The 20 Best K-Pop Music Videos From The First Half Of 2023, According To Genius Korea
Genius Korea is a public forum that allows people to discuss anything regarding Korean culture, music, dramas, and the like. K-Pop is, of course, a popular topic on the forum, and recently the community on Genius Korea compiled a list of what they believe to be the best K-Pop music videos for the first half of 2023! Here are all 20 songs on that list.
1. “Allergy” by (G)I-DLE
This music video was released on May 9, and at this time it has 65.1 million views and 1.1 million likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
Despite being a pre-release single, “Allergy” has mesmerized the audience due to the honest storytelling, the authenticity of the theme, and the extraordinary characterizations. A music video that only (G)I-DLE could pull off, “Allergy”’s 2000s cinematic appeal is evident from the very beginning.
— Genius Korea
2. “Ditto” (side A) by NewJeans
This music video was released on December 19, 2022, and at this time it has 33.8 million views and 1.3 likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
Here, the members represent the parasocial relationships that form between K-Pop fans and their favorite idols. Being a lonely girl, Heesoo began to imagine her idols as her friends. It’s a deeply relatable story about how many lonely K-Pop stans make their idols their world.
— Genius Korea
3. “Haegeum” by Agust D
This music video was released on April 20, and at this time it has 46.1 million views and 4.0 million likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
The MV shows two sides of Suga, one where he is the criminal and one where he is the justice portraying that hypocrisy, leaving it up to the viewer to decide who is the hero and who is the villain. “Haegeum” will give you a thrill, recklessness, a societal message, and a blockbuster movie experience all in one.
— Genius Korea
4. “Tricky House” by xikers
This music video was released on March 30, and at this time it has 26.6 million views and 407k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
With the magic of editing and visual effects, xikers’ energy is amplified further and gives their intense choreography a fun twist, pun intended. xikers take common music video sets seen in K-Pop MVs, like the graffiti subways and parking lots, and expand them beyond our imagination to make for a larger-than-life experience.
— Genius Korea
5. “Save Me, Kill Me” by CIX
This music video was released on May 29, and at this time it has 10.7 million views and 105k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
The beautiful song goes perfectly well with the heartbreaking visuals, as the group brought 100% of their acting game to this one and nailed every second of it. The emotions behind both their acting and the song in this video truly complement each other.
— Genius Korea
6. “S-Class” by Stray Kids
This music video was released on June 1, and at this time it has 74.5 million views and 2.3 million likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
Stray Kids have never delivered anything below 5 Stars of a rating, and fitting with the song’s name, the music video was indeed an “S-Class” video. From the extravagant set at Han River to the real-life fireworks going off as they danced unbothered, it seemed like the company went all in into the production of the music video.
— Genius Korea
7. “Knock” by Lee Chaeyeon
This music video was released on April 12, and at this time it has 27.4 million views and 552k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
In particular, “Knock” employs unique camera movement and angles: the low-angle shots in the chorus that moves with Chaeyeon’s dancing leave viewers completely enthralled, and the satisfying transitions in the dance break will have you “Knock, knock, knocking” all day long.
— Genius Korea
8. “Cheshire” by ITZY
This music video was released on November 30, 2022, and at this time it has 132.7 million views and 1.5 million likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
The music video plays a twist on the fairytale, leaning instead on technology and optical illusions in a game show that asks us: ‘Fake or true?’ As the quintet sings about playing a trick on their love interest, visually, we’re taken on a journey containing layers and layers of paradox and deceit.
— Genius Korea
9. “BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)” by ATEEZ
This music video was released on June 15, and at this time it has 40.7 million views and 675k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
While in-line with their overarching storyline of The World series, “BOUNCY” is, in fact, a different style of visual for the group. But this is not something new to ATEEZ as they continue to add their own ‘spice’ to the trends that is unique to them.
— Genius Korea
10. “Overdrive” by I.M
This music video was released on June 22, and at this time it has 5.41 million views and 89k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
The juxtaposition of eerie close-ups and fast cars with the slow, chill beat of the song makes for a captivating video and shows off I.M’s own duality as an artist. The music video showcases another facet of I.M’s artistry as the viewer loses all sense of space as they watch this video.
— Genius Korea
11. “F*ck My Life” by SEVENTEEN
This music video was released on May 7, and at this time it has 25.3 million views and 687k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
SEVENTEEN has made a tear-jerking, addictive song along with a cinematic music video for this track. In contrast to their hard-hitting and confident title track “Super”, this song is mellow and shows the hardships of life.
— Genius Korea
12. “ICKY” by KARD
This music video was released on May 23, and at this time it has 13.3 million views and 382k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
Green, liminal, and decidedly icky, the co-ed group delivers a well-made concoction of horror, disgust, and desire. Green goo on their hands and gushing in through the floor, swimming around them as their surroundings glitch in and out of existence, “ICKY” is brilliantly evocative, a unique take on sensual concepts that only KARD can provide.
— Genius Korea
13. “Spicy” by aespa
This music video was released on May 8, and at this time it has 93.2 million views and 1.1 million likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
Despite being set in reality, we are reminded of their virtual concept by the appearance of glitches and, most especially, texts received by the girls from ae-Winter and naevis. By having fun and partying their way through a worldwide anomaly, this music video is sure to remind you of simply having fun with little care.
— Genius Korea
14. “Steal The Show” by SHAUN & Jeff Satur
This music video was released on February 23, and at this time it has 4.83 million views and 82k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
In a form of art where facial expressions, intricate sets, and attractiveness now determines what makes an MV a spectacle, “Steal The Show” meets those expectations, but in an unexpected way. It’s a dramatic song, and the MV meets that requirement 100% with its dark imagery and tension-filled pacing.
— Genius Korea
15. “Cupid” by FIFTY FIFTY
This music video was released on February 23, and at this time it has 102.8 million views and 2.8 million likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
The music video, which has garnered almost 100 million views, showcases the girls in the dreamy, pastel aesthetic that’s quickly becoming their brand. Featuring ethereal vocals and trendy raps, the MV features addictive choreography scenes, as well as each member in their own vignette, and a cute storyline about looking for love.
— Genius Korea
16. “Sweet Juice” by PURPLE KISS
This music video was released on February 15, and at this time it has 8.19 million views and 176k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
The music video offers a strong message of how innocent beings can be lured by dark forces. The repetition of asking to have ‘sweet juice’ and the unidentified voice on the phone that orders them to ‘run’ only justify the dramatic transformation of virtuous to sinful.
— Genius Korea
17. “want YOU” by Tabber
This music video was released on April 7, and at this time it has 526k views and 16k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
With tantalizing lyrics adopting a soulful croon, Tabber navigates the dark, green-tinted world of the MV as a conflicted protagonist splicing between an infinite train and his bedroom, chasing a seemingly taken girl. The train defies the laws of physics – question marks lead to destinations that wouldn’t fit in a regular train, creating a moody setting for every scene.
— Genius Korea
18. “Drowning” by Bobby (ft. SOLE)
This music video was released on March 21, and at this time it has 6.63 million views and 158k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
A tale of lovers driven by lust and longing, in “Drowning,” we find lovesick protagonist Bobby alone and disoriented, longing for his lover. As the story unfolds, we are shown his two sides, one innocent and charming, the other charismatic yet sly.
— Genius Korea
19. “Karma” by BLACKSWAN
This music video was released on May 19, and at this time it has 5.41 million views and 460k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
The music video used different known and unknown places in Odisha, including Dhauli Giri and Lingaraj Temple. With vibrant colors to emphasize the energetic setting as they honored India’s rich culture. The members, clad in various desi ornaments and beautiful dresses, seemed to be in-tuned with the local culture while singing their lines in the Korean language.
— Genius Korea
20. “ROAR” by THE BOYZ
This music video was released on February 20, and at this time it has 34.1 million views and 276k likes! Here’s what Genius Korea has to say about it.
Although the wild energy of “ROAR” by THE BOYZ is already enough to lure in new listeners, the music video does an equally great job at that same effect as it perfectly captures the point choreography and ‘animalistic’ nature of the song. The music video is cinematography based, focused on showing off the members’ and the choreography’s visuals in different settings, outfits, camera angles, and through different visual distortions.
— Genius Korea
