Review

2023 In Review: Day 7 – Dance and Electronic

By Jung Bae | January 22, 2024

2023 In Review

1. Introduction + Best Album Art
2. Song of the Year
3. Album of the Year
4. R&B and Soul
5. Rock and Alternative
6. Rap and Hip-hop
7. Dance and Electronic
8. Pop and Ballad
9. Folk and Country
10. Jazz and Blues
11. Crossover and World
12. Best Collaborative Work
13. Rookie Artist of the Year
14. Artist of the Year
15. Other Recognition
16. Concluding Remarks

2023 felt like a bit of a breather from the idol scene’s most established names, and while their contributions were missed, the younger cohorts made the most of the space. Girl groups continued to dominate the landscape in terms of quality, but the increasing rate of good boy-group debuts suggest their time may be coming soon, too. On the non-idol side, producers had a particularly strong year as they represent eight of the 24 total top-12 slots across albums and songs; in fact, Chuu and Une represent the only non-group, non-producer soloists on that list. As always (but more this year), the dance and electronic playlist comes in heavy at just under 200 tracks.

Given our series rules, NewJeans – OMG, which was named our Song of the Year on Day 2, is not eligible to reappear in the Dance and Electronic playlist below.

Notes:

The “Next 10” and honorable mention lists are sorted by artist name. Bolded honorable mentions received particularly serious consideration for the Next 10.
The 2023 Dance and Electronic Spotify playlist will be added to this post as an update at the conclusion of the series.

Albums

Best Dance and Electronic Album 2023

Le Sserafim – Unforgiven

People talk about this concept of a “no-skip” album, but without even going that far, idol pop has lost the concept of a multi-promotion album – one where the side tracks aren’t just good, but also have the intangibles that make a title track. Unforgiven is the first album in years to do it this well: even discounting the reused tracks, the new crop of “Unforgiven”, “No-Return”, “Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard’s Wife”, and “Fire in the Belly” each have the charisma, energy, and uniqueness to be title hits in their own right. The narration and transition tracks are connective tissue, but also an unabashed symbol of the album’s ambition. Unforgiven dared to define an album by its highs, not by its lows; the hope of greatness, not fear of failure. Fearless, as they speak.

The Runner-up

Cifika – Ion

Like its predecessor Hana, Ion isn’t afraid to pour passion into its metallic sheen and grinding beats. Cifika borrows liberally from the language of physics – as Younha has done in recent years – and weaves them into striking metaphor, from questions posed across cosmic distances (“Giant Lion”) to entanglement as a whirlwind (“Crusader”). Evocative, pulsing compositions like “Nebula” and “Dark Quasar” amplify the drama and scale of these stories.

The Next 10

: Dongchan – Moving

: Fromis_9 – Unlock My World

: Ive – I’ve Ive

: Jang Myung-sun – Angel’s Share

: Nohys – Ethic

: Oh Hee-jung – I’m a Ghost

: Piano Shoegazer – Sisyphus Happy

: Shinee – Hard

: TripleS – Assemble

: TripleS/Lovelution –

Dongchan – 활동 (Moving)

Fromis_9 – Unlock My World (read our review)

Ive – I’ve Ive

Jang Myung-sun – 천사의 몫 (Angel’s Share)

Nohys – Ethic

Oh Hee-jung – I’m a Ghost

Piano Shoegazer – Sisyphus Happy

Shinee – Hard

TripleS – Assemble

TripleS/Lovelution – <ↀ> (Muhan)

Songs

Best Dance and Electronic Song 2023

TripleS – Rising
Lyrics by Jaden Jeong, GDLO (MonoTree), Yelo, Simple T
Composition by GDLO, Yelo, Artronic Waves
Arrangement by GDLO, Artronic Waves

The first non-subunit release under the TripleS banner – albeit with only ten of the planned 24 members – was a revelation, with strong direction, striking compositions and sleek polish capturing both impact and quality. “Rising” had all that, but also had this defiant spirit that set it apart. Riding an instantly memorable cadence of la-la-la-ing vocables and plucky bass, TripleS verbalized the determination of chasing a dream, alongside the mantras of any trainee and rookie looking to make their name. The vocal rush in the chorus and the synths cascading down gave “Rising” the velocity that made it so satisfying and announced TripleS’ arrival into prime time.

The Runner-up

Le Sserafim – No-Return (Into the Unknown) (link to stage version)
Lyrics and composition by Score (13), Megatone (13), Bang Si-hyuk, Supreme Boi, Daniel Obi Klein, Charli Taft, Arineh Karimi, Cazzi Opeia, Young Chance, Shorelle

Even apart from the title, there’s an audible sense of adventure in “No-Return”. The punchy drums and bass kick into high gear as soon as the prechorus hits, and the chorus crashes in with delightfully alive brass comping and a dashing topline. The production manages a get-up-and-dance kind of enthusiasm, the way the “Yes I do, because I’m a little crazy right now” and “Because adventure calls you and me” lines ride on the back end of the chorus; the “low-key” refrain cements the earworm status. It was like a wholesome version of the confidence that already defined “Antifragile” and “Unforgiven”, a bit more inspirational, a lot more fun.

The Next 10

: Billie – Eunoia

: Chuu – Howl

: Dreamcatcher – Bonvoyage

: Guinneissik – Farewell Two Shell

: H1-Key – Seoul (What a Beautiful City)

: Kirara – Profound Meaning

: NewJeans – ETA

: Red Velvet – Will I Ever See You Again?

: Shinee – Sweet Misery

: Une – Allergy

Billie – Eunoia

Chuu – Howl

Dreamcatcher – Bonvoyage

Guinneissik – Farewell Two Shell

H1-Key – Seoul (Such a Beautiful City)

Kirara – 오의 (Profound Meaning) (Feat. Dolgim)

NewJeans – ETA

Red Velvet – Will I Ever See You Again?

Shinee – Sweet Misery

Une – Allergy (Feat. Ron)

Honorable Mentions

Albums

Ahn Maru – Plastic Star
Ateez – The World Ep.2: Outlaw
Avalon & Primit – Resentment Nation
Billie – The Billage of Perception: Chapter Three
Choi Yuji – Net
Chuu – Howl
Craxy – XX
Dahee Park – Mangled
Dart Bank – Phonetic Code
Dead Bart – You Don’t Know Where I Live
Deung – Wheel
Dreamcatcher – Apocalypse: From Us
Exo – Exist
Flickerz – Panorama_1
GOT the Beat – Stamp on It
Jini – An Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove
Jubainu – 모모 (Momo)
Jungkook – Golden
Kim Areum – Seoul Wave
Kimasparagus – Kimasparagus (Five Bags)
Kirara – Cts7
Kiss of Life – Born to be XX
Kiss of Life – Kiss of Life
Love X Stereo, Da1sy DØØm – 안녕 (ÄNɎƏŊ)
NewJeans – Get Up
Rainbow99 – 재개발 블루스 (Redevelopment Blues)
Red Velvet – Chill Kill
Risso – Pat Pat
SF9 – The Piece of9
Seventeen – Seventeenth Heaven
Stray Kids – 5-Star
Taemin – Guilty
The Boyz – Phantasize Pt. 1 Christmas in August
TripleS/Evolution – <⟡> (Mujuk)
Twice – Ready to Be
U-Know – Reality Show
Waywardwave – Bullet Swim

Songs

Ab6ix – Blaze
Ab6ix – Eden
Aespa – Drama
Airy – Building
Apink – D N D
Ateez – Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers)
Ateez – Dune
Ateez – Halazia
Ateez – Wake Up
B!ni – 나너.. (Na Neo..)
Billie – Nevertheless
Billie – The Soul Savior ~ I Don’t Need a Superman
Boynextdoor – 뭣 같아 (But Sometimes)
Bunny.T – Body Shake
CSR – 빛을 따라서 (Shining Bright)
Cacophony – 끝 (End)
Cacophony – 변화 (Change)
Charlie Bean Works – Hands Up High!
Charlie Bean Works – Shining!
Chuu – Aliens
Cifika – Crusader
Cifika – Giant Lion
Cifika – Hush
Cifika – Nebula
Cignature – 어젯밤 이야기 (Mess with My Mind)
Cocona – Positive Vibe
Cravity – Groovy
Craxy – Finger Flick
Craxy – Poison Rose
D’allant – Star Wars
DPR Ian – Don’t Go Insane
Dead Bart – 양반들 (Yangbans)
Deung, Debong Lee, Recordame, Junghyun Shin, Yano – 춤바람 (Choombaram)
Dongchan – 데레사 (Teresa)
Dongchan – 사냥꾼 (Hunter)
Dreamcatcher – Demian
Dreamcatcher – OOTD
Dreamcatcher – Propose
Drippin – Bad Blood
Drippin – Stereo
El7z Up – Cheeky
Exo – Cream Soda
Fifty Fifty – Cupid
Flickerz – Overwinter
Fromis_9 – Attitude
Fromis_9 – Eye Contact
Fromis_9 – In the Mirror
Fromis_9 – What I Want
(G)I-dle – All Night
GOT the Beat – Alter Ego
GOT the Beat – Goddess Level
GOT the Beat – Outlaw
GOT the Beat – Stamp on It
GOT the Beat – 가시 (Rose)
Girls Re:verse – 운명처럼 (Like a Star)
Golden Child – Feel Me
H1-key – 건물 사이에 피어난 장미 (Rose Blossom)
Hugh Keice – Cabin
Hwang Minhyeon – Cube
Hwang Minhyeon – Hidden Side
Hwasa – I Love My Body
Idiotape – Acid Punk
iKon – U
Ily:1 – My Color
Ily:1 – Secret Recipe
Ily:1 – 별꽃동화 (Twinkle, Twinkle)
Image – 이상스러운 꿈을 꾸는 꽃나무 (A Flowering Tree with Strange Dreams)
Itzy – Psychic Lover
Ive – Blue Blood
Ive – Cherish
Ive – I Am
Ive – Kitsch
Jang Myung-sun – Meta Serenade
Jang Myung-sun – 천사의 몫 (Angel’s Share) (Feat. Sleeq)
Jeon Somi – Fast Forward
Jimin – Like Crazy
Jimin – Set Me Free Pt. 2
Jini – C’mon (Feat. Aminé)
Jini – Here We Go Again
Jo Yuri – Taxi
Jubainu – 꿈속 (Dreaming)
Jung Yong-hwa – Small Talk
Jungkook – Standing Next to You
Kang Daniel – SOS
Kard – Without You
Kep1er – Giddy
Key – Good & Great
Key – Killer
Kim Areum – 시시해 (Sisihe) (Feat. Muzie)
Kim Sejeong – Top or Cliff
Kimasparagus – 늙고 병든노인의 작은 메아리에 대하여 (Grandmother’s Echo)
Kiss of Life – 쉿 (Shhh)
Lapillus – Who’s Next
Le Sserafim – Unforgiven (Feat. Nile Rodgers)
Le Sserafim – 이브, 프시케 그리고 푸른 수염의 아내 (Eve, Psyche and the Bluebeard’s Wife)
Lee Chae-yeon – Don’t Be a Jerk
Lee Ki-gwang – Predator
Lightsum – Honey or Spice
Lim Kim – Damn Cold
Limelight – Honestly
Liu Lee – Lick
Loossemble – Newtopia
Loossemble – Sensitive
Love X Stereo, Da1sy DØØM – 끌어당김 (@traction)
Love X Stereo, Da1sy DØØM – 자각몽 (Lucid/Dreams)
MCND – Odd-Venture
NCT 127 – Ay-Yo
NCT DoJaeJung – Perfume
NCT Dream – ISTJ
NCT U – Pado
NCT U – The Bat
NewJeans – Super Shy
Nmixx – Just Did It
Nmixx – Party O’Clock
Nmixx – Paxxword
Nohys – 이리도 (Like This)
ONF – 바람이 분다 (Love Effect)
Odd Eye Circle – Air Force One
Oh Hee-jung – 꿈의 유령 (Ghost in Your Dreams)
Oh My Girl – Paradise
OnlyOneOf – Chrome Hearts
OnlyOneOf – Seoul Drift
Peggy Gou – (It Goes Like) Nanana
Piano Shoegazer – Wet Moon
Piano Shoegazer – 구원 (Escape)
Piano Shoegazer – 폐허 (Nowhere)
Purple Kiss – Sweet Juice
Purple Kiss – 아지트 (Agit)
Rainbow99 – 을지로 (Euljiro)
Red Velvet – Nightmare
Red Velvet – Underwater
Riize – Memories
Risso – Bye Blue
Room306 – 이어 (Ear) (Feat. Ahn Ye-eun)
SF9 – Fighter
SF9 – New World
SF9 – 꽉 (Tight)
STAYC – Teddy Bear
Seventeen – Back 2 Back
Seventeen – SOS
Shinee – Hard
Shinee – Like It
Shinee – Satellite
Shinee – The Feeling
Stray Kids- FNF
Stray Kids- Super Bowl
TXT – Sugar Rush Ride
Taemin – Guilty
Taemin – The Rizzness
Taeyang – Vibe (Feat. Jimin of BTS)
The Boyz – Passion Fruit
The Boyz – Roar
The Boyz – 줄리의 법칙 (Fantasize)
Treasure – Move (T5)
Tri.be – We Are Young
TripleS – Colorful
TripleS – The Baddest
TripleS/Evolution – Heavy Metal Wings
TripleS/Evolution – Invincible
TripleS/Evolution – Moto Princess
TripleS/Lovelution – Black Soul Dress
TripleS/Lovelution – Girls’ Capitalism
TripleS/Lovelution – Speed Love
Twice – Got the Thrills
Twice – Set Me Free
U-Know – Spotlight
Uju – Pacific Land
Une – 참 나! (Cham Na!) (Feat. H3hyeon)
Viviz – Untie
Vixx – Chemical
Waywardwave – Limeade Boy
Wheein – 17 (Feat. Hwasa)
XXOK – Soma
Xikers – Homeboy
Yunhway – Mistakes (Never Looking Back)
Zerobaseone – In Bloom