Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 20-16

20. Anton Ewald - Beggin'



The big breakthrough of this year's Melodifestivalen. Some have called it out as not having much in the way of melody, but I've always defended it as the massive pop song it is.

19. Haloo Helsinki! - Huuda! (Shout!)



An unexpected gem from Finland. That sledgehammer beat made this a rock band to really pay attention to, no matter what language they sing in.

18. Girls' Generation - I Got A Boy



K-Pop's most intriguing experiment of 2013. A single whose structure is so complicated and multi-faceted that it nearly becomes its own album medley.

17. Shinee - Dream Girl 



The single that kicked off Shinee's extraordinary 2013 run. Pure, vibrant pop with a chorus so big it echoes from the rooftops.

16. Ola - Maybe 



Ola's always been a favorite, but this is when he started making music that really registered beyond pure pop. It's just huge.

Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 30-26

30. Loreen - We Got The Power



She'll likely never be able to touch Euphoria again, but she was able to bottle some of that magic for this powerful follow-up.

29. Girls' Generation - Love & Girls



The sugariest rush of bubblegum on my countdown this year (yes, even more than Crayon Pop). You're either going to love it or hate it.

28. Henry - Trap



Debut solo single from Canadian-born K-Pop star. That piano refrain is enough to get it on the countdown. The melody and performance puts it in the top 30.

27. The Fooo - Freestyler 



An unexpected cover for the young group, who managed to make the song bigger, louder and fresher than the original.

26. Hedley - Anything 



Blazing comeback from one of my favorite Canadian rock bands. This is an enormous worldwide crossover hit that hasn't found that deserved success... yet.

Girls' Generation - My Oh My

"My oh my oh my oh my!"

It's been a little while since I posted some K-Pop on here. Well, technically this is J-Pop, but delivered by a Korean group so it doesn't make much difference to me. Girls' Generation have been churning out the Japanese singles all year, and they've all been absolutely fantastic. My Oh My is no different. Turn away now if you can't handle some fluffy, bubblegum pop music, beacause this is a ridiculously catchy truffle so sweet it'll give you cavities. That damn hook, though. It squirms inside your ear and takes up residence, whether you've allowed it to or not. It's almost too much, but sometimes you just want pop this sunny and bright.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy their albums here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Girls' Generation - Love & Girls

It doesn't matter if you like Korean/Japanese music or not. As long as you have a healthy appreciation for bubblegum pop, you will go nuts for this song. Girls' Generation impressed with their single I Got A Boy earlier this year, and now they're back with a Japanese track that is seriously gunning for novelty dance chart topper status. I mean, that whistling breakdown was made just to infect everyone in sight (ditto to the crowd dance in the video). The melody is equally sticky--something between weird children's song, Call Me Maybe sibling and long-lost Girls Aloud single. It is ridiculously cheerful and utterly impossible to dislike. Come on, I dare you.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Girls' Generation - I Got A Boy

I feel like this is the first K-Pop single to really feel the boost post-Gangnam Style. This can be seen immediately in the crazy amount of youtube views the video has already received in the few days it's been available. But it's also the first real major comeback in the months since PSY's made it big globally. Girls' Generation have always been huge in their native Korea, starting with the addictively cheesy mega-smash Gee. I Got A Boy is far, far from that track's sound, and everyone and their mother in the blogosphere seems to have an opinion on it. It's incredibly divisive, courting passionate admirers and detractors. You can count me among the former. I adore the rapid shifts in style and sound (and the song has a lot of them). I wasn't sure the first time through, but it only took two listens for the track to really click with me. Structure-wise, it's a lot like the more experimental Girls Aloud tracks. Eight songs strung together as one, all in just five minutes. Enjoy! I'm gonna post the whole video below, because it's best experienced with the visuals.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.