2024 was a phenomenal year for K-pop, with a non-stop stream of hits from the genre’s biggest names. While lead singles got all the glory, it was often the B-sides that showed off the genre’s creativity and depth.
By now, K-pop fans know that sometimes the best songs fly under the radar and do not always get the spotlight.
Last year, SEVENTEEN, aespa, NCT DREAM, KISS OF LIFE, LE SSERAFIM, IVE, BABYMONSTER, NMIXX, ITZY, delivered some iconic K-pop hits.
While the spotlight was hogged by title tracks, there were plenty of b-side songs which grabbed fans’ attention.
These tracks offered a glimpse into the artists’ experimental sides and their personal struggles. For K-pop newcomers, these songs are the perfect introduction to the genre’s best.
So what were the best K-pop B-sides of 2024? We’ve got the rundown.
- NMIXX – “Run for Roses”
- ARTMS – “Butterfly Effect”
- KISS OF LIFE – “Igloo”
- aespa – “Live My Life”
- Chungha – “I’m Ready “
- NMIXX – “Love Is Lonely”
- NMIXX – “Boom”
- TXT – “I’ll See You There Tomorrow”
- IVE – “Ice Queen”
- IVE – “Blue Heart”
- Jaehyun – “Can’t Get You”
- KISS OF LIFE – “Nothing”
- LE SSERAFIM – “1-800-hot-n-fun”
- aespa – “Flowers”
- BABYMONSTER – “Like That”
- NMIXX – “Passionfruit”
- ARTMS – “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
- NCT Dream – “Box”
- ATEEZ – “Selfish Waltz”
- ILLIT – “Midnight Fiction”
- Dreamcatcher – “2 Rings”
- LE SSERAFIM – “Pierrot”
- ENHYPEN – “Moonstruck”
- Younha – “Antmill”
- NCT 127 – “Pricey”
- Red Velvet – “Night Drive”
- KISS OF LIFE – “Te Quiero”
- (G)I-DLE – Fate
- Loossemble – “Cotton Candy”
- Red Velvet – “Sunflower”
- ILLIT – “Lucky Girl Syndrome”
- Taemin – “Deja Vu”
- Yena – “Good Girls in the Dark”
- TWICE – “New New”
- ITZY – “Mr. Vampire”
- ONEWE – “Shoot It Out”
- DAY6 – “Happy”
- NCT Dream – “Unknown”
- RESCENE – “Pinball”
- ILLIT – “Tick-Tack”
- aespa – “Up” (Karina Solo)
- tripleS – “Chiyu”
- TWICE – “Bloom”
- FIFTY FIFTY – “Gravity”
- NMIXX – “Red light sign, but we go”
- NMIXX – “Beat Beat”
- STAYC – “1 Thing”
- aespa – “Kill It”
- IU – “I Stan U”
- TWICE – “Rush”
- Weeekly – “Twenties”
- Yves – “Diorama”
- Kep1er – “Flowers, Flutter, Your heart”)
- ITZY – “Blossom” (Lia Solo)
- ARTMS – “Sparkle”
- ARTMS – “Distress”
- NCT Dream – “icantfeelanything”
- Red Velvet – “Last Drop”
- Dreamcatcher – “Fireflies”
- aespa – “BAHAMA”
- NCT 127 – “Rain Drop”
- TXT – “The Killa” (I Belong to You)
- Xdinary Heroes – “Xymphony”
- Billlie – “Bluerose”
- BABYMONSTER – “Love In My Heart”
- tripleS – “24”
- (G)I-DLE – “Revenge”
- Dreamcatcher – “STΦMP!”
- NCT 127 – “Gas”
- Yuta – “Prisoner”
- Key – “Overthink”
- Doyoung – “Beginning”
- UNIS – “Dopamine” (UNIS Ver.)
- NCT 127 – “Can’t Help Myself “
- aespa – “Spark” (Winter Solo)
- Jin (with Wendy) – “Heart on the Window”
- xikers – “Supercalifragilistic”
- TWICE – “You Get Me”
- Taemin – “Crush”
- NewJeans – “Right Now”
- SEVENTEEN – “Cheers to Youth”
- Yves – “DIM”
- P1Harmony – “Last Call”
- ZEROBASEONE – “Insomnia”
- Taeyeon – “Blur”
- WayV – “She A Wolf”
- Wendy – “His Car Isn’t Yours”
- Irene – “Start Line”
- (G)I-DLE – “Bloom”
- NewJeans – “Bubble Gum”
- tripleS – “Beyond the Beyond”
- J-Hope – “i don’t know” (with HUH YUNJIN of LE SSERAFIM)
- Red Velvet – “Bubble”
- izna – “Fake It”
- Nayeon – “Magic (feat. Julie)”
- Kep1er – “Problem”
- NCT 127 – “Orange Seoul”
- ATEEZ – “Man on Fire “
- (G)I-DLE – “Vision”
- BTS J-Hope – lock / unlock (with Benny Blanco & Nile Rogers)
While 2024 was an incredible year for K-pop, 2025 is going to be even more exciting with solo and group comebacks from BLACKPINK and BTS.
Do not forget to mention your favorite K-pop b-side in the comments below.