Well it's that time of year when all the 'Top 10' lists start popping up everywhere.  As I've just passed my 3 year mark of being a Kpop fan I think I'm to the point I can create my own list.  This year has been THE best year for music from when I've started paying attention.  The rookie groups this year are out-of-this-world (in some cases literally aka Exo) while some major veterans have had epic comebacks.  There's a little bit for everyone this year even including the worldwide success of "Gangnam Style" that has just hit 1 billion views on Youtube (and that didn't even make my list).  

Now, this list is STRICTLY opinion based.  There's a reason I call it a 'favorite' song list as opposed to a 'top' list because it holds too much pressure.  You may agree with some choices but disagree with others.  There may be a lot of songs that I don't have on this list.  Trust me, this was really hard to make.  I had to cut a lot of songs to even get under 20.  I originally wanted to make it just 10 songs but there's too many songs that deserve recognition.  

For fairness, there is only one song per artist.  This list accounts for 20 to 11.  Please enjoy :)

Honorable mention:

You may have noticed the 'by Male Artists' in the title.  When creating the list I realized I only had one female group in my top 20.  It's not that I dislike female artists it's just that its not my area of expertise.  I don't generally pay attention to the newest Girls Generation or Kara song so it's not fair for me to even consider judging them.  Let's just say it's about the same as asking your English teacher to teach you Biology; they may know the basics but it's not their area of interest.  

But as I did mention, a female group WAS on this list.  So, I would like to mention "I Don't Need a Man" by Miss A.  It has that Destiny's Child feel to it that I love while maintaining a very cute sound.  The visuals are fun and I love their style.  Sadly to make this list, they DID indeed need a man....

Now to the actual list!:

20.  TVXQ – “Catch Me”

I will be the first to admit, I am not a TVXQ fan (I know, ‘boo, hiss’).  I just never quite got into them.  I’m well aware they are a dominant force in the Kpop world but I didn’t catch the fever of that fandom.  Now I will say, “Keep Your Head Down” was one of my favorite songs of 2011 so I was in part curious about their comeback.  “Catch Me” definitely disappoint.  It had a touch of the epicness of “Keep Your Head Down” with a very singable melody and smooth rhythm.  I even enjoy the use of dubstep in the song. 
The video itself is definitely neat.  I will commend that they have a great use for backup dancers.  Seriously I pay attention to them half the time and watch how organized they have to be!  And of course anyone that has seen this video mentions the glowing arm things.  While I still can’t call myself a Cassiopeia I do consider this a song worth a listen. 

19.  B2ST – “Beautiful Night”

I briefly talked about B2ST in my Top Ten Kpop Groups list.  I feel as if I’m alone in the fandom atleast amongst my friends (both online and irl).  I mean I loved “Bad Girl” the second I heard it and it was the same case with “Shock.”  “Fiction” and “Breath” took a few plays but I finally catch myself singing them randomly.  This song, it took an even longer time but I’ve finally come around to liking it.  What scared me away so long?  I feel a part of it has to do with the video.  Actually, I can’t even say it’s the actual video I have an issue with, it’s just the clothing.  Whoever dressed them for this video needs fired.  Seriously.

I mean, a pink suit in the middle of New York?  Wut?  I mean I even technically consider Dongwoon my B2ST bias but I just could not look at him in this video.  Also, red hair and a pink blouse never work together…ever.  And they just seem so out of place it almost makes the video uncomfortable.

But the song itself is rather enjoyable.  The English is…questionable and I’m pretty sure I sing the lines wrong but I still have fun doing so.  This song would definitely be higher on the list if it weren’t for the video.

18.  Epik High – “Don’t Hate Me”

I never listened to Epik High before this song came out and now I’m interested!  They are far from the typical Kpop style; in fact this song reminds me a bit of Good Charlotte’s “The Anthem.”  It has a fun melody with lyrics that make a statement.  From what I gather, the video is all about just being tired of the everyday norm.  Everyone has had a day, be it at their job or in class where they just wish something crazy would happen.  If you haven’t seen this video, you’re missing out!

17.  G. Dragon – “Crayon”

My first reaction to this video: “Uhhh….huh?” 
After a few more watches: “This isn’t so odd…actually the song is rather catchy.”
A lot more later: “GET YOUR CRAY ON!”

Now I normally expect something crazy from G Dragon but this took the cake.  This video is just a collage of everything that will blow your mind.  From the Wonder Woman robe to the random Pinocchio nose to the football uniform, I find myself asking ‘what?’  I mean, I LOVED “Knock Out” but this one took me a while. 

So how did it make it on this list?  The song is AMAZING!  I even shared it with my non-Kpop friends (although I haven’t shown them the video).  It has that “Party Rock Anthem” feel with that flavor of G Dragon’s style.  I never expected to like this song as much as I do now but it sits in my top 20. 

16.  Wooyoung – “y Lady”

I was uber impressed with Wooyoung’s solo album.  I’ve been a 2PM fan now for about a year but I’ve probably paid the least attention to him.  To me he was always Nichkhun’s other half.  Seeing him on his own completely blew me out of the water.  I learned a very valuable lesson with “y Lady” and that is, HOLY CRAP HE’S HOT!  He makes a cute blonde which I hadn’t really expected at all. 

The song and video remind me of Justin Timberlake a LOT, especially near the breakdown in the end it sounds like “Love Stoned.”  The dance is simple but he looks awesome doing it (meanwhile I try and just look stupid).  His English is perfect and it makes me want to go to a club (too bad none of them here play Kpop).  The video has that bit of 2PM influence but I definitely see him continuing to succeed as a solo artist if he desires to keep doing his own thing (but I’m dying for a 2PM comeback).

Oh and if anyone hasn’t heard, Taecyeon does a ‘cover’ of this song. 

15.  FT Island – “I Wish”

I always consider FT Island the group I listen to when I need to empty out my tear ducts.  Earlier this year they came out with “Severely” which made just about everyone crawl into a ball of a crying mess.  So then all of a sudden this Latin sounding guitar starts playing and things are…happy? 

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH FT ISLAND!?!?!

Okay, I do know that FT Island has a very upbeat style in their Japanese albums but everything they do in Korea is just so depressing.  To me they are about as close as you can get to emo in Kpop.  I am very welcoming to this change in style however because I absolutely love this song.  The Latin guitar (and the mariachi sounding trumpet) really reminds me of MBLAQ’s “Mona Lisa” which is one of my favorite songs of all time.  Even during the chorus he kind of sounds like he’s saying “queso” which is the Spanish word for ‘cheese.’  I know that’s not what he’s saying but it will forever be that inside my mind.
To be quite honest I don’t really understand the video but I’m happy enough with the shots of Hongki and his spikey hair band.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I would marry his voice if I possibly could.  I don’t know what it is about it but it just makes me melt every time. 

Also I find myself drumming along. 

14.  BOB4 – “Youaholic”

This is the only song on the list without a music video but it’s THAT GOOD I had to add it!  I know literally nothing about this group.  I don’t know the member’s names, I don’t know where they came from…nothing.  They don’t even have a Wikipedia page.  The only thing I DO know is that they are a rookie group and I LOVE them. 
They do have a debut song out there with a video called “Mystery Girl.”  While I enjoy it immensely, it was this song that got me to give them a listen.   I was linked to this performance through some kind of channel on Youtube (possibly MNet but I’m not positive) and died the instant I saw them.  The lead singer, you know the one whose name I don’t know?  He’s ruining my bias list.  The voice, the glasses and the fact he has a tattoo on his arm (You can see it in the video for “Mystery Girl”).  I have some heavy contenders on that bias list and he just waltzes in! 
There’s nothing much else I have to say about this other than this song is fantastic.  They sound a little bit like CN Blue but they stand on their own.  If you know anything about them, please let me know J.    

13.  Park Jung Min – “Beautiful”

I am a diehard Triple S.  My heart is sad everyday knowing that they aren’t together :(.  Luckily each of them has a rather amazing solo career and I can ‘pretend’ they are performing as a unit again.  That’s why I’m proud to have “Beautiful” on my list. 
I never knew this song was coming out actually.  I knew about him going by the name Romeo in Japan and having a record out (and I love “Give Me Your Heart” even more than this song) but I didn’t know he was having a Korean comeback until the video suddenly appeared.  I’m pretty sure I squeaked the minute I saw it up and instantly clicked. 

He’s such a ball of energy and had me smiling from the very first second.  I’m pretty sure he has the cleanest and straightest teeth in Kpop and a rather ‘beautiful’ voice that could clear out a room (in a good way :D).  I love the use of different styles throughout starting with him being in a garage band then going to a black and white performance.  The next section basically looks like the set of “Guys and Dolls” then flows into a disco (and let me say how perfectly round his tushie looks in those pinstripes).  Lastly it goes into a futuristic room right when the techno sounds hit.  There’s also a room with just him and a mic which is gorgeous.

Seriously, try to watch this video without smiling, I dare you.

12.  Lunafly – “Super Hero”

This song snuck up on me completely by chance and now it is slowly becoming one of my favorites.  If I were to create this list a few weeks from now it could very well go higher on the list but since it’s still new to hit my ears I have to give it some restraint.  I’m not one to fall in love with ballads easily.  For the most part I hate love songs because I find them extremely unrealistic.  I’m aware this song is called “Super Hero” but it’s done very sincerely.  From what I gather it’s about a guy that basically didn’t treat his girl right but now he’s noticing it and doing his best to change.  What I’m most impressed by are the harmonies.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been tempted to sing the harmony so much.  This song also makes me really want to pick up my guitar and start playing again.  The best part about the song is that it’s completely in English and I can understand them!

The video itself, there isn’t really much to say.  It’s the three members, two of them playing guitar while the other one beats on a drum.  There are some shots of them in various places in the room and a record player but it’s just very intimate. 

I can’t wait to hear more from this rookie group.  Check them out.   

11.  Nu’est – “Face”

If I could pick a video to have the best message of this year, it would be the video for “Face.”  While most Kpop videos are just about smexy men or winning over a girl or just having a dance party, “Face” stands on a whole other level.  I haven’t seen the subject of bullying done so gracefully in a music video.  You have a kid that seems to be pushed around and pranked on all the time and someone finally stands up for him.  It’s a message that comes across so clearly while maintaining a true cool factor.  I especially love that the story is integrated in the dance.  I also love the use of pink in this for some reason.  It seems to balance out the darkness of the uniforms.
This was a truly strong debut and it is still currently my favorite song of theirs.  It helped me come around to the idea of dubstep in Kpop which previously I was rather against (I hated it in “Bubble Pop”).  Their voices are rather impressive for their young ages in my opinion.  It’s another great melody that I sing from time to time.  If anyone hasn’t seen it, you really should.  You’ll definitely get something out of it.

Stay tuned for 10 through 1! (or just click here)