Much like the previous years, KPOP has become more widespread and a globally consumed genre. While the year of 2020 may have been god awful, KPOP brought us so many bangers that helped us get through the year. Here are the CelebMix Top 10 KPOP singles of 2020.
Honourable mentions
G-Friend – MAGO
(G)IDLE – Oh My God
Everglow – LA DI DA
10) TWICE – Cry For Me
Released just a couple of days ago, Cry For Me is hands down the best single from the girls of Twice in 2020. The dark and slightly sensual concept showed a completely different side of the group and they devoured the track. With each new concept Twice enter into, they only get stronger but Cry For Me is one of the best Twice singles to date and by far their best 2020 release. JYP we need a music video immediately.
9) Irene and Seulgi – Monster
To make a debut you need a track that encompasses every single strength you have, and that’s exactly what Monster did for Irene and Seulgi. The first Red Velvet subunit brought confidence, sexiness and power into their debut and crafted a brilliant song out of it. Monster is just the tip of the iceberg of the potential of this duo and hence landed themselves in our top 10 of the year.
8) Baekhyun – Candy
Candy is as addictive as the sweets themselves, blending the R’n’B sound that Baekhyun thrives in, with synth-pop to make the track that tiny bit sweeter. Stepping outside of his EXO and SuperM duties, Candy solidified his status as one of South Korea’s best soloists.
7) IU ft Suga – Eight
The collaboration we always wanted but never truly knew if we would ever get. 2020 blessed us with South Korea’s biggest female star IU collaborating with global powerhouse Suga from BTS. Eight is the most nostalgic song brimming with heartache, reminiscing and could not be more relevant for a year filled with quarantine. P.S, can we please get a live performance together very soon?
6) TXT – Blue Hour
Debuting only last year, TXT has already built up a reputation of never missing with their discography, and Blue Hour is no exception. Containing the catchiest pre-chorus and chorus of 2020, Blue Hour is pure infectious funk-pop that in a year of so much grey, it creates a bright spot in our lives.
5) Stray Kids – Gods Menu
Stray Kids have been steadily growing since their 2018 debut but Gods Menu cooked up a whole new future for the group. Gods Menu encompasses everything Stray Kids are about: being unique, confident in their work and knowing they are in fact, THOSE boys. Doing loud, bold and in-your-face music at its finest, Gods Menu will for sure remain a staple song in Stray Kids career.
4) Taemin – Criminal
Being twelve years into your career and still out-doing your previous releases is hard work but Taemin truly outdid himself with Criminal. The sensual beat contrasts the dark lyrics of being trapped with someone you know all too well is bad for you but you can’t get enough of them. Criminal is a song that only Taemin could have performed, and he completely bodied it.
3) BLACKPINK – Lovesick Girls
Known for their confident, bold and overwhelmingly badass concepts, Lovesick Girls is the complete 180 from the BLACKPINK sound we all know and we are obsessed with it. Co-written by Jisoo and Jennie (who also helped to compose it) the early 2010s pop sound is exactly the concept BLACKPINK needed to try and the results were flawless.
2) ITZY – Wannabe
As soon as Ryujin opened this song, we knew it was instantly going to be a banger. Wannabe is THE self-love anthem of 2020, reminding us all that we are great just the way we are and to not let others affect how we view ourselves. ITZY devoured 2020 and Wannabe is 90% of the reason for doing so.
1-BTS – Black Swan
Our number one KPOP song of 2020 goes to Black Swan. The emo hip-hop track kicked started their phenomenal year bounces off the themes of fearing losing their passion for music and comparing the idea to dying. Released back in January, Black Swan has remained one of their most critically acclaimed songs and been marked as a must listen to from their outstanding album Map of the Soul: 7. This track embodies the passion the septet have for their craft and reminds anyone who listens to it exactly why they are at the top of their game right now.
So what was your favourite KPOP song released in 2020? Let us know by tweeting the CelebMix account!