In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop.
There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently subjective. Please feel welcome to agree, disagree, argue and justify, but at the end of the day know that this list is personal. If we happen to share a similar taste in music, it may match closely to your own list. If not, I hope you enjoy reading (and discussing) anyway!
Links to old reviews will be provided when applicable, though those ratings may be somewhat out of date.
Countdown Archive: Honorable Mentions // 100-91 // 90-81 // 80-71 // 70-61 // 60-51 // 50-41 // 40-31 // 30-21 // 20-11 // 10 // 9 // 8 // 7 // 6 // 5 // 4 // 3 // 2
1. Infinite – The Chaser (2012)
The Foreword
Trying to put The Chaser (추격자) in words is an intimidating task. How do I aptly describe a piece of music that’s so dear to me? The Chaser goes beyond the mere confines of a pop song, generating the kind of energy I could only describe as “transcendent.” Released on May 15th, 2012, the song actually shares its birthday with me. I’ve always joked that this was some kind of inevitable, written-in-the-stars fate. In any case, it’s the best present I could ever ask for.
The Chaser takes everything I love about K-pop and streamlines it into a taut three-and-a-half minutes. It is production team Sweetune’s greatest masterpiece, and that’s saying something because they’ve racked up quite a few masterpieces throughout their career. It’s also the most undiluted display of Infinite’s sheer talent, drawing upon all their strengths for a tour de force performance. It’s the perfect song for the perfect group, and I don’t know that K-pop will ever deliver something this unflinchingly brilliant again.
The Breakdown
Put on your headphones and join me as I break down this song and explain why The Chaser deserves its place at number one.
Music: Han Jaeho (Sweetune), Kim Seungsoo (Sweetune), Hong Seunghyun
Lyrics: Song Sooyoon
00:00-00:02 – To me, this brief percussive opening always sounded like somebody dropping something, as if the listener is stumbling into the track by accident. It catches you off-guard right away, without taking more than a second to do so.
00:02-00:16 – Then the full beat hits, anchored by that otherworldly synth refrain. This distinct loop has so much individual character that it practically acts as another vocal performance within the track. I’ve often used the word “seesaw” to describe its structure, and that off-balance approach offers a welcome spontaneity that enhances the track’s already brisk sense of movement.
This loop actually draws influence from the Korean string instrument haegeum, which gives the production a traditional appeal unique to the culture it stems from. Because of this, it’s the kind of flourish that exists outside of trends. It sounded fresh and surprising back in 2012, and still does today.
As the beat gains prominence, processed guitar adds another layer of rhythm, patterned in an ascending structure that brings us into the first verse with flair.
00:16-00:32 – I love the melody of this verse. It has that same lopsided appeal I’ve written about over the course of the last few days, where the opening phrase is more prominent than what follows. It plays as a declaration followed by subtext, which gives it a punchy rhythm even as the guys’ vocals are relatively subdued at this point. It also allows Sungkyu’s voice to sweep in right as that percussive clap hits, delivering a crisp start to this engaging segment.
The rhythm guitar in the background is far more nuanced than The Chaser’s straightforward kick beat would have you believe, and its nimble performance lends a “light on its feet” playfulness to the verse, setting up L’s terrific flourish that connects this section to the next.
00:32-00:39 – And here we hit that sense of build, as if a metaphorical plane we’ve boarded is beginning to take off. The melody tilts upward, though not dramatically so. In fact, the end of this segment actually dips down again. Yet, you wouldn’t know it from the tense synth accents punctuating the vocals. A layered arrangement lends emphasis to the beginning of each phrase, while a wisp of backing vocals heightens expectations for the pre-chorus’s second half.
00:39-00:45 – This is one of Hoya’s crowning moments. I actually think he sounds a lot like Sungkyu here, bringing a level of vocal panache you wouldn’t expect from the group’s rapper/dancer. As the percussion builds to a frantic fill, the melody goes for broke. The phrasing is elongated, the passion is intensified, and the plane lifts off the runway.
00:45-01:02 – Favorite K-pop moment of all-time, part one.
It’s the payoff. The payoff of all payoffs.
For me, this is the most immense transition of any K-pop song – possibly of any pop song, period. I don’t know that I can fully put into words just how much of a rush this moment is for me. Instead, I’ll try to break down the chorus’s three key ingredients.
1. Vocal blend
It’s just towering, overpowering, staggering – all those effusive adjectives I’ve been hurling around the past few days. Sung entirely in unison, The Chaser’s chorus takes full advantage of that “eighth voice” I wrote about when discussing Paradise. It is as distinct a blend as you’re ever going to hear, and an example of the magic spawned when you bring together the perfect seven tones. There’s so much depth, texture and raw power within this layering that it feels like a hurricane sweeping in.
Sungkyu’s voice is easily the most prominent this time around, but any sharpness of quality it might have on its own is buttressed by the choir of complimentary voices supporting it. The fact that this full blend hits you right from the first note is key to the chorus’s success. Had it slowed or wavered for even a moment, the whole thing might have been ruined.
2. The Melody
We’ve actually heard this melody before, echoed by the track’s opening synth loop. But, it’s fully blossomed now. And when it comes down to it, this refrain is remarkably simple. It’s essentially the same melody line repeated four times. Yet, each repetition carries a slightly different charm. They all kick off in the same way, but each targets a different endpoint. This helps a repetitive hook feel anything but repetitive, delivering an organic sense of imperfect balance that’s incredibly compelling.
3. The Brass
The first time through, you may notice it’s there, but you probably won’t focus immediately on it. Yet, if you were to isolate the stabbing brass accents, you’d retain a perfect sense of the chorus’s core rhythm. It’s an extremely celebratory sound, doled out as exclamation points on the refrain’s first three lines.
01:02-01:10 – It’s here that most modern K-pop songs would jettison much of their instrumental in favorite or a trap breakdown, or some other drastic shift in energy. Rather than do that, The Chaser grafts its opening synth line back onto the track, which just so happens to echo the structure of the chorus. Yet, none of this feels overdone, because it’s in service to an excellent rap verse from Dongwoo.
He brings a different rhythmic flow to the song without sacrificing any of its energy. We’re still cruising along that constant sense of build.
It’s at the end of this verse that we first hear Sungkyu’s gloriously off-beat vocal ad-lib, where his voice is chopped into a chant-like flourish that adds great texture and additional rhythm to the track. At least… I’ve always assumed this was Sungkyu based on the vocal color. As far as I can tell, it’s not properly credited anywhere.
Regardless, I can’t pinpoint anything else in K-pop that sounds remotely like it, and this small addition greatly enhances The Chaser’s unique personality. We’ll hear it pop up again later in the track, to even stronger effect.
01:10-01:17 – As Dongwoo’s verse continues, the guitar gains prominence, bounding forward like the backdrop to a heavy metal track before gloriously fizzling in a spiral of effects. It’s absolutely exhilarating.
01:17-01:25 – Our pre-chorus begins once more as the instrumental ebbs for the briefest moment, offering contrast to the heavy bombast we just experienced. Sungyeol gets his time to shine here (which isn’t always the case on Infinite tracks!), and his restrained performance offers the perfect salve for the moment.
If you listen closely, you’ll notice that that stumbling percussion from the track’s first two seconds is present here, too.
01:25-01:31 – Believe it or not, this is the first time we’ve heard Woohyun on the track. He’ll be the linchpin for important moments coming up, but I think this was the perfect line for him to enter. The melody’s desperate appeal is a perfect match for his emotive style.
An idol group can’t just have amazing main vocals. A producer has to know where to best use them.
01:31-01:46 – We’re back into the chorus, but this time the only voice we hear is Sungkyu’s. This flipping of expectations builds an immense amount of tension, as the instrumental continues to rage underfoot. His performance has a palpable urgency to it, and it doesn’t feel jarring to hear it soloed given how prominent he was in the preceding chorus’s mix.
Very few idol performers could carry this segment the way Sungkyu does. His vocals have so much passion and weight behind them, more than enough to compete with the blazing production. Speaking of which, the celebratory brass is absent from this moment, replaced by quieter synth accents that trace the same rhythm. This gives the chorus a completely different feel, even though the melody is the same.
This arrangement is a brilliant twist on what we’d expect from a pop song, and serves to compel interest as we rocket into the next segment.
01:46-02:02 – Favorite K-pop moment of all-time, part two.
THIS. IS. EPIC.
The full brunt of the chorus rushes back in. The vocals… the brass… all of it unwavering in its force as this chorus reveals itself as a two-parter. This second half is lyrically distinct and melodically similar, but not identical. It enters in a higher key than the first, and weaves through different nuances that give it a character all its own. The vocal blend is also distinct — less Sungkyu-focused and more richly arranged to include a greater palette of tones. It’s utterly brilliant. Pop nirvana.
02:02-02:18 – Also brilliant is this next rap verse, where Hoya offers a breathless climb toward the song’s climax. His flow is perfect here, but this segment is also greatly indebted to its instrumental.
The production moves at a real clip, gathering steam by the millisecond as the heavy rock guitar barrels upward. We hear that otherworldly, swirling vocal ad-lib again, adding to the song’s sense of rash boldness and insistent drive. And placed over the top is a frantic synth loop that sounds like a hospital’s vital signs monitor, pulsing with an alarming speed and ferocity. We’re reaching a critical level, here.
This whole verse has such an incredible speed of movement, as if the song is sprinting with all its might, refusing to look back until it reaches its apex.
02:18-02:31 – We change rhythm again for this bridge, which also acts as the final build toward The Chaser’s climax. Sungkyu revisits the melody from the song’s opening verse, given far greater weight through his emotive performance and an arrangement that layers galvanizing synth and percussion to create an overwhelming sense of tension.
Listen to the synth that soundtracks this bridge’s final moments. It emerges from the same “vital signs monitor” sound that drove the previous verse, but fractures into a more free-wheeling structure that loops in constant ascending spikes. Even on its own, this is an incredibly anxious sound. Grafted to Sungkyu’s bravura performance, the result is practically heart-rending. Just revel in those brilliant echoed effects on his final line, and the way the guitar rips off right before we move into…
02:31-02:47 – Favorite K-pop moment of all-time, part three.
If you were wondering where Woohyun was hiding all this time, it turns out he was only building stamina for this knockout of a chorus.
Just as Sungkyu took the first half of The Chaser’s second chorus, Woohyun does the same here. His re-emergence coincides with a few more welcome key changes, and a goosebump-inducing vocal that has knocked me to my knees on more than one occasion. Within these brief lines, it sounds as if he’s emptying everything he has into this one last spurt. It’s indescribably powerful and cathartic.
This chorus comes fully-charged with an additional synth texture – a spacey electro wobble that traces the lines of the melody while adding a completely new level to the mix. It also happens to compliment Woohyun’s rich tone perfectly.
02:47-03:03 – Favorite K-pop moment of all-time, part four.
The way the full weight of these vocals sweeps in is just majestic. While deceptively simple on first listen, The Chaser’s chorus is an incredibly transitory piece of music. Its impression changes drastically with every small modulation.
The guitar rejoins with a brilliant flourish, its distorted crunch adding even more weight to this already-overwhelming climax. The ceremonial brass is back too, infusing an unflagging optimism that this chase will end in success.
Taken alongside Infinite’s enveloping vocal blend, it’s hard not to get emotional here. The entire production just sweeps you off your feet and into another world entirely. It’s invigorating, and ultimately quite moving in a way that only music can deliver in this way.
03:03-03:20 – But, we’re not quite done yet. The full instrumentation of The Chaser’s chorus sticks around for a final repetition of its opening melody. This time, those effusive vocal ad-libs join the fray as the guys take us out with a final declaration of their intent.
This segment acts as necessary denouement, though it’s no less powerful than the chorus it transitions out of. It’s the third time we’ve heard this specific melody, yet it’s never sounded more assured. The guitar is cranked even further, delivering a crunchy backbone as The Chaser barrels onward.
Finally, all that’s left is one definitive thud of percussion – a suitably commanding endpoint for K-pop’s greatest song.
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The Chaser is the best k-pop song of all time for a reason , It’s melodic chorus , The Heavenly verse , Taking synth pop (That to from the 80s) And taking the eastern elements to create A Bliss to the ears!
The dense production! The Raps! The changing Instrumental!
This song is everything!
Peaks:
K-pop’s Peak! The Apex Moment! Infinite’s Peak!: 1st! (Peaked Song: The Chaser)
Now I’m gonna read the post with Joy!
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sorry, this is not a reply for u, cause there is not any option for adding a new comment , I just only want to ask to that person who maded this list…. are u crazy enough that u aren’t able to use your mind or just showing that ur mad….. Where are the ruling queens of Kpop TWICE AND BLACKPINK …..you fool, where are there songs…. FEEL SPECIAL OF TWICE WHICH IS STILL NO. 1 ON BILLBOARDS FOR THE MOST SELLING ALBUM OF ALL TIME …..where is Blackpink’s song how you like that …. the most viewed video in 24hours …..u fool….
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We have this word called an “opinion” and that’s what Nick is writing all about in this website. And add to the fact that he also has preferences; actually, we all have one.
Being a good song does not revolve around who charts better, who’s higher in the rank, or who can get the highest views in 24 hours. If Nick want The Chaser to be number 1 then let him be, it’s his choice.
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Putting “How You Like That” within spitting distance of “The Chaser” is so insulting, pistols at dawn!
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As a ONCE, I just had a second-hand embarrassment from your comment. 🤦🏻♂️
It’s just his personal opinion, not an official list uploaded by Billboard or Rolling Stone. And this list is based on musical criteria and you’re mentioning streams and views. Don’t mention our group name and put our fandom into shame.
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While not my favorite K-Pop song, its the one I show to friends to interest them, it is hard to not like it.
My thoughts on every Korean Infinite single on release and now (I skipped a few tho):
Come Back Again: I remember when I first heard this in 2010, the dance was what blew me away. As a choreographer at times, I always love a group that could dance, over time though, I began to like other Hitchhiker songs more. original score: 9.5, Current score: 8.5
She’s Back: Did not here till years later, current score: 8
BTD: THIS is what sweetune should do to revive their career, I love it more each listen. Original Score: 10, Current Score: 10
Nothing’s Over: Eh an almost always eight out of 10. Currently a nine-ish
Be Mine: 10 out of 10, that dance break, that chorus, this and BTD made me an inspirit.
Paradise Original Score: 9, Current Score: 10. THE CHORUS
The Chaser: After THAT 2011, I was dissapointed, but slowly it has became one of my personal favorites in 2010s music. Original Score: 9.25, Current Score 10.
Man in Love: Around this time, I became a big fan of fun concepts, this and TVXQ’s balloons became my favorites, and this song is still an eternal 10.
Destiny and Back: I did not like them back then, and while I still am sorta ixed with destiny, I love Back, probably due to the album tho
Last Romeo: Yes I know it came b4 Back, but still, it is like my 3rd/4th favorite Infinite title track, Original score: 9, Current score: 10
Bad: This is how you do a dark concept people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Original and current score: 10
Eye: What! This junk after Bad! NO way, even today it is only 8.25ish
Tell Me: was and still is the worst song on the album.
Yeek I seriously fanboyed up there….
Thanks for the list Nick! While I did not agree with your every opinon, the list has been quite fun!
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Ya so I right a huge comment in praise of it, but for some reason it did not post, not the 1st time 😦 , so I will just say that is a classic 🙂
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For some reason it got marked as spam. I just approved it, though 😉
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Thanks Nick!
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I really love the way you wrote these Top 10 analyses! Not only are they in-depth, they get me super excited to listen to the tracks in question (more so for those I already love, but the rest as well). I’ve listened to The Chaser enough that I just played it in my head as I read, and I found myself putting a mental pin in certain sections so I could listen for some of the things you mentioned later on.
Though I’ll never be 100% sure if my appreciation for The Chaser is completely organic, as I’d never really listened to the full thing before I saw your review and I used to be pretty swayed by others’ opinions, I’ve got a pretty good feeling that I’d love it just the same had I come across it independently. This song is almost stressful — even when you’ve heard it a million times, the raw energy it exudes makes you feel like you’re the one doing the chasing and, at least to me, should be doing something active to burn all that excess zeal. Can’t believe a song that makes me want to sprint is something I view positively, but I won’t complain!
I also really like how genuine it sounds — some of your top picks in year-ends and the like don’t strike my fancy in part because the synths and vocal delivery feel too inconsequential and artificial, but Infinite pulls off their perfect vocal blend while keeping that sense of urgency. The verses, both vocal and rap, all shine in their own rights, and the synth feels fun and energizing rather than just a harmless little beep-boop. They really milk that chorus for all it’s worth, too! They don’t leave any empty space, which is one of the song’s biggest draws. No need to fill space with a lackluster riff if it’s already chock-full of good material.
Thanks again for doing this series! I’ve really enjoyed it.
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No problem!
The Chaser is that rare song that hits immediately, yet also improves with age. I’m not quite sure how they accomplished that, but I’m glad they did!!
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Mazel Tov! Congratulations!
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With half the top 10 being 2012 songs and eight in the top 20 I guess we can tell what was the greatest year in k-pop history.
Thank you for this list and especially the breakdowns, a great work that helped me to love even more songs that I already loved !
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2012 will always be dominant for me, but really that stretch from 2011-14 was the golden age, as far as I’m concerned.
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Yes The Chaser!!! Getting the spotlight it deserves!!
Nick thank you soo much for this wonderful countdown series. Those details are great!!
I’ve been reading your blog about over 4 months now, and I could really connect with your views and taste on k-pop.. especially regarding infinite. Even though I started listening to kpop less than a year ago, I was fortunate enough to have found infinite first!! Those vocals!! Those songs!! Literally there hasn’t been one bad infinite song( except ofc “bad” 😅) and I was so shocked that such talent existed.. not to mention their personalities 😁. So when I came across your blog where you praised this very no.1 k-pop song, I was like, finally someone has taste!! This was such a surprise since these days people aren’t into these kind of songs, and I felt really sad thinking these masterpieces have been forgotten.. so I was quite happy to have found this bias list which shares the same bias as me (including Gol-Cha!!). So thank you so much Nick!!😊 Today could not have been a better day for my Inspirit- Goldenness 😉 heart!!😊
PS. Sorry for making it long..
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You’re very welcome!! Glad you enjoyed reading 🙂
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Yes, yes and… YES!
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I’ve noticed some Western publications have been acknowledging the brilliance of this track recently by including it in “best of all time” countdowns here and there, and IMO this piece you’ve just written should be linked every time as THE definitive, in-depth analysis/appreciation/informational guide for The Chaser. I doubt it’s ever been talked about at this length (or with this much love) before.
The little factoid about the synth loop being derived from a traditional Korean instrument was SUPER cool to learn, and makes sense, as it honestly feels like something so familiar it could be from a hundred lifetimes ago.
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Thank you! It was my goal to write my definitive thoughts on the entire top ten, which was a very intimidating job. I wanted to get this one especially right, so I’m glad that came across.
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You said it best – pop nirvana!
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Random stat for those who like that:
Top 125 consisted of 74.8% boy groups/male soloists with the remaining 25.2% being girl groups/female soloist
If you consider just the Top 100 then the male percentage goes up to 77.5% while the female goes down to 22.5%
Idk why I did that. There’s no particular reason, I just felt like it.
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Nick must be more of a boy group fan then huh
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And, you know… I think that ratio would hold pretty steady if you were to do the same analysis of my year-end lists as well as a compilation of my “top 3 songs of the month” round-ups. It’s not at all intentional, but it always seems to end up with that same 3:1 ratio.
I’d chalk it up to a lot of things, but mostly just the kind of material boy groups tend to be given vs. girl groups. I usually prefer more powerful, sustained melodic refrains as opposed to the clipped, chirpy hooks that often provide the framework to K-pop’s girl group songs. Obviously, this is a huge generalization, but it’s something I’ve definitely noticed when compiling this list.
With that said, I tend to enjoy most girl group releases across the board, while either loving or hating boy group releases. There’s not as much middle ground with them. Take what you will from that, but I think the passion I feel toward my favorite boy group tracks definitely favors their placement on lists like this.
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It definitely wasn’t an unexpected result and I checked exactly because I had an hunch it would be something along these lines. I share the same views with boy groups that it is more common for me to hate or love the song rather than being just ok but I also tend to like the chirpy hooks of girl groups. At first I really didn’t like them but with time I’ve gotten used to and grown to like the cutesy, chirpy songs so I guess that’s good for me. All of that together I think would bring my year end lists to be more even. Though if there is one thing in general that I dislike in both, it’s definitely the usual badass concepts. It’s rare that I enjoy the songs with those types of concepts. It happens, just not that often.
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I came to see if anyone else noticed this! I only just started to realize this disparity within a number of Nick’s lists over the last couple weeks. At first it made me (someone who almost exclusively listens to girl groups) kind of disappointed, especially when I realized there was only one girl group song in the top 10, but I realize now it’s more about the types of songs given to boy groups vs. girl groups and, at the end of the day, personal preference.
Really enjoyed the list nonetheless!
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I feel as though it’s just been a known fact since the start of your blog that The Chaser is your favorite K-Pop song. This #1 was the worst-kept secret of the whole list. It makes me curious about what your actual first impression of The Chaser was when you were discovering K-Pop. Were you just clicking around YouTube not expecting your brain to get melted? haha.
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I loved it from first listen, but it honestly took over a year for me to consider it the best overall K-pop song. In that way, it was both an instant hit and a slow burn.
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100-1 finale tally:
Top Artists: (only those with 3 or more on the list)
1) Infinite – 8 (Anyone surprised? Nope, me neither.)
2) Shinee – 7 (Shinee is my bias group so this definitely makes me happy!)
3) EXO – 5, TVXQ – 5, Big Bang – 5
4) Girls Generation- 4, BTS – 4
5) Kara – 3, B1A4 – 3, Boyfriend – 3, Snuper – 3
Note- Outside of G-Dragon (who now has 2) the addition of the top ten only added to artists already represented with 3 or more songs on the list from 100-11.
In this final total the top 11 groups on the list represent 50 songs or 50% of the entire list.
Top Companies (Only companies with 3 or more songs on the list.)
1) SM Entertainment – 31 (Now outpaces everyone else by 18 or more.)
2) Woollim – 13 (Somehow, I did not realize that Woollim is spelled with two o’s last time, my bad.)
3) YG – 10
4) Big Hit – 6
5) JYP – 5, Starship – 5
6) Pledis – 4, WM Entertainment – 4
7) DSP Media – 3, Widmay Entertainment – 3
Note- The addition of the top ten only added to the same top 3 companies from the 100-11 list. The top ten were all from either SM, Woollim, or YG.
In this final total the top 10 companies are responsible for 76 songs or 76% of the total list.
Interestingly, with the addition of the top ten SM surpasses both Big Hit and Widmay Entertainment for the highest song total relative to the number of artists who contributed to that total. This is in spite of SM having by far the greatest number of individual artists represented on the list (10 or 12, again depending on whether or not you count the NCT subunits individually or as a whole, either way SM still surpasses the others.) If you count NCT as a whole, then SM surpasses the others by exactly 1 song.
P.S Thank You Nick for this wonderfully fun trip through kpop history and serious props to the amount of effort it must have taken. Honestly, mentally going through my own top songs I found myself incapable of differentiating between my personal favorites and the ones I would consider to be musically better. It hurt my brain just to try. Also, as someone who has only been a kpop fan for two years there were quite a few songs on this countdown that I was unaware of, so thank you for introducing them to me!
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Thanks for this analysis! Super interesting to read.
It’s funny, I never realized that the entirety of my top ten drew from three agencies. it just makes me realize how dominant YG once were.
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Wow.
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Wow, what a finale. I have been thoroughly entertained from this astounding top 100 and i would like to give a huge thank you for creating this list!!
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You’re very welcome! It was a lot of fun (though I’m glad it’s over because it was also a lot of work!)
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Not to bring out the gen Z in me but: deserve
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God, just the other day when driving down the road, I relistened to this song for the first time in ages. And let me tell you, it was euphoric. Even though it was just the studio version streamed, I was half-singing half-yelling along, nearly crying about how good the song is, and overall just being a lot of “OMG this is amazing AAAAAA”.
Even though these days I’m not as fervent of an Inspirit as I was in the past, Infinite will always have a special place in my heart, and thos song is one of them.
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The Chaser is definitely the best kpop song ever.
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Expected but not disappointed! This song was what got me to Infinite back in 2019, and it’s one of my most favorite songs to them with Last Romeo. Also, that beginning of the song where you said that can catch you off guard is really accurate!
Great list Nick! I’ve been a silent reader of this website for months, and only got the courage to comment back in June. Huge kudos to you!
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First time I heard it, I actually was not sure if I liked it. It IS a lot to take in though, and I don’t think I truly appreciated how great The Chaser is until the instrumental album came out in 2014. Listening to the instrumental in isolation lets you appreciate the build that is going on there and understand the underlying structure. As choruses have deteriorated in Kpop over the years, my appreciation of this song has grown immensely. They really just don’t quite make them like they used to.
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I really appreciate you’re list and although oftentimes I feel that there are omissions in this particular instance I feel somewhat similar with most of your choices… I especially appreciate my discovery of ONF to your first reviews of them…
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A bit late but still……………….. This is “The Chaser” of Youtube Videos , It’s up there with Kpop Royalty like The Chaser or even Crooked!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rjCfCHWe8c
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I don’t like this group at all, but I’m impressed with the level of detail in your analysis. That’s passion!
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THERE’S NOT A SINGLE BLACKPINK SONG IN THIS ENTIRE EFFING LIST!!!??? HOW CAN YOU?!!? BLACKPINK ARE THE QUEENS OF KPOP!!!
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THERE’S NOT A SINGLE BLACKPINK SONG IN THIS ENTIRE EFFING LIST!!!??? HOW CAN YOU?!!? BLACKPINK ARE THE QUEENS OF KPOP!!! THEY DESERVE BETTER!!!
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you have got to be kidding me
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Coming up on 11 years now.
Still an untouchable song.
Not sure how much time has to pass before something can be declared timeless…but if any song is worthy of that title, then surely this has to be it.
Incredible analysis by Nick, and I’ve enjoyed going through this list immensely.
Not every piece of art lends itself to being dissected, and some is even ruined by it, but I believe Nick manages to aptly convey just what makes this song so effective.
There truly is something to be said for the importance of structure and payoff. I think a lot of newer kpop has, by accident or design, forgotten that. What happens at 45 seconds speaks to a belief and confidence in their craft. Yes, this is magic, and we’re not shying away from that. No need for anti-drops, no need to subvert expectations. This is as true and honest a song as anything can get.
Sweetune recognized that. The kpop world at large did as well. And I hope we’ll return to that someday.
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Stopping by here to drop a comment because I have been well aware that The Chaser is your favorite K-Pop song since I started following along a couple years ago, but this weekend was the first time I heard it. Stumbled into it randomly on my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify and went, “Oh hey!! This is Nick’s favorite!” I had been…I dunno. Saving it, I guess? Waiting for when I inevitably walk my way through all of Infinite’s discography. But some of my favorite moments with music happen when I stumble across songs, so I decided to let it play. Also, with it right in front of my face, it was much harder to resist curiosity, heh.
I LOVED it. From start to finish, not a part that I disliked. Some things that caught my attention immediately were the constant sense of drive no matter the switch-ups in rhythm, the vocal blend and the power that it commanded in the chorus (which is magnificent), the hospital synths you mention here (obviously I noticed the reoccurring synth loop – otherworldly is a great way to describe it. Almost haunting in a way), and the continuing build all the way through. It was an instant add, and I’ve actively sought it out since that first listen. Which means I think it’s pretty fantastic since my default setting is to pick a playlist and put it on shuffle. I’ve discovered more to love since that first listen, including while re-reading this post today (while listening along). Definitely amped up my excitement to eventually listen to the rest of Infinite’s music. I can see why you hold it in such high regard!
I stumbled across your site while I was internally gushing over how fantastic this one EXO song was (may have been Gravity, I think) and wondered if anyone else was as over the moon about it as I was and decided to take to the interwebs to find out. I’ve always loved talking about music, and I’ve been writing album reviews for years as a sort of creative outlet. I love that there’s a place on the internet where I can come and read the different reasons why people love or dislike the same music (and also why people’s opinions differ on the same song), because I find that all so fascinating. If that weren’t enough, there are so many music recommendations! I have discovered so much fantastic music by lurking here, even if it takes me literal years to get around to listening to it.
Anyway, this monster of a comment to not only geek out about The Chaser a bit, but to say thank you for being you and sharing what you love (and what you don’t, haha) with the rest of us! I know you do this for fun, and I’m thankful you do, because it brings readers like me joy, too!
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