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    22 Insanely Addicting K-pop Songs By Male Artists

    Get ready to overdose on some dope songs and music videos that are just fantastic, baby.

    1. "Bang Bang Bang," Big Bang

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    Debuted: August 2006

    # of members: Five

    Why you should listen: Big Bang doesn't really need an introduction since, you know, they've been owning the K-pop scene for a decade now, but here's one anyway. Aside from their monumental success in South Korea and the rest of Asia, Big Bang won the inaugural Best Worldwide Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards and their 2012 album "Alive" was the first Korean album to chart on the Billboard 200. Their song "Fantastic Baby" was the first by a Korean group to surpass 200 million views on YouTube (the first ever being Psy's "Gangnam Style"). 2015 was a huge year/comeback for them with the release of their MADE singles and MADE World Tour.

    Perhaps what makes Big Bang so lovable is that even though they're amazing as one dynamic unit, they're just as well-known on individual bases and have crafted extremely successful solo careers (see #2).

    Also check out: "Loser," "Bae Bae," "Blue," and "Fantastic Baby"

    2. "Good Boy," G-Dragon and Taeyang

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    Why you should listen: These two have been best friends since their trainee days and were initially supposed to debut as a hip-hop duo, but instead they make up two-fifths of Big Bang and, along with having prolific solo careers, produce hella catchy collabs like this one.👏

    Also check out: "Stay With Me," "Ringa Linga" (Taeyang) and "Crooked" (G-Dragon)

    3. "Fire," BTS

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    Debuted: June 2013

    # of members: Seven

    Why you should listen: Like Big Bang, BTS has the opposite effect from a manufactured, cookie-cutter boy group. Their music retains a rawness and their lyrics an honest quality that differentiates them from other groups — not to mention their choreography/dance performance is equally impressive (check out their "Fire" dance practice here). 🔥 Since they're a relatively young group both in terms of age and career, it'll be exciting to see them keep evolving and earning their successes.

    Also check out: "Dope," "Save Me," "Run," and "I Need U"

    4. "Monster," EXO

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    Debuted: January 2012

    # of members: Nine (originally twelve)

    Why you should listen: They're best known for upbeat hits like "Call Me Baby" and their infectious dance routines, but their more mellow, softer songs like "Promise" and "Sing For You" really showcase their incredible vocals (especially the main vocalists, Baekhyun, Chen and D.O.). EXO originally promoted in China and Korea as two sub-units EXO-M (Mandarin) and EXO-K (Korean), and even though three of the original four Chinese members have left the group, EXO continues to release songs in both Korean and Chinese. On June 9th they came out with their third studio album EX'ACT.

    Also check out: "Overdose," "Call Me Baby," and "Love Me Right"

    5. "Born Hater," Epik High feat. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, Mino, Bobby and B.I

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    Debuted: October 2003

    # of members: Three

    Why you should listen: Adjectives that come to mind when describing "Born Hater" (and Epik High in general) are badass, blunt, and full of sass. Lead man Tablo (who is Korean-Canadian and attended Stanford University), DJ Tukutz and Mithra Jin are the veterans behind this alternative hip-hop group. Oh, and they were the first South Korean act to perform at Coachella this past April, so NBD. 🙌

    Also check out: "Happen Ending," "Don't Hate Me," and "Up" feat. Park Bom

    6. "Hero," Monsta X

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    Debuted: May 2015

    # of members: Seven

    Why you should listen: Even though they've been around for just a year, they've garnered a lot of attention because of their crisp, contemporary dance routines (see visually-pleasing rooftop dance video above) and killer stage presence. The members were chosen through a reality competition TV show called NO.MERCY and received the "Next Generation Asian Artist" award at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards. They released their latest mini album The Clan Part 1: Lost on May 18th with the title track "All In."

    Also check out: "Trespass," "All In," and "Rush"

    7. "No Makeup," Zion.T

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    Debuted: April 2011

    Why you should listen: Zion.T writes and produces all of his songs and doesn't box himself into any particular genre. He's produced music that can be described as electro-funk with R&B/soul fusion, but also experiments with new genres like "trot-dub" that's heavily influenced by the 1920s and 30s. Basically he's a really cool dude who's on the rapid rise with songs that'll make you ~feel all the feels~.

    Also check out: "Just" feat. Crush, "Eat," "Yanghwa BRDG," and "Babay" feat. Gaeko from Dynamic Duo

    8. "You Don't Know Love," K.Will

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    Debuted: April 2006

    Why you should listen: K.Will's vocal range is something to be admired — around the time of his debut, videos of him singing Mariah Carey's songs circulated the Internet and fans nicknamed him the "male Mariah" of Korea. His light, upbeat ballads are pretty much guaranteed mood-boosters. ☺️ (Bonus: this music video features an EXO member, Chanyeol.)

    Also check out: "Talk Love," "You Call it Romance feat. Davichi," and "I Need You"

    9. "Bad," Infinite

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    Debuted: June 2010

    # of members: Seven

    Why you should listen: Infinite is well known for their incredibly sharp and synchronized choreography, but they're one of the few groups (that I've come across at least) whose songs doesn't necessarily employ a rap-melody-rap-etc song formula. Most groups have an explicit division between vocalists and rappers but Infinite's designated rappers, Hoya and Dongwoo, aren't pigeon-holed into just rapping in every song and have vocals that are showcased just as often as their raps. Each member has also produced solo music (Kim Sung Kyu's "60 Secs" is a personal fav) or is part of a subgroup, Infinite H or Infinite F.

    Also check out: "Back," "Last Romeo," and "The Chaser"

    10. "Adore U," Seventeen

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    Debuted: May 2015

    # of members: 13

    Why you should listen: As one of last year's most dynamic K-pop debuts, Seventeen earned a coveted spot on Billboard's 21 under 21. With a diverse group of members hailing from S. Korea, China, and the U.S., Seventeen is a massive hub of talent and potential—so big that the group is divided into three sub-units (vocal, performance, and hip-hop). The members also actively participate in the songwriting and production processes, which is rare for rookie groups.

    Also check out: "Mansae," "Pretty U," and "Popular Song"

    11. "Mommae," Jay Park feat. Ugly Duck

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    Debuted: 2008 (leader of boy group 2PM) and 2010/2011 (solo artist)

    Why you should listen: Born and raised in the Seattle area, Jay trained with JYP Entertainment for four years before debuting in 2PM. After leaving the group he cultivated a huge YouTube following and launched his prolific solo career, and in 2013 he founded AOMG, a Korean independent record label specializing in hip-hop. Jay has complete creative control over his music — he writes/composes, produces, masters/mixes and chooses the people he wants to work with, which is very rare for the Korean music industry.

    Also check out: "You Know" feat. Okasian, "Joah," and "Solo" feat. Hoody

    12. "View," SHINee

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    Debuted: May 2008

    # of members: Five

    Why you should listen: Veterans of the K-pop scene, but still killing it with subtly sexy, tropical house tunes like this one. They have legions of fans worldwide and are known for their colorful fashion sense, diverse vocal styles, and trend-setting dance moves. Since their debut SHINee has released nine full-length albums (four Korean and four Japanese), five mini-albums, and three live albums. Their latest album Odd is perhaps their most experimental to date, filled with hybrid songs that incorporate, among other genres, funk, EDM, R&B, and swing.

    Also check out: "Married to the Music," "Ring Ding Dong," and "Lucifer"

    13. "Don't Forget," Crush feat. Taeyeon

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    Debuted: December 2012

    Why you should listen: His voice is hella smooth like butter. Crush started off composing music and rapping but later began to focus on singing and studied modern music in college. While he's collaborated with a lot of the big names in Korean hip-hop, R&B, and rap, his collaboration with Taeyeon from Girls Generation goes to show he's open to all genres and to doing the unexpected.

    Also check out: "Sometimes," "Oasis feat. Zico," and "Hug Me" feat. Gaeko"

    14. "Sentimental," Winner

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    Debuted: August 2014

    # of members: Five

    Why you should listen: Seven years after Big Bang debuted under YG Entertainment and became a worldwide sensation, Winner won YG's intensive reality show WIN: Who Is Next and guaranteed their title as the company's next boy group. They debuted the following year and their album S/S 2014 entered the Billboard World Albums Chart at #1. In February 2016 Winner returned with a mini album titled EXIT: E, which, like their debut album, features tracks entirely written and produced by the members.

    Also check out: "Baby Baby," "Empty," and "Color Ring"

    15. "Rhythm Ta," iKON

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    Debuted: September 2015

    # of members: Seven

    Why you should listen: Because 🎵 "we gon' get it poppin'." 🎵

    iKON, originally known as Team B, lost to Winner (Team A) at the end of YG's WIN: Who Is Next and some of the members had to go through another survival program called Mix & Match in order to finally debut as part of iKON, so they had a prolonged journey to get to where they are now. Their debut album Welcome Back is super impressive as a result and filled with catchy, insightful songs; B.I and Bobby were heavily involved in writing lyrics to all of the tracks. Their second album will be released in June, along with Bobby's first solo single.

    Also check out: "#WYD," "Dumb & Dumber," and "Airplane"

    16. "What2do," Dean feat. Crush & Jeff Bernat

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    Debuted: July 2015

    Why you should listen: Dean (stylized as DΞΔN) actually debuted his singing career in the U.S. a few months ahead of debuting in S. Korea with "I'm Not Sorry," a collaboration with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/producer Eric Bellinger. He also has some impressive songwriter/producer creds, from EXO tracks "Black Pearl" and "Unfair" and VIXX's "Voodoo Doll." His name is a nod to James Dean because the actor's rebellious image struck a deep chord with him. Dean is very cognizant of retaining his individual and sometimes unpredictable artistic sound as he enters the mainstream Korean music industry, all while balancing and maintaining an undeniable presence in the American market.

    Also check out: "Put My Hands On You" feat. Anderon Paak, "D (Half Moon)" feat. Gaeko, and "Pour Up" feat. Zico

    17. "Fly," GOT7

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    Debuted: January 2014

    # of members: Seven

    Why you should listen: Well, I saw GOT7 wearing powder blue bomber jackets, so I bought a powder blue bomber jacket. Cool jackets aside, GOT7 is a multinational group with members from South Korea, Hong Kong (Jackson), Thailand (BamBam) and the U.S. (Mark). Their singles tend to be incredibly catchy and full of energy, and as such, highly reflective of the members' personalities. They're one of most consistent groups when it comes to rolling out behind-the-scenes footage and interacting with fans, and I can't NOT mention their adorable dog, Coco.

    Also check out: "Just Right," "If You Do," and "A"

    18. "Good For You," Eric Nam

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    Debuted: January 2013

    Why you should listen: Besides being an adorably awkward human being and using his velvety voice to win over the ladies, Eric originally hails from Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Boston College with a degree in International Studies. Beyond his original music he also uploads a lot of English song covers, like Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up" and Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself." For three years he was also the primary host of a popular English-Korean web series called "After School Club," which connects K-pop idols with their international fans.

    P.S. There's also an English version of this song. "I’ll be your coffee that gets you through your day." Yes please. ☕️

    Also check out: "Dream" feat. Jimin Park of 15&, "Melt My Heart," and "I'm Ok"

    19. "My House," 2PM

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    Debuted: September 2008

    # of members: Six

    Why you should listen: At the time of their debut most boy groups were adopting a "pretty boy" image, but 2PM went for a tougher, more masculine image, thus creating a "jimseung-dol" (meaning animal or beast) phenomenon. Billboard named their most recent album No. 5 as one of the 10 best K-pop albums of 2015, pointing out that "an excellent full-length is dependent on an artist knowing its identity." Nine of the album's twelve songs were also written by the members, including "My House."

    Also check out: "Go Crazy," "Hands Up," and "A.D.T.O.Y"

    20. "Boys and Girls," Zico

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    Debuted: 2009 (The Harmonics) and 2011 (leader of Block B)

    Why you should listen: Since controversy has been a requent component of his musical career (both as a solo artist and part of Block B), it's obvious Zico isn't afraid to push boundaries with his lyrics and artistic vision. He's successfully maintained an underground reputation while also demonstrating mainstream appeal.

    "Don’t worry about money / Let’s play, oppa will be the one who spends too much / You just comfortably get your groove on next to me, alright." 💸 💃 🎵

    Also check out: "I Am You, I Am Me," "Eureka" feat. Zion.T, and "Her" by Block B

    21. "Chained Up," VIXX

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    Debuted: May 2012

    # of members: Six

    Why you should listen: VIXX's image and appeal is quite unique from other groups because of their highly conceptual, theatrical performances. A lot of their songs tackle dark themes like obsession and insanity, which translate into powerful and extremely visceral music videos (ahem, "Voodoo Doll").

    Also check out: "Error," "Eternity," and "Dynamite"

    22. "Letting Go" by Day6

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    Debuted: September 2015

    # of members: Five (originally six, hence the name)

    Why you should listen: It's not often that a major record label like JYP Entertainment produces a rock band when dance-driven boy groups and solo artists seem to be the norm. Fun fact: the original six members were supposed to represent the first six days of the week and their fans would represent the seventh. Cue the awww's.

    Also check out: "Congratulations," "Habits," and "Freely"

    Unfortunately GOT7, 2PM, and Day6 aren't available at all on Spotify, but here's a playlist of ~most~ of the songs featured in this list.

    Hope you enjoy the playlist!