This year’s best K-pop music videos took us through wondrous lands, cathartic nostalgia, and grand theatrical numbers, inspiring us with the scope of creativity and overall good vibes. The music video is one area where K-pop shines especially bright — where the most inventive artists reimagined what they can do when given free rein to just create without limitations.
Related: The Best K-Pop Songs of 2022
While videos from powerhouses like BLACKPINK and NCT 127 were highly anticipated, others (like rookie group NewJeans) crashed through the doors without warning and became viral hits within days. And then there were a select few that reunited us with a blast from our past — the second-gen groups we’ll forever have in our hearts.
In no particular order, here is our list of the best K-pop music videos of 2022, because K-pop would never be the same without them.
SEVENTEEN, “HOT”
What other word could describe this 13-member group in a nutshell? With the release of their fourth studio album, Face the Sun, SEVENTEEN dialed it to 11 in the lead single, “HOT.” You never know what you’re going to get with SEVENTEEN comebacks; from light and bubbly concepts to dark and hard-hitting performances, there’s something in their catalog for everyone. Luckily, “HOT” lives up to its name and takes on the latter, making even the desert look too cool in comparison to the members. Yes, we’re looking at you, Cowboy S.Coups.
BLACKPINK, “Shut Down”
“It’s not a comeback since we never left,” BLACKPINK member Jennie hisses as she opens the group’s single, “Shut Down.” As fans (affectionately known as BLINKs) waited for the quartet’s second studio album, BORN PINK, with bated breath, the group quickly reminded the world why we all fell in love with BLACKPINK in the first place.
With jaw-dropping outfit changes and familiar set pieces, the “Shut Down” video is littered with BLACKPINK references throughout the girls’ careers together. From Jennie’s iconic tank moment in “DDU-DU DDU-DU” to Rosé sitting on top of the world in “Whistle,” “Shut Down” is bold, powerful, reminiscent, and most importantly, a love letter to those who have unapologetically supported the girls from day one.