The 13 Best K-pop Songs of (Christmas) 2022
The best holiday K-pop offerings to sneak into the family playlist while Granddad's distracted by the eggnog.
Every year, a whole host of outlets publish a rundown of the very best K-pop songs and albums to have come out over the prior 12 months. Overall, 2022 has been a pretty bumper year for bangers. Rookie girl groups have ruled the charts and our hearts, iconic groups like Girls’ Generation and GOT7 came back together to release brand new hits for their fans, and more than one BTS member delivered their long awaited solo offerings to great acclaim. Seriously, who saw RM feat. Erykah Badu coming?
However, an oft overlooked element of the industry that I hold near and dear is holiday-themed comebacks. Far more-so than western artists, K-pop idols frequently put out sparkling singles, or even entire Christmas-themed albums towards the end of the year. These are typically chock full of tracks that stand alone as brilliant music, festive or not. My own personal K-Christmas (yes, I’m coining that) playlist is a lovingly curated endeavour, and one that I happily subjected my family to this year while decorating our tree. It passed inspection with flying colours (read: only caused my father to complain once), so I feel appropriately qualified to list the very best the genre has to offer over the holiday season.
In no particular order, here are some of the best Christmas K-pop songs in history. Maybe you’ll even find a new favourite!
Red Velvet X aespa, “Beautiful Christmas”
Featured as part of K-pop juggernaut SM Entertainment’s second ‘SMCU’ seasonal collaboration album, ‘Beautiful Christmas’ serves up to fans a jingle bell-infused duet between the company’s two most active current girl groups. Having proven their vocal compatibility in GOT the beat’s ‘Step Back’, SM’s attempt at creating a female SuperM-esque supergroup earlier this year, the nine girls’ voices still gel with a shocking clarity that would make anyone want to get up and dance. Sure, the attempts to regain the magic of originally nine-member labelmate Girls’ Generation are beyond blatant, but there’s no denying that the mashup of these two girl group powerhouses is a winner. Plus, I love a pun, and the “I love winter!” nod to aespa member Winter gets a hearty thumbs up from me.
The Boyz, “Christmassy!”
On ‘Christmassy!’, aptly-named The Boyz provide a distinctly boy band-y take on the Christmas single, which feels like it could have easily been written for one of the original nineties group icons as much as a current-gen K-pop act. The down to earth, largely unscripted high school music video is tailored to the exact teen demographic they’re inviting, but the titular boys are having so much fun both on screen and on the track that they endear themselves to fans of all ages. It’s an inherently unserious bop that values the spirit of Christmas and having a good time, which is exactly what the song should remind you to do.
NMIXX, “Funky Glitter Christmas”
The first of experimental rookie group NMIXX’s title tracks to not feature at least one insane musical change up mid-song proves that they can deliver a funky fun time with or without being a traitor to music theory. The girls’ excellent vocals give ‘Funky Glitter Christmas’ a bright, buoyant quality supported by brass backing and references to more classic Christmas songs that delight. While guaranteed to now be a bittersweet memory for NSWER (NMIXX’s fandom), as it is the final release to feature former member Jinni before she suddenly departed the group due to personal reasons this December, she certainly went out on a future holiday favourite.
BTS, “Dynamite (Holiday Remix)” & “Butter (Holiday Remix)”
A 2-for-1 offering, BTS’s sparkly holiday remixes get lumped together on the basis of merely being Christmas versions of pre-existing singles, rather than outright Christmas songs in themselves. Despite having been less than enthused with BTS’s recent slate of English-language bubblegum pop, I genuinely believe that the Christmas editions of both ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Butter’ are the ultimate way to consume these songs. The welcome additions of choral harmonies and copious jingle bells imbue the tracks with the true sense of camp they always deserved, elevating the tracks to a higher, if sillier level. Classy cheesy holiday fare in the absolutely best of ways.
Girls’ Generation, “Snowy Wish”
A seasonal b-side hidden away on their 2010 ‘Hoot’ EP, ‘Snowy Wish’ has long been beloved by SONEs (Girls’ Generation’s fandom) the world over — not least because the line distribution is one of the fairest in their entire discography, with each of the members given ample time in the spotlight. It’s easy to see why the song was produced this way, as the individual vocals absolutely shine over an upbeat melody that makes it perfect for performing at concerts, and in front of the Christmas tree once you’ve had a couple glasses of bubbly. Or entirely sober. I can guarantee I will be putting on a show to this one in the shower every day up until the new year.
Stray Kids, “Christmas EveL”
I really do love a pun, and therefore Stray Kids’ ‘Christmas EveL’ would likely make it onto the list even if it sucked thanks to the member-referential “Felix Navidad” gag. I would put good money on the likelihood that the entire song was created around it, as three of the group’s own members (collectively 3RACHA, also a pun!) form their production team. Luckily, ‘Christmas EveL’ is a certified banger, melding the cheery atmosphere of Christmas with a hip-hop beat and bah-humbug attitude that manages to showcase the group’s prominent rap talents even within a holiday song. No other piece of media has thus far captured the exact chaos that would result if Santa’s present delivery duties were delegated to a bunch of 20-something guys, and it encourages us to get silly this season.
Twice, “The Best Thing I Ever Did”
To date, global girl group sensation Twice have released a startling four snowy-set seasonal singles. Earnest, reflective ballad ‘The Best Thing I Ever Did’ beats out its more traditionally exuberant siblings thanks to its gentle melody and hopeful lyrics, which highlight connection with loved ones at Christmas time. The song describes not only the members’ affection for their time spent with each-other, but also with ONCE, the fandom who eternally support them. If you’re looking for a heartwarming ballad, Twice have you covered with this one.
Girls’ Generation-TTS, “Dear Santa”
Girls’ Generation sneaks onto the list a second time by way of subunit TTS (short for TaeTiSeo, a mashup of members Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun’s names). Bringing together the group’s best vocalists for a trio that by themselves could blow many other acts out of the water, their entire ‘X-Mas Special’ EP is an absolute joy, and you should add every single track to your personal holiday playlist. Lead single ‘Dear Santa’ exemplifies the best of the album in one stellar song which starts out slow and builds to an almost musical-theatre crescendo of soprano agility. It’s also one of the easiest songs to slip in under the radar without your uninitiated friends and family noticing, as they helpfully recorded a version of the song entirely in English, too.
TVXQ!, “Magic Castle”
In 2022, only a small sample of current K-pop fans are familiar with seminal boy group TVXQ!’s discography beyond 2008 smash-hit ‘Mirotic’, and an even fewer number have any idea that they put out an appropriately titled ‘Christmas Gift from TVXQ’ album featuring various covers of classic Christmas carols early in their career. Seems only right for a group that debuted onto the world stage on Boxing Day, right? Amongst the covers, they did feature an original single, ‘Magic Castle’. The song is a festive celebration of the miraculous harmonies and layered accapella that the original five-some (a duo since 2011) were originally known for, and makes for a wonderful deep-cut to add to your Christmas listening program.
Taeyeon, “This Christmas”
It’s Girls’ Generation again, this time in the form of leader and main vocalist Taeyeon in her solo era. I make no apologies. ‘This Christmas’, the title track from her thankfully Game of Thrones-unrelated album ‘This Christmas — Winter is Coming’, is a ballad that will endear even the most staunch of ballad haters thanks to her soaring, honey-smooth vocal delivery and stunning orchestral instrumental. The song is seamlessly imbued with festive charm, and calls lovingly to more classical carols in its composition. Frequently regarded as one of the very best vocalists in the industry, every single song on this 2017 holiday offering gives Taeyeon more than enough space to prove why.
EXO, “Miracles in December”
Ask many K-pop fans for their favourite K-Christmas song, and they’ll likely tell you ‘Miracles in December’. The lead single from EXO’s eponymous 2013 holiday EP, it made immense waves upon original release, as the three main vocalists of the genre’s most recent breakout group serenade the listener with a mournful end-of-year ballad about lost love. The song hits hard, especially for long-time fans of the group. The music video’s ending, which sees all twelve original members converge will undoubtedly bring back poignant memories, especially considering that for their most recent comeback the group were reduced to a mere six-piece. While we wait for all of the remaining members to return from their mandatory military service, you might want to grab some tissues for this one.
LOONA, “The Carol”
To me, LOONA’s ‘The Carol’ is the ultimate K-pop Christmas song. Performed by members Heejin, Hyunjin, and Haseul, the song originates from the group’s pre-debut era, wherein the twelve girls were gradually revealed through solo and sub-unit releases. It is a quintessential Christmas delight, opening with a sweetly-sung ballad and progressing into a timeless pop hit with unbelievable vocals and what is genuinely one of the catchiest hooks in the genre. If that wasn’t enough, they rerecorded ‘The Carol 2.0’ with members ViVi, Choerry, and Yves a year later. It’s sadly unlikely that we’ll ever get a full group rendition of this one, considering the ongoing issues surrounding pay disputes and recent member expulsions at their management company, so we must treasure what we have. Just make sure to keep in line with the current fan boycott when streaming.
And that’s the list! This will likely be my last outgoing post before Christmas (though there will be more coming in the gap before new year), so in the eternal words of aespa’s Winter, “I’m wishing you a happy Christmas — more than anyone!”
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