22 important things that happened to K-pop in 2022

With each year that passes, the impact of K-pop is becoming more and more undeniable. The waves the industry is making are being felt across music and fashion and even areas of international diplomacy. From BTS’ spell-binding performance at the Grammys to BLACKPINK at the VMAs – not to mention the return of legacy artists like Girls’ Generation, Kara and 2NE1 — K-pop is now an integral part of global pop culture. The Hallyu Wave is not a fleeting fad. K-pop is here to stay.

As another year comes to a close, here are some of the most important K-pop moments from 2022.

 1. Hyuna and Dawn broke up

No one could have predicted that everyone’s favourite K-pop couple, HyunA and Dawn, would be calling it quits in 2022. Together for six years and engaged since February, they took to Instagram in early December to announce to their respective fans that they had amicably split up. We don’t know what the future holds for both artists but will always admire the couple who played an instrumental part in showing the world that idols can and should be able to date freely.

2. V, Lisa, and Park Bogum shut down Paris Fashion Week

2022 has been full of surprises but we doubt anyone had a BTS x BLACKPINK crossover on their bingo card. While there were a number of A-list celebrities at Celine’s Spring/Summer 2023 Men’s show, it’s fair to say that the hundreds of fans waiting eagerly outside Palais de Tokyo were there to see Lisa, V and his actor friend Park Bogum — who arrived and left together. It was reported that the screams erupting from the crowd were so loud when the trio waved to their fans that even the LVMH chairman got his phone out and started filming. Their fellow celeb attendees could never.

3. NCT’s Johnny makes his Met Gala debut wearing Peter Do

This year, NCT’s Johnny became the first male K-pop artist to attend the Met Gala. The “2 Baddies, 1 Porsche” singer went with a modern twist on the ‘Gilded Glamour’ theme by wearing a long satin black tailcoat with a matching suit vest (no shirt, because who needs one really?) paired with black combat boots — all courtesy of New York-based designer Peter Do.

4. New Jeans debuted with “Hype Boy”

If you haven’t listened to “Hype Boy” by now then we can only assume that you’ve been living under a rock. HYBE subsidiary ADOR’s newest girl group New Jeans made their debut with the single in summer – a perfect blend of 90s R&B mixed with mid-00s pop. Needless to say, it’s one of the stand-out songs of the year. If you don’t believe us then defer to all of the K-pop idols who have been caught dancing to it, including BTS’ RM & J-hope, GOT7’s Jinyoung and Shinee’s Key & Minho.

5. Seventeen explored hip-hop with “Cheers”

The leaders of Seventeen — group leader S.coups, performance leader Hoshi and vocal leader Woozi — made a track that’s as hot as a heatwave in July. In “Cheers”, we see Seventeen explore trap and hip-hop while toasting to the good life. Listen and you, too, will be obsessed with Woozi’s vocal swagger, S.coups’ seductive whisper rap and Hoshi’s butt going “bam bam”.

6. BTS got reflective with “Run BTS”

BTS decided to take us on a throwback journey when they dropped their anthology album Proof. While the record came with three new tracks, the highlight was undoubtedly “Run BTS”. The song took us back to the group’s grassroots of hard-hitting hip-hop, wise-beyond-their-years lyrics and choreography that demonstrates that BTS’ prowess on stage should never be questioned. Suga’s dance practice man bun was also a very important cultural moment.

7. j-hope headlined Lollapalooza

BTS have had a lot of K-pop firsts and j-hope headlining Lollapalooza was no different. The dance captain of BTS drew a crowd of approximately 105,000 people as he became the first Korean artist to headline a major US festival. He performed songs from his debut solo album Jack In a Box as well as his 2018 mixtape Hope World. He also brought Becky G along for their first live performance of their collaboration, “Chicken Noodle Soup”. With one performance, J-hope showed that he may be a part of the most famous septet in the world, but he’s just as much a superstar in his own right.

8. BLACKPINK returned and toured everywhere

It had been almost two years since we had OT4 music from BLACKPINK and they certainly came back with a bang. With songs like “Shut Down”, “Typa Girl” and “Tally” reminding the world that nobody can tell them what to do with their bodies or their love lives, it’s safe to say that BLACKPINK have shown true musical growth on their sophomore album.

9. Monsta X sample bed squeaks on “Love”

Leaning into that 90s West Coast hip-hop sound with a song reminiscent of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity”, Monsta X released one of the hardest, most well-produced songs of 2022. From Hyungwon’s opening line, the track gave us everything that we didn’t even know that we needed – an immaculate horn section, honeyed harmonies, smooth rapping, bed squeaking sounds (yes we caught that Joohoney) the members sparkling and I.M dancing with a cane! How can you not love it?

10. Girls’ Generation returned after 5 years

In a year of music that was held down by the girl groups, it’s impossible not to mention the return of the OG hitmakers, Girls’ Generation. The ladies made a full-member comeback in time for their 15th anniversary in August. What made their single “Forever 1” even more endearing was that it was produced by Kenzie, who also produced the group’s debut song “Into The New World” back in 2007. The electro-pop song was a love letter to fans showing that despite some ladies leaving the group’s parent company, SM Entertainment and embarking on their own successful careers, they are still one.

11. Psy collaborated with Suga from BTS

Speaking of returns to music, who knew that 2022 would bring about the return of Psy? Or that his lead single would be produced by and feature Suga of BTS? The “Gangnam Style” hitmaker hung up his famous blue jacket and traded it in for a country and western theme. Luckily he didn’t forgo his infectious spirit or intense choreography. Psy gave us a fun trot-inspired bop for the summer and we’ll forever be grateful for the introduction to cowboy Suga.

12. NCT’s Jeno stole the show at New York Fashion Week

All eyes were on NCT Dream’s Jeno as he made his NYFW runway debut. The idol walked at Peter Do’s Spring/Summer 2023  show, making him the first K-Pop idol to open an NYFW show. He certainly made a fashion statement with his black suit, cut-out trousers and platform boots.

13. Stray Kids urged us to stay true to ourselves

Stray Kids released the catchy, trap-infused “MANIAC”, reminding us to “stop pretending to be normal,” throw away societal norms and embrace being odd. A necessary message to send to fans living through a social media age full of false perfection. Warning: it’s addictive.

14. Aespa addressed the United Nations 

In July, SM’s girl group Aespa delivered a speech to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on the significance of sustainable development goals in relation to the group’s metaverse concept. “People are paying more attention to creating the best possible metaverse world. It transcends many boundaries — reality and virtual reality, time and space, and genres and generations,” member Giselle said. “As the metaverse accelerates, we have to ask the question: Are we working just as hard to create the best possible real world?” After their speech, the group streamed a live performance video of their song “Next Level”.

15. AleXa won US Eurovision

K-pop singer AleXa has become the first-ever winner of the US version of Eurovision: the American Song Contest. The 25-year-old Oklahoma native won the crown with her Alice In Wonderland-themed track “Wonderland”, beating nine other singers and securing her victory with her amazing vocals and intense choreography. Did we mention she threw herself off a flight of steps in her final performance? Talk about showmanship.

16. GOT7 kept their promise

When GOT7 left their parent company JYP Entertainment in 2021 and embarked on their solo careers, though they assured fans they’d be back, many doubted whether we’d see the septet again anytime soon. Luckily, the seven members quickly shut down naysayers with the release of a self-titled EP and title track “NANANA”. The R&B song showed that not only are GOT7 men of their word but that it’s possible for K-pop idols to transition into being an independent group.

17. 2NE1 gave a surprise Coachella performance

2NE1 surprised fans by reuniting at Coachella and performing their 2009 hit “I’m The Best”. The Queens of K-pop hadn’t performed together since their disbandment in 2016, so when CL (who was already on the line-up for 88rising’s Head In The Clouds Forever showcase) finished her set only to join her group members Dara, Park Bom and Minzy on stage. 

18. Jungkook performed at the World Cup

BTS’ Jungkook debuted his single “Dreamers” at the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup. The maknae of BTS performed with the featuring artist, Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi, giving a rousing performance showing once again that Jungkook’s star power transcends borders.

19. Seulgi went dark with “28 Reasons”

Dark, haunting, naughty and powerful are all words summing up Seulgi’s solo track “28 Reasons”.  With lyrics like “I will show you heaven/I’m not the devil/Feel free to hate me more, I don’t care,” the Red Velvet member reminded fans that good and evil can exist in one person at the same time. While Seulgi is known for her impeccable dancing, she may well have channelled the spirit of Aaliyah for this particular song.

20. Le Sserafim made an impressive comeback

Source music rookies LE SSERAFIM – an anagram of the phrase “I’m Fearless” – may only have debuted in May but by the time of their first comeback in October, they had already proved that they were ones to watch. Their reggaetón-influenced, hip-shaking song is as sassy as it is addictive. Most importantly, each member – Chaewon, Sakura, Yunjin, Kazuha, and Eunchae – manages to hold their own on the song.

21. Ten released a sexy English-language solo song

Ten — a member of NCT’s China-based unit WayV and the South Korean supergroup Super M — turned up the heat this year with his English song “Birthday”. On the surface, the Thai idol’s solo R&B track tells of the lustful yearning and passion of two lovers, while holding deeper layers about Ten’s emotional journey with himself. It’s dark and erotic. Like hot chocolate for the ears!

22. The Rise of K-pop Festivals

With much of the world emerging from lockdowns, K-pop concerts and festivals came back with a vengeance this year. TWICE became the first K-pop girl group to perform at a stadium in the USA, BTS turned Las Vegas purple with their four-day residency, and ATEEZ embarked on two world tours in one year. There was an influx of K-pop festivals in the UK, Germany and the US too, giving fans the chance to see artists including EXO’s Kai & Chen, MAMAMOO, Super Junior, and Everglow. While some festivals were seamless in execution, others quickly descended into more of K-pop Fyre Fest situation, with issues surrounding tickets and visas. For the most part though, fans have been able to enjoy the festivities that come with a live K-pop performance. Bring on 2023 and the epic number of world tours set to unfold.