A few years ago, I took a look back at my top K-pop songs of 2016 and did some reshuffling. To be honest, that list still needs a couple slight changes to be totally accurate in my current thinking, but rather than be overly fussy I’d like to move onto the following year.
2017’s K-pop slate was quite strong, with a handful of legendary songs at the top. Here’s my updated ranking, now that I’ve had nearly seven (!) years for songs to rise, fall and settle in their rightful places.
10. Produce 101 Season 2 – Pick Me
Movement: ↓ 4
What I Said Then: “Pick Me concentrated all of its performers’ toil and desperation and laid it bare over three minutes of immense EDM catharsis. Not only was it catchy as all get out, but its go-for-broke spirit and unending energy demanded attention, climaxing in the year’s biggest, most euphoric chorus.”
What I Say Now: This is still the high water mark for survival series theme songs, but the sheer glut of them since 2017 has blunted Pick Me‘s power just a bit. Still, listening to this feels like being swept back to a simpler time.
9. Seventeen – Don’t Wanna Cry
Movement: ↓ 5
What I Said Then: “From its plaintive, melancholic verses to that gorgeous, drum-filled build, Cry is a deftly arranged set-up for its sucker-punch of a hook. The chorus may not be as complex as most Seventeen singles, but the guys squeeze more emotion from the titular refrain than most groups managed all year long.”
What I Say Now: I was really high on Seventeen’s discography this year. I haven’t gone back to it as much as expected since then, but Don’t Wanna Cry still stands as their biggest, most cathartic moment in 2017. It’s the rare trend-based track that manages to sound completely timeless.
8. BLACKPINK – As If It’s Your Last
Movement: ↑ 3
What I Said Then: “BLACKPINK may have only released one (!) song this year, but it was a doozy. By merging their dual sounds into one celebratory summer anthem, the girls delivered their most addictive hit yet. “
What I Say Now: Isn’t that exclamation mark cute? Imagine thinking that one song a year from BLACKPINK was surprising. The group may not have deepened their discography much since 2017, but As If It’s Your Last remains their most glittering pop pinwheel. It has become a deserved summer staple.
7. Wanna One – Energetic
Movement: =
What I Said Then: “It’s a song chock full of moments, from the charismatic playfulness of the rap verses to the chugging electro thomp of the chorus. But it’s the group’s indelible personality that truly makes Energetic soar.”
What I Say Now: Energetic retains its position at number seven even years after Wanna One have become a distant memory. You can thank its pitch perfect blend of deep house grooves and dramatic vocals. It’s an iconic debut yet to be bettered by any other Produce-spawned group.
6. Golden Child – DamDaDi
Movement: ↑ 31
What I Said Then: “Its rollicking pop/rock sound may feel corny, but there’s no denying that DamDaDi sounded like nothing else released in 2017. It’s hard not to be won over by its explosive energy, made even more addictive by the group’s youthful enthusiasm.”
What I Say Now: DamDaDi‘s enormous rise comes in part due to the music Golden Child went on to release soon after, but even without that incredible legacy the song has stood the test of time (and then some!) thanks to its bombastically bright energy.
5. NCT Dream – My First And Last
Movement: ↓ 3
What I Said Then: “Hearkening back to the debut days of youthful groups like SHINee, Dream supplied more than enough innocent energy, but the real MVP here is composer/producer Ryan S. Jhun, who breathed life into the song’s effervescent, strings-assisted hook and funk-driven bass.”
What I Say Now: No NCT unit ever really embraced this sound again, and perhaps that changing legacy undercuts some of its power. Still, My First And Last remains a dynamic whirlwind of a funk-pop track, utterly classic and chock full of personality.
4. Gfriend – Fingertip
Movement: ↑ 6
What I Said Then: “Though they would eventually revert back to more standard girl group fare, for a brief moment in March GFriend cast themselves as world-conquering synth-pop warriors, propelled by the bombastic 80’s dance funk throwback of Fingertip.”
What I Say Now: Few K-pop groups’ material has aged better than GFriend’s. Fingertip seems even more daring and massive today than it did back in 2017 and represents a vital inflection point for the girls. I absolutely love it.
3. Snuper – Back:Hug
Movement: =
What I Said Then: “Back:Hug is a different beast altogether, fusing today’s production with a stylish sheen and ultra-melodic hook. Its ever-shifting textures gave Snuper their most complex single yet, but wrapped it in a classically catchy, immaculately produced package. The moment the lush pre-chorus sweeps in, the song transforms into the kind of timeless pop 2017 so often lacked.”
What I Say Now: Snuper are still my 2017 MVPs and Back:Hug plays a huge role in that. It remains a sterling beacon of K-pop’s tropical trend, impeccably produced and melodically rich. I’ll never get sick of hearing it.
2. Red Velvet – Red Flavor
Movement: ↑ 3
What I Said Then: “Red Velvet defined the summer of 2017, merging their quirky pop style with the most robust chorus of their career. Red Flavor is a kaleidoscope of inventive percussion and megawatt hooks, delivered with polish and panache to spare. Wendy’s explosive bridge stands as one of the year’s defining pop moments, elevating an already gargantuan sound to goosebump-inducing levels.”
What I Say Now: I mean, this song has become an iconic classic. I already predicted that would happen back in the summer of 2017, but the song now feels like an inseparable part of K-pop history in the best way. I don’t let a summer go by without playing it at least once.
1. Snuper – The Star Of Stars
Movement: =
What I Said Then: “Producers Sweetune may not be steering the careers of a-list acts anymore, but Star proves that they haven’t lost their touch for a sweeping melody and robust, layered arrangement. From its explosive opening synth riff to the dramatic climb towards the sing-along climax, I can’t think of another song that felt so welcome each and every time it found its way onto my playlist.”
What I Say Now: My top pick for 2017 hasn’t changed, and likely never will. In fact, it’s my second most played song — right after Infinite’s The Chaser. The fact that this came from a small group who aren’t even together anymore is kind of amazing, and more than a little bittersweet.