The top 20 is where you judge our collective taste; individual ballots day is where you really get down into the details of the vote and figure out exactly who you agree and disagree with!

Intro and Honorable Mentions | 20-11 | 10-1 | Individual Ballots | Stats and Wrap-up

As part of the ballot, I asked voters to list up to five of their favorite K-pop b-sides released in 2023. (This was optional, but most people did submit something for it.) I encouraged everyone to choose at least a few lesser-known songs to help us discover something new and get a diverse spread of b-sides. There were still some repeats—a couple more than last year—but I think that may just be a reflection of the most notable album releases and b-sides being particularly concentrated around more popular groups in 2023. There’s still a good variety of K-pop tracks to check out among our picks, especially if you fell behind on new albums released last year and want to catch up on the best and most important ones.

Our b-side recommendations are available now on these YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music playlists! (I’ve included performance videos in the YouTube playlist whenever possible.)

B-sides that received multiple votes:

  • Fromis – Prom Night (3)
  • Kep1er – Back to the City (3)
  • TripleS – Speed Love (2) [this had 3 votes until I told people to stop voting for it because it already had enough, and one person went back and changed their pick to another song]
  • Fromis – Attitude (2)
  • Heejin – Video Game (2)
  • Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife (2) [we’re literally just not gonna talk about this, everything’s fine, let’s move on]
  • NCT U – Pado (2)
  • Red Velvet – Underwater (2)
  • Zerobaseone – Take My Hand (2)

Now for our individual ballots! Besides including everyone’s top 20 songs, I’ve also listed which songs each contributor was the only person to vote for under the “Unique votes” section. Where they apply, I’ve noted various interesting stats about that ballot, such as if someone had the highest number of votes for 4th gen artists or fewest for male soloists. When people submitted their ballots at the start of this month, they had the option to 1) write any commentary they wanted about their votes and 2) make predictions about the results, so anyone who responded to those questions has their answer included. (Two people did correctly predict the #1, by the way.) I also asked about favorite rookie groups.

The results from the last three days are the sum of each voter’s individual, unique opinions, and I wanted the ballots to feel distinct and personalized to emphasize the importance of our individual perspectives to the overall project. I hope you enjoy looking through, and maybe find a new song or two or gain appreciation for some you previously overlooked because you notice them listed next to other favorites. Or, you know, maybe you can just have fun judging our opinions.

I’ve ordered the ballots from most to least overlap with the final list, so that you start with lots of familiar tracks from the top 20 and see more and more new songs as you continue to scroll down. Tomorrow will be the final post of this year’s list, with a bunch of stats, observations, and concluding thoughts from me. See you then: for now, here are our individual ballots!

Anjy Ou

Top 20 singles

  1. So!YoON! – Bad
  2. NewJeans – OMG
  3. XG – Left Right
  4. Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  5. Zerobaseone – In Bloom
  6. XG – Shooting Star
  7. NCT DoJaeJung – Perfume
  8. NewJeans – Super Shy
  9. Key – Good & Great
  10. Kai – Rover
  11. Onew – O (Circle)
  12. Jueun – Easy Breezy (feat. Seo In Guk)
  13. &Team – Firework
  14. TripleS LOVElution – Girls’ Capitalism
  15. Jungkook – 3D
  16. The Deep – Bappi
  17. Ateez – Bouncy
  18. CSR – Shining Bright
  19. Dean – Die 4 You
  20. Woodz – Amnesia

Favorite b-sides

  • Zerobaseone – Take My Hand
  • Fromis_9 – Prom Night
  • Heejin – Video Game
  • Young Posse – OTB
  • Omega X – Touch

Commentary: Five of my favorite things about K-pop this year, in no particular order: (1) 90s/2000s R&B, (2) K-pop for the club (garage, 2-step, jersey club), (3) The redemption of boy groups (4) DEAN coming back (!!!), and (5) A nugu group releasing a single called “NUGUDOM” that’s actually really good.

Final list overlap: 13

Unique votes: 4 (Easy Breezy, Bouncy, Die 4 You, Amnesia)

Notes: Tied for second fewest unique votes; fewest girl group songs; most male soloists; second most non-idol songs; second fewest 4th gen artists.

Predictions for the final results: NewJeans at #1, Queencard top 5, max two boy groups in the top 10.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: NewJeans, XG, Le Sserafim, ZEROBASEONE, &TEAM

Links: twitter.com/mellowyel

Michelle Myers

Top 20 singles

  1. H1-Key – Rose Blossom
  2. NewJeans – OMG
  3. Onew – O (Circle)
  4. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  5. TNX – Kick It 4 Now
  6. Kiss of Life – Shhh
  7. STAYC – Bubble
  8. BoyNextDoor – But Sometimes
  9. Aespa – Spicy
  10. Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  11. The Boyz – Watch It
  12. Fromis_9 – #menow
  13. NewJeans – Super Shy
  14. Zerobaseone – In Bloom
  15. XG – Shooting Star
  16. iKON – Tantara
  17. Blitzers – Macarena
  18. Booseoksoon – Fighting (feat. Lee Young Ji)
  19. Cravity – Cheese
  20. Kai – Rover

Favorite b-sides

  • Fromis_9 – Prom Night
  • NMIXX – Home
  • Kep1er – Back to the City
  • NCT U – Pado
  • Kard – Cake

Commentary: 2023: A bad year for K-Pop. There were a lot of disappointments from big-name groups who usually deliver. Still, I found plenty of songs to enjoy! I have hope that 2024 will reflect and come back with an improved image.

Final list overlap: 13

Unique votes: 5 (But Sometimes, Watch It, Tantara, Macarena, Cheese)

Notes: Tied for second fewest girl group songs; most boy group songs.

Predictions for the final results: OMG #1

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: H1-Key, BoyNextDoor

Links: rmxbb.substack.com

Joshua Minsoo Kim

Top 20 singles

  1. NewJeans – OMG
  2. NewJeans – Super Shy
  3. NewJeans – ETA
  4. Onew – O (Circle)
  5. TripleS Krystal Eyes – Cherry Talk
  6. Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  7. Aespa – Spicy
  8. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  9. Sumin – Closet (feat. Uhm Jung Hwa)
  10. Lee Jin Ah – Mystery Village
  11. TripleS Krystal Eyes – Touch
  12. NewJeans – NewJeans
  13. NewJeans – Cool with You
  14. CSR – Shining Bright
  15. XG – Left Right
  16. XG – Shooting Star
  17. TripleS – Rising
  18. H1-Key – Rose Blossom
  19. STAYC – Lit
  20. Raon – Like Like

Favorite b-sides

  • Red Velvet – Underwater
  • Jang Myung Sun – Tower of Babel
  • TripleS LOVElution – Speed Love
  • Fromis_9 – Prom Night
  • Youra – (Motif)

Commentary: I feel confident in saying this was the worst year in K-pop possibly ever, as long as you consider the scale at which K-pop is at right now. This was, once again, the year of NewJeans. Aside from them, it was also the year of tripleS. Less so, XG and fromis_9 kept me excited, and then there were some one-offs that piqued my interest. The best songs were obvious, Korean rap is in a dire place, and the non-idol folks in pop, R&B, rock, and folk had a pretty decent year.

Final list overlap: 13

Unique votes: 5 (Closet, Mystery Village, “NewJeans,” Lit, Like Like)

Notes: Tied for second most girl group songs; tied for fewest boy group songs; tied for fewest 3rd gen artists.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: Kiss of Life and ZEROBASEONE are the most promising groups who debuted in 2023.

Links: twitter.com/misterminsoo 

Iris Xie

Top 16 singles

  1. XG – Left Right
  2. NewJeans – Super Shy
  3. The Deep – Bappi
  4. NewJeans – ETA
  5. NewJeans – Cool with You
  6. XG – Shooting Star
  7. Aespa – Spicy
  8. Key – Good & Great
  9. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  10. (G)I-DLE – I Do
  11. IVE – I Am
  12. IVE – Kitsch
  13. XG – GRL GVNG
  14. NewJeans – OMG
  15. Bebé Yana – Chemistry
  16. Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife

Favorite b-sides

  • Fromis_9 – Attitude
  • Heejin – Video Game
  • IVE – Lips
  • Odd Eye Circle – Je Ne Sais Quoi

Final list overlap: 12

Unique votes: 3 (I Do, GRL GVNG, Chemistry)

Notes: Tied for fewest unique votes; tied for fewest boy group songs; tied for fewest 3rd gen artists.

Predictions for the final results: NewJeans is top 4.

Links: twitter.com/irisxie; link to their writing for The Singles Jukebox

Crystal Leww

Top 20 singles

  1. NewJeans – OMG
  2. NewJeans – ETA
  3. Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  4. TripleS LOVElution – Girls’ Capitalism
  5. TripleS – Rising
  6. XG – Left Right
  7. XG – Puppet Show
  8. Devita – Ride for Me (feat. Dawn)
  9. CSR – Shining Bright
  10. Yena – Hate Rodrigo (feat. Yuqi)
  11. Aespa – Spicy
  12. Twice – Moonlight Sunrise
  13. &Team – Firework
  14. IVE – Baddie
  15. Fromis_9 – #menow
  16. NMIXX – Roller Coaster
  17. The Deep – Bappi
  18. Kai – Rover
  19. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  20. Jungkook – 3D (feat. that man)

Commentary: Only 4 storylines of note: (1) NewJeans world domination, (2) Jaden Jeong is mad scientist-ing into something sinister but that ultimately rocks, (3) R&B pop vocals are the only thing that worked out well this year more broadly, (4) The men really did a bad job this year.

Final list overlap: 12

Unique votes: 4 (Puppet Show, Ride for Me, Moonlight Sunrise, Baddie)

Notes: Tied for second fewest unique votes; tied for second fewest boy group songs.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: I would limit to 2023 specifically (else you get only Hybe gg’s from me): I think it’s probably Kiss of Life.

Links: twitter.com/crystalleww; instagram.com/crystallnet

Michael Hong

Top 20 singles

  1. NewJeans – ETA
  2. NewJeans – Cool with You
  3. NewJeans – OMG
  4. Onew – O (Circle)
  5. TripleS Krystal Eyes – Cherry Talk
  6. TNX – Kick It 4 Now
  7. CSR – Shining Bright
  8. NewJeans – Super Shy
  9. Kim Feel – Love You! (feat. Tablo)
  10. Odd Eye Circle – Air Force One
  11. TAN – Heartbeat
  12. RIIZE – Memories
  13. Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  14. Zerobaseone – Crush
  15. Aespa – Spicy
  16. Billlie – Eunoia
  17. NCT Dream – ISTJ
  18. TripleS LOVElution – Girls’ Capitalism
  19. Lucy – Unbelievable
  20. (G)I-DLE – Queencard

Favorite b-sides

  • Aimers – Cherish
  • CSR – Picnic
  • Lee Chae Yeon – I Don’t Wanna Know
  • TripleS Krystal Eyes – Touch
  • Young Posse – Posse Up!

Commentary: Breaking my rule of one song per artist—when it’s right, it’s right.

Final list overlap: 12

Unique votes: 5 (Love You!, Air Force One, Heartbeat, Crush, Unbelievable)

Notes: Year two of not having any specific stats to point about Michael’s ballot, year two of just shouting him out for getting blurbs done early instead 🤷🏼‍♀️

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: CSR, NewJeans, TripleS

Links: mandogap.substack.com; twitter.com/michaelhongo

Anna Katrina Lockwood

Top 20 singles

  1. Booseoksoon – Fighting (feat. Lee Young Ji)
  2. Key – Killer
  3. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  4. IVE – I Am
  5. Kai – Rover
  6. Onew – O (Circle)
  7. CSR – Shining Bright
  8. NMIXX – Roller Coaster
  9. NiziU – Heartris
  10. NewJeans – Super Shy
  11. TNX – Kick It 4 Now
  12. Zerobaseone – In Bloom
  13. Billlie – Eunoia
  14. RIIZE – Get a Guitar
  15. Kim Sung Kyu – Small Talk
  16. Mijoo – Movie Star
  17. Mimiirose – Flirting
  18. Aespa – Spicy
  19. Queenz Eye – This Is Love
  20. H1-Key – Time to Shine

Favorite b-sides

  • Key – CoolAs
  • Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  • NCT Dream – Yogurt Shake
  • TXT – Devil by the Window
  • SHINee – Juice (IMHO SM men should learn to choose singles differently!!!)

Commentary: I had a bunch of BOYNEXTDOOR songs on my long list—keeping my eye on them. It broke my heart to cut the TXT and TAN songs I would have placed just outside of my 20, but the other of the last cuts I made, Youha, is at least still represented on the list as the composer of Billlie’s Eunoia!

Final list overlap: 12

Unique votes: 7 (Heartris, Get a Guitar, Small Talk, Movie Star, Flirting, This Is Love, Time to Shine)

Notes: Second most male soloists; tied for most 2nd gen artists.

Predictions for the final results: I think Key may be the highest ranked dude. Only thing that’ll sink his chances, IMHO, is if the vote is split.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: Apparently, IVE and CSR!

Links: twitter.com/Anna_K_Lockwood 

Mo Kim

Top 20 singles

  1. TripleS – Girls’ Capitalism
  2. IVE – I Am
  3. NewJeans – OMG
  4. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  5. Fromis_9 – #menow
  6. H1-Key – Rose Blossom
  7. TripleS Krystal Eyes – Touch
  8. Aespa – Spicy
  9. Seventeen – Super
  10. Purple Kiss – Sweet Juice
  11. XG – Shooting Star
  12. Booseoksoon – Fighting (feat. Lee Young Ji)
  13. Kiss of Life – Shhh
  14. Zerobaseone – In Bloom
  15. NMIXX – Soñar (Breaker)
  16. Aespa – Drama
  17. Big Naughty – Hopeless Romantic
  18. H1-Key – Seoul (Such A Beautiful City)
  19. STAYC – Bubble
  20. TripleS Krystal Eyes – Cherry Talk

Favorite b-sides

  • TripleS LOVElution – Speed Love
  • TripleS EVOLution – Heavy Metal Wings
  • Mave – Everyday
  • Kep1er – tOgether fOrever
  • Kep1er – Back to the City (seriously, why were their B-sides all so much better than their singles this year?)

Final list overlap: 11

Unique votes: 3 [Soñar (Breaker), Hopeless Romantic, Seoul (Such a Beautiful City)]

Notes: Tied for fewest unique votes; tied for second-most girl group votes; tied for fewest male soloists; second most 4th gen artists.

Links: mokng.com; twitter.com/loonacademia; twitter.com/mokngpoetry

Abby Webster

Top 20 singles

  1. NCT DoJaeJung – Perfume
  2. NewJeans – Super Shy
  3. Seventeen – F*ck My Life
  4. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  5. TripleS – Rising
  6. Kai – Rover
  7. Aespa – Spicy
  8. NewJeans – OMG
  9. Cignature – Aurora
  10. Fromis_9 – #menow
  11. IVE – Either Way
  12. Purple Kiss – Sweet Juice
  13. Jungkook – Standing Next to You
  14. GOT the Beat – Stamp On It
  15. Booseoksoon – Fighting (feat. Lee Young Ji)
  16. NCT 127 – Ay-Yo
  17. Jeon Somi – Fast Forward
  18. RIIZE – Memories
  19. Seventeen – Super
  20. XG – Shooting Star

Favorite b-sides

  • NCT U – Pado
  • NCT Dream – SOS
  • Zerobaseone – Take My Hand
  • TripleS LOVElution – Black Soul Dress
  • Woodz – Drowning

Commentary: I had to submit a different ballot for 2023 K-pop faves in December—it’s interesting to see how my thoughts have changed in just a month. (January EOY lists supremacy!)

Final list overlap: 11

Unique votes: 5 (F*ck My Life, Aurora, Either Way, Standing Next to You, Ay-Yo)

Notes: Second most boy group songs; tied for most 3rd gen artists.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: TripleS, ZEROBASEONE, RIIZE, NewJeans, Le Sserafim

Links: twitter.com/absterwebby

Kayla Beardslee

Top 20 singles

  1. Booseoksoon – Fighting (feat. Lee Young Ji)
  2. EXO – Let Me In
  3. Aespa – Spicy
  4. Key – Killer
  5. Onew – O (Circle)
  6. NCT Dream – ISTJ
  7. IVE – I Am
  8. Purple Kiss – Sweet Juice
  9. TripleS – Rising
  10. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  11. Billlie – Eunoia
  12. Le Sserafim – Unforgiven (feat. Nile Rogers)
  13. Seventeen – Ima~ Even if the world ends tomorrow
  14. NewJeans – ETA
  15. Limelight – Honestly
  16. TNX – Kick It 4 Now
  17. Taemin – Guilty
  18. Jini – C’mon (feat. Aminé)
  19. Kiss of Life – Bad News
  20. Jeon Somi – Fast Forward

Favorite b-sides

  • NCT DoJaejung – Kiss
  • Rocket Punch – Give Me Your Heart
  • SHINee – Satellite
  • Seventeen – Sara Sara
  • Taemin – Not Over You

Commentary: Better top 10 than last year, I feel really strongly about everything all the way down to Queencard. But the inverse effect is that my feelings drop off fast as the list goes on, and I found it weirdly difficult to slot in the last few songs: numbers 18-20 were basically a tossup between like half a dozen choices. I got to see four of my top 10 songs performed live, which is pretty good considering Boston had like five K-pop group concerts to go to last year. Also, Q4 was grim.

Final list overlap: 11

Unique votes: 6 (Let Me In, Ima~ Even if the world ends tomorrow, Honestly, Guilty, C’mon, Bad News)

Notes: Tied for second fewest girl group votes; second most female soloists; tied for most 2nd gen artists; tied for second most 3rd gen artists.

Predictions for the final results (promise I locked these in before the first ballot came in): NewJeans will absolutely smash the artist vote again and get the most combined points by far. Top 20 locks: OMG/Super Shy/ETA, Fighting, Spicy, I Am, Queencard (the last of which I realized after seeing people discuss it so enthusiastically in the TSJ Discord). Killer and O (Circle) probable. I’m also expecting some TripleS, at least Rising. Maybe Unforgiven? But def not at the level of support EPATBW would have. [This is an artifact of when I wasn’t planning to allow Eve Psyche to be eligible, before I changed my mind last-minute.] I also think boy groups and male soloists will do much better than last year. And no idea about a winner!

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: Viviz, Le Sserafim, Kiss of Life

Links: twitter.com/kaylabeardslee

Jack Wannan

Top 20 singles

  1. NewJeans – OMG
  2. NewJeans – Super Shy
  3. NewJeans – ETA
  4. Le Sserafim – Unforgiven (feat. Nile Rogers)
  5. TripleS – Rising
  6. Fromis_9 – #menow
  7. Billlie – Eunoia
  8. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  9. GOT the Beat – Stamp On It
  10. Twice – Set Me Free
  11. IVE – I Am
  12. Viviz – Pull Up
  13. Seventeen – Super
  14. Aespa – Spicy
  15. IVE – Kitsch
  16. TripleS LOVElution – Girls’ Capitalism
  17. Le Sserafim – Perfect Night
  18. Viviz – Maniac
  19. Stray Kids – LALALALA
  20. Kiss of Life – Nobody Knows

Favorite b-sides

  • Viviz – So Special
  • Odd Eye Circle – Love Me Like
  • TripleS – Beam
  • Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  • Fromis_9 – Attitude

Commentary: NewJeans had a pretty flawless year, so it was easy to put them at the top of my list. In 2023, I spent a lot of time listening to b-sides or music from previous years more than a lot of the title tracks. Lots of b-sides from groups like Le Sserafim, Fromis_9, Twice, and others were a big part of my listening. I don’t know if that says something more about my listening habits or the year that K-pop had. (Maybe the former, since I don’t think 2023 was particularly a bad year per se!)

Final list overlap: 10

Unique votes: 4 (Pull Up, Perfect Night, LALALALA, Nobody Knows)

Notes: Tied for second fewest unique votes; most girl group songs; tied for fewest male soloists; most 4th gen artists.

Predictions for the final results: I would be surprised if NewJeans doesn’t absolutely dominate at the top of the charts, considering what I’ve seen from other music friends I follow online. This is not to say there’s not other good stuff going on, though.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: NewJeans, Le Sserafim, CSR, TripleS

Links: twitter.com/jackwannan

Rachel Saywitz

Top 20 singles

  1. Fromis_9 – #menow
  2. NewJeans – OMG
  3. Kep1er – I do! Do you?
  4. XG – New Dance
  5. TripleS LOVElution – Girls’ Capitalism
  6. Aespa – Drama
  7. The Deep – Bappi
  8. NCT Dream – ISTJ
  9. Kai – Rover
  10. Billlie – Eunoia
  11. Oh My Girl – Summer Comes
  12. Blackswan – Cat & Mouse
  13. Jvcki Wai – Ez
  14. Pixy – Karma
  15. So!YoON! – Bad
  16. Seventeen – Super
  17. Purple Kiss – Sweet Juice
  18. CSR – Shining Bright
  19. Viviz – Maniac
  20. Jeon Somi – Fast Forward

Favorite b-sides

  • Kep1er – Back to the City
  • Fromis_9 – What I Want
  • GOT the Beat – Rose
  • Itzy – Bratty
  • IVE – Hypnosis

Commentary: It was interesting this year to see the same girl groups that conquered last year do so this one—we haven’t really seen any new debuts overtake their crown minus the very quick rise and fall of Fifty Fifty. This is despite most of them putting out middling material this year (imo), so it really does emphasize that groups like NewJeans, IVE, Aespa and Le Sserafim are leading a new gen. What’s also interesting to note is that two of those aforementioned groups are on the same label, which shows how consolidated the Kpop industry is becoming as companies like Hybe & JYP solidify their global outreach plans.

I’ve been following Kpop quite religiously for the past 10 years, and I think this is the one where I fell most out of place in its ecosystem. I think I might just be getting too old—not old in the sense of “this kpop stuff is way too silly and for young mindless teenagers,” but more old like “I feel like I’m engaging in a system that continues to exploit and profit off of young adults and teenagers, and I’m not sure I’m getting anything worthwhile out of it as someone who is almost 30,” if that makes sense??? But this is coming from someone who voted every day on Girls Planet and for the first few weeks of Boys Planet, so I will probably wrestle with that thought until the day I leave Kpop for good.

Okay one more thing: The new Street Woman Fighter season was so cool and I would like to use this opportunity to plug my favorite SWF2 performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilzqCsxzqDk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmf1nxLFEm8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pfjLoEFRZ0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuIzniSa1Hs

Final list overlap: 8

Unique votes: 6 (I do! Do you?, New Dance, Summer Comes, Cat & Mouse, Ez, Karma)

Notes: Tied for second most 3rd gen artists.

Predictions for the final results: NewJeans will be lower on the list due to split votes on their singles lol.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: Basic af list: NewJeans, IVE, Le Sserafim… honestly have not kept up with new debuts aside from the major ones.

Links: twitter.com/thatchicksaywat; she also reviewed Y/N by Esther Yi, a book about falling in love with a K-pop star, for Electric Literature last April.

Ryo Miyauchi

Top 20 singles

  1. NewJeans – Super Shy
  2. Le Sserafim – Eve, Psyche, & Bluebeard’s Wife
  3. Aespa – Spicy
  4. (G)I-DLE – Queencard
  5. CSR – Shining Bright
  6. Yena – Hate Rodrigo (feat. Yuqi)
  7. NMIXX – Love Me Like This
  8. TripleS LOVElution – Girls’ Capitalism
  9. Crystal Tea – Bad Kid
  10. Kwon Eun Bi – The Flash
  11. So!YoON! – Smoke Sprite (feat. RM)
  12. QWER – Discord
  13. TNX – Kick It 4 Now
  14. ICHILLIN’ – Kick-Start
  15. ILY:1 – Twinkle Twinkle
  16. iiso – Salad Days
  17. Park Bom – Holding the End of This Night
  18. The Deep – Bappi
  19. CCOLA – Love2000
  20. Silica Gel – Tik Tak Tok (feat. So!YoON!)

Final list overlap: 8

Unique votes: 11 (Love Me Like This, Bad Kid, The Flash, Smoke Sprite, Discord, Kick-Start, Twinkle Twinkle, Salad Days, Holding the End of This Night, Love2000, Tik Tak Tok)

Notes: Second most unique votes; tied for second fewest girl group songs; tied for second fewest boy group songs; most female soloists; tied for fewest male soloists; most non-idol artists; tied for fewest 3rd gen artists.

Links: thissidejapan.substack.com; twitter.com/sneeek

Juana Giaimo

Top 20 singles

  1. Billlie – Eunoia
  2. Jungkook – Seven (feat. Latto)
  3. NewJeans – Super Shy
  4. NCT DoJaeJung – Perfume
  5. Key – Good & Great
  6. NMIXX – Party O’Clock
  7. Meenoi – And You (feat. Zico)
  8. Aespa – Spicy
  9. Red Velvet – Chill Kill
  10. SHINee – Hard
  11. Billlie – Dang! (Hocus Pocus)
  12. VIXX – Amnesia
  13. EXO – Cream Soda
  14. Misamo – Do Not Touch
  15. Hoody – Lonely
  16. Whee In – In the Mood
  17. Twice – Set Me Free
  18. TripleS – Rising
  19. ICHILLIN’ – Alarm
  20. Itzy – Cake

Favorite b-sides

  • Key – Live Without You
  • Billlie – Various and Precious (Moment of Inertia)
  • SHINee – 10X
  • Crush – EZPZ
  • Red Velvet – Underwater

Final list overlap: 5

Unique votes: 13 (Seven, Party O’Clock, And You, Chill Kill, Hard, Dang! (Hocus Pocus), Amnesia, Cream Soda, Do Not Touch, Lonely, In the Mood, Alarm, Cake)

Notes: Most unique votes; tied for most 3rd gen artists; fewest 4th gen artists.

Predictions for the final results: There’ll be a lot of NewJeans.

Favorite group(s) that debuted in 2022-23: NMIXX, NCT DoJaeJung

Links: twitter.com/juanagiaimo

Here are links again to the YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music versions of the b-side recommendations playlist!

Click here to read the final post for this year’s list, which features some stats and concluding thoughts to round out the week.

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