The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday.
To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had a Korean release as a title track, follow-up or promotional video between Dec. 1st, 2024 and Nov. 30th, 2025.
Curious about past countdowns? Check out the masterpost here!
50. LE SSERAFIM – Spaghetti (ft. J-Hope)
There’s a special type of “quirky” that classic K-pop does so well, and Spaghetti recaptures much of that madcap energy. From its vomiting sound effects to the herky jerky hook, the song certainly stands out. (full review)
49. ATEEZ – In Your Fantasy
ATEEZ try their hand at a mid-00s robotic Timbaland groove. It’s a sound that felt newly refreshed in 2025 and fits their dynamic performance style surprisingly well. (full review)
48. ALLDAY PROJECT – Famous
One of the year’s biggest breakouts debuted with a serpentine, almost chorus-less track that initially left me cold. However, ubiquity has a way of pulling out a song’s charms. (full review)
47. Close Your Eyes – Snowy Summer
I’m not usually a fan of mixing seasons, but Snowy Summer has such good, uplifting vibes that it manages to work as a singalong carol for every time of year. (full review)
46. 8TURN – Like A Friend
The oldest track on my list, released all the way back in December 2024. This is the big summer hit that got away, capturing a youthful zest with an addictive new jack swing beat. (full review)
45. IDID – Step It Up
Mixing old-school sounds with modern hip-hop percussion, Step It Up served as a standout pre-debut and became one of my biggest growers of the year. I love those jazzy breakdowns. (full review)
44. &TEAM – Lunatic
Lunatic might be a bit threadbare as an actual song, but its two or three repeated segments are so addictive that I don’t mind the lack of structural diversity. Sometimes, simply riding a fantastic groove for two and a half minutes actually works. (full review)
43. RE:WIND – RE:SET
Though the song’s “music video” looks like a Canva collage, I felt the need to include this song in my singles countdown because it’s one of the year’s most underrated pop melodies. (full review)
42. (ALL)HOURS – Gimme Gimme
In a year that often felt subdued and safe, hearing something as balls-to-the-wall bonkers as Gimme Gimme was actually a relief. This updates the hyper-repetitive late-00s/early-10s Super Junior sound for our modern era. (full review)
41. IDID – Push Back
Isn’t it fantastic when a groove’s so indelible that it makes you move involuntarily? This is how you execute posturing NCT-esque boy group hip-hop with flair. (full review)