Happy New Year! As we ease into 2022, we handpicked some of our favourite Korean tunes – both old and new, to help us welcome January. So get your ears ready, because this month will be filled with good music!

Eric Nam – I Don’t Know You Anymore

Technically, this song is in English but we’ll still put it in the list since Eric Nam, a Korean-American singer, TV personality and even a podcast host, performed it.

Since Eric is born and raised in the United States, it’s no surprise that he is fluent in English. But don’t get him wrong; he has a lot of catchy Korean songs too like Honestly and Paradise.

This song in particular however, stuck with me because it’s very fitting for the New Year. It basically talks about cutting ties with someone hence the title “I don't know you anymore”, which is perfect since it is a good idea to leave anything bad – whether it’s experiences, a person or things, in the past and forget about all of it this 2022.

It’s time to make new memories, am I right?

San E, Raina – A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness

It’s hard to believe that this song was released almost 8 years ago, given that the beat and melody can pass off as something that came out in 2020. In simple words, it’s a music that never gets old, that’s why I never hit skip whenever it comes out on my playlist.

This song describes the emotions of two people who just fell in love with each other, perfectly conveyed by Raina’s sweet vocals and San E’s rhythmic rap. Plus, the music video is just as cute too!

In the clip, you can see the two of them preparing for a meet up and going on the actual date itself, making you feel like you’re watching a scene out of a Korean drama.

VIXX LR – Whisper

A sub-unit from VIXX that includes members Leo and Ravi, “Whisper” is the duo’s second release following their debut song “Beautiful Liar”.  For those who are a fan of rap and R&B, you’ll definitely like this one!

Leo’s soothing voice paired with Ravi’s deep, powerful rap is what make this song stand out among the rest. STARLIGHTs surely enjoyed reading the English translation too, as it is basically the boys telling the girl to whisper her love to them.

Its meaning can be quite intimate and sensual, so I recommend you to play it at night if you’re giving it a listen for the first time ;)

Park Jihoon ft. Lee Hi – Call U Up

Wanna One is not active anymore as the group is only temporarily formed through a competition show Product 101. Nevertheless, its eleven members – including Park Jihoon, remain active on their solo careers.

Recently, Jihoon released a song featuring Lee Hi (you know it’s going to be a bop if Lee Hi is in the song), entitled “Call U Up”.  It has an upbeat melody that suits his honey vocals, a refreshing contrast to his previous comeback, “Serious” which sounds darker. 

Bonus points because we get to see the Jihoon and Lee Hi show off their sleek moves in the music video. If it becomes the newest dance challenge trend on social media, it’s not a shock!

WOOSUNG ft. BM of KARD – CWS

This collaboration between The Rose’s Woosung and KARD’s BM may be too early for the summer, but best believe I’m already blasting in on my speakers. “CWS”, which stands for California West Side, is a song that will make you want to jump in the car and start a road trip.

What makes this release extra special is that both artists are the ones who wrote the lyrics and composed it, meaning they were really hands-on in creating the song.

Most of CWS’ lyrics are in English so it’s very easy to follow. Although, some of BM’s rap is in Korean, so his part might be a little bit challenging to sing and memorize~

Big Naughty ft. eaJ – STAB

Once a contestant of the rap survival program “Show Me The Money 8”, Big Naughty is now signed under Jay Park and Cha Cha Malone’s H1gher Music. At the mere age of 18, he has already released at least 7 singles, making his achievements more amazing.

This collaboration might raise the eyebrow of people who will only hear the chorus since he and eaJ are singing “I want you to stab me” repeatedly, but despite its violent lyrics, the song’s meaning is far from that.

In my understanding, it talks about the difficulty of letting go of someone regardless of the bad things they did. This is why they are asking the person to stab them in the leg, so that they won’t be able to go back.

SISTAR 19 – Ma Boy

Play this song in front of 2nd generation K-Pop fans and I’ll guarantee you that most if not all, will know the lyrics and step to this iconic song. It is performed by the sub-unit of STARSHIP Entertainment’s girl group SISTAR, composed of members Bora and Hyorin.

I don’t know if its Hyorin’s strong vocals, Bora’s catchy rap or the snappy choreography that makes “Ma Boy” very memorable, but one thing’s for sure, even those who don’t listen to Korean music will love this song.

In fact, if you visit the music video on Youtube, you’ll see new comments from people all over the world saying that they are still listening to it, even though it was released more than 10 years ago.

These are ABC Korea’s first batch of recommended K-songs for the year of 2022. Which one do you like best? Let us know below!