"To define the sound of K-Pop is a futile impossibility, but it’s this

very impossibility that makes K-Pop such a cultural zeitgeist.

Historically rooted in bubblegum pop, K-Pop has evolved harder, faster,

and more militantly than any other music genre — and it was the past

decade that nurtured this entire evolution from localized fandom to

global phenomenon"

25. NCT U — “The 7th Sense (일곱 번째 감각)” (The 7th Sense, 2016)

24. SHINee — “1 of 1” (1 of 1, 2016)

23. 2NE1 — “I Am The Best (내가 제일 잘 나가)” (2NE1, 2011)

22. IU — “BBIBBI (삐삐)” (BBIBBI, 2018)

21. Taemin — “Move” (Move, 2017)

20. TWICE — “TT” (Twicecoaster: Lane 1, 2016)

19. Ladies’ Code — “Galaxy (갤럭시)” (Myst3ry, 2016)

18. Apink — “%% (응응)” (Percent, 2019)

17. Sunmi — “Siren (사이렌)” (Warning, 2018)

16. Taeyang — “Eyes, Nose, Lips (눈,코,입)” (Rise, 2014)

15. Wonder Girls — “Why So Lonely” (Why So Lonely, 2016)

14. BIGBANG — “Bae Bae” (M, 2015)

13. Hyuna — “Bubble Pop!” (Bubble Pop!, 2011)

12. EXO — “Growl (으르렁)” (XOXO, 2013)

11. Taeyeon — “Why” (Why, 2016)

10. iKON — “Love Scenario (사랑을 했다)” (Return, 2018)

9. Girls’ Generation — “Oh!” (Oh!, 2010)

8. BTS — “Dope (쩔어)” (The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1, 2015)

7. Infinite — “The Chaser (추격자)” (Infinitize, 2012)

6. BLACKPINK — “Whistle (휘파람)” (Square One, 2016)

5. f(x) — “Rum Pum Pum Pum (첫 사랑니)” (Pink Tape, 2013)

4. Mino — “Body (몸)” (The MOBB, 2016)

3. 4Minute — “Crazy (미쳐)” (Crazy, 2015)

There will never, ever be a K-Pop song that goes
harder than “Crazy”. A barbarous hip hop masterstroke, “Crazy” remains
ahead of its time. Enforcing a merciless flurry of trap snares and kick
drums, it’s the chorus that transcends “Crazy” to legendary status;
building to a punctuated explosion of shattering glass, the snares and
drums strategically retreat to reveal an out-of-this world, rallying
horn loop. Besides being the banger to end all bangers, “Crazy” marked a
historical shift in K-Pop: one in which girl groups rejected sexist
fragility in favor of unabashed aggression — and proved they could shed
more blood than the boys.

2. Neon Bunny — “It’s You (너여야)” (It’s You, 2014)

Admittedly, Neon Bunny errs more on the side of K-Indie than K-Pop, but
to deny her of her crown would be an unforgivable offense. “It’s You”,
with no exaggeration, is one of the most extraordinary songs I have ever
heard. An ethereal electro-pop majesty, “It’s You” conjures a dreamy
catharsis via French electro synths so rich and so gorgeous I dare say
they are perfect. More, “It’s You” solves the near impossible task of
sonically encapsulating the ineffable feeling of falling in love: in all
its nervousness, anticipation, vulnerability, and euphoria. To fall in
love is a precious rarity, but with “It’s You”, we are lucky to feel the
second best thing.

1. Red Velvet — “Dumb Dumb” (The Red, 2015)

As f(x)’s successors, Red Velvet were fated to revolutionize K-Pop; to
take everything that already made it so bold and captivating, and
reconfigure it to be even better. Warping bleating brassy horns and
percussive claps over a funk-synth countdown, “Dumb Dumb” is an utterly unbelievable
genre-defiant marvel, and undoubtedly, the pinnacle of K-Pop’s genius.
That said, “Dumb Dumb”’s enduring vitality is that Red Velvet knows this;
manipulating both the song and video into a satirical take on K-Pop’s
much-criticized, robotic manufacturing. Brandishing brilliant
self-awareness to a choral laugh track, “Dumb Dumb” isn’t just K-Pop at
its most audacious and cognizant — it’s the genre’s untouchable
masterpiece.