K-pop has come full circle in 2023, with some of the best solo K-pop songs by Korean artists ranking on different charts. Even the Billboard music awards have witnessed several solo K-pop artists take the spotlight, with BTS’ Jungkook’s Seven, BTS’ Jimin Like Crazy, and many others bagging awards.
As K-pop enters its fifth generation, we can expect to see many established idols make their debuts as solo artists. 2023 has been an amazing year for music enthusiasts—be it with soloists like Dawn and Somi releasing compelling music, TXT’s collaboration with Western artists, or an entirely new AI group marking their debut, K-pop has a lot going on right now.
Here are some of the best solo K-pop songs so far in 2023.
Note: These songs are not listed in any particular order.
Eight best solo K-pop songs in 2023 that fans played on loop
1) Knock – Lee Chaeyeon
Lee Chayeon is one of the former members of IZONE and is currently a solo artist under WM Entertainment. Knock, which was released on April 12, received 10 million views in only four days, setting a personal record for Chae Yeon. Following that, the song garnered tremendous popularity as a result of online challenge videos of the dance, which helped the song join Melon’s real-time and daily charts.
The song is insanely catchy and showcases Chayeon’s unrivaled dancing abilities with an exciting, head-turning performance. Its thundering bass is the song’s lifeblood, throbbing with unbridled energy and real oomph before reaching an ecstatic chorus. It’s a definite earworm and one of the best solo K-pop songs of 2023.
2) SOS – Kang Daniel
Kang Daniel is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and businessman who shot to prominence in early 2017 as the first-place winner of the reality competition series Produce 101’s second season. Kang Daniel has dabbled in many genres, and the next-level cinematography of his latest solo videos has everyone pressing the repeat button.
The song is fantastic on its own, but the brilliant music video really takes it to the next level. The music video plays like a horror Western version of John Woo’s action film Mad Max, and the song fits the chaotic visuals well.
Kang Daniel has lately been into crunchy rock production, and this one is a definite recommended banger for one of the best solo K-pop songs of 2023.
3) Rover – Kai
If someone is in the K-pop scene, then they would have definitely heard this solo of Kai’s, which is literally on every idol’s dance challenge list. Rover is also the title of Kai’s third EP, released on March 13, 2023. The EP has six songs.
Kai, as a performer and a master of seduction, has demonstrated his artistic growth and variety with a trilogy of solo releases, but Rover ups the ante. Kai has always exploited the appeal of duality, and the contrast between his persona and person is one of his most enticing qualities. On Rover, he takes on a new alias—Mr. Rover.
4) Like Crazy – Jimin
Like Crazy, the title track from BTS vocalist Jimin’s first solo album, Face, is the perfect song to dance and sing to when you want to let loose. Like Crazy was the first song by a Korean soloist to top the Billboard Hot 100 charts and maintain its place for four weeks in a row, with Billboard even declaring this solo song as the K-pop song of the year.
The choreography, the light beats, the music video—everything is in sync with Jimin’s stage personality, with a sensual undertone. His vocals switch up in the verses, giving a multi-faceted tone to the entire song. This solo K-pop song gives you all the feels and makes sure you get lost in the lights with Jimin.
5) Flower – Jisoo
Jisoo of BLACKPINK made her long-awaited solo debut on March 31 with ME, which featured two songs: the title track Flower and All Eyes on Me. Within 24 hours of its release, Flower had 4,674,337 filtered Spotify streams. With this, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo set a new record for the most first-day streams for any song by a female K-pop soloist in the platform’s history.
Jisoo’s FLOWER music video is a stunning visual feast centered on the flower emblem, highlighting the seductive femininity that the singer embodies in every scene. The song has gone viral on all social platforms with its addictive beats and fun choreography.
6) Seven – Jung Kook
Jung Kook has surely stepped out of his comfort zone with this solo and smashed all possible records. Jungkook’s Seven became the first Korean artist’s song to spend six weeks at the top of Billboard’s Global 200. Seven went viral for several reasons, but Jung Kook’s vocals are the best reason of all.
The song has everything, from Han So-hee in the video to Jung Kook being the romantic puppy throughout. The song has both clean and explicit versions with a feature from the American rapper Latto.
His falsetto is full of personality, flirtatious at moments, mischievous at others, but always confidently playing around the melody as he transitions from legato notes to a faster rap cadence.
7) Love Me Again – V
Love Me Again is the first of two pre-release music videos from the upcoming album of BTS’ V (aka Kim Tae-hyung), which is called Layover. It is a wonderful R&B track that beautifully emphasizes V’s enticing voice. The song is about love, longing, and wanting to be loved all over again.
Fans of V have praised the song for its uniqueness, heartfelt lyrics, and well-produced music video. Taehyung’s mesmerizing vocals add a lot of character to the fascinating track. With all the peppy and upbeat solo K-pop songs of the year, this is the ballroom dancing tune of the year.
8) Killin’ Me Good – Park Jihyo
TWICE’s Park Ji-hyo (aka Jihyo) turns into a heartbreaker in her solo debut MV for Killin’ Me Good, which was released on August 18, 2023, along with her first mini album, ZONE.
Apart from Jihyo’s captivating voice, high notes, and acting ability, the song features a great R&B beat that is easy to become addicted to. The cinematic MV depicts the idol dealing with her emotions amid intense love and devastating heartbreak against various landscapes. If you find yourself in a funk and feel like getting out of it, Killin’ Me Good is your best solo K-pop song to hold on to.
K-pop soloists have been ruling fans’ hearts this year, and there has been an incredible amount of music to jam to. With mesmerizing vocals and addictive choreography, these solo K-pop songs have attracted fans from around the world. With many more comebacks to look forward to this year, fans eagerly await the next hit song.
Edited by
Siddharth Satish
