My top 25 K-pop new releases of 2023

 The title of this blog post is slightly misleading.

There was a TikTok I saw where the woman challenged viewers to create a list of their top 25 k-pop of 2023 - with a few restrictions on the choices.  1) The songs must have been released in 2023 2) Only 1 song on the list per group (solo songs from members of a group do not count against their group and may be their own entries)

I LOVE making lists.  

The creation of this list devoured a good 4 hours of my day when I came across the challenge.  I made the TikTok in answer to the challenge, but I feel that 4 hours of work deserves more than a simple list with no reasoning behind the choices of the songs or their placement on the list.

So - blog post it is!

A reminder, this list is not meant to be my opinion on which were the most successful, most popular, or most critically acclaimed.  This list is meant to be which were MY favorite new releases of the year. 

Many thanks to volt.fm for the assistance in figuring out which of my kpop selections had the most plays and the most hours listened on my streaming service to help me make the following choices.

First off, honorable mention to the two songs that tied at #26:

Take Two by BTS, & Groovy by Cravity

Without further ado - the list!

#25 - Back to ZEROBASE by ZEROBASEONE

Released July 10 on their debut album YOUTH IN THE SHADE

Not the title track of the album, but it is track 1 and I really think it sets the entire tone of the album.  I don't know what I expected from their first album after the frustrating fiasco that was BOYS PLANET (the show where they were created) - but it wasn't this.  Honestly, this song is not my usual sound either.  It's far more electronic with heavier instrument processing than I usually go for - but there is something spacey and nostalgic about the track.  It's almost Zenon girl of the 21st century a bit... but at the same time, it isn't at all.  The pacing of the song reminds me of my breath when running a race.  It starts off so calm and then just builds until it seems to fall in sync with a heartbeat for a while.  After that, it lags again, as if tired - then gets a second wind push and then an even quicker beat and pace with the push.  The repeating lyric line "tell me is it real, is it real (make it real, make it real)" resonates with me in a way I don't quite understand.

Seriously, I didn't want to like this group.  I wanted their debut album to be trash so that I could put the fiasco of BOYS PLANET and their treatment of Hui behind me... but then... they were actually good - annoyingly good.

*sigh*

#24 - One and Only by BOYNEXTDOOR

Released May 30 on their debut mini album WHO!

If you are a k-pop boy group fan and you have not checked out BOYNEXTDOOR, you need to.  They are under HYBE subsidiary KOZ and their sound is so very refreshing.  One and Only has a very youthful sound without being pandering or pre-teen in sound that so many companies try to do with their "refreshing debut" sounds.  Clearly, HYBE has given ZICO a lot of creative freedom with the artists on his label and it shows in all of the BOYNEXTDOOR songs.  Knowing that ZICO had a hand sculpting the group, I was expecting them to have a much more Hip Hop flavored sound - but instead we got this strange hybrid with a base of the young HYBE boy sound, but some of that laid back ZICO spice.  It really works for me.

I had a very hard time deciding between this track and ABCDLOVE off their later full album release, but I ultimately went with One and Only because I listened to it SO MANY MORE TIMES.  The beat is a groove I can't ignore and I barely ever skip it when my randomizer brings it up in the queue.

#23 - Get A Guitar by RIIZE

Released September 4 on their debut single Get A Guitar

RIIZE is another group making their debut in 2023 and yet they too have a song that I find good enough to end up on this list.

Damn this song is SO DAMN GOOD!!  The beat, the guitar, the catchy chorus, the retro synth in the back... and once again, SM shows off just how good they are as a label with vocals.  That's not to say that there is any vocal part in this song that is all that difficult, but the blend of the vocals on the harmonies, as well as the transitions vocally from one member to another makes it difficult to believe that this song is from a rookie group.

The downside of this song being so good is that when they did their comeback in October with their second single, it was a massive let down for me because Talk Saxy wasn't anywhere near as good as this song.  That, combined with their member Seunghan being announced as being on indefinite hiatus on November 22nd makes me worry for the future of the group.  While I wait to see what happens, I am grateful to have at least gotten this certified banger out of them.

#22 - PSYCHO by JUN (from SEVENTEEN)

Released as a single July 3

JUN's last single LIMBO was so good that I had VERY high expectations for this release.  He did NOT let me down, nor did the writing team for the song, which unsurprisingly contains some of the same names as the LIMBO team.

JUN is on the Performance team in SEVENTEEN and this song showcases his ability as a performer.  It's a song meant to be performed, acted, and danced.  I do not know how many times I watched his performance videos or the music video for this song.  He is so good at doing the creepy psychotic smile that really adds to the tone of the song.

Performance aside, the production on this track is just beautiful.  The balance between his vocals and the eerie echoing repeating high background instrumentals, plus how he plays off the combination of the syncopated phrases alternating with the heartbeat rhythm phrases... it's just a really well crafted song.

#21 - PANORAMA by iKON

Released on the PANORAMA single with T.T.M. on August 23

When I first heard this song, I described it to my friend Kristin by saying "It's like SEVENTEEN tried to write a song for TXT but it got hijacked in transit by iKON to be on the same movie soundtrack as Love Scenario".  Honestly, I still think that's the best way to describe this track to those of you who follow kpop.  For those of you who DON'T understand that sentence .... iKON is so often a harder Hip Hop sounding group that this refreshing, light and bouncy song might be surprising enough to be jarring to those more familiar with their other sound.  Me... well volt.fm says I listened to this song 42 times since it was released - so I clearly LOVE the fresh sound departure.

iKon put out a lot of good music this year both as a group and as soloists.  They played around a lot with their sound too which I suspect is in reaction to finally having the freedom to do so (they left the YG label last December).  Hell, one of the members (Song) actually included a Trot style solo song on their TAKE OFF album.  For me though, Panorama was their best song of the year.

#20- Guilty by TAEMIN (from SHINee)

Released as the title track of his 4th mini album Guilty on October 30

I admit, I have listened to She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not fully through more times than I have Guilty, but I also recognize that Guilty is a WAAAAAY more iconic song.  It's a showstopper and will continue to be so for YEARS to come - just like MOVE, Criminal, and ADVICE.  I listen to Guilty and just know that I'm listening to k-pop history being made.  It's an odd feeling.  In years to come, talking to new k-pop fans I know I'm going to be able to brag about having been around for the craziness that was the Guilty era - and how it took the entire k-pop world by storm.  It's one of those era defining songs, just like ADVICE was two years ago.

History aside, it's a well crafted and well performed song.  Truly, it shows off how much Taemin grew in his time away in service.  His vocals in this are INSANE.  His breath control, his phrasing choices, his emphasis choices... this would not be the same song performed by anyone else.  The production choices are great, yes, but Taemin himself is what drives this song to greatness.

#19- CoolAs by KEY (from SHINee)

Released September 11 on Key's 2nd mini album - Good & Great

This is the main B side off the album, and while I love the title track Good & Great, this is the song off the album that had me in a choke hold for WEEKS.  The retro groove beat that serves as the background, specifically the Bass riff just grabs me and won't let go.  Key switching from his ethereal high vocals and his lower register talk/speak singing just tickles my brain.  Not much more to say other than, like with his band-mate Taemin's song, this song would not work nearly as well as it does if it was someone besides KEY performing it.

#18 - VIOLET by TAN

Released August 11 on their 3rd mini album TAN MADE [I]

Another B side - the title track of this album was HEARTBEAT which is also a damn good song.  However, the HEARTBEAT music video didn't really grab me.  A month and a half after this album came out, I got to see TAN live in Fresno and.... the choreo and the energy of VIOLET performed live shot this track to the top of my playlist for a good month.  I admit that this may be a serious case of sense memory heightening my opinion of the quality of the song, but I'm not ashamed by that all - dopamine is dopamine.

TAN stands for To All Nations and they are a lesser known group that I think is seriously worth checking out.  They were created on the survival show Extreme Debut: Wild Idol on MBC and only debuted in March of last year.

#17 - Koong by xikers

Released August 2 on their 2nd EP HOUSE OF TRICKY: HOW TO PLAY   

Good lord, picking only one song from xikers was HARD!  Currently, their entire discography qualifies for this list since they only debuted March 30th of this year!!  There is not a single song off this sophomore album that I consider a skip.  I got to see them perform the title track and main B side off this album at KCON LA (DO or DIE and HOMEBOY), and while both songs are great, and both performances were great, I found myself dissapointed that they didn't do Koong.  When I got to see them at their own concert in November, it was Koong that I was most excited to see them do live - so that was why I decided that of all their songs, this was the one I consider their best of the year.  I figured, if it's the one I constantly want to see them perform, it must be my favorite!

If I'm honest with myself, I've been in love with it since they released a performance video for it as a pre-release of their album.  I was hooked on first watch and it hasn't let go of me since then.  I think part of what I love so much about it is how the song uses the concept of negative space and quiet to keep the energy high even with a slower feeling driving beat.

On a personal level, I love that the main key of the song is in C#.

#16 - No Parachute by ONEW (from SHINee)

Released March 6 on Circle - The 1st Album

I simply adore ONEW's voice.  I first fell in love with him in 2018 with his song Blue.  ONEW is honestly who led me to SHINee.  I have been absolutely addicted to his Japanese albums Life goes on and Who Sings? Vol. 1that he released last year.  This song is very different from any of his past released.  Well, the entire album was different - but this song was even different from the rest of the album too.  I think it might be closest to Life goes on which is another favorite of mine.

I love the vocal gymnastics he does in the chorus.  The sharp, quick shifts from his chest voice in the verse, to his head voice in the beginning of the chorus phrase to his falsetto for the end of the phrase is so impressive.  So is how he just keeps hopping from his head voice to his falsetto through the rest of the chorus.  So, while this song might have a lower number of listens than many other songs on this list, the quality of the song and the performance still makes it one of my favorite releases of the year.

#15 - BLUE by XEED

Released August 1 on their second mini album BLUE

Honestly, it was a toss up between giving this spot to BLUE or Priceless off the same album.  XEED debuted last December as a 4 member group but then lost a member the very next month.  A month before their sophomore album released, they revealed two new members.  Because the entire concept of the group is focused on older artists who have already completed military service, I really WANTED to like them when they debuted last year.  The sad truth is that their debut album didn't grab me.  Because my friend Jennifer really likes them, I listened through the solo release of one of their new members (UO) and fell absolutely in love with his voice.  This had me primed for the BLUE album with high hopes.  They didn't let me down.

This album reminds me a lot of the sound of SEVENTEEN - so much so that I crawled through the production credits to see if Woozi or Bumzu had any recording or composing credits and was surprised to see that they don't.  Of course, as a HUGE SEVENTEEN fan, I LOVE that XEED has adopted a similar feel to their new sound.  Their vocals are lovely, the songs are easy to listen to, and the songs are interesting enough that I can listen to them on repeat without getting bored of them.

Priceless and BLUE are my favories off the album, but I listened to every song on the album countless times.  BLUE gives me the feel of running through an open field while a drone camera takes footage of me pausing at the top of a small hill and spinning with my arms open wide.  It's a gentle way to wake up and get going in the morning, it's great background to work or clean to, and it never fails to put a small contented smile on my face.

#14 - KATOKI Intro: LETHE by ONEUS

Released May 8 on their 9th mini album PYGMALION

Originally this spot was taken by ONEUS's song KATOKI off their 1st Japanese album Dopamine because Spotify has the release date data on that album as June 20, 2023 which was confusing to me because I could have sworn that I'd fallen in love with the song BEFORE I saw them live in February this year - but I second guessed myself only to find out tonight that Dopamine was ACTUALLY released November 23, 2022.  So, I swapped out KATOKI with my favorite ONEUS song that was ACTUALLY released this year.

As always, the vocals are prime - but the strings used as the main instrument in the background of this song made it an instant favorite for me.  I know that Baila Conmigo is all the rage with folks right now, but it doesn't speak to me the way that Intro: LETHE does.  LETHE is only has a 1:26 play time, so every time I listen to it, I am left wanting more, but hitting repeat seems to solve that issue nicely.

#13 - Fighting (Feat. Lee Young Ji) by BSS (from SEVENTEEN)

Released February 6 on their debut single album SECOND WIND

BSS (also known as Boo Seok Soon) is a joke sub unit of SEVENTEEN that was created in 2018.  They have a digital single Just do it  that they released digitally and did stages for back in 2018 which may cause confusion as to how SECOND WIND can be their debut single.  Well, it's because they did those performances as a joke sub unit of SEVENTEEN instead of as a fully realized trio group.  THIS time, they released a physical single album with BSS photo cards, did promotions as BSS, even had guest artist features on two of the three songs on the the album.  Suddenly what was a joke from SEVENTEEN became a real debut for the trio outside of their work as SEVENTEEN.  They even won Performance of the year at the Asia Artist Awards for this song!

Seungkwan (Boo Seunkwan), DK (Lee Seokmin), and Hoshi (Kwon Soonyoung) have been cracking me up ALL YEAR with their antics surrounding this song, and Lee Young Ji has just made everything funnier every time she's around them.  The song is FULL of their fun and hilarious energy and I'm pretty sure it's going to be a Korean staple for YEARS to come.  It's such a self aware tongue in cheek song.  It's ridiculous and they all know it - but it's ridiculous in a quality way.  Lee Young Ji's feature comes right off her Show Me the Money 11 win and that hot fresh rap energy adds an amazing element to the otherwise fully bouncy song.  She grounds them JUST ENOUGH.

volt.fm says I've streamed the song 54 times - which means I've likely watched an equal number of performances of the song at least as many times.

#12 - Shot Glass of Tears by Jung Kook (from BTS)

Released November 3 on his debut album GOLDEN

JK has released A LOT of music this year - a lot of it pretty iconic.  Seven, 3D, and Standing Next to You are all HUGE hits... but there is something about this song that makes me think it is going to be constantly in the background for years to come.  The whole thing sounds like a universal and timeless soundtrack to sad movie montages that can last for decades.

On my first listen to the album I thought it was a collection of singles with no connection - but now I can see where the line in the album changes between love and the loss of love.

This album was released too late for this song to have many plays under its belt in my statistics, but it has grown on me enough to rank it this high on the list.  I really do think it's one of the best songs of the year.

#11 - Youtiful by Stray Kids

Released June 2 on 5-STAR

Picking only 1 song from Stray Kids this year was DIFFICULT.  This year alone they released the Japanese album THE SOUND, 5-STAR, and ROCK-STAR and a few singles for a total of 28 unique new songs.

THE SOUND, THERE, DLMLU, Hall of Fame, S-Class, ITEM, Super Bowl, TOPLINE, Social Path, Butterflies, LALALALA, Cover Me, and MEGAVERSE were all contenders - but in the end, I had to be realistic and declare that for me - the stunning work of art that is Youtiful was for me their absolute best song of the year. 

A break from their norm, Youtiful is 100% in English.  Ban Chan's vocals start off the song and he sets the sweet and comforting tone for the entire track.  Hyunjin finishes the first verse with warmth that I don't usually associate with his vocals.  Lee Know's pre-chorus falsetto work is divine, especially when paired with Felix's gentle and surprisingly light bass vocals.  Changbin's singing voice gets an unusual chance to shine at the end of the pre-chorus too and it's so gentle and full of emotion which leads into Han so seamlessly.  Seungmin, of course, CRUSHES the main part of the chorus.  He anchors this song with such strength.  I.N. doesn't come in until the end of the first chorus - but he acts as a beautiful finisher to the first half of the song.  He pops in and out of the second verse and closing chorus as the vocal that ties everything together.  And I absolutely MUST mention Seungmin's amazing falsetto work in the bridge following Felix's higher chest voice.

Of course, NONE of that even addresses the beautiful soft melody that almost feels like the love child of a Broadway love ballad and a music box lullaby.  Nor does any of that cover the moving poetry of the lyrics given to us by Bang Chan and his childhood school friend Nickko Young.  After some research I discovered that Young also did lyric work on Red Lights, Cover Me, Lonely St., Waiting For Us, Mixtape: Time Out, Hug Me, Love Untold, and 24 to 25 - all some of my favorite Stray Kids songs.  

The song clocks in at 3:29, but I swear, it feels like a mere 1:30.  It's never long enough.  It's a beautiful love letter to their fan base.  The first few times I listened to it - I cried.

#10 - Exist by Eric Nam

Released September 8 on House on a Hill

Most everything on this album was amazing.  I Wish I Wasn't Me was my other top contender for this spot, but in the end I found I Wish I Wasn't Me as too depressing.  I Wish I Wasn't Me sinks me into my feels too deep if I listen to it too often, while Exist gives me hope.  Hope wins.

Nam's use of studio tracks to layer his solo voice in this song is such a good use of production tools.  The layers give the song such added depth and lets it grow in sound as the song progresses in such a satisfying way.  In the last section it's even more satisfying as he layers not only the vocals but also the different musical phrases almost like the height of a fugue - creating harmony with previous melody sections on top of each other.  Such beautiful craftmanship.

Seeing this live, he got the audience to help create that full layered song by having us sing along with him at the end.  It was effective musically and emotionally.

#9 - Diamonds by VANNER

Released August 21 on VENI VIDI VICI

VANNER debuted back in 2019, but I didn't discover them until early 2022 with their song Rollin.  They were a one song group for me until they appeared on the survival show Peak Time this year as Team 11:00.  I think it was the very 1st episode of the show that I started routing for them.  each episode I was more and more invested in their success.  I was THRILLED when they won.  They grew so much on the show and it effectively showcased how much a group thrives or dies based on the support they're given by their company.  

Part of winning the Peak Time show was an album release and when VENI VIDI VICI came out, I could tell that the support from the new company they signed with and the contacts from the Peak Time show had a massive part in elevating their sound.  The entire album is great, but there is something addicting about the driving bass line for me.  It is so damn FUNKY!!  This was my wake up alarm song for MONTHS - only recently did I switch it to Crazy Form by Ateez.

I am excited for the future of this group.  Peak Time really boosted their exposure and gave them the opportunity to grow as performers.  If Diamonds is anything to go by, their future has promise.

#8 - Never in vain by LUCY

Released February 23 on their mini album INSERT COIN

It was a toss up between this song and Haze off their more recent Fever album.  I chose to go with this track over Haze because I like the violin part in this one better - and Ye-chan's violin is the main draw for me when it comes to LUCY.  Ye-chan does this weird string effect in his instrumental break on this song that sounds like a production glitch/effect if you don't listen too close.  However if you really listen, you can tell that the effect is created by him quick bouncing his bow on the string as he plays.  The control it takes to pull that off with such consistency is insane.  Won-sang's bass work is so grounding too.  He fills out the sound so much at really lets Sang-yeop's vocals feel more driven and powerful.  Won-sang almost makes his bass feel like it's growling at times.

Still - when it comes to LUCY, it's all about Ye-chan for me.  The man's ability to make the violin rock and roll is so damn hot.

#7 - Identity by SHINee

Released June 26 on HARD - The 8th Album

Yes, three of the members of this group are already on the list with their solo songs, but this song deserves to be in the top 10 as well.  53 plays streams since June but I swear I've listened to it so much more than that.  Gravity and Satellite were also possibilities for this spot, but in the end I chose Identity because I swear it needs to get more exposure so that it can become a big LGBT club dance song like I think it's meant to be.  It's just such a feel good song for me.

This is my first SHINee comeback as a Shawol, since I got into their music during their military hiatus period and I gotta say - I get the hype now.

#6 - We Good by JO1

Released as a single January 19

Good lord, the number of times I've listened to this song and the ridiculous number of playlists it has ended up on... it's almost embarrassing.

This has been a prolific year for JO1 - 16 different unique songs with mostly single releases, but two albums too.  Still, it's not even a contest for me as to which was their best song from the year.  We Good has such a good structure, with amazing choral unity and good solo lines too.  The beat is good and builds well while simultaneously remaining a steady driving force.  The vowel patterns in the lyrics are auditorily satisfying and the consonants are almost like a second drum beat from the vocals.

#5 - BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS) by ATEEZ

Released June 16 on THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW

How on earth is this song only six months old?  I thought HALAZIA last December dominated the K-pop scene but BOUNCY's saturation makes HALAZIA's success pale in comparison.  This song is a testament to ATEEZ's recent explosion on the global side of the k-pop world.  The song won 5 music shows during it's promotions (2nd most of their career only behind Guerrilla) and all those wins were with such a shocking lack of support from their Korean fan base.  They were snubbed during award season too - giving amazing performances at all the award shows they were invited to, but getting no nominations for their successful work.  This song led them to get their #2 placement on the Billboard 200.  Sure, Crazy Form has surpassed that, but you would think an album with a #2 spot on Billboard would garner more award support in their home country.

Sorry - got a little sidetracked there.  My rant is a testament to how absolutely ICONIC I find this song.  As you can see from this list, I'm a big B side girl.  Title tracks rarely garner my love the way a good B side does.  But Bouncy?  It's an Atiny wet dream in audio form.  It's a masterpiece of chaos and distortion.  Hongjoong clearly had a blast playing with the vocal processing on this track - and that's a great word for the feel of the song - play.  The whole thing from start to finish feels to me as if those involved in the creation of this song were playing.

I realize this sort of chaos and in your face energy is not everyone's cup of tea, but I do think it was far more successful and will be far more lasting than the big wigs of the Korean k-pop scene want to admit.

I guess ATEEZ will continue to live up to their onstage rebel personas.

#4 - Cosmo by The Rose

Released September 22 on DUAL

I love EVERY SINGLE SONG on this album!  I took nearly 30 minutes to figure out which song off the album to put on this list.  I know most people would choose Back To Me, Wonder, or Alive, but I decided to go with Cosmo because I feel like it has the most instrumental work which for me is what separates The Rose from so many other groups that I listen to.  The Rose are first and foremost instrumentalists.  They are a BAND.  Cosmo highlights for me the risks and experiments that they took with their instruments for this album.  It also, within the single song, alternates between high energy and ethereal which is very representative of the entire album.  Finally, when I went and saw them live in November, it was Cosmo that most fully pulled me into "the moment" while at the concert.  It felt the most special to watch and most magical.  It was during this song at the concert that I felt that stunning connection to the crowd around me and the performers on stage that is such a rare sensation for a people shunning introvert like me.  Now whenever I listen to the song I get echoes of that sensation that course through me and give me flashbacks to that high.  This would not have been my pick pre-concert, but it is now.

 #3 - Super by SEVENTEEN

Released April 24 on SEVENTEEN 10th Mini Album 'FML'

This was the title track on the K-pop Album of the Year - a rating I absolutely agree with.  FML is an amazing 6 songs but Super is undoubtedly the star of the show.  Woozi, BUMZU, S.COUPS & VERNON absolutely knocked it out of the park when they wrote this with Filipino-Canadian August Rigo.  I looked up Rigo and found out that he has credits on Black Swan (BTS), ON (BTS), HOT (SEVENTEEN), 1, 2, 3 (NCT Dream), and even Betcha (Baekhyun) - soooo.... clearly I am a MASSIVE fan of his style!

The sample from Sounds of KSHMR Vol 4 was BRILLIANTLY used to set up the song.  The distorted beat under the first verse vocals, which member  on which lines, and making the main part of the chorus instrumental were all stunning choices.  I simply can not get enough of this song - or the dance for that matter.  Also, as a Woozi bias, I love seeing my short king on his throne and getting so much time in the center as a power figure.

Watching them win Album of the year at the MAMA awards when Um Jung Hwa was so emotional as she said "Finally, it's them..." I know is going to be one of those fan moments I remember for quite a while.  As soon as she said that I knew EXACTLY who had won and got teary.  Watching all 13 of them go up for this long awaited award and pushing Woozi forward for the credit he deserved will now forever color how I listen to this song.  It's become a victory anthem of sorts for the group for me.  I love it even more than I used to - and I already loved it a LOT.

#2 - Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto, WOOSUNG of The Rose) by Agust D

Released April 21 on D-DAY

Those of you who know my k-pop bias list will likely be surprised that an Agust D selection is not #1 - after all, Agust D/Suga/Min Yoongi is my all time #1 Ult Bias and WOOSUNG is my bias from The Rose - so how could their collab not be my favorite release of the year.  Well, it missed by just a hair - which is to say a difference in play counts of about 30 listen throughs.

That having been said, D-DAY was album of the year material for me.  The journey that Yoongi took us on through that album and in the follow up concert was an emotionally wrenching piece of genius storytelling.  It was a arc of self healing, self discovery, and a letting go of anger so that he could once again join his newly healed and healthy self back with his chosen family.  This song, especially with the passing of pianist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, feels like a form of hopeful grieving; grief with hope for those following on the path behind you.  

"When wishes are blown away by the wind, It's okay, everything becomes memories and lessons when you look past it"  I was sick for a good portion of this year, and as such had a lot of time to think about where I am in my life.  Yoongi has always given me comfort when he says that it's ok to not have a dream, that not everyone has something lofty to strive for - but somehow, this song hit hard with him saying that even if you don't have a dream because your dream was blown away somehow, it's still ok - you can still find another way to dream, even if it's about something smaller; that it's ok to let go of a dream that no longer works - like letting go of petals in the wind.

If I listen to this song too many times in a row, I always end up crying.

#1 - Song of the Wind by KINGDOM

Released March 23 on History of Kingdom: Pt. VI Mujin

When this album came out, I listened to it from start to finish about 13 times in a row. KINGDOM is such an underappreciated group.  Their vocals are so damn good, their personalities are wonderful, their dancing is high quality, and I ADORE their concept and their music.

The Mujin king is said to be based on the legendary first Emperor of Japan - Emperor Jimmu who was venerated by an imperial cult following the Meiji Restoration.  I mention this because the instruments in Song of the Wind are reminiscent of the post Meji Restoration era - when pride in all things Japanese was starting to blend with the new ways of the West.  There are traditional Japanese musical structures played on the western piano overlaying insistent western strings.  There is a sense of loss and wistfulness in the composition and vocals that blends oddly well with the almost childlike magical delivery in the instrumental performance.   Honestly it's like Japanese melancholy for the legendary past has been thrown in with a Studio Ghibli celebration of the beauty of the coming dawn.

Clearly the song puts me in a fantastical and poetic mood.  This song makes me feel.... creative.  It makes me yearn to create new things, and create a good space for myself.  It has helped me many times this year to find a spark of motivation for self care.

So there you are.

What are YOUR top 25 for this year?