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.
September 2021 Overall Thoughts
September is usually a hit of miss month. Releases tend to be all over the place as K-pop transitions from summer to fall and fans (hopefully idols, too!) head home for Chuseok. Still, my favorite songs of 2013 and 2020 both came from September of their respective years, so there’s precedent of incredible highlights popping up here and there.
This was a weird month for me. It was actually stuffed with releases by acts that are hugely popular with international fans. It seemed like every week there was a big-name album or single. Yet, few of these acts even made my honorable mentions. Instead, my list is largely composed of smaller groups who released songs I found more interesting or satisfying.
September opened and closed with strong releases, but lulled in the middle. This lopsided release slate is pretty normal this time of year, and I expect things to pick up again in October and November. With that said, I’m pleased with my top three picks — especially the top two. Honorable mentions that nearly jumped into that third place are AB6IX’s Cherry, Ciipher’s Blind, and Kim Woosung’s Dimples. All three were released towards the end of the month, so I’m eager to see how they grow (or not) with time. Other honorable mentions worth highlighting are HyunA and Dawn’s Ping Pong, which grew on me a lot, and Do Hanse’s daring Take Over. I don’t consider Coldplay x BTS’s My Universe a K-pop track, but I’ve been listening to it a lot as well.
J-pop had a very strong month, and I had a difficult time choosing between Miyavi, Sakurazaka46 and w-inds for my top spot. I ended up going with the track I’ve listened to the most, though things may change as time goes on.
To put it simply, September was a real grab bag. Amidst a string of disappointments, it also delivered one of the year’s strongest singles. I’m hoping we hear a few more of these standouts before I begin to cobble together my year-end lists.
Month Cumulative Rating: 7.9
(compiled by averaging the scores of every K-pop review from this month)
J-Pop Highlights
Exit – Super Star (video)
KAT-TUN – We Just Go Hard (ft. AK-69) (review)
Kis-My-Ft2 – Fear (review)
Sakurazaka46 – Dead End (review)
Travis Japan – Big Bang Boy (video)
w-inds. – Strip (review)
TOP J-POP SONG OF THE MONTH
Miyavi – New Gravity (review)
K-POP
Honorable Mentions
AB6IX – Cherry (review)
ATEEZ – Deja Vu (review)
Ciipher – Blind (review)
Cosmic Girls (WJSN) – Let Me In (review)
Do Hanse – Take Over (review)
E’Last – Dark Dream (review)
fromis_9 – Talk & Talk (review)
HyunA & Dawn – Ping Pong (review)
ITZY – Loco (review)
Kim Woosung – Dimples (review)
Lee Eunsang – Lemonade (review)
Lee Hi – Red Lipstick (ft. Yoon Mirae) (review)
Luminous – Run (review)
Purple Kiss – Zombie (review)
Stray Kids – Cheese (review)
Wonho – Blue (review)
TOP THREE SONGS
3. A.C.E – Changer (review)
2. ONEUS – Life Is Beautiful (review)
1. Key – Bad Love (review)
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of August 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of July 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of June 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of May 2021
Top Three K-Pop Songs Of April 2021
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Haha I knew Ping Pong would grow on you! it’s so freaking addicting, I didn’t really like it on first listen but I just can’t help but click that replay button. How’d you rate it now?
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It’s all about that great pre-chorus for me! I love the brass.
I still don’t care for the drop, which limits this to low-to-mid 8’s. Even so, it’s an easy choice for honorable mentions.
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I haven’t listened to a couple of September releases, what with moving for university and my classes starting, but I think my top 3 for September would look something like this, not sure about the order:
fromis_9 – Talk & Talk
Key – Bad Love
STAYC – Stereotype
Talk & Talk really grew on me, somehow even competing with We Go now! fromis just really has a hold on me this year. Stereotype finally clicked and I really enjoy it now, and I’ve had the rest of their mini on repeat, especially Slow Down after watching them performing it. And Bad Love just released but I love it so much already, I can only see it growing on me more.
Other honourable mentions might be Loco and Let Me In. Loco’s already grown on me, but I doubt it will ever top their first three singles. I also enjoyed the Coldplay x BTS track, despite it feeling quite generic and similar-sounding to other Coldplay songs.
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im not gonna stop belting key’s highnote in bad love lol
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.
Purple Kiss “Zombie bay bay bay, bay bay bay” by a mile for me.
then NCT “Sticker” and Heo Young Saeng “Mi casa su casa”
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Honorable mention to Do HanSe “Take Over” (of Victon) which has already grown on me since an hour ago.
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completely unrelated but y’all need to watch squid game. its so freaking good
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Sorry, my squeamish self only has room for one gory survival show and I’m already loyal to Alice In Borderland (which should have gotten the same hype as SG…)
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Aww, Wonho knocked down to 4th due to SHINee yet *again*! lol
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Well, not to throw salt in the wound but Blue wasn’t anywhere near the top three for me.
I do like the song, though.
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Top Three K-Pop:
1. Do Han Se “TAKE OVER”: Great rapping + great styling + great beat + great MV = everything I want in a k-pop song. This will probably be on my top 10 tracks of the year.
2. ATEEZ “Déjà vu”: I’ve been watching a lot of fancams this month.
3. NIK “Santa Monica” + “Universe”: Not perfect, but they won me over with a couple of solid dance tracks, good choreo, and that edge of hunger that comes out when you’re getting towards enlistment age and are debuting for the second or third time.
HM:
A.C.E “Changer”
Ciipher “Blind”
E’LAST “Dark Dream”
HyunA&DAWN “PING PONG”
ITZY “LOCO”
LUMINOUS “Run” + “Intro”
OMEGA X “What’s Goin’ On” + “Baila Con Ox”
PURPLE KISS “Zombie”
STAYC “STEREOTYPE” + “I’LL BE THERE”
WooSung “Dimples”
Top Three Album/EP:
1. Han Yo Han “Lambo Flow (feat. Jimmy Paige)”, “This is Me (feat. CHANGMO)”, “Akrapovic”, “From Today (feat. Swings)”, “Ctrl C + Ctrl V”, “I’m Not Okay (feat. NO:EL)”: This is a hop-hop album with an opening track featuring Jimmy Paige. It’s amazing. Also, literally the only k-hip-hop I playlisted this month – everyone’s busy with SMTM I guess?
2. A.C.E “Intro: Revolutions”, “Changer”, “Remember Us”, “Talk You Down”, “Jindo Arirang (Prequel)”: The title hasn’t really grown on me, but the original b-sides are lovely. And it’s A.C.E.
3. ATEEZ “Déjà vu”, “ROCKY”, “All About You”, “Not Too Late”: ATEEZ b-sides don’t always do it for me but I’ve been enjoying these.
** MIYAVI “New Gravity”, “Warrior”, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Living In Fire”, “Hush Hush (feat. KANG DANIEL)”, “Youth of the Nation (feat. Troi Irons)”, “Super Hero”: If it were Korean it’d be number one for sure, but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere. Absolutely packed full of bangers in a month strangely low on bangers.
HM:
AB6IX “LEVEL UP”, “SIMPLE LOVER”
ITZY “LOCO”, “Sooo LUCKY”, “B[OO]M-BOXX”, “Mirror”
LeeHi “ONLY”, “Intentions”
MEGAMAX “MEGAMAX (INTRO)”, “HUG”, “On Your Way”
NCT 127 “Lemonade”, “Dreamer”, “Promise You”
PURPLE KISS “Zombie” “2am”, “Cast pearls before swine”, “So WhY”, “Twinkle”, “ZzZz”
Indie/Soloists:
BIBI “Pado”
Seori “Dive with you (feat. eaJ)”
TAEWOO “Hitmeup”
Rock:
BIGONE “EVERY NIGHT (feat. Jayci yucca)”
NELL “Sober”, “Beautiful Jeopardy”
Somdef “Picturesque 1”, “It was (feat. GSoul)”, “Picturesque 1 (feat. CADEJO)”
South Club “on a starry night (Star Dust)”
W24 “Fine”
Ballads:
Hwanhee “Don’t Go Today (2021)”
KYUHYUN “On A Starry Night”
Other:
Park Hyun Ho “Money Money Money”
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Sober by NELL is awesome!
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Yes! NELL is on my shortlist for a discography deep-dive – I discovered them with “Glow In The Dark” back in July and I really like their sound, honestly because it reminds me of US music that I like but can’t listen to because of English lyrics.
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Nell is such a great band. Some of the songs I would recommend checking out is Crash, U-hee, wishful thinking, vain hopes and everythingoes (Collab with BTS RM)
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Belatedly adding Key’s “BAD LOVE” and “Yellow Tape” to the honorable mentions for the month. I’ve been watching the “BAD LOVE” stages – they do the closing formation! I’m so happy! – and it’s grown on me. “Yellow Tape” is pretty great, too, although “Hate That…” remains my favorite song from the EP. I think I just don’t love Key’s voice – it’s not at all bad, but he uses a lot of falsetto, especially on “Saturday Night”, and that isn’t my jam.
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It was nice to see Hanse, Woosung, and Purple Kiss on there.
Five I liked this month (I suck at permanent ranking)
NCT 127 Sticker
Do Han Se – Take Over
Key – Yellow Tape
Woosung – Dimples
Duoxini – The Game of Death (really good true thrash metal)
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Bad Love for #1, no contest!
In the j-pop field, I’m so addicted to Perfume’s Polygon Wave.
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All of the releases I came by this month with dates:
Sept 1:
fromis_9: talk & talk
It’s a good song, but I don’t find it interesting enough.
Lee Eunsang: Lemonade
It’s a nice song, a bit too “sweet” though for a song called Lemonade. (the chorus sounds a bit like Mikrokosmos by BTS)
Sept 2:
Ace: Changer
ONEUS: Life Is Beautiful
Summer pop music that is easy on the ears.
Astro: Alive
Generic and more like,” I feel empty,” because that’s how the song feels
Heo Young Saeng: Mi Casa Su Casa
It’s kind of forgettable?? (for me), but not bad either so it made the playlist.
Sept 3:
Lee Hi: Saviour (ft. B.I.)
Another chill song. I have enough of them for studying so it didn’t make it into any playlists.
Loona: Not Friends
It felt like the song had no chorus but it grew on me ALOT. (The first-person POV gun parts of the MV made me feel like I was watching the trailer of The Villainess.)
Stray Kids: The View
Sept 4:
Taewoo: hitmeup
Good enough for my (study) playlist.
September 6:
StayC: Stereotype
Was underwhelmed at first but the song grew on me A LOT after a week.
Omega X: What’s Going On
Young K (day6): Guard You
ICHILLIN’: GOT’YA
It was too generic, and the was a debut song too.
Sept 8:
Purple Kiss: Zombie
I don’t think this song would grow on me so much, but it did. It’s a lot better than Ponzona and the zombie bie bie hook is amazing. (Would Disney care to add this into the Zombies 3 OST? No?)
Sept 9:
Hyuna, E’Dawn: Ping Pong
It’s very I’m Not Cool, which is a song I liked, but it felt like more of a performance piece when it came out. However, the drop chorus ended up getting stuck in my head and the rest is history.
Lee Hi: Red Lipstick ft. Yoon Mi Rae
One commenter commented that retro style was hit or miss, which I totally agree with. However, This song made it into my playlist for now. Lee Hi’s vocals are so nice to listen to, and I prefer this song to Savior.
Luminous: Run
Will defiantly be paying attention to their next comeback.
Nell: U-Hee
Sept 10:
BIBI: Pado
Big Mama: Another Me
Lisa: Lalisa
The music, choreography, and lyrics could have been better. Lisa is an amazing performer, singer, rapper, etc, and this feels like a song a rookie group could pull off or release.
The “Lalisa love me, Lalisa love me,” line is catchy as fire, however, the song failed to reach up to its potential (if it had any.)
I don’t know why I liked it more than On the Ground when it first came out someone fix my brain.
Stray Kids: Cheese
Love it, love it, love it, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah cheese!
OnlyOneof: mOnO (unknown ballad 2.3)
It’s nice, it’s just that I don’t listen to many ballads.
Sept 11:
Monsta X: One Day
meh song. Not bad content, but nothing remarkable. Another generic English K-pop song.
2pm: With Me Again (JP)
ughuhuigdahgu their voices are so good and the song is also great.
Spet 12:
Hwang Chi Yeul: Too Late
Sept 13:
Ateez: Deja Vu
Olivia: “Do you get deja vu?”
Ateez: “I Know you get deja vu.”
Seriously there are too many songs called Deja Vu.
I didn’t think I’d like this song but it was another one of the many songs that grew on me this month.
Zia: Please
Stray Kids: Red Lights (Bangchan and Hyunjin)
It’s a nice song, more of a performance piece. Mature concepts rarely win me over, so it’s a miss for me.
Sept 14:
Wonho: Blue
Lee Hi: H.S.K.T.
*flashbacks to Hip*
Han Yo Han: This is Me ft. Changmo
It sounded so noisy but good at the same time.
Sept 15:
Mamamoo: mumumumuch
Very uninteresting. I miss their jazz sound.
Stray Kids: Surfin’
Their voices sound like robots. It sounds like something Hybe would produce.
Sept 16:
Jeonghan: Dream (KR and JP ver)
Sounds like a kdrama ost song
MIYAVI: New Gravity (JP)
Amazing. Just amazing.
Sept 17:
NCT 127: Sticker
Didn’t like it at first but then it marinated and now I like it.
Stray Kids: Gone Away
Another Kdrama OST-like song.
Sept 19:
DK: On that night (December)
Sakuraza46: Dead end
Sept 20:
Yang Yo Seop: Brain
Yukika: loving you
Sept 22
Jay B: AM PM ft. Heein (PROD. GRAY)
Kevee: Train Bed ft. BUMKEY
Sept 23:
WJSN: Let Me In
Sept 24
Itzy: LOCO
I was underwhelmed at first, but it grew on me really quickly. The post-chorus is so awesome.
Kebee: SHOW
Onestar: September 24th
Released on Sept 24. 🙂
w-inds: Strip (J-pop)
I’m not one for mature music so it’s a pass.
Sept 25:
Do Han Se: TAKE OVER
INI: Rocketeer
Sept 26:
Itzy: Swipe
Grew on me. Again.
Jang Heewon: I Wouldn’t Have Loved
Sojeong: Nothing Between Us
Sept 27:
KEY: BAD LOVE
WOWOWOWOWOW.
AB6IX: CHERRY
“Imma bite you off your lips.”
What even?
Besides the English lyrics, it’s a nice song but not enough for my playlist.
Viral Affair: Align
DOWOON: Out of the Blue (Duet with Song Heejin)
JAY B: FAME (ft. JUNNY) (prod. GroovyRoom)
Sept 28:
Ciipher: Blind
The vocal “roll” in the beginning was so aesthetic.
Sept 29:
HOT ISSUE: ICONS
Soup _ SRR(스르르)(zZZ)(feat. Hong Euijin)
CL: Lover Like Me
E’Last: Dark Dream
COLDPLAY X BTS: My Universe
Was initially very underwhelmed by this song, but its slowly growing on me.
Sept 30:
ADOY: Antihero
66 songs.
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And I forgot Dimples by Woosung. Great song.
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I’ve not kept up with new releases all that much (this has been a very busy month, I have barely slept the past week) but I don’t think I’ve missed all that much. My top 3:
3. Oneus – Life Is Beautiful
2. Woosung – Dimples
1. Key – Bad Love
fromis_9 – Talk & Talk is a pretty close 4th, then Ciipher – Blind. Though tbh the top 2 ran away with this month — I’ve had both songs on repeat the past week or so.
I feel bad about leaving A.C.E off this list. I haven’t been particularly enamored with their output this year, but that’s because I normally have such high standards for them. Changer is a good enough song and I don’t hate it, but there’s something about the production and arrangement that leaves me a bit cold. That said, I will miss Donghun and Wow sorely. Not sure how they’ll handle these enlistments. Forgot this was a thing with boy groups (being mainly a girl groups + N.Flying stan, and 2seung are done/exempted)…
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Strip has been a massive grower for me. It is just so fun!
Also, Bad Love, Bad Love, Bad Love for my top 3 from Korea.
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Strip?!
Did I miss a song?
We’re just following ancient history …
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Top 4 (no particular order)
StayC: Stereotype
Was underwhelmed at first but the song grew on me A LOT after a week.
Stray Kids: Cheese
CHEESE!
Ateez: Deja Vu
I got such a Fever (Enhypen) vibe from this.
Itzy: LOCO
I was underwhelmed at first, but it grew on me really quickly. The post-chorus is so awesome.
HM:
KEY: BAD LOVE
NCT 127: Sticker
Didn’t like it at first but then it marinated.
MIYAVI: New Gravity (JP)
Loona: Not Friends
Hyuna and E’Dawn: Ping Pong
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My top 3:
STAYC’s Stereotype
NCT 127’s Sticker
fromis_9’s Talk n Talk
HM:
Woosung’s Dimples (the music’s too good for my ears)
Key’s Bad Love
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Been a very weird month. It wasn’t necessarily strong but there were two standouts I see being some of my year’s favorites and a lot of songs proved to be decent growers.
Two standouts:
1. Key – Bad Love…It’s been getting better every listen. The 80s/Retro trend has been present for more than a year so it’s pretty crazy that we’ve gotten what I consider the best song from it this late in the game. Key gave a great performance on it and the instrumental is great.
2. Do Hanse – Take Over…This has gotten a lot of play out of me recently. I like the use of EDM in the production, it gives this industrial-esque feeling that I think compliments Hanse’s interesting rap style pretty well.
Honestly can’t say I have a confident 3 this month. That being said I thought Life Is Beautiful, Dimples, Dark Dream, and Blind were pretty solid. I’ll also add ITZY’s Loco & STAYC’s Stereotype has grown on me a decent bit.
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Forgot to add Fromis_9’s Talk & Talk to my grower list. Initially, I was a bit disappointed considering Fromis is one of my fav groups active currently and while I don’t like it as much as some of their other stuff, it’s still a really good time.
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also…forgot to add PK’s Zombie to the grower list as well. Never hated it but it didn’t stand out to me at all at first. But I think it’s pretty catchy and I’ve played it a decent bit since release.
BUT…October looks very promising. Golcha, Aespa, SVT, Woodz, Blitzers, N.Flying, Tri.Be, Kingdom, and Twice. I have high hopes…
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Oh, same for me! Took me a few listens before I could finally grasp Bad Love (plus it’s quite Lady Gagaesque, which I’m not fond of), while I was hooked right away with Take Over. But Bad Love has more layers and complexities, which in the end won me over
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This was one of the slowest months by far for me. I still haven’t made up my mind on the top 5 nor have I finished listening to all the songs either 😭
Ateez Deja Vu is definitely there! ❤️ Strongest for this month for me. That hype ending rap is one of the best song endings this year so far.
Songs that really appealed to me this month :
Wonho Blue, Key Bad Love (these two would probably make it to top 5 too lol.. I love to see soloists in their comfort zone💎)
Ciipher Blind (Another strong contender)
Luminous Run
All the SKZ stuff (Buy I wanna throw something at them for making Domino the new Ta aagagahah!!!)
T1419 Get the Bomb
Among gg – I still haven’t listened to Hot Issue but everything else was ok I guess. PK’s Zombie is my favorite.
And yes I hate to admit it – the song I am sightly appalled by but haven’t been able to resist listening to every time I come across it – NCT 127 Sticker 😂🙃❤️
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Key’s Bad Love sitting there at number one like it deserves! I love more than half of the other groups on your honorable mentions list as well as the other top 2 groups but Bad Love is the song I’ve been playing non stop since it came out.
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1. Do Hanse – Take Over. Currently sitting in my top 5 of the year so far.
2. NCT 127- Sticker.
It gets better every time I listen.
3. Either Purple Kiss – Zombie or a surprising grower on me has been Key x Taeyeon – Hate That
For October I’m fully expecting a great aespa song so with my luck it will be a massive miss lmaooko
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(Yes I know Hate That was released end of August but I only heard it like a week ago shhhhhhhh)
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