IZM every year does a top 10 (unordered) list of Singles (And albums, but that's not out yet.)
Here are the top 10 for 2022 (with partial excerpts about each song. My translation isn't perfect IVE section especially still really is wonky to me)
Whilst Boy Groups experience a notable slump. IVE stands as a magnificent example in the Renaissance of Girl Groups. An unprecedented model of popularity both in fashion and the social scene. The foundation for this group's eruption to the forefront of the scene is a song that acts as the irresistible center point of all the trends.
A complex mix of lyric delivery and intriguing vocal effects that intersect each other all underlied by a particular darkness that does not exist in other contemporary songs have raised the solemn nature of 'Love Dive' (Perhaps you could call it Dark Pop?). Add the sensibilities of previous generations' hits and you have a song that attracts even listeners in their 30s. 'Love Dive' evokes a sort of universal, long-standing sense of success in music art that songs should be of high quality that the packaging and performance is secondary. It is the "Song of the Year" which elevated the "Rookie of the Year" to become the "Artist of the Year" all at once.
You can talk about the various ways that the song gained success from featuring Superstar J-Hope to the countless influencers that participated in the 'Rush Hour' challenge, but at the end of the day, the basis of why it's a success it how musically complete it is.
'Rush Hour' is not a song for simple virality, but an appropriate arrangement of instrumental elements, smooth variations, and a graceful collage of vocals that have already been proven several times in the past. At the same time as declaring he was back, Crush provided a song that could represent the year.
The desire to create subversions exist throughout the history of music from the old generation to now. Contradictions are hard to work in an intuitive manner. New Jeans opts to toss subtlety out the window and wears its influences of Newtro and High Teen proudly. This leads to them expressing themselves in a way that's unabashedly Y2K but dripping in modern sensibilities. Similarly 'Attention' is tinged in the scent of 90s R&B and New Jack Swing whilst also riding a modern house rhythm.
Even being so bold, it's still all feels natural and not overwhelming. Teens with no nostalgia have been able to perfectly encapsulate the feelings invoked in people in their 20s and 30s in a way that feels more than just initial novelty. Not only did 'Atttention' surpass expectations and shake off the burden of just being "Min Hee-jin's Girl Group" for New Jeans, but it also shook the current fixed paradigm of K-pop planning.
Bosudongcooler and Hathaw9y - World Tour
Korea's Indie scene is no longer synonymous with Hongdae. Busan has become the Mecca of Indie music following the emergence of Summer Rain. Rookie Bands such as the black leaves and Noise emission have only further underlined. Two Bands that should not be left out are Bosudongcooler and Hathaw9y who have through the Jiyeon series combined their efforts multiple times.
'World Tour', which serves as the opening act for the bands' joint venture, is this year's underrated discovery. The guitar, which boasts its own unique tone, unfolds a road trip of romance across a vast desert, and the chorus, which naturally overlaps the mixed vocals, seems to suggest a camaraderie that surpasses even the blood relationship of extended families. The refrain of "We can become friends wherever we are" contain emotions and tributes that long-time indie fans can't pass up.
(G)I-DLE - Tomboy
'Tomboy', released in a aftermath of Soojin's departure and was a massive departure from their previous songs, but in spite of this the song catapulted (G)I-DLE into the ranks of the Apex predators of girl groups. There's a certain irony in 'Tomboy,' a release made during crisis, became a national hit, in many ways it can be said that it resembles our daily lives with many ups and downs.
While other groups were riding the wave of third world , drops, and trap styling with beats based on Moombahton, I-DLE shattered their uncertain status head-on with pop punk that was popular 20 years ago. 'Tomboy' once again reminds us that not difficult choreography and an easy melody is the basis for a hit formula. It is the best hit song of 2022. I am not open to objections.
Be'O - Love Me
'Counting stars' gave rise to a new star in the hip-hop scene in 2021. Be'o rose splendidly through "Show Me the Money 10" which has become the representative music competition in Korea. Since then, he has become something of a trump card, finding himself all throughout pop music from Soyou to Seulgi of Red Velvet. His usage of the trendy Melodic rap has solidified his place in the scene in a short time frame.
On a beat resembling The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber's 'Stay', Be'o unleashes his own charm with a smooth rap in a soft tone. Following the massive success of 'Counting stars' he provides the melodic sense that's more reminiscent of Epik High. Korea's K-hip-hop scene is a locale where young and talented musicians constantly appear. Even though 10 years Show Me the Money have not changed the rivers and mountains, the music that flows within them is constantly evolving.
Big Naughty (ft 10cm) - Beyond Love
To create the sense of longing that lasts in your memory forever, one must be able capture the heart with words that anyone can understand. Big Naughty and 10cm create such an aesthetic experience when they express their emotions straight to the listener, saying, "Let's call their cold memories affection." Songs with lyrics about a thrilling breakup already fill the charts year round, so it is a testatment to 'Beyond Love' that also deals with the careful overcoming of a lost relationship, that it has become greatly loved.
With easy on the ears melodies and a combination of singers who know how to read the public's mind with clear vision, 'Beyond Love' shows how appropriate this ensemble is that perfectly mirror the internal elements of the song. Big Naughty's melodic vocals, 10cm's fresh sensibility, and warm acoustic arrangements all come together for a perfection harmonization. It's hard to imagine a song that's easier to listen to.
Contrary to the recent trends that simply aim at catching listeners' ears, the rock sound's "Event Horizon" pours out breathlessly for five minutes. It's a song residing in its own universe built from the identity of Younha's musical world that was never shaken nor wavered. Nothing that happens inside the event horizon affects the outside and vice versa, however a beacon from Younha's drifting isolation has finally broken through those thick boundaries and reached the public after several light years.
This narrative, has managed to resonate in the heat of the festival air and pulls at the public's heartstring like an inevitability of life. Hope always stays with you. Despair that erodes your surroundings is obviously thick, but there is always a brighter light than that darkness. The optimistic voice of an artist, who did not give up even after going through hard times, becomes a clear guide and begins to lead everyone to tomorrow. Standing at the forefront of the void, Younha is no longer lonely.
Hanroro - Let me love my youth
Hanroro, a beautiful 23-year-old girl who has just taken her first step, faces the irresistible providence of nature. Her debut single 'Let Me love my youth', which she said was a song to record her own blossoming youth. She sings about an unpredictable future full of excitement and anxiety. She sings toward her complex inner circumstances that seem to be contained at the end of her breath that explodes though she's young.
Complicated circumstances are contained at the end of a soft yet explosive voice. Her tone is ready to bloom alongside a warm guitar, and soon the drum beats act as flower buds, Hanroro raises her voice, causing a small wind to rise with desperate desire. The electric guitar solo, which decorates the interlude, brings out the dramatic emotional throughline in the singing that directly follows. Hanroro slightly twists her vocal cords and notes and tears her chest coldly. The reality of the season, which is usually remembered as the brightness of blooming flowers in view, was cold, but dandelions have strong roots and do not wither. 'Let Me Love My Youth' is the best adolescent song of the year. It is a song scatters the seeds of courage in to coming tomorrow beyond today.
Cho Yongpil - Moment
9 years since his last album "Hello". The King of Pop has returned with the single 'Moment' and clearly reminded those who fell in love with his music why they did so and stirs engraved memories that make you want to share with everyone in the present. Of course, placing YongPil's name in the list of best of 2022 is of no benefit to him. His position here feels purely like courtesy based on historical value or fame.
Moment provides a lively rock melody and a sparse chorus sparkles through the song in their respective places as if capturing the night air of the city. Joyous vocals that erupt in the midst of these elements gracefully control the tempo of the track and give off an air of authority. Each part is polished and pristine and smoothly combines with an infective melody, creating a track that would satisfy the ears of all generations, young and old.. The king is heading towards his 20th full-length album, and the first step of that march shows that he's not missed a beat.
