With the end of a rather tumultuous year comes the end of our list of favorite B-sides from 2020. 

October’s Pick: “HELL IN HEAVEN” by TWICE

You know it’s going to be a good time when TWICE releases new music, especially when said new music is released in October, and their second full-length album Eyes wide open was no exception. While title track “I CAN’T STOP ME” followed the synthwave explosion seen recently in K-Pop, B-side “HELL IN HEAVEN” went a completely different route. There’s a lot going on in this track but in a way that works so effortlessly. It’s almost got an ominous tropical vibe to it, which sounds like two things that should never go together, but with the last line of the chorus being, “My hope in hell, take me to your paradise,” it just works. The softer song lyrics and the misleading build-ups into the chorus add an extra element of mystery to the B-side. To read our review on TWICE’s second full-length album, click here.

November’s Pick: “Amnesia” by KAI

KAI’s solo debut was highly anticipated and boy did it deliver. With every track embracing R&B, you’d think it might get redundant or that the tracks would blend together; however, since each track blended R&B with another genre, it made the debut mini-album a cool experience and interesting listen. Title track “MMMH” mixed R&B with pop, something we’ve heard in K-Pop before, but it was B-side track “Amnesia” mixing R&B with trap that had us hooked. While the synth beat is heard throughout KAI, “Amnesia” does a good job of blending it with the hi-hat beat to give it that trap element without taking away from the R&B. Listening to the track, it’s easy to let the background music kind of fade away and just get lost in KAI’s smooth vocals—much like KAI getting lost in his love for his boo. To read about KAI’s solo debut, click here.

December’s Pick: “Cut Me Off” by BoA

Is there anything BoA can’t do? With 20 years in the K-Pop industry, you’d think that things would eventually wind down or become recycled versions of former tracks, but not BoA. BoA is consistently setting the bar and changing the stage for younger acts to try and follow, and it’s impressive to say the least. Title track “Better” is a prime example of that R&B-pop blending mentioned above, but R&B blending with EDM? Only BoA could perfect that, which is what she does with B-side “Cut Me Off.” While the EDM influences aren’t as in-your-face as they are in other tracks, they are still noticeable enough to add an interesting twist. If you listen closely, you’ll even hear some slap bass hidden in the track before the final bridge. To read our review on BoA’s 20th anniversary album BETTER, click here.