ten-of-the-year title track since last September. That’s nearly half a year ago, which probably explains why I’m feeling so underwhelmed with K-pop at the moment. There’s no shortage of “good” tracks out there, but I’m really hoping for a super standout to reignite my excitement.
February did not offer this much-desired head rush, though Rocket Punch came close at the last possible opportunity. Instead, too many of this month’s releases played it safe. At the moment, K-pop comebacks feel so predictable, with everyone chasing the same type of imagery and playing within the same toolbox of sounds. There really aren’t many acts with their own unique sound/concept, nor is there much continuity between releases. The other day, I was trying to think of a group who is currently in their “imperial phase” (ie: three or more excellent, back-to-back singles). Now that ONF are out of the picture, I couldn’t think of a single act. Everyone’s just shifting from trend to trend, producer to producer.
Picking my top three of the month was a difficult task. Number one was easy, but the next two felt like throwing darts at a board and randomly pulling winners. I’m probably cheating by sneaking Sorn’s track in there, but beggars can’t be choosers. For my third choice, I’m going with a song that’s had greater staying power on my playlist than I would have thought.
J-pop also slowed to a crawl this month. Releases were largely uneventful, though March promises to be stronger. For now, my listening habits have trended toward old (J-pop and Janet!) favorites. Hopefully 2022 kicks things into gear and offers some new classics. The clock is ticking, K-pop!
Month Cumulative Rating: 7.8
(compiled by averaging the scores of every K-pop review from this month)
J-Pop Highlights
M!LK – Hikari (video)
TOP J-POP SONG OF THE MONTH
Fantastics – Santa Monica Lollipop (review)
K-POP
Honorable Mentions
Apink – Dilemma (review)
Jamie – Pity Party (review)
Jungkook – Stay Alive (review)
STAYC – RUN2U (review)
Taeyeon – INVU (review)
Wonho – Eye On You (review)
TOP THREE SONGS
3. VIVIZ – Bop Bop! (review)
2. Sorn – Sharp Objects (review)
1. Rocket Punch – Chiquita (review)
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of January 2022
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of December 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of November 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of October 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of September 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of August 2021
2010-2020 Archive Here
