This Week’s New Music Recommendations
Note: This weekly list typically goes out to paying subscribers only, but this edition is free, so feel free to share it!
To make up for taking a few weeks off, this week’s list is a MASSIVE compilation of the songs I recommended throughout 2023!
The best K-pop girl group debut songs
aespa, “Black Mamba”
AOA, “ELVIS”
BLACKPINK, “WHISTLE” / “BOOMBAYAH”
Dreamcatcher, “Chase Me”
EVERGLOW, “Bon Bon Chocolat”
EXID, “WHOZ THAT GIRL”
FIFTY FIFTY, “Cupid”
(G)I-DLE, “LATATA”
Girls’ Generation, “Into the New World”
IVE, “ELEVEN”
IZ*ONE, “La Vie en Rose”
Kep1er, “WA DA DA”
LOONA, “favOriTe”
MAMAMOO, “Mr. Ambiguous”
PURPLE KISS, “Ponzona”
Rocket Punch, “BOUNCY”
T-ARA, “Lie”
TWICE, “Like Ooh-Ahh”
Weki Meki, “I don’t like your Girlfriend”
2NE1, “FIRE”
The best K-pop boy group debut songs
AB6IX, “BREATHE”
A.C.E, “CACTUS”
ATEEZ, “Pirate King” / “Treasure”
B.A.P, “Warrior”
BTS, “No More Dream”
B1A4, “O.K”
CNBLUE, “Loner”
DAY6, “Congratulations”
ENHYPEN, “Given-Taken”
EXO, “MAMA”
MONSTA X, “Trespass”
ONEUS, “Valkyrie”
OnlyOneOf, “savanna” / “time leap”
The Rose, “sorry”
SEVENTEEN, “Adore U”
SHINee, “Replay”
Stray Kids, “Hellevator” (I know their official official debut song was “District 9,” but I consider “Hellevator” their official debut for starting off their musical story so well!)
SUPER JUNIOR, “Twins (Knock Out)”
SuperM, “Jopping”
WINNER, “empty” / “Color Ring”
Remixes I recommended
[Alexandros], “Senkou” TeddyLoid Remix
DeVita, “EVITA!” DJ co.kr Remix
Jay Park, “DEJAVU REMIX”
Kep1er, “WA DA DA (Japanese version)” IMLAY Remix
LE SSERAFIM, “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife” (any and every remix!)
NCT 127, “2 Baddies” No Identity Remix
Collaborations I recommended
A.C.E and Hcue, “I Feel So Lucky”
B.I ft. AGNEZ MO, “All shook up”
B.I ft. Kid Milli & Lil Cherry, “Wave”
BSS ft. Lee Young Ji, “Fighting”
CHUU and Kim Yo Han, “Let’s Love”
Crush and ELHAE, “Easier To Hate You”
Defying Decay and Violette Wautier, “Clouds”
DeVita ft. DAWN, “Ride For Me”
Girls2 and iScream, “The Finest”
Hong Jin Young ft. Frawley, “Girl In The Mirror”
Janice Yan ft. Xiao Bing Chih, “Get Over Yourself”
Jea ft. CHEETAH, “Dear. Rude”
Jung Kook ft. Latto, “Seven”
JUNNY ft. BLASÉ, “Optimist”
KEN THE 390 ft. roomR, “Anything Goes”
LE SSERAFIM ft. Nile Rodgers, “UNFORGIVEN”
LONELEE ft. Ellui, “HIGH-END”
Luri ft. Bryn, “Blah Blah”
Mandark ft. Gummy Bear Man, “Sushi”
Marz23 and ØZI, “GASLIGHT”
MAX CHANGMIN and Ha Hyun Woo, “HYBRID”
MINNIE and Anne-Marie, “Expectations”
MIRANI ft. BIG Naughty, “BAD BOY”
NOILION and MIYAVI, “RAYS”
Park Rossi ft. Yumewanaii, “GOSSIP”
PROWDMON and LAS, “RUN RUN”
Ra.D and Sori, “always”
Route 1 ft. Juncoco, “VEGAS”
SEULGI, CHUNG HA, SinB, and JEON SOYEON, “Wow Thing”
SEVENTEEN and Shingo Katori, “BETTING”
SHAUN and Jeff Satur, “Steal The Show”
SKY-HI ft. Taku Takahashi, “D.U.N.K.”
SOOVI ft. Dvwn, “Missing You”
Sori ft. Folded Dragons, “I Am Not Alone”
SOYOU ft. Bora, “ALOHA”
So!YoON! ft. RM, “Smoke Sprite”
Stray Kids ft. Tiger JK, “TOPLINE”
SUDI ft. zemean, “Gummy Bear”
SUGA and Halsey, “Lilith”
SUNMI and BE’O, “Lights Out”
Tonliz ft. Youngcode, “Replay”
TXT and Jonas Brothers, “Do It Like That”
Violette Wautier ft. Patrickananda, “Sick” (Acoustic)
Way Ched and TRADE L, “GET OUT”
Whee In ft. HWASA, “17”
YongYong ft. Kimos, “Lonely dayy”
YUGYEOM ft. Sik-K, “Ponytail”
1THE9 and Crush, “Domino”
Covers I recommended
Cha Eun-Woo, “Stalker”
Doyoung’s collaborations with Justin Hurwitz
Espero, “You Raise Me Up”
Little Glee Monster, “Spring Songs A Capella Medley”
NARIN, “FLOWER”
NCT’s TAEIL, “Time of Our Life”
OMJamie’s violin version of “Seven”
P1Harmony’s cover of “Cupid” and KEEHO’s cover of “TOMBOY”
TWICE’s DAHYUN’s cover of “Good Mood”
Xdinary Heroes, “Welcome To The Black Parade”
More of the songs from Korean artists I recommended
AB6IX, “Sucker for your love”
Agust D, “AMYGDALA”
AILEE, “I’ll hold you”
ASTRO, “Footprint”
ASTRO, “1 In A Million”
ASTRO, “ONE&ONLY”
ASTRO, “By Your Side”
ASTRO, “Merry-Go-Round”
ASTRO, “Candy Sugar Pop”
ATEEZ, “BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)”
ATEEZ, “Wake Up”
ATEEZ, “HALAZIA”
BamBam, “Sour & Sweet”
BDC, “MOON RIDER”
BELLE from KISS OF LIFE, “Countdown”
B.I, “MICHAELANGELO”
B.I, “Truth”
B.I.G, “ILLUSION”
BIG Naughty, “Turbulence”
BLACKSWAN, “Tonight”
Bling Bling, “Oh MAMA”
BLITZERS, “Question Mark”
BLITZERS, “Will Make a Mistake”
BOL4, “FRIEND THE END”
BOL4, “Rome”
BOYNEXTDOOR, “Serenade”
BOYNEXTDOOR, “ABCDLOVE”
THE BOYZ, “Savior”
THE BOYZ, “Escape”
THE BOYZ, “Lighthouse”
Bryn, “Fill Me Up”
BVNDIT, “Dramatic”
CAMO, “MAPSI”
Cherry Bullet, “Whistle Like That”
ChiVee, “Mirage”
CHUU, “Aliens”
Ciipher, “I like you”
CRAVITY, “A to Z”
Crush, “Monday Blues”
DAWN, “I Don’t”
DAWON, “Shooting Star”
D-CRUNCH, “STEALER”
DeVita, “Don’t You Know”
DeVita, “Naughty”
D.O., “Lost”
D.O., “Wonder”
DPR IAN, “Famous Last Words”
DPR IAN, “Don’t Go Insane”
DPR IAN, “So I Danced”
DPR IAN, “Seraph”
DPR IAN, “1 Shot”
DPR IAN, “Mood”
DPR IAN, “Mr. Insanity”
DPR IAN, “Ballroom Extravaganza”
DPR IAN, “Sometimes I’m”
DPR IAN, “Nerves”
DPR IAN, “Welcome to the Other Side”
DPR IAN, “Peanut Butter & Tears”
Dreamcatcher, “REASON”
Dreamcatcher, “Rising”
DreamNote, “GHOST”
DRIPPIN, “BAD BLOOD”
EASTSHINE, “No Matter What I Do”
E’LAST, “NEVERLAND”
E’LAST, “Dark Dream”
EL7Z UP, “Hideaway”
ENHYPEN, “Bite Me”
ENHYPEN, “Karma”
ENHYPEN, “Still Monster”
EPEX, “Hit The Wall”
Eric Nam, “Don’t Leave Yet”
Eric Nam, “I Wish I Wasn’t Me”
EVNNE, “JUKEBOX”
EXO, “Cinderella”
EXO, “No Makeup”
FAVORITE, “Loca”
FIFTY FIFTY, “Cupid”
Forestella, “White Night”
fromis_9, “In the Mirror”
from20, “Bad Revenge”
FTISLAND, “Broken”
GeeGu, “Moonlight”
GHOST9, “X-Ray”
(G)I-DLE, “Allergy”
(G)I-DLE, “Queencard”
(G)I-DLE, “Eyes Roll”
GIRLKIND, “FUTURE”
Girls’ Generation-OH!GG, “Lil’ Touch”
GIUK, “My Blue”
GOT the beat, “Rose”
GreatGuys, “Black&White”
gugudan, “Not That Type”
Han Seungwoo, “Burn”
Hashtag, “Freesm”
HA:TFELT, “La Luna”
HeeJin, “Addiction”
HELLO GLOOM, “Dancing In The Dark”
High School, “Baby You’re Mine”
HOTSHOT, “I Hate You”
H.U.B, “Finale”
HUH YUNJIN, “I ≠ DOLL”
HUH YUNJIN, “love you twice”
iKON, “Tantara”
iKON, “DON’T LET ME KNOW”
Im DAI, “Dying Message”
IMFACT, “NANANA”
IN2IT, “Run Away”
IVE, “Blue Blood”
IVE, “Hypnosis”
IVE, “Holy Moly”
IZ, “ANGEL”
JAMIE, “April Fools (0401)”
JBJ, “My Flower”
JEON SOMI, “The Way”
JEON SOMI, “Fast Forward”
JIHYO, “Nightmare”
Jimin, “Promise”
Jimin, “Set Me Free Pt.2”
Jimin, “Alone”
Jimin, “Like Crazy”
JINI, “Here We Go Again”
Jiselle, “Better This Way”
JO YURI, “Bitter Taste”
JOOHONEY, “FREEDOM”
JUN, “PSYCHO”
Jung Kook, “Hate You”
JUNGSOOMIN, “After the Tone”
JUST B, “Coming Home”
JUST B, “Try”
KAI, “Bomba”
KANGDANIEL, “Wasteland”
KANGDANIEL, “SOS”
KARD, “ICKY”
KEY, “Killer”
KIMSEJEONG, “Over The Rainbow”
KIMSEJEONG, “Sea of Hope”
KIMSEJEONG, “Top or Cliff”
KINGDOM, “SANDCASTLE”
KISS OF LIFE, “Gentleman”
KISS OF LIFE, “Shhh”
KNK, “LONELY NIGHT”
Kwon Jin Ah, “Raise Up The Flag”
LEE CHAE YEON, “I Don’t Wanna Know”
LEE CHAE YEON, “Cave”
Leenzy, “PETER PAN”
LIGHTSUM, “Light it Up”
LIM KIM, “Damn Cold”
Limesoda, “WAVE”
LONELEE, “LEDGE”
LUCY, “I Got U”
Luli Lee, “Skydive”
lusty, “목말라” (“Thirsty”)
MAP6, “I’m ready”
MARMELLO, “Can’t Stop”
MARK, “Golden Hour”
MCND, “nanana”
meenoi, “Cheek To Cheek”
MINZY, “TEAMO”
Miso, “ON N ON”
M.O.N.T, “ANTI-HERO”
MOON BIN, “Desire”
MOON BIN, “Let’s go ride”
Moon Sujin, “Never Let Me Go”
Moon Sujin, “Now”
MOONBIN&SANHA, “Perfumer”
MOONBIN&SANHA, “Madness”
MRCH, “Sunlight”
MYTEEN, “SHE BAD”
NARIN, “APRIL FOOL”
NATTY, “Teddy Bear”
NATURE, “Girls”
NCT DREAM, “Sorry, Heart”
NCT DREAM, “Dreaming”
NCT DREAM, “Countdown (3, 2, 1)”
NCT DREAM, “Bye My First…”
NCT DREAM, “To My First”
NCT DREAM, “ISTJ”
NCT DREAM, “Better Than Gold”
NCT DREAM, “Trigger the Fever”
NCT DREAM, “My Youth”
NCT DREAM, “Walk you home”
NCT 127, “Ay-Yo”
NCT 127, “Skyscraper”
NCT 127, “Space”
NewJeans, “Super Shy”
Nieah, “Not Me”
Nieah, “Teach Me”
NINE.i, “Hurt”
No Sleep Club, aka NSC, “i don’t want [love]”
Nody Cika, “Hatred”
NOIR, “Airplane Mode”
NTX, “Monopolize”
OH MY GIRL, “Queen B”
ONF, “Complete”
OnlyOneOf, “seOul drift”
OnlyOneOf, “candy bOmb”
PENTAGON, “The Game”
PinkFantasy, “Come on”
PIXY, “KARMA”
PLAYBACK, “Want You To Say”
PRISTIN V, “Get It”
PURPLE KISS, “Sweet Juice”
PURPLE KISS, “Biscuit”
PURPLE KISS, “Mistake”
PurpleBeck, “Crystal Ball”
P1Harmony, “Follow Me”
P1Harmony, “Look At Me Now”
P1Harmony, “I Am You”
Red Velvet, “Will I Ever See You Again?”
REN, “Autofill”
REN, “My Story”
Rocket Punch, “So Solo”
Rockit Girl, “Crazy Love”
Rolling Quartz, “Delight”
The Rose, “Back To Me”
The Rose, “Alive”
The Rose, “Eclipse”
Rothy, “Diamond”
Rothy, “BEE”
Route 1, “Butterfly”
SAAY, “ZGZG”
SEVENTEEN, “Diamond Days”
SEVENTEEN, “Dust”
SEVENTEEN, “SOS”
SEVENTEEN, “I Don’t Understand But I Luv U”
SF9, “Fall In Love”
SHINee, “Drive”
SHINee, “Insomnia”
SHOWNU X HYUNGWON, “Love Me A Little”
SHOWNU X HYUNGWON, “Roll With Me”
Soo Joo, “W8ing 4 U”
Sou, “genius complex”
SPECTRUM, “AFTER PARTY”
STAYC, “Teddy Bear”
Stray Kids, “GET LIT”
Stray Kids, “Silent Cry”
Sunny Hill, “NomNomNom”
Suzy, “SObeR”
SWAN, “Twenty”
TAEMIN, “Not over You”
TAEYEON, “All For Nothing”
TAEYONG, “GWANDO”
TAEYONG, “404 File Not Found”
TAN, “FIX YOU”
TAN, “VIOLET”
TARGET, “Beautiful”
THAMA, “Coffee To Go”
Tonliz, “24”
TO1, “Son of Beast”
TRCNG, “WOLF BABY”
TREASURE, “G.O.A.T”
TREI, “Gravity”
TRENDZ, “O.Y.E”
tripleS, “Rising”
tripleS, “Speed Love”
tripleS, “Cry Baby”
tripleS EVOLution, “37.5 Celsius”
tripleS +(KR)ystal Eyes, “Hide & Seek”
TWICE, “BLAME IT ON ME”
TWICE, “SET ME FREE”
TXT, “Devil by the Window”
TXT, “Farewell, Neverland”
TXT, “Skipping Stones”
TXT, “Dreamer”
U-KNOW, “Tarantino”
Ulala Session, “ON MY WAY”
VAV, “She’s Mine”
VIXX, “SAVAGE”
Weeekly, “A+”
Weki Meki, “Crush”
WOODZ, “ABYSS”
WOODZ, “Who Knows”
Xdinary Heroes, “Freddy”
XEED, “Dream land”
XEED, “Priceless”
xikers, “Oh My Gosh”
xikers, “ROCKSTAR”
XODIAC, “Calling”
XRO, “Welcome To My Jungle”
Xydo, “Sweet”
YongYong, “Scribbling”
Younha, “Kaze”
Yubin, “Thank U Soooo Much”
YUKIKA, “NEON”
YURI, “Into You”
ZEROBASEONE, “Kidz Zone”
Zior Park, “MAGIC!”
1TEAM, “ULLAELI KKOLLAELI”
3YE, “OOMM (Out of My Mind)”
100%, “The Truth Is”
9001, “Upside Down”
More of the Japanese songs I recommended
Ami Suzuki, “I just feel good”
Ayumi Hamasaki, “23rd Monster”
Ayumi Hamasaki, “(NOT) Remember you”
BABYMETAL, “Monochrome”
BABYMETAL, “METAL KINGDOM”
BABYMETAL, “Light and Darkness”
BACK-ON, “Chair”
BE:FIRST, “Boom Boom Back”
BiSH, “Patient!!”
BUGVEL, “Summer Party”
GENIC, “Flavor”
INI, “FANFARE”
J SOUL BROTHERS III, “VII CROWNS”
Lilas Ikuta, “Lens”
Little Glee Monster, “Million Miles”
Little Glee Monster, “Ima Kono Tokiwo”
luz, “Ruthless”
Melody & Christine, “In the End”
Melody & Christine, “Halcyon”
milet, “b r o k e n”
MIREI, “Lonely In Tokyo”
MOONCHILD, “ONE BITE”
NAQT VANE, “CHRONIC”
OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM, “White Noise”
ONE N’ ONLY, “Get That - PT-BR ver.”
ONE N’ ONLY, “OPEN”
OnlyOneOf, “chrOme arts”
ORBIT, “tame”
OWV, “Gamer”
Perfume, “Love Cloud”
RADIO FISH, “SUPER STAR”
RADIO FISH, “ZENCHIZENNOU”
Reina Washio, “Say No”
Reol, “Glitter”
Reol, “Final Call”
Reol, “TAKE OFF”
Rude-a, “25”
SCANDAL, “Line of sight”
SIX LOUNGE, “enigma”
Stray Kids, “Hall of Fame”
Stray Kids, “Butterflies”
SUPER★DRAGON, “Tap tap tap!”
SUPER★DRAGON, “Revolution”
TOZ, “DUNK”
TRiDENT, “NEO FUTURE”
TWICE, “Hare Hare”
UVERworld, “VICTOSPIN”
Vicke Blanka, “Revolution”
Who-ya Extended, “ODD ONE OUT”
XIIX, “Citrus”
XY, “Crazy Love”
YOASOBI, “Adventure”
YOASOBI, “SEVENTEEN”
More of the songs I recommended (Chinese, Thai, and more!)
Cyndi Wang, “Insincere”
Edward Chen, “W-A-N-A-N”
G.E.M., “Gloria”
Haven, “Future Somebody”
Janice Yan, “Vroom”
Jeff Satur, “Dum Dum”
Jeff Satur, “Lucid”
Jolin Tsai, “Womxnly”
Jolin Tsai, “Necessary Evil”
JOSH CULLEN, “WILD TONIGHT”
JOSH CULLEN, “Pakiusap Lang”
JUJU, “Bet On Me”
Nana Ou-Yang, “Mama Said”
Ozone, “Duckie”
PINK FUN, “All About You”
PoLin, “Go or Let Go”
SB19, “Crimzone”
Vash Hsu, “Flowers Growing From My Eyes”
WayV, “RODEO”
Whyte, “Finally”
THE7, “Get Loose”
77Ke, “Your Wonderland”
Part two out next week!