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[K-POP] A Special Feature on Korean Artists’ Debut Songs: Iconic Tracks That Marked Their Start

When discussing the allure of K-pop, the artists’ dazzling debut songs are indispensable.

These tracks embody their musical identity and hopes for the future, carrying a special meaning as they color their first encounter with fans.

They also mark the moment when the hard work and dreams built up since trainee days come to fruition, and sometimes you can sense the origins of later mega-hits.

In this article, we’ll look back at the debut works of various artists active in the K-pop scene and introduce the hidden charms within each song.

As we compare them with their current activities, please enjoy tracing the trajectory of their growth.

Playlist

[K-POP] A Special Feature on Korean Artists’ Debut Songs: Iconic Tracks That Marked Their Start
show_chartTitlePlaylistReview
1Like OOH-AHHTwice
Like OOH-AHHTwiceplay_arrow
TWICE’s hit song that sings about a young girl’s expectations for love
2MagneticILLIT
MagneticILLITplay_arrow
ILLIT's new song is making waves with its Korean-Japanese mix
3No More DreamBTS
No More DreamBTSplay_arrow
BTS: A Message of Dreams and Hope for Young People
4SHEESHBABYMONSTER
SHEESHBABYMONSTERplay_arrow
BABYMONSTER’s self-assured track
5FEARLESSLE SSERAFIM
FEARLESSLE SSERAFIMplay_arrow
LE SSERAFIM debut work: advancing without fear
6ELEVENive
ELEVENiveplay_arrow
The debut song that depicts the exhilaration of romance has achieved 13 crowns
7HEARTRISNiziU
HEARTRISNiziUplay_arrow
NiziU’s Korean debut single “HEARTRIS”
8District 9Stray Kids
District 9Stray Kidsplay_arrow
Affirming your true self in Stray Kids' debut song
9Get A GuitarRIIZE
Get A GuitarRIIZEplay_arrow
RIIZE’s positive dance pop
10Black Mambaaespa
Black Mambaaespaplay_arrow
aespa's debut song. A futuristic and grand worldview
11WaveWaySAY MY NAME
WaveWaySAY MY NAMEplay_arrow
SAY MY NAME’s debut song is full of hope and its music video is hugely popular
12BOOMBAYAHBLACKPINK
BOOMBAYAHBLACKPINKplay_arrow
The overwhelming appeal of BLACKPINK’s early signature songs
13CROWNTOMORROW X TOGETHER
CROWNTOMORROW X TOGETHERplay_arrow
A story of self-affirmation that turns individuality into a crown
14FAMOUSALLDAY PROJECT
FAMOUSALLDAY PROJECTplay_arrow
A five-member group with unconventional backgrounds; their confident message is striking.
15WE BELONG TOGETHERBIGBANG
WE BELONG TOGETHERBIGBANGplay_arrow
BIGBANG's debut song that sings of eternal love
16CongratulationsDAY6
CongratulationsDAY6play_arrow
DAY6’s heartbreak song, an ironic blessing
17Seven (feat. Latto)Jung Kook
Seven (feat. Latto)Jung Kookplay_arrow
BTS Jungkook’s solo song is a global mega-hit
18DiscordQWER
DiscordQWERplay_arrow
The debut song of a girls’ band launched by a YouTuber
19EnergiticWanna One
EnergiticWanna Oneplay_arrow
11 members selected in an idol audition program
20DALLA DALLAITZY
DALLA DALLAITZYplay_arrow
ITZY’s debut song, an energetic EDM
21HappinessRed Velvet
HappinessRed Velvetplay_arrow
Introduction to the K-pop idol group Red Velvet
22Shiny Star(2020)Kyoung Seo
Shiny Star(2020)Kyoung Seoplay_arrow
Kyung Seo’s debut song gains popularity as a remake
23WHISTLEBLACKPINK
WHISTLEBLACKPINKplay_arrow
A popular idol group from the same label as BIGBANG
24FACENu’Est
FACENu'Estplay_arrow
A song that reached number one for the first time in the sixth year since debut
25LATATA(G)I-DLE(gen: i-dle)
LATATA(G)I-DLE(gen: i-dle)play_arrow
A multinational girl group makes a headline-grabbing debut
26Dream GirlsI.O.I
Dream GirlsI.O.Iplay_arrow
A popular girl group born from an audition program
27MAMAEXO
MAMAEXOplay_arrow
The overwhelming popularity of the global idol EXO
28Back to Life&TEAM
Back to Life&TEAMplay_arrow
The powerful song by the global boy group &TEAM
29NAKEDY:SY
NAKEDY:SYplay_arrow
fromis_9's Seoyeon makes her solo debut with Y:SY
30IZNAizna
IZNAiznaplay_arrow
izna 2024 November debut song
31WE WOOpristin
WE WOOpristinplay_arrow
Award-winning song by the tall and beautiful Pristin
32KILL MA BO$$KIIRAS
KILL MA BO$$KIIRASplay_arrow
Breaking new standards with cowgirl-style music
33I Don’t Like Your GirlfriendWeki Meki
I Don't Like Your GirlfriendWeki Mekiplay_arrow
A heartbreak song about teenage members of an idol group
34Lost ChildIU
Lost ChildIUplay_arrow
IU’s debut song, a classic featuring a clear voice
35AbandonedJay Park
AbandonedJay Parkplay_arrow
An American idol, R&B solo activities
36Virtual AngelARTMS
Virtual AngelARTMSplay_arrow
Exploring identity in the digital age
37FantacyJBJ
FantacyJBJplay_arrow
An adult band from a K-POP show, with a sexy allure
38UhUhRESCENE
UhUhRESCENEplay_arrow
A five-member girl group that celebrates self-esteem
39Tough Cookie (Feat. Don Mills)ZICO
Tough Cookie (Feat. Don Mills)ZICOplay_arrow
ZICO’s solo debut track features sharp, crisp rap.
40SHOOT (Firecracker)CHAEYOUNG
SHOOT (Firecracker)CHAEYOUNGplay_arrow
Chaeyoung’s solo debut track—a song that exudes ambition.
41CRZYHAECHAN
CRZYHAECHANplay_arrow
The Appeal of Haechan’s Solo Debut Song “TASTE”
42The day we foughtBolbbalgan4
The day we foughtBolbbalgan4play_arrow
A popular adolescent duo with rosy cheeks
43CHEEKYEL7Z UP
CHEEKYEL7Z UPplay_arrow
EL7Z UP's confident new song, packed with trendiness.
44PerADYA
PerADYAplay_arrow
A hopeful call to adventure, an anthem of self-affirmation
45WonderlandGugudan
WonderlandGugudanplay_arrow
The appeal of the idol group Gugudan
46SO BADSTAYC
SO BADSTAYCplay_arrow
STAYC’s debut, an addictive melody
47Plot TwistAtHeart
Plot TwistAtHeartplay_arrow
A fresh, unexpected kind of dance track
48BLUEMADEIN S
BLUEMADEIN Splay_arrow
The debut of MADE IN S's youth-themed song
49Forbidden Midnight (Real ver.)iii
Forbidden Midnight (Real ver.)iiiplay_arrow
The debut song of a standout group that crossed over from AI
50I’m Just MeCrazAngel
I'm Just MeCrazAngelplay_arrow
A powerful self-affirmation song about living true to yourself
51Stay With UN.TOP
Stay With UN.TOPplay_arrow
N.TOP’s debut song expresses youth and bonds
52Now or NeverEJel
Now or NeverEJelplay_arrow
Ijel’s debut song depicts the determination to pursue a dream
53Bomb Bomb BombMYTRO
Bomb Bomb BombMYTROplay_arrow
A fresh new wave that fuses Trot and K-pop
54WISH (Korean Ver.)NCT WISH
WISH (Korean Ver.)NCT WISHplay_arrow
A moving debut song that sings of dreams and hope
55BIRDPSY
BIRDPSYplay_arrow
PSY’s sharp dance moves and addictive songs
56NU SHOESTOZ
NU SHOESTOZplay_arrow
TOZ's first K-pop debut song, a positive youth anthem
57FREAKYUQI
FREAKYUQIplay_arrow
Yugi’s solo debut, a pop song about self-affirmation
58I don’t KnowA Pink
I don't KnowA Pinkplay_arrow
Apink’s unrequited love theme song
59InsaneBTOB
InsaneBTOBplay_arrow
BTOB’s debut song: the madness of a fierce love
60ATHLETIC GIRLH1-KEY
ATHLETIC GIRLH1-KEYplay_arrow
H1-KEY’s debut work depicts confidence and strength
61ShhhKISS OF LIFE
ShhhKISS OF LIFEplay_arrow
KISS OF LIFE’s debut song
62In BloomZEROBASEONE
In BloomZEROBASEONEplay_arrow
ZEROBASEONE's debut youth cheer song
63ZOOMUSPEER
ZOOMUSPEERplay_arrow
USPEER, the junior group to OH MY GIRL, with a powerful debut track
64Ride the VibeNEXZ
Ride the VibeNEXZplay_arrow
NEXZ’s first HIPHOP × R&B hit song
65POSSIBLEWATERFIRE
POSSIBLEWATERFIREplay_arrow
The debut song of choice for the members who made it through
66Click MeZion.T
Click MeZion.Tplay_arrow
Hip-hop YG singer and producer
67RendezvousAHOF
RendezvousAHOFplay_arrow
AHOF’s remarkable rise born from a survival show
68F GirlBaby DONT Cry
F GirlBaby DONT Cryplay_arrow
The debut song of the new group under PSY
69Freeze!Block B
Freeze!Block Bplay_arrow
Block B: Unique and talented idol(s)
70I’M SO SORRY, BUT I LOVE YOUBE BOYS
I'M SO SORRY, BUT I LOVE YOUBE BOYSplay_arrow
The survival show–born BE BOYZ are heartr...
712 MonthsUAU
2 MonthsUAUplay_arrow
Dreamcatcher three-member unit Yoohyeon and Yooyoung new song
72SOURPATCHHITGS
SOURPATCHHITGSplay_arrow
Girls group HITGS that captivates with freshness and purity
73TeaVVS
TeaVVSplay_arrow
VVS debut track, trap and electronic sounds
74UN VillageBAEKHYUN
UN VillageBAEKHYUNplay_arrow
The appeal of Baekhyun’s solo debut track “City Lights”
75NERDYifeye
NERDYifeyeplay_arrow
ifeye's debut song is self-affirmation pop
76All My PoetryClose Your Eyes
All My PoetryClose Your Eyesplay_arrow
CLOSE YOUR EYES makes their debut
77Flip the CoinNEWBEAT
Flip the CoinNEWBEATplay_arrow
NEWBEAT's new song, expressing the duality of good and evil
78잠못드는 밤 비는 내리고 (Sleepless Rainy Night)Kimu Gonmo
잠못드는 밤 비는 내리고 (Sleepless Rainy Night)Kimu Gonmoplay_arrow
A heart-penetrating, rain-sound melody by Kim Gun-mo
79The ChaseHearts2Hearts
The ChaseHearts2Heartsplay_arrow
Sensing a new era with fantastical K-pop
80WingsIRISÉ
WingsIRISÉplay_arrow
IRISÉ’s hope-filled debut song
81Tabom (feat. Shindong)Jungseul
Tabom (feat. Shindong)Jungseulplay_arrow
Jongseul, the debut of a new generation in trot
82Mama SaidKickFlip
Mama SaidKickFlipplay_arrow
Conveying the importance of living true to yourself through KickFlip’s debut song
83On The GroundROSÉ
On The GroundROSÉplay_arrow
In 2021, while many solo songs became hits...
84AGASSYSOOJIN
AGASSYSOOJINplay_arrow
Fusion of Eastern mystique and contemporary music
85BANG!WHIB
BANG!WHIBplay_arrow
WHIB, a song that expresses the duality of love and dreams
86AirYEJI
AirYEJIplay_arrow
Yeji’s solo debut song, brimming with dynamism
87Don`t you know(PROD.ROCOBERRY)ZO ZAZZ
Don`t you know(PROD.ROCOBERRY)ZO ZAZZplay_arrow
Korean rookie draws attention with new ballad song
88Summer Feeling3piece
Summer Feeling3pieceplay_arrow
Coloring the summer with their Korean debut song
89GOTCHAALL(H)OURS
GOTCHAALL(H)OURSplay_arrow
A confident track from a K-pop debut group
90LOVE ME DOASC2NT
LOVE ME DOASC2NTplay_arrow
ASC2NT's powerful debut single, a step toward a dream
91Oh My!Atlantis Kitsune
Oh My!Atlantis Kitsuneplay_arrow
New song by Atlantis Fox has arrived
92BADVILLAINBADVILLAIN
BADVILLAINBADVILLAINplay_arrow
Bad Villain’s self-expression message song
93Black OutCHANYEOL
Black OutCHANYEOLplay_arrow
EXO’s Chanyeol delivers a powerful solo track that resonates with the heart.
94Little LightDOYOUNG
Little LightDOYOUNGplay_arrow
The radiance and anguish of youth in search of hope
95Wander just a little longer (mou sukoshi dake samayotte)Heize
Wander just a little longer (Mou sukoshi dake samayotte) Heizeplay_arrow
Heize gains popularity, love song with Crucial
96SmokeJAEHYUN
SmokeJAEHYUNplay_arrow
A love song by Jaehyun from South Korea, rich in emotion.
97Feel LostJU-NE
Feel LostJU-NEplay_arrow
June’s solo debut, profound rock music
98Only OneL5ST
Only OneL5STplay_arrow
L5ST’s moving debut song, rich in emotion
99MY TYPELEE SEUNGHOON
MY TYPELEE SEUNGHOONplay_arrow
Lee Seunghoon unleashes his full solo charm in his debut EP
100UNOMADEIN
UNOMADEINplay_arrow
An inspiring song that portrays the vibrancy of youth and the poignancy of love
101MEOWMEOVV
MEOWMEOVVplay_arrow
Meov’s debut song: a shining display of confidence and individuality
102That NightMeloMance
That NightMeloManceplay_arrow
A gentle-voiced duo that rose to a hit from the indie scene
103OoWeeNOWADAYS
OoWeeNOWADAYSplay_arrow
A hopeful song that finds the light in a debut track
104FocusNew-L
FocusNew-Lplay_arrow
New-L, a confident cheer song
105It’s callSONG
It's callSONGplay_arrow
Song Yun-hyeong’s solo debut song
106I FeelSURAN
I FeelSURANplay_arrow
Suran’s powerful ballad produced by SUGA
107Run AwayTZUYU
Run AwayTZUYUplay_arrow
Tzuyu’s solo debut track, a sophisticated dance tune
108LOVE IT LIVE ITYDPP
LOVE IT LIVE ITYDPPplay_arrow
A unit formed from an audition program
109LOOP (feat. Lil Cherry)Yves
LOOP (feat. Lil Cherry)Yvesplay_arrow
Eve’s solo debut track portrays selfhood and romance.
110Donenævis
Donenævisplay_arrow
Self-Growth of a Virtual Artist
111Girls Never DietripleS
Girls Never DietripleSplay_arrow
tripleS’s moving Rookie of the Year award-winning song
112아메리카노 한잔에 빗소리채원(CLASS:y)
아메리카노 한잔에 빗소리채원(CLASS:y)play_arrow
Chaewon’s rainy-day ballad is soothing.
113THAT’S MEODD YOUTH
THAT'S MEODD YOUTHplay_arrow
Odd Youth's debut song, themed around youth and friendship
114Check PatternSUNGJIN
Check PatternSUNGJINplay_arrow
DAY6's Sungjin makes solo debut
115I’m Not SorryDEAN
I'm Not SorryDEANplay_arrow
Popularity of DEAN and characteristics of his musical activities
116Candy Jelly LoveLovelyz
Candy Jelly LoveLovelyzplay_arrow
A neat and cute idol group popular among men
117TrespassMONSTAX
TrespassMONSTAXplay_arrow
MONSTA X is a talented, sexy group.
118SixteenSamuel
SixteenSamuelplay_arrow
Solo artist from a K-pop audition
119짠쿵쾅 (JJan! Koong! Kwang!)momoland
짠쿵쾅 (JJan! Koong! Kwang!)momolandplay_arrow
BTS: Popular for their intensely addictive songs