#41 through #80
⬅️ Return to Reading #1 through #40 ⬅️
CL
Lee Chae-rin continues to deliver exciting, hard-hitting K-pop in a post-2NE1 world. With her most ambitious year to date, CL dropped ALPHA and with it a plethora of music videos showcasing why she's still one of K-pop's most exciting idols.
Essential Songs
SPICY
Lover Like Me
Red Velvet
As a group, the renowned Red Velvet only issued one release in 2021, but QUEENDOM further established the royal status of Irene, Wendy, Seulgi, Joy, and Yeri among the K-pop community.
Essential Songs
Queendom
Pose
MAMAMOO
While Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa were all individually busy promoting solo careers this year, MAMAMOO still found time to release more than a handful of high-caliber brand new songs together as group in 2021. The quartet also reworked, remade, remixed, and reissued a collection of their very best songs in a massive package appropriately titled I SAY MAMAMOO : THE BEST.
Essential Songs
mumumumuch
Strange Day
LUNARSOLAR
Eseo, Jian, Taeryeong, and Yuuri had remained relatively quiet since their 2020 debut, but LUNARSOLAR did finally release their first mini-album this year, packing three exciting songs into SOLAR : rise.
Essential Songs
DADADA
BOM BI DI BOM
Bling Bling
No longer rookies, Cha Juhyun, Ayamy, Choi Jieun, Marin, Narin, and Yubin hit harder than ever on their first comeback, CONTRAST.
Essential Songs
Oh MAMA
Milkshake
BerryGood
Despite promoting as BerryGood for more than a half of a decade, the group received little to no mainstream recognition and issued a final mini-album in 2021. As a farewell release, it's bittersweet to hear such great songs on UNDYING LOVE knowing there's nothing else coming from the under-appreciated group.
Essential Songs
Time for me
Accio
BIBI
Kim Hyung-seo issued a solid min-album in 2021, but it was her collaborations and one-off releases that truly defined BIBI as one of the year's best K-pop artists.
Essential Songs
The Weekend
PADO
AleXa
AleXa continues to deliver her unique brand of solo K-pop in 2021 with a few collaborations and the exciting single album, ReviveR.
Essential Songs
Xtra
Is It On
BEAUTY BOX
Gahyun, Rina, Anh, Sori, Sara, and Jerin introduced the world to BEAUTY BOX in 2021 with the playful single album Beyond of BB.
Essential Songs
RAT A TAT
Take My Heart?!
fromis_9
Roh Ji-sun, Song Ha-young, Lee Sae-rom, Lee Chae-young, Lee Na-gyung, Park Ji-won, Lee Seo-yeon, Baek Ji-heon, and Jang Gyu-ri continued to impress in 2021 with 9 WAY TICKET, a tidy collection of three well-executed tracks that feel right at home alongside the very good fromis_9 discography.
Essential Songs
WE GO
Airplane Mode
ICHILLIN'
E.Ji, Jackie, Joonie, Chaerin, Sohee, Yeju, and Chowon debuted as ICHILLIN' this year and wasted little time dropping two super-catchy singles.
Essential Songs
GOT'YA
FRESH
LIGHTSUM
Sangah, Chowon, Nayoung, Hina, Juhyeon, Yujeong, Huiyeon, and Jian debuted in summer 2021 with the catchy "Vanilla" single, quickly following up with the even-better Light a Wish.
Essential Songs
VIVACE
Vanilla
MAJORS
Ida, Vita, Aki, Bian, Suzy, and Shinye marked a successful rookie year by releasing seven tightly-produced, well-executed songs as MAJORS.
Essential Songs
Rain on me
Spit it out
LABOUM
Veterans LABOUM returned in late 2021 as a quartet to deliver their latest mini-album, BLOSSOM. Soyeon, Jinyea, Haein, and Solbin quickly followed up with the powerful, infectious winter single, "White Love", a must-have for any Christmas playlist.
Essential Songs
White Love
Kiss Kiss
SKYLE
Fly Up High marks a fantastic debut from SKYLE with top-notch production laying the foundation for great performances from Ginny, Chaehyeon, Erin, and Ujeong.
Essential Songs
FLY UP HIGH
DA DA DA
MAKA` MAKA
Hee Su, Di A, Chae Won, Da Seul, and Eun B returned this year with an unlikely title track: "Hey U", a remake of a song written and recorded in the 1990s! Needless to say, a good song is timeless, and MAKA`MAKA bring the Chakra cut to life in 2021 with tight production and bubbly pep.
Essential Songs
Hey U
Polaroid
SECRET NUMBER
After a year of being dormant, SECRET NUMBER returned with Fire Saturday featuring Jinny, Denise, Soodam, Dita, Léa, Zuu, and Minji. Though the lineup has changed, the group's charisma and penchant for hooks remains the same and fun as ever!
Essential Songs
Fire Saturday
Dangerous In Love
SATURDAY
Juyeon, Haneul, Ayeon, Yuki, and Minseo continue the SATURDAY brand of light, cute K-pop in 2021 with their latest comeback, Only You.
Essential Songs
Only You
In Your Eyes
REDMINT
Perhaps the most unknown group on this list, REDMINT hasn't let their complete lack of recognition stop them from releasing a handful of thirsty K-pop songs in 2021. HyeE and Luney are fierce performers with sharp tongues; it will be interesting to see what the duo does next.
Essential Songs
M.I.N.T. (Money is Never a Thing)
Drip
PoshGirls
Although PoshGirls debuted just this summer, the group has already undergone various lineup changes leaving their future potentially uncertain. Still, S.O.G:Songs Of Goddess is a great first single and leaves us hoping for comeback in 2022.
Essential Songs
Got Chu
Fly With You
T-ARA
As a celebration of their twelfth anniversary, T-ARA returned with Re:T-ARA featuring Qri, Eunjung, Hyomin, and Jiyeon. Far from a lifeless nostalgic trip, "ALL KILL" finds T-ARA as fierce as ever.
Essential Songs
ALL KILL
TIKI TAKA
YUQI
Song Yuqi made her solo debut this year with A Page, two English-language songs that showcase the (G)I-DLE singer's wide range of talents.
Essential Songs
Bonnie & Clyde
Giant
Jessi
American-born rapper Jessica Ho added two more hard-hitting tracks to her growing discography this year, continuing to pave her own unconventional way through the K-pop world in 2021.
Essential Songs
Cold Blooded
What Type of X
HEIZE
The ever-prolific songwriter and performer Jang Da-hye spent much of 2021 on singles and collaborations, but she also found time to focus on yet another mini-album, HAPPEN; its emotional title track finds HEIZE at the top of her storytelling game.
Essential Songs
HAPPEN
Like the first time
Hwa Sa
While Ahn Hye-jin remains busy with MAMAMOO, the group's maknae still found time in 2021 to push her ever-growing solo career forward with several great tracks of her own this year.
Essential Songs
I'm a B
FOMO
Moon Byul
Moon Byul-yi continues to grow her solo brand in 2021, recording a handful of great tracks on top of her full-time contributions to MAMAMOO.
Essential Songs
G999
Shutdown
JOY
For her long-awaited debut mini-album, Red Velvet's Park Soo-young remade six songs released in the last few decades and offered remarkable reinterpretations in the process.
Essential Songs
Hello
J'Taime
KWON EUN BI
IZ*ONE leader Kwon Eun-bi debuted as a solo artist this summer with Open, a mix of pounding, rhythmic dance numbers and introspective ballads.
Essential Songs
Door
Amigo
Lexie Liu
Chinese singer, songwriter, composer, rapper, multi-talent Liu Yuyu explores the impact of modern technology on GONE GOLD, one of the year's most interesting mini-albums.
Essential Songs
ALGTR
SHADOW
Whee In
Jung Whee-in released a great six-song mini-album, Redd, in 2021 as well as a handful of other solid solo tracks while also keeping quite busy with her full-time MAMAMOO responsibilities.
Essential Songs
water color
TRASH
JO YURI
Former IZ*ONE singer Jo Yu-ri debuted with GLASSY, a single album showcasing her silky vocals. Equally impressive was her OST contribution, "STORY OF US".
Essential Songs
GLASSY
STORY OF US
KIMSEJEONG
The former I.O.I and Gugudan singer Kim Se-jeong continues to push her solo career forward in 2021 with I'm, an exciting collection of excellently-produced songs.
Essential Songs
Warning
Teddy bear
KangHyeWon
Former IZ*ONE singer Kang Hye-won invites you to cozy up next to her on W, a wam winter record made for sitting next to a fireplace and watching the snow lightly fall.
Essential Songs
Winter Poem
Snowy Day
WENDY
Shon Seung-wan made her long-awaited solo debut this year with Like Water, a collection of songs that showase the Red Velvet singer's incredible vocal prowess,
Essential Songs
Airport Goodbyes
Like Water
Solar
MAMAMOO leader Kim Yong-sun continued to push her own solo career forward with a handful of great songs in 2021.
Essential Songs
Promise U
Adrenaline
Mirani
Kim Yoon-jin comes alive in front of the microphone as Mirani, a fierce rapper and all-around standout performer who worked with a plethora of guests in 2021 to release a handful of exciting songs anchored around the UPTOWN GIRL mini-album.
Essential Songs
Tikita
UPTOWN GIRL
Hoody
Kim Hyun-jung offers moody, rhythmic vibes on her 2021 mini-album D-DAY.
Essential Songs
Lights
When the Rain Stops
3YE
Yuji, Yurim, and Haeun return with another dose of their hard-hitting blend of K-pop in the form STALKER.
Essential Songs
STALKER
Intro (The Next Chapter.)
Lim Nayoung
The former I.O.I and Pristin singer spent 2021 lending her beautiful voice to several soundtracks.
Essential Songs
Not just friends
So So
ARIAZ
Yunji, Dawon, Sihyeon, Yeori, Hyogyeong, and Jueun didn't do much in 2021, but they did manage to sneak out two very good Jewelry remakes with little budget or fanfare.
Essential Songs
Hot & Cold (2021)
I LIKE U
⬅️ Return to Reading #1 through #40 ⬅️
Did you miss the Spotify and YouTube playlists?
Spotify Playlist of Best K-Pop Songs of 2021
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/22rPpsLtkraXBiRnDHVWoA
YouTube Playlist of Best K-Pop Music Videos of 2021
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrgT746Ww5PvrYTyxSKzazUUdD-qA198W