K-Pop Songs to Listen to If You're Not Into K-Pop

This is a list of 20 songs that you can tell your non-K-Pop loving friends to listen to! This list is made up of multiple genres (because yes, even though it's called K-Pop, it's not only pop music) and there are male, female, and mixed groups.

At the end of this post there are a few bonus K-Pop songs in English that you might want to check out as well!

• Group: Stray Kids
• Members: Nine
• Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop, Electronic
• Meaning of the song: Feeling lost and alone, life is hell.
• If you like this, also listen to: "District 9" by Stray Kids

• Group: SEVENTEEN
• Members: 13
• Genre: Pop-rock
• Meaning of the song: Experiencing the world as it is and making the best of it.
• If you like this, also listen to: "HIGHLIGHT" by SEVENTEEN

• Group: BTS
• Members: Seven
• Genre: Hip-hop
• Meaning of the song: Someone playing with your heart and about being confused with the signs that the other person is giving you.
• If you like this, also listen to: "War of Hormone" by BTS

• Group: BLACKPINK
• Members: Four
• Genre:Big room house
• Meaning of the song: Being a "bad girl" and not letting anyone mess with you.
• If you like this song, also listen to: "Ddu Du Ddu Du" by Blackpink

• Group: KARD
• Members: Four
• Genre: Latin Dance, Rap
• Meaning of the song: The title of the song refers to this group being very internationally known so they dedicated this title to their Korean fans by selling "hello" to them in Spanish. The song gives off summer vibes.
• If you like this song, also listen to: "Oh NaNa" by KARD

• Group: EXO (Performed by the sub-unit EXO-K on the album)
• Members: 12 (Originally performed by 6 members)
• Genre: R&B, Hip-Hop, Urban-Pop
• Meaning of the song: Love being a sickness and having an addiction to it.
• If you like this song, also listen to: Monster - EXO

• Group: BIGBANG
• Members: Five
• Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
• Meaning of the song: Being drunk and telling a girl how you feel about her.
• If you like this song, also listen to: "BANG BANG BANG" by BIGBANG

• Group: SHINee
• Members: Five (Unfortunately there are only 4 members left at this moment as one of the members, Kim Jong-hyun, committed suicide in December of 2017 due to severe depression. May he rest in peace.)
• Genre: Electro-pop, Dance
• Meaning of the song: A first time being intimate with a girl.
• If you like this song, also listen to: "I Want You" by SHINee

• Group: 4MINUTE
• Members: Five
• Genre: Trap, Dance-Pop
• Meaning of the song: Going crazy.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Hate" by 4MINUTE

• Group: BTS
• Members: 7
• Genre: EDM, Hip-Hop, Dance
• Meaning of the song: Surviving and being resilient.
• If you like this song, also listen to: "Don't Leave Me" by BTS (Japanese version)

• Group: NCT U (Subunit of NCT)
• Members: Five (NCT has 18 members)
• Genre: Alternative
• Meaning of the song: Having nightmares and not knowing what it means or how to deal with it.
• If you like this song, also check out: "BOSS" by NCT U

• Group: TWICE
• Members: Nine
• Genre: Dance, Pop
• Meaning of the song: Only being able to reply "yes" to a confession of love.
• If you like this, also check out: "Cheer Up" by TWICE

• Group: Wanna One
• Members: 11
• Genre: Dance-Pop
• Meaning of the song: Feeling excited and high on adrenaline for a girl.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Light" by Wanna O

• Group: GOT7
• Members: 7
• Genre: Trap, Rap, Hip-Hop
• Meaning of the song: Always winning and fighting hard for it.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Never Ever" by GOT7

• Group: SUNMI
• Members: One (this is a solo artist)
• Genre: Dance, Electronic
• Meaning of the song: Sunmi drew inspiration from the Adrian Lyne film 9½ Weeks (1986), expressing a "show must go on" sentiment as the protagonist deals with a turbulent relationship. As you can hear, she also sings "the show must go on" in English during the chorus of the song.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Gashina" by SUNMI

• Group: EXO
• Members: Eight (One is absent)
• Genre: Pop, Future Bass
• Meaning of the song: Hoping to be together and rediscover the meaning of true love, which seems to be disappearing more and more from a dreary world.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Tempo" by EXO

• Group: DAY6
• Members: Five
• Genre: Pop-Rock, Alternative Rock
• Meaning of the song: The hurtful actions and sacrifices made in a relationship mixed with the growing tension between two people.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Days Gone By" by DAY6

• Group: Eric Nam (he is a solo artist)
• Members: One
• Genre: Pop, Dance
• Meaning of the song: Contemplating breaking up with your significant other.
• If you like this, also check out: "Miss You" by Eric Nam

• Group: Red Velvet
• Members: Five
• Genre: Dance, Dance-Pop, Electronic, Trop-House
• Meaning of the song: The song compares a newfound romantic relationship to a mischievous game children play.
• If you like this, also check out: "Russian Roulette" by Red Velvet

• Group: G-Dragon (This is a solo, but he is part of Big Bang)
• Members: One
• Genre: Pop, Ballad
• Meaning of the song: A letter to a past love.
• If you like this song, also check out: "CROOKED" by G-Dragon

• Group: NCT 127
• Members: 10
• Genre: Latin-Pop, Trap
• Meaning of the song: It addresses their current state as a group trying to make its way in the world. The English version of the song focuses on their luxurious lifestyle while the Korean version focuses more on the real world. There is also a Chinese version of the song sang by the sub-unit "WayV" which is also a part of the larger group "NCT".
• If you like this song, also check out: "Black On Black" by NCT 2018

• Group: LAY
• Members: One (Lay is part of EXO, but this is song is part of a solo album of him which is available in English and Mandarin Chinese.)
• Genre: Dance, Rap
• Meaning of the song: It refers to an imaginary jungle where dreams never stop in which listeners can escape with the music from the stress of daily life to enjoy the moment and find their true self.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Give Me a Chance" by LAY

• Group: BLACKPINK
• Members: Four
• Genre: Pop
• Meaning of the song: Making up after a fight with your s/o.
• If you like this song, also check out: "Forever Young" by BLACKPINK