With eight of Spotify’s ten most streamed K-Pop songs of the year released by girl groups, it’s clear women in K-Pop have really made 2023 their year. To celebrate the accomplishments of women in K-Pop, here are the 15 best female K-Pop releases of 2023.
Honorable Mentions:
I AM – IVE
Back to the City – Kep1er
Sweet Juice – Purple Kiss
Bad News – Kiss of Life
Allergy – (G)I-DLE
15. Love on Lock – Kep1er
Album: LOVESTRUCK!
Oh, to think of how different Kep1er’s career would’ve gone if people listened every time they went for this sound. Though competing with other fan-favorites like the wholesome and charismatic, “Back to the City,” “Love on Lock” is the most perfect image of Kep1er’s talent as a group, with an immersive rap verse, a fulfilling vocal climax, and a slight attitude–it is one of many, but few appreciated, uniquely ‘Kep1er’ songs.
14. BYOB – Billlie
Single
Billlie makes their first appearance on this list with “BYOB,” their wholesomely lovable soft-pop hit from the summer. Having crafted one of the most recognizably unique sounds in the industry, Billlie managed to shift the tides with “BYOB,” while still retaining that inexplicably unique quality that makes them so alluring to listen to.
13. Colouring – LOOSSEMBLE
Album: Loossemble
Post-Loona groups make their first appearance on this list with Loossemble’s “Colouring.” After the beloved re-debut of Odd Eye Circle, it was up in the air for Loossemble, who’s concept seemed obscure–and that name wasn’t doing them any favors. Their self-titled debut turned out to be one of the best mini-albums of the year, blending traditional Loona sounds with a newly quirky “Loossemble” touch. “Colouring” resembles a rebranded Loona of the “Butterfly” era for an evolved audience.
12. Sugarcoat – NATTY of KISS OF LIFE
Album: KISS OF LIFE
Traditional funk R&B is not very commonly attempted in K-Pop, and when it is it is very rarely done correctly. Enter Natty, the idol who debuted with the sound and aced it right from the start. With an alluring dance performance and catchy melodies, “Sugarcoat” arguably put KISS OF LIFE on the map before they even debuted as a group.
11. Ditto – NewJeans
Single
Officially recognized as 2023’s K-Pop song of the year, “Ditto” deserves all the recognition it got. The melancholy yet wholesome winter tune features unique melodies and catchy lyrics that ace the formula to become an instant audience favorite.
10. Drama – Aespa
Album: Drama
As 2023 came to an end, it seemed like it would end as a placidly decent year for K-Pop–with many great releases but no major sonic bombshells–until “Drama” dropped. Packing action, mystique, thrill and intrigue all into three minutes and forty seconds, the SEA’s winner will go down as the song that shook the K-Pop industry in 2023.
9. Invincible – tripleS-EVOLution
Album: EVOLution
Their best title track to date, and it’s been the best since they first held their sample voting. “Invincible” is a cosmic array of sounds and falsetto vocals perfect for intergalactic battle.
8. Love Me Like – ODD EYE CIRCLE
Album: Version Up
Version Up was arguably one of the most anticipated K-Pop albums of the year, considering the group had last released music together as Odd Eye Circle in 2018. As the first release following the downfall of their parent group, Loona, the legacy of the twelve members, the continued relevance of their careers and the President’s own private airplane were all at stake for Odd Eye Circle, and they knew just what they had to do. Among many reputable tracks in the album, the clubhouse vibe of “Love Me Like” stands out, reminiscent of a Renaissance-era Beyoncé.
7. Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife – Lesserafim
Album: Unforgiven
Does the song title make any sense? No. Is it a mess? In distress? The best dressed? Yes, yes, and yes. “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife” rightfully overshadowed “Unforgiven” to become a global hit. The song is peak LE SSERAFIM and featured one of the best dance performances of the year.
6. Seoul Sonyo Sound – tripleS-LOVElution
Album: LOVElution
Does their album title make any sense? No, but it’s better than LE SSERAFIM’s. Does it hit? Absolutely. TripleS makes their second appearance on this list with “Seoul Sonyo Sound.” Though the title track, “Girls’ Capitalism,” rightfully outshined its sister tracks, there aren’t many K-Pop songs that rival this trap-inspired masterpiece. “Seoul Sonyo Sound” was the K-Pop runway song of the year.
5. Untie – VIVIZ
Album: Versus
Something just clicked for VIVIZ in 2023. After two disappointingly mediocre albums, the release of “Versus.” In a day, VIVIZ had the entire industry shaking with “MANIAC,” and the consequent promotion of “Untie” just ended it all. With the best dance performance to come from both VIVIZ and parent group GFRIEND, the mature sensuality of “Untie” stood above most other releases of the year.
4. Nevertheless – Billlie
Album: the Billage of perception: chapter three
Once again, Billlie have made their mark on the K-Pop industry as one of the most uniquely original contemporarily active groups. Each song from its album, “the Billage of perception: chapter three,” could have easily gained a spot on this list, but in the spirit of diverse acknowledgement, the combination of production and beat changes, unique melodies and sheer vocal power set “nevertheless” above its sister tracks.
3. BONVOYAGE – Dreamcatcher
Album: [[Apocalypse: From us]
Leave it to Dreamcatcher to subtly release the most scrumptious pop-rock song of the past decade. With an intense production, and K-Pop’s most jaw-dropping vocal performance of 2023, “BONVOYAGE,” may sound like Dreamcatcher’s powerful farewell, but is just Dreamcatcher doing what they’ve always done.
2. Underwater – Red Velvet
Album: Chill Kill
Rightfully relocating the spotlight away from the album’s title track, “Underwater” is the mature sound fans of Red Velvet have been longing for. With entrancing trap beats and dreamy vocals, it is a siren song for the ages.
1. Attitude – fromis_9
Album: Unlock My World
“Attitude” is the song to show an alien civilization in an ultimate judgment test to ensure they’ll give human society a chance of survival. After almost a year of radio silence from fromis_9, “Attitude” welcomed artists to their highly-anticipated return with “Unlock My World.” Showing a darker, sensual, just overall groundbreaking side to the generally light-hearted group, “Attitude” is the epitome of the dark K-Pop concept and the pedestal holding the aspirations of any experimental pop sound. It was undoubtedly, the best K-Pop release of 2023–across all groups.
