There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year.

There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. The rules are simple: I fire up my carefully compiled “K-pop summer” playlist, hit ‘shuffle,’ and if the song that pops up hasn’t already been featured on the site, it gets a post and mini-review of its own.

So, get ready for a summer of K-pop on The Bias List!

(View all the Summer of K-pop songs here)

<< Song 40 >>

100% – Summer Hero (2014)

Wow, 2014 was a great summer for K-pop! Perhaps the greatest, actually. Summer Hero wasn’t even a single, yet not only does it eclipse its own title track, but it stands as one of the highlights within that ultra-competitive year. The synth-propelled production spotlights an incredible chorus that just soars with anthemic heft. It’s very Sweetune-esque in its arrangement, which ironically would preview 100%’s work with the producers two years later. When I complain that I’m looking for more bright boy group fare, it’s songs like this that I have in mind. It’s just so deliriously upbeat.