The Top 25 K-Pop Music Videos of 2023 So Far

Part two of the top 50 countdown!

Aug 17, 2023

Catch up on part one of this countdown here!

#25: MAMAMOO+, “GGBB”

“GGBB” lets MOONBYUL and SOLAR’s distinct dynamic as a duo shine, but the music video also allows for their individual styles to stay front and center. They rock coordinating but not identical outfits, and parts of their dance routine are performed among separate groups of dancers, while both groups still take cues from each other. They work off of each other’s energy in a natural and entertaining way; they personalize their roles in ways that enhance, rather than distract from, their subunit’s image. The video also brings out the colorful character of the song itself: The backhanded compliments pack an extra punch when sung while the duo dances together instead of with their exes, grinning from ear to ear. “GGBB” lets both MOONBYUL and SOLAR be themselves, effectively bringing the song’s “I’m comfortable on my own” message to life.

#24: BSS ft. Lee Young Ji, “Fighting”

SEVENTEEN’s usual theatrical flair is front and center in this subunit’s music video. The whole town gets in on the fun, making the premise a cross between a flash mob and an attempt to get all the citizens to turn their frowns upside-down. The members send their message through details that bring to mind a stage performance, like a car that is later revealed to be just a stationary prop. Confetti blasts, bursts of sparks that emerge from a drink, and a racetrack setting are extra fun details, even if not also intentional nods to previous SEVENTEEN videos! Read more about the corresponding album here!

#23: DAWN, “Dear My Light”

“Dear My Light” is refreshing for the ways it highlights what many hidden facets of lasting love resemble. The video shows DAWN posing as if he is an art exhibit, displaying one form after another of what it really looks like to still care about someone after they have left your life romantically. Continuing to love someone after setting them free does not just resemble a peaceful smile or obvious pain. It looks like running in slow-motion (back to or far away from something is up to interpretation). It looks like lying on a stretcher, leaning over a sink, being attached to a harness (again, whether the harness symbolizes a chance to fly higher than ever or a puppeteer’s strings is up to interpretation). It looks like being stuck in a daze during a press conference. It looks like standing alone in the freezing cold. The list goes on and on, and DAWN’s variety in how he conceptualizes his emotional state makes for a thoughtful and nuanced portrayal.

#22: TAEYONG, “SHALALA”

TAEYONG creatively brings to life his highs and lows and adds silver linings to all his memories, having fun with hypotheticals… The “T or Y” teaser videos have a “Choose Your Own Adventure” format; viewers are directed to a different video depending on which letter they click after watching the first one. TAEYONG also considers alternate storylines by cosplaying as four different characters from four different eras in “SHALALA.” He considers the ways things would have or could turn out differently by traveling through space and time while framing uncertainties as possibilities. He asks himself, “Who was I?,” “Who am I?,” and “Who do I want to be?,” making SHALALA and its visual components feel like not just his diary brought to life, but his vision board too. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#21: KAI, “Rover”

Contrasting with his debut era’s timeline, when he released a concept-clarifying short film prior to the album and main music video, Rover and the title track video came out before this era’s short film. The former release schedule ensured KAI’s cinematic story got started on his own terms, and this era’s reversed schedule enables longer-term fan investment, now that the keys are in the audience’s hands. Leaving this chapter up to interpretation is not just smart marketing but fertile ground for more surprising storytelling, which KAI skillfully delivers. While paying homage to Billy Elliot, KAI contemplates who he truly is and tries out many alter egos, even using different fake IDs. Thoughtful details add to his image as an uncertain but determined voyager, like his ripped, weathered jeans, a dance move that resembles moving luggage, and his many facial expressions while in a wig department. He reveals hints of fear between periods of cockiness, subtle expression changes that prove his knack for acting. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#20: JISOO, “FLOWER”

“FLOWER” is about gracefully parting ways with a lover and focusing on one’s relationship with oneself instead, emphasized by JISOO ripping off a necklace that has come to represent her former relationship. She also proves to be her own biggest fan by treating herself to an exquisite wardrobe and luxurious travel. She has fun on her own, shows off dance moves that mimic a flower blooming, and dresses as the epitome of elegance. “FLOWER” is all about JISOO blooming on her own terms.

#19: IVE, “Kitsch”

From a self-portrait mural to wings on fire, this video makes the most out of a minimal amount of props. IVE also make statements less ambiguously, including “YOU’RE SO WEIRD, DON’T CHANGE” in neon lights and “Rock, not guns. Culture, not violence” on the backs of their varsity jackets. “Kitsch” is both catchy and eye-catching, especially because the members are pros at interacting with the camera. They shine in individual scenes, transfixing viewers with confident stares and smiles, and they then shine even brighter in scenes where they dance as a confident collective. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#18: Billlie, “EUNOIA”

“EUNOIA” is the kind of video worth watching more than once to catch all of the references in it to previous music videos. It continues Billlie’s ongoing narrative, but they also encounter new symbols, indications that the ways the alternate reality is creeping into their “real world” are evolving and expanding. They further complicate their story by declining a call from Billlie Love, the missing girl around which their entire mission is centered. Do the members really want to find Billlie Love? Are they scared to confront someone they have implied they previously mistreated? Are they delaying the inevitable, or is the missed call a mere technical issue? “EUNOIA” both revisits preexisting story elements and introduces new questions, keeping the mystery alive and exciting. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#17: COOING, “The Milky Way”

“The Milky Way” is one of the most aesthetically pleasing music videos of 2023 so far. There are celestial scenes, technicolor ones, and some that keep the attention on cryptic symbols, like red flowers that become black feathers and tiny orbs that provide pops of color. The visual stunners collide at times, like when COOING floats through outer space wearing black wings that are on fire and when a blue butterfly enters a colorful, flower-filled space. Backgrounds and props aside, COOING captivates with her outfit choices and the color contrasts they correspond with, including a silver ensemble worn in a white room and a black outfit worn in front of a green glow. Yet another way COOING keeps the viewing experience stimulating is with an optical-illusion-style moment: the planets appear either trapped in a picture frame or behind a window.

#16: Jimin, “Set Me Free Pt.2”

Literally and metaphorically, Jimin’s backup dancers can be interpreted as guiding and elevating him, but they can just as easily be seen as trapping and holding leverage over him. The lyrics attest to this tension, while the German poem on Jimin’s shirt voices a commitment to never giving up trying to get unstuck… Like Jimin sings in “Like Crazy,” he wants to be “lost in the lights” forever, and realizing this is impossible both “sets him free” and terrifies him. FACE lays bare Jimin’s attempts to make sense of the messiness of life, and he impresses with how he distills that messiness into concise songs and eye-catching choreography. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#15: JUN, “PSYCHO”

JUN questions who the real freaks in this world are while unleashing his own inner freak, and he wonders which norms need to be destroyed while literally destroying things! He effectively acts out the song’s themes in subtler ways too. There is an unsettling, mad gleam in his eyes as he unleashes a maniacal laugh that makes the line between laughs and screams feel comically flimsy… he decides to embrace his inner madness, choosing screaming/laughing instead of clinging to apathy, like he once did while walking on a treadmill, just going through the motions of daily life… JUN shows the seismic impacts each individual can have on an environment, how easy it is to redefine go-to behaviors and attitudes, and how jumbled one’s feelings can get upon unleashing that potential. Read more here!

#14: Dreamcatcher, “BONVOYAGE”

This video has plenty of Easter eggs in it to please superfans but plenty of different visual spectacles to keep more casual viewers engaged too. Dreamcatcher play a cross between witches and superheroes, using their powers to give the newly-accessed dimension a makeover! There are countless sights to soak in, some simply pretty (like flowers and butterflies), and others suspenseful plot points (like explosions and force fields). Read more about the corresponding album here!

#13: LE SSERAFIM ft. Nile Rodgers, “UNFORGIVEN”

LE SSERAFIM go beyond maintaining an uncompromising self-presentation and dare to get even bolder! They rock Wild-West-approved outfits and dance on saloon tables. The party gets even better when they switch into coordinating, denim outfits and perform choreography that involves cute hand-holding. They show themselves as fine with being “UNFORGIVEN” for having a party wherever they go, and they then make sure others know they too can have fun as unapologetic, norm-breaking misfits! They dress like outlaws to prove there can be fun in being outcasts, and they embrace an outsider image through prioritizing friendship over fitting in. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#12 and #11: WOODZ, “ABYSS”...

“ABYSS” speaks volumes with its library/bookstore setting: in a place dedicated to sharing others’ stories and interacting with others, when do the people facilitating the sharing get to do the sharing? WOODZ spends his days giving others what they want and need, both materially and emotionally, but it is not reciprocated. There are many ways to interpret the music video and many other aspects of it that are worth pondering, making this single pack as powerful of an emotional punch as any longer release can. Read more here!

… and “Journey”

Picking up right where the “ABYSS” video leaves off, WOODZ wanders through the same building, but with a new level of self-awareness. Previously, he succumbed to literal darkness, lying in a dark and empty room, all the fight taken out of him. Now, he roams all over the place, indoors and outdoors, diamonds dropping in his wake. “ABYSS” visually represents feeling trapped, and “Journey” does not necessarily depict the opposite. Rather, “Journey” portrays newfound resolve to stop feeling trapped, to value oneself enough to give oneself permission to explore without a clear destination in mind. WOODZ gives himself grace to not have a clear answer, which allows him to soak in the journey. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#10: ENHYPEN, “Sacrifice (Eat Me Up)”

This video is a visually arresting way to make the group’s supernatural story come alive. As detailed in previous 17 Carat K-Pop podcast episodes and articles, ENHYPEN’s music video world has rich lore that involves everything from mythological references to vampire characters lost in thought about the concept of immortality. The thought-provoking, complex story is done justice by this visual marvel, which depicts the characters’ movements throughout the Heaven-to-Hell spectrum. Smart symbol usage (like the porch swing that represents tying someone down, rather than the expected representation of freedom and joy) keeps the interest of fans who are emotionally invested in the narrative, while the stunning visuals keep the interest of more casual viewers.

#9: PURPLE KISS, “Sweet Juice”

In a fictional universe where a group of witches nicknamed “Purky” fend off evil forces, everyone must stay on high alert. Warnings to not look behind the doors and to not pick up the phone are loud and clear. But the “Purky” show a naive degree of confidence, causing their battles against the evil spirits to persist. They have the upper hand in some moments and appear victorious, with their cold stares and entrancing vocals. But in other scenes, they are literally pushed around and taunted by the invisible spirits. The “Sweet Juice” music video has many twists and turns and keeps the fate of “Purky” a mystery. The sinister story further impresses with its specific aesthetic. The group’s wardrobe combines preppy and prom-ready styles, shimmery makeup, and, naturally, a deep shade of purple. Their carefully-curated visuals keep their characters consistent and sink viewers deeper into the “Sweet Juice” video.

#8: KANGDANIEL, “SOS”

“SOS” is a mini-movie that mixes horror, western, action, and apocalyptic story elements for a fast-paced, absorbing spectacle. All the simultaneous sources of chaos - explosions, physical fights, dark magic rituals - make the post-action scene feel suspicious in its lack thereof. The enemies who were after KANGDANIEL moments ago now appear as identical tombstones in the quiet desert. KANGDANIEL wins a battle, but no one wins a war; the video has neither a big-picture resolution nor a solution for KANGDANIEL’s sense of eternal searching. Read more here!

#6 and #7: (G)I-DLE, “Allergy” and “Queencard”

(G)I-DLE indulge in the aesthetic realm of nineties and early-aughts teen comedies but rewrite the endings to be refreshingly real. “Allergy” and “Queencard” are two parts of the same story, the former ending with SOYEON ready for plastic surgery and the latter showing her suddenly running away, deciding she doesn’t need it. The story could have stopped there, as just a straightforward “from insecure to secure” narrative. Instead, they opt for a messier ending: SOYEON does realize she is beautiful as she is, but she does not completely fall in love with herself either. (G)I-DLE gain confidence during their new videos, but they are playing characters at the end of the day. Behind the scenes, as their song lyrics attest, they continue to crave admiration and feel compelled to cater to society’s standards. Unlike in the movies, where characters’ decisions can seem detached from the world in which they live, (G)I-DLE do not deny the social factors that influence them. Everything can feel rosy at the end of a movie, but (G)I-DLE’s story arcs are more nuanced. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#5: Agust D, “AMYGDALA”

The “AMYGDALA” video, named after a part of the brain that processes traumatic memories, visually represents the process of unpacking those memories. Agust D separates parts of himself, sending one on a mission to reenact past incidents while the other stays safe indoors. The former starts the process, recreating the circumstances of Agust D’s real-life bike accident. He suddenly aborts that mission when sensing trouble back home, and sure enough, the Agust D who’s indoors is in a mentally harmful place. The freshly-unsealed memories are making his mindset worse before it gets better, and the indoor Agust D tries to create distance from his own mind back in that room. He sprints toward the exit, and not only is it locked, but his odds of opening it decrease in real time. The floor becomes more and more slanted, harder and harder to climb, and a downpour blurs his vision. He eventually gives up and simply lies there on the slanted floor, the other Agust D leaning against the other side of the door.

The video’s ending can be seen as tragic, since Agust D’s attempt to expunge trauma from his mind has faltered and he never reunites with his other self. But there is reason to see a glimmer of hope: The outdoor Agust D never abandons the indoor one, staying as close to his side as he can get. Plus, indoor Agust D manages to stay where he is, rather than sliding back down to where the climb started. His therapy is far from over, but it is premature to say it has failed; he is farther along than where he started, and he knows he can overcome future periods of pressing “pause” and soldiering on if he continues to be his own biggest supporter. Being the opposite of his own worst enemy makes an arduous process manageable. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#4: AB6IX, “LOSER”

Even when the purposes of the decor and props in the “LOSER” music video are hard to nail down, their presence is worthwhile for at least aesthetic reasons! A vibrant purple sky, bursts of dark smoke, a coffin, and stained-glass church windows create an ominous but visually stunning atmosphere. The scenes are also filled with symbols of light and hope, including glowing butterflies and newly-blossomed flowers. The video has engaging twists and turns, the most clever one being their spin on a voodoo doll concept. One of the members appears trapped in a life-size maze, but it turns out to just be a tabletop diorama. What the normal-size members do to the tiny one affects the normal-size version. The video’s other puzzles include a billboard that says “Lost & Found” and blocks the end of a tunnel. The members run toward this exit, getting closer to what they’ve been looking for, but it is a dead end at the same time. The coexisting feeling of being stuck and being close to a reprieve matches the juxtaposition of “LOSER”’s upbeat sound and bleak lyrics! AB6IX ace their assignment, sonically and visually embodying the concept of being lost but knowing, as the album title suggests, the future is still theirs for the taking.

#3: ENHYPEN, “Bite Me”

“Bite Me” is certainly alluring, but its regal wardrobe, magical powers, and flirty dance moves are only parts of the appeal. As always, ENHYPEN’s video is a must-watch for reasons deeper than aesthetics. They use a naturally attention-grabbing premise - vampires with an elaborate backstory and ongoing quest - to explore themes ranging from desired legacies to intertwined love and loss. With embellished attire, smooth moves, and superpowers including levitation, “Bite Me” effectively stokes interest in the characters behind the arresting imagery. Read more about the corresponding album here!

#2: TXT, “Sugar Rush Ride”

The magical island setting of “Sugar Rush Ride” is absolutely breathtaking, but it has hidden gems too, specifically the ways it brings to life the deeper context of the corresponding concept album:

“The ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ music video features the members reveling in picturesque spots on the island, letting the world become a carefree, colorful blur around them, where nothing seems to matter and the passage of time is a non-issue. Their worries float away like the colorful butterflies that surround them. But TXT know enough by now to not fully fall for the mirage. Deep down, they recognize the deception within this utopia. Their moment of bliss is just a moment, a temporary ‘sugar rush’ of tantalizing, sweet freedom…”

17 Carat K-Pop

The Top 25 K-Pop Music Videos of 2023 So Far

Part two of the top 50 countdown!

Discussion about this post