Ladies Corner Staff: Sofia's Favorites
When becoming an avid fan and listener of K-Pop, you tend to connect and replay songs that, if given the opportunity to share, become part of your all-time top 10. In the past decade as a fan of K-Pop, there's always going to be songs that I'll never want to forget - they're songs that came into my life when I needed them the most. Even though there are tons of options for me to choose from, I believe that these songs represent a part of my love for K-Pop. With that said, here are my top five tracks that will always remain on replay!
5) STAYC - “SO BAD”
When STAYC first debuted, I had no idea who these girls were, nor did I ever encounter their channel in the dozens of times I was on social media. However, all it took was one day of scrolling on Instagram to discover their debut single, "SO BAD." What captured my attention was the bright colors in the music video, the chorus of the track, and of course, Yoon and J's visuals. The part that really sealed the deal was hearing their soon-to-be iconic line "STAYC girls, it's going down!" - I just knew this song was going to be a hit. By then, it had become clear that I would now be part of the SWITH fandom and enjoy the ride with STAYC's other songs like "ASAP" and "STEREOTYPE" in just nearly a year since they debuted. If I had not checked social media the week of the music video's release, I'm certain things would be much different, but I'm happy to have encountered STAYC so unexpectedly.
4) Girls' Generation - “Day By Day”
When I first got into K-Pop, Girls' Generation was the first artist I encountered and listened to daily. Hearing songs like "Run Devil Run" and "Oh!" were only the beginning of a long-term love for these ladies. In the early days of just looking around my YouTube recommendations, the song "Day By Day" quickly became a nice pick-me-up after a long day. There's something about this track that almost made me feel like this is the song I want to hear in my head when I fall in love, like in those cheesy romantic comedies. Their vocals felt so comforting to listen to at the end of the day and left such a mark on me in my adolescence. It only solidified my love for Girls' Generation as the years went on. It was such a fun time to, essentially, grow up with them.
3) TWICE - “CRY FOR ME”
Over the past few years, I've enjoyed the multitude of hits and B-sides that TWICE have released, so much so that they always appear on my "On Repeat" curated playlist on Spotify. However, I did not expect to see TWICE drop an unreleased track while watching their performance for the 2020 MAMA - and yes, it changed me. As odd (and ironic) as this sounds, I remember tearing up when I watched the performance for the first time. It really felt like I went into shock that day and left me curious as to why this song would possibly never be released online, especially after seeing the explosive popularity of the song from their performance. Thankfully, it did end up getting released in the end after all of ONCEs attempts and pleas. Every time I hear this song, it'll always make me want to shout the lyrics out the windows of my car with whichever emotions I'm feeling that day.
2) G.NA - “Black & White”
Have you ever heard a song and remember where you were when you first heard it? This is that song for me. “Black & White” teleports me back to my adolescence in high school, trying to understand my feelings for someone special in my life. I would always catch myself singing along to this song whenever I was roaming the halls of my alma mater. The track has held a special place in my heart since my early days as a K-Pop fan and gives me so much nostalgia. "Black & White" was my solo karaoke jam for so many years, and I'll always admire G.NA's powerful and soft vocals. Thanks to this song, I'll always get a flood of memories that make me smile.
1) 2NE1 - “Lonely”
If you really want to know a song that truly represents my years of being a K-Pop fan and my love for a now disbanded second-generation girl group, look no further than listening to "Lonely." In one of my earliest memories of listening to this song, one of my first ideas was to someday make a song cover - especially because I had a background singing for my middle school choir. It took a few years, but I did end up creating one on YouTube, though it's just a bit corny to look back on, haha! This song has always come back to me every single year since I first encountered it, being the anthem of my life for a while now. Every time I went through a rough patch or was at rock bottom, I turned to this song for comfort despite the sad lyrics. It became clear that 2NE1 was a group that truly held my heart and saved my life. With tears in my eyes as I type this, I truly thank 2NE1 for releasing "Lonely," as it became my home during times I struggled discovering my identity, picking myself up from my lows, and solidifying the number one spot in my all-time list.
If you're curious to see the next tracks in my personal top 10, you can check them out here on Spotify!