2022 is coming to a close, and now is the perfect time to look back at the year in review. Not only was this an excellent time for K-Pop, with the world acknowledging its sociocultural significance, but it was also an extraordinary year when it comes to the diversity, quality, and quantity within the K-Pop industry.

In the timeline of K-Pop, each year can be very well marked by a particular musical identity. Accordingly, 2022 also gave us a distinct sonic aesthetic in K-Pop, with the rise and/or return of certain representative genres and styles, predominant themes, generation-defining creative invention, and so on and so forth.

Most notably, 2022 was the year of rookie girl groups who quickly worked their way up to "rising" status. As a matter of fact, these young women dominated the music industry globally, and their influence was undeniable. In this respect, huge props are due to IVE for starting the wave that we all happily dived into. After making their debut in the eve of 2022 (December 1, 2021), IVE came in with guns ablaze, ready to establish themselves as the forerunners of the current generation. Needless to say, they were successful by a long shot.

IVE's second single album, "Love Dive" and its lead single of the same name, was a major hit all across the globe and enjoyed viral popularity that still hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. The only thing that could outshine the brilliance of 'Love Dive' was IVE's third single album, "After Like", and its eponymous title song. Within such a short time, the group was able to carve a musical niche, but the only thing constant about this was the ever-changing experimentation. IVE is a group boasting of incredible talents, and they know how to tap into this potential in the most groundbreaking way. So, it is no surprise that IVE is an irreplaceable name in the history of 2022 K-Pop.

At par with IVE's elegant charm, we have the fresh newtro energy of NewJeans, shaking up the industry with their sudden yet grand appearance. Despite being mired in controversy since their debut, NewJeans persevered through the merit of their novelty that broke through the saturation of the K-Pop industry, injecting it with the unique colour of the MZ generation through the lens of Y2K.

From 'Hype Boy' to 'Attention' and now 'Ditto', NewJeans' creative oeuvre is characterized by unbeatable hits that derive from a sense of nostalgia and cater to the appeal of youthful effortlessness. The carefree, authentic, and unfiltered portrayal of adolescence is something everyone can identify with and look back to, so it is no surprise that NewJeans is garnering fans of all age groups, regardless of who they are or where they're from. Besides, the fact that the members are also supremely talented at such a young age, just adds to the charm of the group.

Another rookie girl group that emerged with a unique sound this year was LE SSERAFIM. The very embodiment of charisma, fierce independence, and bold confidence, LE SSERAFIM came through with a truly refreshing series of releases with genres ranging from pop to lo-fi, R&B, and more - all of which were reinterpreted in LE SSERAFIM's own style.

Despite dealing with criticism and the departure of a member, LE SSERAFIM's mettle grew bigger and stronger. Their ability to work with a varied musical range while also maintaining a coherent worldview is what has posited LE SSERAFIM as a force to be reckoned with, and this is definitely a group that makes us curious and excited about their future.

Speaking of rookie girl groups, we couldn't possibly gloss over one of the biggest K-Pop girl group debuts this year - Kep1er. Created from the survival reality show "Girls Planet 999", Kep1er made quite the wave with their debut song 'WA DA DA' from the EP "First Impact". This first impact was indeed impressive and striking enough to be memorable, which is why it left a mark on the year. However, we hope to see even more from the group next year.

2022 was also graced by the reunion of our dreams - Girls' Generation. With "Forever 1", Girls' Generation's 7th Korean studio album celebrating their 15th anniversary, the group proved once again that they are undoubtedly #1. Musical merits aside, the emotional import of 'Forever 1' was simply too grand to judge, and we're just grateful to be in the same timeline as this legendary event.

Among other veteran girl groups, BLACKPINK, Red Velvet, (G)I-DLE, and TWICE continued their unstoppable streaks of success globally. BLACKPINK's highly-awaited comeback was a luxurious treat for music lovers everywhere, and songs from their second studio album, "Born Pink" continue to be constantly in vogue.

Red Velvet blessed us with their best-selling physical release, "The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm" and then followed it up with back-to-back hits "Bloom" and "The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday". True to Red Velvet's prestige, all three of these albums shone the spotlight on different musical strengths of the group, all the while retaining their whimsical, quirky alternate universe. Member SeulGi, on the other hand, took a darker experimental route with her solo debut "28 Reasons" and it was nothing short of creative genius.

Dedicated to their mission of changing the world one bop at a time, (G)I-DLE delivered revolutionary music once more in 2022. From 'Tomboy' to 'Nxde', the feminist agenda was en pointe and we loved to see it. The world was chanting (G)I-DLE's name this year, and we have to say, it was an amazing time to be a NEVERLAND.

TWICE's comeback this year with "BETW9EN 1&2", combined with member NaYeon's solo debut EP "IM NAYEON", was a splendid affair. TWICE did what they do best - make us forget all our blues and groove to their tunes. Putting the "Pop!" in "K-Pop", TWICE had a strong hold on us this year and we're not complaining!

As we move on to boy groups, we have to give credit where it's due: BTS were undoubtedly one of the most influential artists in the world this year, and while we did not get a new studio album this year, the group's acclaimed three-CD anthology album "Proof" was a timely reminder of the golden legacy BTS has forged so far. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the three new tracks on the album, 'Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)', 'Run BTS' and 'For Youth' now have fanbases of their own!

In addition, member Jin's solo song 'The Astronaut', JungKook's 'Dreamers' featuring Fahad Al Kubaisi for the FIFA World Cup 2022 official soundtrack, and his collaboration with Charlie Puth on 'Left And Right' - all had huge impacts on the popularity and globalization of K-Pop. As soloists, members j-hope and RM poured their soul into their art and presented it to us on diamond platters. First, j-hope's solo album "Jack In The Box" set fire to the K-Pop scene, and then RM came along with "Indigo" to transform that fire into a flower-work.

Despite being based in rap and hip-hop, both musicians gave us diametrically opposed artistry but they had one thing in common: both albums were intensely intimate, introspective, and poignant, speaking directly to our souls and evoking emotions that we didn't even know needed catharsis. With how impactful "Jack In The Box" and "Indigo" were this year, we can only thank j-hope and RM for trusting us with such precious works of art.

In another 2022 milestone, BTS' Suga collaborated with PSY on the latter's song 'That That', which effectively gained anthemic status worldwide. PSY's 9th studio album, "PSY 9th" was finally released this year, much to the joy of fans both in South Korea and overseas. Now, at this point, PSY is synonymous with virality and "PSY 9th" was no exception. With a star-studded lineup of featured artists and PSY's Midas touch, this album too was a phenomenon in and of itself.

Besides BTS, leading boy groups like SEVENTEEN and MONSTA X were prolific, as always. SEVENTEEN's 4th full album, "Face the Sun" was a marvelous success and a beautiful illustration of the group's far-reaching abilities as a self-produced group. On the other hand, MONSTA X's 11th mini-album "Shape of Love" kicked it out of the park in the production and versatility department. The album unfolded like a novel, and it was truly an ethereal delight to indulge in.

Before we come to the 4th generation boy group gems, we have to give a virtual round of applause to the soloist who single-handedly dominated K-Pop in 2022 - B.I. Be it the addictive and intoxicating 'BTBT' featuring DeVita and Soulja Boy, the dreamy and soft 'Lullaby' with Chuu, or the charismatic 'Keep Me Up', B.I's discography was immaculate this year and makes us even more intrigued about what he might have in store for us next.

Finally, much like the 4th generation girl groups, it was the 4th generation boy groups that left the deepest impression this year. This includes TREASURE with their iconic 'Jikjin' and 'DARARI' from the critically and commercially successful EP "The Second Step: Chapter One"; Stray Kids with their chart-topping hits "Oddinary" and "Maxident" cementing the group's position as leaders in the industry; TXT continuing their incomparable tryst with alt-rock in "Minisode 2: Thursday's Child"; ENHYPEN taking us for a musical spin with the duality of "DIMENSION : ANSWER" and "Manifesto: Day 1"; NCT DREAM outdoing themselves as well as the K-Pop industry with "Glitch Mode", "Beatbox" and most recently "Candy" where they remade the legendary H.O.T song of the same name, bringing together fans of all generations; and finally, the inimitable ATEEZ claiming their throne with "The World EP.1: Movement".

While the artists mentioned above shaped the mainstream K-Pop soundscape of 2022, there were many more who made the year a truly golden one. From BIGBANG's sentimental comeback with 'Still Life' to ASTRO and its subunits MOONBIN&SANHA and JINJIN & ROCKY, MAMAMOO's Solar, DREAMCATCHER, SF9, OnlyOneOf, CRAVITY, Golden Child, SHINee's Key, WOODZ and rookie groups like TEMPEST, TNX, NMIXX, NATURE, STAYC and more - we got a dazzling variety of music, thanks to these artists.

As we step into the New Year, let's cheer for the bright future that awaits us. Here's to even more iconic K-Pop in 2023!

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Which other K-Pop artists would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments section down below!