I remain committed to shining a spotlight on K-pop producers each year, but this list is becoming harder to create. The days of “super producers” with signature sounds seem to be behind us. The industry now stuffs its song credits with many names, making it more difficult to discern which producer is responsible for what. I firmly believe this approach is responsible for some of K-pop’s more generic leanings of late, but that’s just the way it is at the moment. Because of this, my list is shortened from ten to eight this year.
No Sweetune in 2024, unfortunately!
2024 Year-End Masterpost
8. BRAVE BROTHERS
Superstar producers of yore are becoming less frequent in K-pop, but I’m always happy to have someone like Brave Brothers back in the business. As usual, he gave his best 2024 material to a group that isn’t even part of his agency.
2024 Highlights:
TRENDZ – Go Up
DKB – Flirting X, Traveler, Hello Goodbye (Rollercoaster)
Candy Shop – Good Girl, Candy#, Don’t Cry, Tumbler (Hot & Cold),
7. DAVID WILSON
Among the various names in K-pop’s song camps, David Wilson sticks out as a talent who had his hand in a number of my favorite 2024 tracks. I mean, co-composing Impossible and Love 119 alone shows his versatility.
2024 Highlights:
RIIZE – Impossible, Love 119
Twice – I Got You
NMIXX – Passionfruit
&TEAM – Beat The Odds, Big Suki
Key – Overthink
Chuu – Strawberry Rush
ZEROBASEONE – Feel The Pop, You Had Me At Hello
NCT Dream – icantfeelanything
6. POP TIME / KAKO
Pop Time had more credits than the ones listed below, but it was his work with Kako that truly stood out. The duo was responsible for most of BOYNEXTDOOR’s material — alongside the members themselves, of course.
2024 Highlights:
BOYNEXTDOOR – Earth, Wind & Fire, So Let’s Go See The Stars, Nice Guy, Dangerous, Amnesia, Life Is Cool, Dear. My Darling, Gonna Be A Rock, 20, Call Me
Yena – NEMONEMO
(G)I-DLE – Revenge
5. VAHN
Vahn slips just a bit compared to last year’s ranking because his 2024 work was mainly devoted to his own solo projects. However, those solo projects were universally great so it’s hard to argue with quality!
2024 Highlights:
Vahn – Crush On You, D.T.R (Daily Temperature Range), What Is It?, Sweet!, Feeling, Seasons, Tonight, Sucker For You, I Swear, Goodbye
RE:REVOLUTION – Volcano
4. HELLO GLOOM
Hello Gloom produces all of his own work as well as the music from agency-mate from20. All of it was great this year. He also branched out by offering a ballad to ex-bandmate Park Jeup.
2024 Highlights:
Hello Gloom – Mamacita, Somebody
from20 – Demon
from20 x Hello Gloom – Your Love, Blue
Park Jeup – My Everything
3. KENZIE
22 years into her career, Kenzie continues to be one of the most important composers in the industry. SM Entertainment is lucky to have her, but she also writes for other agencies. The mammoth success of Supernova alone earns her a place on this list, but there’s so many other highlights beyond that.
2024 Highlights:
aespa – Supernova, Bahama, Hot Mess
RIIZE – Combo
ZEROBASEONE – Good So Bad
TWS – Keep On
NCT Wish – Wish, Steady, Hands Up, Touchdown
Bang Yedam & Winter – Officially Cool
WayV – Give Me That, Go Higher
Red Velvet – Cosmic
Key – Fresh
NCT 127 – Like A Movie
Irene – Calling Me Back
Doyoung – Dallas Love Field
2. KZ / DINT / 1984 / NTHONIUS / MEISOBO
My favorite production team of 2023 maintains their successful batting average with some great material for The Wind. The team extended their reach this year with strong work for other acts. They’re one of the few currently-working teams who seem to have their own sound and approach to music.
2024 Highlights:
The Wind – Hello, My First Love, Friendship, Heart Fluttering, Sirius Pt.2
WHIB – Play
EPEX – It Is What It Is
Younha – Quasar
1. WASURENAI (BUMZU) / JEON JIN / GLENN / HEON SEO / T-SK
TWS’s song credits are stuffed with different names, but these seem to be the core talents behind their biggest hits. I didn’t learn until just now that Wasurenai is actually a pseudonym for producer Bumzu (of Seventeen, Nu’est fame), which makes me marvel at his versatility. I applaud the alchemy this team has managed to forge because their material feels specific and refreshingly trend-free. I hope they continue to pump out hits in 2025.
2024 Highlights:
TWS – Plot Twist, If I’m S, Could You Be My N?, hey! hey!, Oh Mymy: 7s, Unplugged Boy, You+Me=7942, Keep On, Last Festival