No Conceit Intended: 7 Songs That Are All About “Me” (Male Edition)
As a genre, K-Pop songs often present similar themes, with one of the most common being the subject of “me.” Yet even though the songs are about “me,” it doesn’t mean that they are narcissistic; instead, it’s just that the artist wants to be heard. Only seven “me” songs could be included in this particular list, but rest assured, there are many more amazing songs out there that are all about “me.”
Note: Because of the high prevalence of “me” within K-Pop, this article is focused only on songs released by male idols. An article featuring songs released by female idols will be published separately.
1. EXO – “CALL ME BABY,” “LOVE ME RIGHT”
EXO’s second studio album, EXODUS, featured the hit song “Call Me Baby” as the lead single. The song was a huge commercial success and won a total of 18 times on Korean music shows, the third-highest total of all-time. The song’s lyrics are about a guy’s love for a girl and that he wants her to know that his love is genuine and sincere and, and he asks to have her please “call me” because of his love.
The album was later repackaged as Love Me Right, with a lead single of the same name. “Love Me Right” amassed a total of 11 music show wins, and together with “Call Me Baby,” won numerous accolades the 2016 award show year. This song’s lyrics are all about a guy being in love and asking the girl to, well, love him right.
2. DAY6 – “SHOOT ME”
“SHOOT ME” is DAY6’s title track off their 2018 mini-album Shoot Me: Youth Part 1. The release featured a grittier, edgier sound than their previous releases, and the music video matched that sound. With lyrics composed by the band’s resident lyrical genius YoungK, the song tells a story about the pain and frustration about an increasingly broken and possibly even toxic relationship. They sing and ask that the partner to “shoot me,” as that would be just as painful as the heartbreak they’re enduring.
3. Golden Child – “LET ME”
Golden Child’s song “LET ME” was the lead single off of their 2018 single album Goldenness. The group won several new artist awards during the 2018 award season, due in part to the success of the upbeat, uptempo single. In the song, they ask their crush to give them a chance and “let me” love and be there for them, saying that they’ll do any and everything for them.
4. SEVENTEEN – “Good to Me”
Composed by the well-known lyricist duo of SEVENTEEN’s Woozi and fellow labelmate Bumzu, “Good to Me” was one of the six tracks included in their 2019 album You Made My Dawn. In the song, the members sing about being in a relationship with someone who is so “good to me.” It’s thanks to the mutual feelings they share and how they match well together that makes them good for each other.
5. BAP – “WAKE ME UP”
Even though they officially disbanded last year after seven years together, BAP’s songs continue to be iconic. Their 2017 single “WAKE ME UP” off of their mini-album Rose is a primary example of that and is one of the group’s and all of K-Pop’s most socially-aware songs. The lyrics, composed in part by leader Bang Youngguk and maknae Zelo, speak about asking someone to “wake me up” in a metaphorical to become more conscious of the hidden and harsh realities of life.
6. BTS – “Best of Me”
The group’s 2017 song, featured on their album Love Yourself: Her is one of their best non-title tracks. It’s one of their first musical crossovers, partially produced by US DJ/production duo The Chainsmokers. The song’s authors included all of BTS’s rap line, where the lyrics about someone that brought a kind of love to a relationship that makes one say that the other is the “best of me” and asks that they remain together for as long as they possibly can.
7. PRODUCE 101/Wanna One – 나야 나 (PICK ME)
Mnet’s reality competition series Produce 101 has become one of the most controversial yet one of the most loved shows in all K-Pop history. Since the show’s premise is for trainees to be chosen by the popular vote to move onto the next round and eventually into the winning group, it’s only logical that each season’s title song contains or is a play on the words “pick me.” The second season’s title song was no different, and later the created group Wanna One also released their version. In the show’s version of the song, the trainees ask their crush to “pick me” because they want their love to be accepted and reciprocated (they were also asking viewers to pick them in voting too).
There are many more songs by male artists that both have “me” as the subject of the song and also feature it in its title. What other “me” songs should be included in the next list?
