Each year, this countdown becomes more difficult to compile. Increasingly, K-pop songwriting has become a team activity. This makes it hard to suss out who exactly is responsible for what, and it also tends to flatten musical perspective and quirk. Even so, I've combed through the credits of my favorite 2023 music to find ten talents who stood out to me.
10. ZIGZAG NOTE
ZigZag Note are one of the longest-running teams on this year's list. They didn't produce much in 2023, but everything they touched was a highlight.
2023 Highlights:
Golden Child - Feel Me
NINE.i - Hurt
E'Last - Thrill, Neverland
9. WOODZ, NATHAN & HOHO
WOODZ has found a tight team of collaborators for his work and that resulted in yet another great mini album this year.
2023 Highlights:
WOODZ' OO-LI mini album
8. FULL8LOOM
FULL8LOOM is one of the most consistently great production teams working in K-pop. Half of their output this year was for J-pop acts, but the songs were all super solid.
2023 Highlights:
Kwon Eunbi - The Flash
Kep1er - Together Forever
Boys Planet - Here I Am
INI - Let's Escape
7. BLACK EYED PILSEUNG
I like how Black Eyed Pilseung played around with their sound this year. STAYC's bubblegum transformation was a success and Cake feels very different for them.
2023 Highlights:
STAYC - Teddy Bear, Bubble
ITZY - Cake
6. SWEETUNE
It's hard to justify placing Sweetune on this list when they only produced two songs this year. But quality is more important than quantity and Turn It Off is a banger for the ages.
2023 Highlights:
NINE.i - Turn It Off
n.SSign - Melody
5. RYAN JHUN
Ryan Jhun almost always winds up on this list simply due to the breadth of material he's involved in. As usual, I didn't love everything he had a hand in but the fact that he delivered songs like I Am, Like It and Medusa (each so different from one another!) makes 2023 another impressive year.
2023 Highlights:
IVE - I Am, Kitsch, Not Your Girl, Cherish, Wave, Classic, Baddie, Holy Moly
SHINee - Like It
Just B - Medusa
fromis_9 - #menow
Ren - Ready To Move, Autofill, Imagine More, Lullaby
CRAVITY - Baddie, A to Z
Weeekly - Good Day (Special Daileee), Backwards
Monsta X - Beautiful Liar
Infinite - New Emotions
VIVIZ - Untie
Oh My Girl - Summer Comes
4. BANG HYE HYUN
I don't know much about Bang Hye Hyun, but looking at her work with SM artists this year, she's very much on my radar. She's had a hand in some of 2023's biggest bangers and seems to have a knack for great melody.
2023 Highlights:
RIIZE - Get A Guitar
NCT Dream - Broken Melodies
aespa - Spicy, Drama, Salty & Sweet
Weeekly - Good Day (Special Daileee)
ENHYPEN - Still Monster
3. IM SOHU (IGGY) x N!KO
Im Sohu (you'll know him as "Iggy" in the famed "Iggy & Youngbae" partnership) and N!KO were entrusted with ZEROBASEONE's sound this year. Though there were other producers involved, these two have played a huge role in establishing ZB1's signature sound.
2023 Highlights:
ZEROBASEONE - In Bloom, New Kidz On The Block, Crush, Always, Take My Hand, Good Night
Boys Planet - Jelly Pop
GHOST9 - Ruckus
Mirae - Girl
2. VAHN
As a member of NINE.i, Vahn co-writes the group's material. And given the fact the group scored my number one song, b-side and album of the year instantly vaults him to a high place on this list. His participation in Golden Child's excellent Feel Me is just icing on the cake.
2023 Highlights:
NINE.i's entire 2023 output
Golden Child - Feel Me
1. KZ, NTHONIUS, DINT & MEISOBO
This team delivered the most consistent sound all year with The Wind's burgeoning pop discography. The individual members also collaborated on many tracks with other producers, but this foursome ending up being the strongest musical match.
2023 Highlights:
The Wind's entire 2023 output
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