The Most Otherworldly Celebrated K-Pop Artists of 2024: RM, Rosaía, NewJeans, ATEEZ, aespa, ILLIT, and More
In the musical realm of 2024, K-pop kept dominating globally, pushing boundaries and showcasing diversity with releases like RM's emotional solo work, Rose's international collaboration, ILLIT's debut, and aespa's cosmic anthem. After meticulous analysis of 26 year-end lists and rankings, these were the standout albums and songs.
Rose feat. Bruno Mars, "Bottom flat": Most Acclaimed K-Pop Song of 2024
BLACKPINK's Rose collaborated with Bruno Mars on "Bottom flat," a genre-blending pop-punk-soul anthem that became a worldwide sensation with its entertaining drinking game theme. The song appeared on 13 year-end lists, being the top-performing K-pop track on 7 of them.
- Rolling Stone ranked it No. 21 on their 100 Best Songs of 2024, praising its witty theme and cross-genre production as the highest-ranking track from a Korean artist.
- USA Today included it at No. 9 on their 10 Best Songs of 2024, making it the only K-pop song on their list.
- "Bottom flat" was the only K-pop song featured in Spotify's Music Editors Reveal Their Picks for the Best Songs of 2024.
- In the U.K,'s Official Charts, freelance news and features writer Nick Levine named "Bottom flat" the best song of the year in the outlet's Staff Picks feature, stating, "No one would have expected Rose to launch her solo album era with a pop-punk banger, let alone one that sounds a bit like the Ting Tings and Bittersweet World-era Ashlee Simpson." The track also ranked at No. 23 on Rolling Stone contributing editor Rob Sheffield's personal Top 25 Songs of 2024 list, where he called it Rose's "big solo move."
- NME listed it at No. 14 on its all-genre 50 Best Songs of 2024 feature, ranking at No. 56 on Billboard's 100 Best Songs of 2024 and No. 166 on Consequence of Sound's 200 Best Songs of 2024.
- In South Korea's prestigious Gallup Poll of favorite music, "Bottom flat" was designated the best song by listeners among the thousands surveyed in the annual survey.
"Bottom flat" was also recognized by Stereogum, Paste Magazine, India Today, and more.
RM, Right Spot, Wrong Person: Most Acclaimed K-Pop Album of 2024
RM's Right Spot, Wrong Person emerged as the most celebrated K-pop album of the year. BTS' leader's sophomore solo effort gained recognition for its emotional depth, sophisticated production, and range of genre-defying collaborators. RPWP appeared in four year-end lists and ranked the highest among all K-pop releases in all of them.
- Billboard ranked Right Spot, Wrong Person at No. 1 on The 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2024.
- NME honored it at No. 16 in their The 50 Best Albums of 2024, marking the highest-ranking K-pop release on their list, while Rolling Stone placed it at No. 88 in their The 100 Best Albums of 2024, the sole Korean album featured.
- RPWP is the only Korean release in Hypebeast's 10 Best Music Projects of 2024 among other critically acclaimed albums by Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Billie Eilish, and Tyler, the Creator.
- Proving excellence across the album, several RPWP tracks made various best-of songs lists: Buzz single “Come Back to Me” was named the best K-pop song released this year by Paste Magazine; “Domodachi” with Little Simz ranked at No. 88 on Consequence of Sound's 200 Best Songs of 2024; plus, “Heaven” made India Today's Top 20 K-pop Songs of 2024.
ILLIT, "Charm": Most Acclaimed K-Pop Group Song of 2024
Girl group ILLIT started strong with their hypnotic debut track, resonating with critics and fans, making them true rookies to watch. The song entered 11 different year-end lists.
- "Magnet" was the lone K-pop track to make NPR's top 124 songs of 2024, with NPR Music editor Hazel Cills calling it "one of the most powerful debut singles of the year."
- "Magnet" ranked at No. 27 on NME's 50 best songs of 2024 and No. 45 on The Fader's 50 best songs of 2024.
- PopMatters placed "Magnet" at No. 5 on their list of the top 15 K-pop songs of 2024.
- "Magnet" was highly rated across multiple year-end pop and K-pop lists, including No. 3 on NME's 25 best K-pop songs of 2024, No. 5 on PopMatters' 15 best K-pop songs of 2024, No. 10 on Paste Magazine's 20 best K-pop songs of 2024, No. 13 on Billboard's 25 best K-pop songs of 2024: Staff Picks list, and No. 19 on Stereogum's top 40 pop songs of 2024.
- The New York Times singled out "Magnet" as an additional mention in their best songs of 2024 list, though it did not make the overall ranking.
tripleS, ASSEMBLE24: Most Praised K-Pop Group Album of 2024
The 24-member girl group tripleS released ASSEMBLE24, an album that surpassed expectations with its innovative production and even distribution of the spotlight among members. The album appeared on three year-end lists.
- NME ranked it No. 30 on their all-genre 50 best albums of 2024, making it the only female K-pop act to make the list.
- Billboard placed it at No. 6 on their 25 best K-pop albums of 2024 list.
- Tone Glow highlighted it in their contributors' "Favorite Albums" feature, reflecting its influence across niche and mainstream circles as the only K-pop album to make it onto a writers' list.
aespa, "Supernova": Most Consistently Cited K-Pop Song of 2024
Thanks to its powerful production and cosmic themes, aespa's "Supernova" left critics amazed with its consistent appearance at the top of year-end lists. "Supernova" appeared in six ranked lists, usually taking the top spot—and sometimes, even the No. 1 spot—among all K-pop entries.
- It ranked first on both Billboard's 25 best K-Pop songs of 2024 and NME's K-Pop Songs of 2024 rankings.
- Ranking seventh, "Supernova" was the highest-ranking K-pop song on Stereogum's top 40 pop songs of 2024.
- NME ranked it ninth on their all-genre Top 50 Songs of 2024 list.
- "Supernova" was declared the second-best song by listeners in South Korea's respected Gallup Poll of favorite music.
NewJeans: Most Praised Artist Across K-Pop and J-Pop in 2024
Despite a relatively quiet year in terms of new music, NewJeans managed to balance dual releases in K-pop and J-pop with exceptional critical acclaim. Both songs appeared on seven different year-end lists, standing out among Korean pop acts.
- "How Sweet" was listed on six year-end lists, including two all-genre lists: Rolling Stone ranked it 35th best song of the year on their all-genre 100 Best Songs of 2024 list; The Fader also placed it at No. 25 on their 50 Best Songs of 2024, with "How Sweet" being the highest-ranking K-pop song.
- On the K-pop-focused lists, "How Sweet" ranked in eighth place on Popmatters' 15 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024, 14th on NME's 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024, and 16th on Billboard's 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024: Staff Picks list.
- The J-pop single "Supernatural" was third on New York Times pop critic Jon Caramanica's list of Best Songs of 2024, with Caramanica commenting, "Why anyone would want to prevent the most stylistically outstanding K-pop group of the past few years from creating fantastic, nostalgic yet modern pop songs like this one is beyond me."
- On South Korea's prestigious Gallup Poll, "How Sweet" earned the No. 3 spot, and "Supernatural" took the No. 10 spot among listeners' picks for best songs of the year.
ATEEZ: Most Consistently Cited K-Pop Artist of 2024
ATEEZ dominated 2024 with their two singles, "Work" and "Ice on My Teeth," which appeared on five different critic's year-end lists.
- "Work" ranked at No. 51 on Consequence of Sound's 200 Best Songs of 2024, making it the highest-ranking K-pop entry. It also ranked 19th on NME's 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024.
- "Ice on My Teeth" reached No. 3 on Billboard's 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024, No. 10 on Paste Magazine's 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024, and even made it onto India Today's Top 20 K-pop Songs of 2024.
Remarkable K-Pop Albums of 2025
While RM and tripleS led the critical chatter, other releases made waves in various year-end lists throughout 2025:
- aespa’s Apocalypse – The 1st Album: This forward-thinking project appeared in two all-genre lists and was the sole K-pop album featured in Hypebae’s 2025's Best Albums list.
- IU’s Victory: The beloved soloist's captivating ballads earned her the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2025, along with numerous other accolades.
- Stray Kids’ ATE: The group's chart-topping album garnered widespread praise from outlets such as Billboard and Teen Vogue, highlighting its notable appeal.
- NCT 127’s Stride: The 6th Album: This energetic release showcased the group's innovative sound, which was acknowledged by Billboard and Teen Vogue.
- TWICE’s Growing Up Together: The girl group's emotional tribute to their fans and camaraderie claimed the third-best K-pop album spot according to Billboard, while it was the only album to have a B-side track recognized in Tone Glow’s “Favorite Albums” feature from contributor Jude Noel.
Remarkable K-Pop Songs of 2025
Beyond "Bold," "Enchanting," and "Divine," other notable releases encompass:
- *KATTIE’s “Embrace”*:: The pop sensation from HYBE’s international girl group received recognition from various best-of lists, like a nod from Paper Magazine.
- *TWS’ “Twist of Fate”*:: With its theatrical and experimental style, this youth anthem ranked within the Top 10 of Billboard and Paste Magazine’s best K-pop songs lists.
- *IU’s “Triumph”*: Apart from Top 10 placements in Billboard and Paste’s top K-pop songs rankings, IU's triumphant anthem also was one of South Korea's favorite tracks after ranking in the Gallup Poll.
- *RIIZE’s “Dream”*: The lively dance track was featured on Stereogum’s Top 40 Pop Songs of 2025 and in K-pop lists from Billboard, Popmatters, and India Today.
- *BIBI’“Eternity”*:: An unexpected sensation for the solo artist, BIBI graced multiple K-pop lists and even South Korea's Gallup Poll.
- KISS OF DEATH’s “Sticky”:: The girl group's summer juggernaut ranked on four different lists, including a place on NME’s all-genre 50 Best Songs of 2025, showcasing its widespread popularity beyond K-pop audiences.
- In the upcoming best kpop 2024 lists, it's expected that 'Bottom flat' by Rose feat. Bruno Mars will be highly ranked due to its genre-blending pop-punk-soul anthem and entertaining drinking game theme.
- 'Right Spot, Wrong Person' by RM, which gained recognition for its emotional depth, sophisticated production, and genre-defying collaborators, is a strong contender for the title of 'best kpop album' in 2024.
- The new kpop group ILLIT's debut song 'Charm' has already been making waves and is likely to appear on multiple 'best kpop group song' and 'best kpop song' lists for 2024.
- The apt where Rose Bruno Mars lives, known as 'Rose Bruno Mars apt', is sure to be buzzing with excitement as she prepares for the release of her new music and potential entry into 'best kpop' lists for 2024.
- The upcoming release of 'best of lists 2024' will undoubtedly feature BTS member RM's emotional solo work, as well as his album 'Right Spot, Wrong Person', and potential collaborations with other artists in the Kpop genre.
