At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade.
March 2024 Overall Thoughts
Okay, this year’s already a little weird. We kicked off with an unusually strong January, but each successive month has seen a decline in overall song quality. February delivered a couple bangers but was otherwise quite sparse. March felt even more vacant (especially the first half) and missed out on the kind of 9+ rated smashes that tend to get me super excited on the blog.
It seems that agencies are saving their big guns for the spring, which makes me eager to see how the next three months will look. March was a quiet before the storm. Most acts who released material could be considered low-to-mid tier, which is usually my sweet spot when it comes to music. But rather than bowling me over with exciting sounds and ideas, K-pop in March reverted to tired industry trends that had me doling out way too many “7” (or below…) ratings.
The end of the month saw a burst of newly-debuting girl groups, and I wish I could say they all felt fresh and compelling. ILLIT’s (very short!) mini album painted the most cohesive style, but the industry seems completely devoid of the style of girl group songs I love. Where are the high energy, vocally bombastic standouts? Where is the next GFriend, Kara, Sistar, Lovelyz, Oh My Girl, WJSN, SNSD, Nine Muses, etc etc? I know I sound like a broken record and many of you are probably beyond sick of hearing it, but the last time I really fell in love with a girl group title track was almost a year ago. K-pop just isn’t making those big, bold melodic statements anymore and it kind of sucks.
Okay, rant over. I’m sorry about that.
Though I had a lot of “fallers” this month, there were a few songs that stuck out as highlights. Most are not from big-name acts, but all have been Bias List favorites for some time. Though not represented on this list, my favorite K-pop track of the month was easily Infinite V’s Beautiful. I find the song so much more satisfying than Infinite’s full group comeback last year and I love how it was basically surprise-dropped with just a couple days between announcement and release. There was no time to set expectations high or low. It was just… BAM! Here’s a fantastic new song for you!
I’m actually really pleased with my top two songs of the month. I kept switching them back and forth and still don’t quite know which one deserves the top spot. One song was an out-of-the-gate smash while the other has proven to be a big grower. Long-term appeal usually favors the grower, but it’s still too early to tell how things will shake out. Regardless, these two songs are essentially tied and have both become staples on my playlist.
As anticipated, my March was ruled by a few favorite J-pop acts. Ryugujo’s new EP Deep Wave owned the month for me, which was probably obvious by how often I rave about it. Listening to the creativity and expansiveness of their music has actually been detrimental to many of March’s trendier, generic K-pop offerings. The comparison is not favorable, and makes me realize how much we need idiosyncratic auteurship back in K-pop. That’s what made me first fall in love with the music, after all!
Right behind Ryugujo was Genic’s new album (though it bore no new single so isn’t represented in this month’s top three). It’s just such a solid album all the way through. Apart from these two big highlights, J-pop continued to trudge along at a less impressive pace than last year. Also, has anyone else kind of lost excitement for the music coming from Starto Entertainment since the rebrand? They need to kick things into gear because most of their recent stuff has been a little boring. Luckily, Kis-My-Ft2 is finally back with a new album this spring and a clip of the lead track sounds right up my alley. If one Starto group is going to hit it out of the park this year, please let it be them!
Anyways, I know most of you don’t come to this blog for J-pop so I’m hoping April will reach (or surpass!) January’s K-pop heights. The comeback slate is already looking packed as more reliable hitmakers throw their hats into the ring. TXT’s mini album sounds like it may be a return to 2021-era form and I’m super curious what RIIZE will come back with if they do actually release new music in April. Spring and summer tend to be my favorite seasons for K-pop, so I’m looking forward to some big highlights.
Month Cumulative Rating: 7.6
(compiled by averaging the scores of every K-pop review from this month)
J-Pop Highlights
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week One
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week Two
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week Three
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week Four
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week Five
TOP J-POP SONGS OF THE MONTH
3. Shinjiro Atae – Fun Forever
2. Travis Japan – T.G.I. Friday Night (review)
1. Ryugujo – Deep Wave (review)
K-POP
Honorable Mentions
BAE173 – Fifty-Fifty (review)
The Boyz – Nectar (review)
Chungha – I’m Ready (review)
ILLIT – Magnetic (review)
J-Hope – Neuron (ft. Gaeko & Yoonmirae) (review)
Rescene – UhUh (review)
SEVENUS – Want You Back (review)
Super Junior-D&E – GGB (review)
Tempest – Lighthouse (review)
This Month’s Risers and Fallers
This Month’s Global Pop Round-Up
TOP THREE SONGS
3. DAY6 – Welcome To The Show (review)
2. Hello Gloom – Mamacita (review)
1. TAN – Hyper Tonic (review)
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of February 2024
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of January 2024
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of December 2023
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of November 2023
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of October 2023
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Thought they’d be top 3, but not even an honourable mention for Babymonster?
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LOL
(Technically, I guess they belong in next month’s round-up, but I wouldn’t hold your breath…)
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Did you see Hello Gloom commenting on the fact that he only sold nine albums?
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Yes, he’s played it smart by interacting with this news and it’s actually garnered the song more attention.
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I didn’t even know he had albums, thought it was all digital.
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Hi Nick! Have you listened to (G)I-DLE’s b-side “Fate”? At the time it was released, it didn’t have many promotions besides an “it’s live” performance. However, after it started to be played in cafes and etc, the song grew pretty organically, and they released a live clip when it got to like 3 on melon two weeks ago. Now, it’s the most popular song in sk!
Although you’ve reviewed a lot of soyeon’s songs, this one has a very different feel to the others, and I think you’d get a kick out of it since you listen to jpop.
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I have listened to it and, for the life of me, I can’t understand why it’s gone so viral. I mean… it’s fine? It just sounds like a typical b-side to me, though. It must just really appeal to the tastes of Korean listeners.
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These upbeat yet melancholy songs tend to do well with the Korean GP.
Like BIBI’s recent song, AKMU’s love lee or Younha’s Event Horizon.
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Yeah, I wish those style of songs were my thing, but I tend to find them universally dull.
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Yeah, same with all of these OST ballads…
Sure, every now and I might come across a good one, but by and large they do very little.
I don’t know how people get their bombastic kpop fix nowadays. Back then the droll ballads were tempered with uptempo madness…now it’s just…airy English nonsense.
God I hope Ive’s new comeback is good, lol.
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We just sigh in despair.
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Oh my gosh, THANK YOU! I thought I was going crazy because people keep hyping it up but I just thought “Oh, well that’s a nice song for starting Spring, but it’s no ‘Feel My Rhythm’ spring anthem”. It also reminds me of a decent anime opening track, but again, nothing amazing.
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the chorus reminded me of plot twist by TWS
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Not going to lie, aespas Fraggle Rock Ost is giving SOTY😍
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Another thin month for me.
I have on top Willow Smith’s “symptom of life”. Truly bonkers in all ways, but holds together as an awesome song.
Then in some order:
Crush OST “Love you with all my heart”
Infinite V “Beautiful”
the N.Ssign releases
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so yeah, i didnt enjoy much kpop this year other than tan’s hypertonic, and even the songs i did like i barely even played. this meant my focus was on older music i discovered, here’s three of my favorites
laakso – mother am i good looking (the entire album). favorite track would be a battle between vaesterbron and the death of us
bwo – chariots of fire
higher than dark sky – access
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Glad you discovered the Laakso album. It was pretty much the soundtrack to my life when I lived in Europe for a stint in the mid-00’s. I remember being so excited when I was able to listen to “Norrköping” (my favorite track) as I was passing through the actual Norrköping on a train in Sweden. Timed it perfectly!
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it actually took a few listens and hearing the lyrics for the album to truly envelope me, and now i consider it one of the best albums of the 2000s
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as for your girl group comment, i looked through your top 50 last year (including the honorable mentions) and only counted 13 girl group/soloist tracks, with an average of 2 tracks per page, and only ONE girl group track (i am) was in the top 10
christ 😬
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I was pretty stressed this month, so I mostly listened to pink noise and classical piano.
Doesn’t seem like I missed a whole lot.
TAN – Hypertonic, Born to Be Wild, Love is an open door, Area
Lucy – The Knight Who Keeps Running like in a Hanna Barbera cartoon
Xikers – Red Sun
Purple Kiss – BBB, Bittersweet
NCT Dream – Box, Carat Cqke, Unknown
Song – It’s call
BAE 173 – Fifty Fifty
iri – Run
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March was awesome!!!
Honorables:
n.Ssign -Funk Jam
Tempest -Lighthouse
TheBoyz -Nectar
Xodiac -Heyday
HelloGloom -Mamacita
SevenUs -Want you Back
TAN -If You Can Hear Me❤️…I discovered this song after reading your comment on Twitter (X) and it’s actually my favorite this month. Since I thinks it’s a bside (and I’m not sure if it’s a March release) I didn’t include it on my “top 3”, but Thank You!!!!!!
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We have the same top two! Number three for me is probably Rescene – UhUh, although it’s a bit of a distant third. J-Hope’s Neuron gets an honourable mention because I haven’t listened to it many times but every time I do it’s such a warm and enjoyable experience. Normally I would have devoured and probably memorized Day6’s entire album by now but this month was truly all Ryugujo all the time, and you’re right that Deep Wave kind of made kpop seem sort of flavorless in comparison.
I miss NaMyu so much 😭 I was actually thinking about them while scrolling your blog because just glancing at it I thought I saw Hyuna in a post thumbnail and was sorely disappointed to realize it was Babymonster lol
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I’d put TNX’s Fuego (big grower) and Xikers’ We Don’t Stop in 4th and 5th place myself…….otherwise yeah – pretty dull month.
Stats say I’ve replayed Deep Wave thirty-one times – which is probably the most I’ve ever replayed a song since Sticker – and I’m STILL not tired of it. DeepWave+Seafood+LateShow felt like the only thing I was listening to throughout the month lol
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OH and Tempest’ Lighthouse and &1’s Broken Heart.
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ouch, lun8 not having at least an honorable mention hurt my soul
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Honestly I thought I had missed comebacks there was so little to listen to. Here is hoping April is better. Chungha and Purple Kiss were my “favorites”, but in my mind they are both very middle of the road comebacks.
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Idk about my March’s top three because it really was such a weird month. I need to say how much I appreciate The Boyz’ Nectar tho, I do more appreciate it than like it, but I warmed up to it and it has such a nice energy to it, like it’s that one release in the year that brings the mood up. Still can’t believe it was released the same day as Dreamscape😶
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Nectar has really grown on me too, especially after seeing the performance. It’s just so SVT-coded for me. It’s pretty simple but like a breath of fresh air compared to the posturing from other bgs.
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