Every year, DAZED magazine publishes their list of the top 40 K-pop songs that ruled their playlist. Unlike other publications that mostly don’t structure their list like a chart and add songs randomly in no chronological order, DAZED justifies the placement of each song and gives them a definitive order.
Last year, ONF’s Beautiful Beautiful took the crown for best k-pop song, with Key’s Bad Love in second place and Brave Girls’ After We Ride in third.
With new groups debuting this year, the K-pop market is saturated with hits, many of which made it into DAZED magazine’s Top 10 “Best K-Pop Songs of 2022”.
DAZED Magazine’s Top 10 “Best K-Pop Songs of 2022”
10) Gasoline by Key
Key’s single Gasoline was released on August 30th and currently has over 3.5 million streams on Spotify.
The song is a hip-hop dance track with an addictive chorus that perfectly showcases the artist’s own musical style. He also adds lyrics where he talks about how to stay passionate and dedicated to your craft and not be blinded by success and fame.
9) Talk That Talk by TWICE
TWICE’s Talk That Talk was released on August 26 and has over 105 million streams on Spotify. It’s a retro pop song that brings back the Y2K feel. The K-pop song is an addictive dance number that talks about how when it comes to love, we talk about what we think.
According to DAZED magazine, the girl group has developed their own brand of spirited pop that ensures their continued success in the music industry.
8) Pop! by Nayeon
Nayeon’s debut single Pop! reminiscent of old school cute K-pop songs, very similar to 2016 TWICE. Released on June 24, the song has amassed over 139 million streams on Spotify.
Pop! is a fresh take on bubblegum pop and was a very welcome departure from the dark concepts that saturate K-pop.
7) Attention by NewJeans
NewJeans caught everyone’s attention with their debut single, Attention, released on August 1st. The song won them huge support not only at home but also in the world as they became super newcomers overnight.
Attention went viral for its fresh Y2K concept, hypnotic key changes and repetitive chorus. He currently has over 116 million streams on Spotify.
6) Good Boy Gone Bad by TXT
Good Boy Gone Bad, released on May 9, was the title track of TXT’s latest album, minisode 2: Thursday’s Child. The group has delivered another rocking masterpiece with a K-pop song, and it looks like they’ve finally found their own sound.
The song’s lyrics talk about a boy breaking up with his first love and the changes he goes through in the process, the pain of which is perfectly delivered by the members’ husky vocals. The song has received over 82 million streams on Spotify.
5) BTBT by B.I & Soulja Boy (ft. DeVita)
BTBT was B.I’s pre-release single released on May 13 to kick off his official comeback and the song became an instant hit. The choreography for BTBT became a successful TikTok challenge, with celebrities from around the world participating, and the song has had over 72 million streams on Spotify.
B.I is known for his impeccable production skills and ability to write heady love songs like Love Scenario and his R&B number BTBT is a perfect blend of both.
4) Antifragile by Le Sserafim
Le Sserafim’s song Antifragile was released on October 17 and became an instant TikTok hit thanks to its catchy hook and easy-to-follow choreography. The K-pop song is described as an Afro-Latin style pop genre song.
The song talks about their ability to stay strong and unscathed even in the face of adversity, which could be a reference to the Kim Garam scandal. Despite the mixed response to the track upon its release, Antifragile has become a staple of every playlist and currently has over 85 million streams on Spotify.
3) Guerrilla by ATEEZ
ATEEZ’s Guerilla was released on July 29th and has over 26 million streams on Spotify. The track combines the strengths of the hip-hop and R&B genres to give listeners a powerful and loud wake-up call to let go of their fears and live life to the fullest.
It perfectly captures ATEEZ’s unique sound, which is a combination of powerful rap verses and a cacophony of loud melodies and has over 26 million streams on Spotify.
2) Love Dive by IVE
IVE made waves both in South Korea and around the world with their debut single Love Dive, making them the next big girl group to watch out for. They released the song on April 5th, which has amassed over 202 million streams on Spotify.
IVE ventured into the electropop genre with the song, and the heavy use of percussion added a trance-like quality to the chorus. Combining self-love and narcissism, Love Dive is a song about falling deeply in love with yourself.
1) RING ma Bell by Billlie
Released on August 31, Billie’s song RING ma Bell was crowned DAZED magazine’s best K-pop song of 2022. Rookie girl group Billie, who only debuted in 2021, has already established themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
The K-pop track is heavily influenced by 70s hard-rock and the girls live up to it. The quirky song has over 4.9 million streams on Spotify and is an underrated gem that everyone should listen to at least once before the end of 2022.
2022 was the year of girl groups, as six songs by female K-pop artists made it into Dazed’s top 10 best K-pop songs, with four of those songs coming from newly debuted girl groups. With the arrival of a new generation of groups in K-pop, 2023 will be sonically interesting.