Retro K-pop Song Recommendations
“Retro” has long been a concept in K-pop, from groups imitating the synth pop instrumentals of the 1980s to the original R&B sound of the 1990s.
Just this month, Jung Kook of BTS took the K-pop industry by storm with the release of his solo album: Golden. His song “Standing Next to You” in particular has fans vibing to its groovy, Michael Jackson-esque sound.
Here’s a list of times K-pop artists chose the retro concept and absolutely bodied it:
365 Fresh by Triple H
The former trio made up of soloists HyunA, and Pentagon's Hui and E'Dawn were a rare group that actually embodied the retro concept the entire time they were making music. 365 Fresh is an upbeat song that sounds similar to Bruno Mars’ brand of funk music. Along with 365 Fresh, the group’s ’90s-inspired album features three other songs that draw on that era’s musical styles, including hip hop, R&B, and a pop ballad.
Honest by Key
Honest is the third track on Key's debut album FACE. If you didn’t know already, Key’s a member of the boygroup Shinee, and he frequently makes music as a soloist. This song gives off strong electronic melodies with a funky rhythm. It’s high energy and very danceable, and honestly, I put it on repeat each time I remember it exists.
Look by Red Velvet
Look is the second track in Red Velvet’s full-length album Perfect Velvet and the fourth track in the group's second full-length album repackage, The Perfect Red Velvet, following the song "Peek-A-Boo.” For fans of this group, the album repackage is considered a no-skip album, and Look is not to be overlooked. It contains a hypnotic blend of vocal loops and a synth bass instrumental. You just have to listen to understand.
1 of 1 by Shinee
Shinee’s title track “1 of 1” achieved a perfect 90s sound with this electronic, funk/pop song. It has a bubbly vibe, while also feeling very Michael Jackson-like thanks to the vocals by Taemin. In my opinion this is one of the best throwback songs in K-pop.
Weeknd by Taeyeon
This single by solo artist and former member of Girl’s Generation, Taeyeon, is an upbeat celebration of the joys of the weekend. It has a light, airy vibe and a city-pop sound. Released in 2021 during K-pop’s growing retro trend, the Weeknd also infused disco elements to create a song that appealed to K-pop fans almost everywhere.
