2024 12 months-Finish Ok-Pop Recap (& Honorable Mentions)

December 8, 2024

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The subsequent few weeks on The Bias Checklist can be full of all method of end-of-year countdowns. From Ok-pop to J-pop to world pop to dramas, it’ll all be coated. It is a enjoyable method to tie a bow on the 12 months and rejoice all of the issues I beloved in 2024. These countdowns kick off tomorrow with my largest one: The Prime 50 Ok-Pop Songs of 2024.

Truthfully, this has been an odd 12 months for Ok-pop. The trade appeared extra scandal-plagued than ever and ended its 12 months with a flurry of disbandments and controversies. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see the place we head going ahead. So far as music is worried, 2024 was break up neatly in half. An enormous share of my favourite music got here from the primary half of the 12 months, leaving the second half fairly underwhelming. Regardless of this, I’d think about 2024 stronger as an entire than 2023 (although for me that is because of the work of a comparatively small group of artists).

There can be loads of area to speak about musical tendencies later, however I’m undoubtedly within the temper for a change. I adopted the time period “beige pop” to explain lots of this 12 months’s choices. Subdued sounds appear to be in. Even when artists borrowed from historically bombastic genres, they usually did so in a extra nuanced approach. I’ve by no means been the largest fan of nuance in pop music, in order that’s a little bit of an issue in terms of private style. For that reason, my checklist this 12 months is very brief on lady teams. These tendencies appeared to have an effect on them greater than boy teams and I’m very anticipating a return to a extra forceful sound (assume Kara, GFriend, T-ara, WJSN, Sistar, and so forth).

In fact, there have been loads of wonderful songs launched this 12 months — from boy teams, lady teams and soloists. I’m excited to highlight them over the following few days. Personally, I’m a much bigger fan of my high ten than I’ve been in years. In the long run, 2024 was extra “high quality” than “amount,” with a handful of songs I adore reducing via the 12 months’s many, many skips. On steadiness, all of it works itself out. And for these enthusiastic about stats, there are additionally some new information inside this 12 months’s countdown that can develop into obvious as soon as all the things is revealed. It’s at all times attention-grabbing to see how issues shake out.

That is additionally a good time to preface the countdown by reiterating how it’s totally different from different year-end countdowns. This isn’t an inventory picked by consensus, neither is it one primarily based upon any metric of success past how a lot I personally loved a tune. There can be hits, business flops and plenty of under-the-radar picks. You in all probability received’t agree with all the things, however similar to The Bias Checklist as an entire, you could be assured that it’s 100% genuine to my style.

Talking of the weblog, 2024 is on observe to proceed year-over-year development in views and guests. That’s 9 straight years of enchancment. As I do yearly, I wish to thank every reader — whether or not you’re in settlement with my critiques or not. Thanks for persevering with to go to! Suggestions and exercise are the issues that preserve me posting every day.

This year-end characteristic is my 820th submit of the 12 months, which is up once more from this time final 12 months. That’s 260,000 phrases — or a pair novels’ price of content material, for those who’d prefer to depend it that approach!

Eligibility standards for my Prime 50 Singles checklist hasn’t modified since final 12 months, however for many who are new to the weblog, listed here are the principles. This 12 months, there was one tune that didn’t fairly match the standards however I simply couldn’t justify counting it as a b-side.

Eligibility standards:

A tune should have been launched as a title, follow-up or promoted observe between December 1, 2023 and November 30, 2024.
A tune should be paired with a full music video or big-budget efficiency video (the traces get extra blurred annually).
English-language singles are eligible. Japanese singles by Ok-pop artists can be a part of the J-pop countdown.

Earlier than kicking off the countdowns tomorrow, listed here are the ten songs that didn’t fairly make the Prime 50.