On Friday, Dec. 18, Teen Vogue released their "The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020" list. The list contains numerous comebacks that took the world by storm. See which K-pop comebacks made it to this list. Also, please note that this article will not include debuts and will only include promoted comebacks, meaning no pre-release single or B-side track will be added to this article.
Of course, the list starts with BTS and their most recent comeback, "Life Goes On". The song is their third number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and the first Korean-language song to hit number one on the charts. The song may not be in English, but the warm emotions can still be felt, adding a rich layer to the song. Another BTS song makes the list - "Black Swan". The song is fueled with angst and fraught emotion that talks about an artist's first death - when they lose passion for their art.
MAMAMOO's Hwasa music video for "Maria" was also included in the list and was praised as a song and music video that tells the story of self-discovery and touches on the pressures of being an idol in South Korea. The song talks about her experience as a star with paparazzi, the hateful comments she endures, the gossip, and the effect the industry has on her mental health.
Stray Kids earned praise for the choreography of their song "God's Menu". They were praised for using a burned-out 2017 viral meme as their most iconic choreography. The group used cooking-theme dance moves, such as stirring pots and chopping vegetables to their routine. The dance and song, combined with the group's visuals and the stunning music video, perfectly showcase what makes K-pop so compelling.
MONSTA X's comeback with "Love Killa" was praised for its stunning music video. The video pays homage to numerous hit movies, such as "Hitman: Agent 47", "The Dark Knight", "The Silence of the Lambs", "American Psycho", "Fight Club", and "Drive". Additionally, their body rolls in the choreography? To die for.
This year, NCT made their second comeback as a whole group with NCT 2020. They previously pulled off a similar large-scale project in 2018, which also featured all the members. NCT released two albums, "NCT 2020 Resonance: Pt.1" and "NCT 2020 Resonance: Pt.2", which had different units participating in various songs of various genres. This comeback was highly anticipated and was highly successful, catapulting NCT to stardom.
2020 started on a high note (though it sadly did not remain on that note) with Zico releasing "Any Song" and the "Any Song Challenge". Numerous artists joined in on the challenge, such as Chungha and Hwasa. With the help of the challenge, the song bagged 10 music show wins and landed the top spot on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 charts.
SuperM's "Tiger Inside" got a special shoutout for a unique reason - Taeyong's iconic growl! His growl stone the entire show and is one of the most iconic lines in all of SuperM's discography. In the comeback music video, Taeyong is seen sitting on top of a motorcycle, giving the camera a death glare. If looks could kill, we would be deceased!
Sunmi's "pporappippam" was also selected as one of the best comebacks this year. The song serves summertime nostalgia on a platter, a healing antidote is this messy year. The music video is like a fantasy-book come to life and bewitched fans from all around the world.
CL made her highly-anticipated and much-awaited comeback this year after leaving her former agency, YG Entertainment. The idol came back with "5 STAR". The music video shows her and DPR IAN in a carefree, loving relationship. Fans were ecstatic to see CL finally releasing the music she had been wanting to.
Though Taeyeon just released "What Do I Call You," the song already earned itself a spot on the list! The song was praised as the perfect soundtrack to end 2020, with it being both whimsical in its melody and its lyrics. The song is both cold and warm, a perfect way to describe the year.
"Secret Story of the Swan" by IZ*ONE was praised by Teen Vogue for its impressive dance break. The choreography boasted powerful and sharp movements that people could not keep their eyes off. The dance also perfectly highlighted the skills of IZ*ONE's main dancer, Chaeyeon.
This year, MAMAMOO members enjoyed their own solo activities, with each of them making a comeback. Because of this, fans were excited to see them make a comeback as a complete group! After releasing the pre-release single"Dingga", the girls made their much-anticipated comeback with "AYA", a 2020 upgrade of their song "Egotistic".
ITZY made their self-empowering comeback "WANNABE" this year and people loved it! From Ryujin's iconic shoulder shimmy at the start and the powerful lyrics of the song, "WANNABE" exudes confidence. The girls are seen pursuing their own unique paths in the music video, proving that all they need to be is themselves.
TWICE's October comeback "I CAN'T STOP ME" earned a spot on the list for Chaeyong's iconic lines, "Risky risky wiggy wiki / this is an emergency!" Additionally, the music video was praised for its striking visuals and choreography. "I CAN'T STOP ME" is praised as TWICE's strongest comeback to date.
Did your favorite K-pop comeback make it to the list?
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Written by Alexa Lewis
