2016 has been a special year for me since I visited Seoul in June and July and met Luna from f(x), went to some of the city’s absolute best nightclubs, and overall had loads of fun.

It has also been a good year with regard to K-pop. As usual, most within this umbrella genre is pretty bad, but music taste is about being selective and some good stuff has still been produced.

Music that is either innovative (EXO’s “Monster” in particular) or just makes one happy – not least for the pleasing visuals of the female performers, such as AOA and Yuri & Seohyun.

AOA’s Seoulhuyn and some of the other members seem to have optimal height/weight ratios. Moreover, I think that Yuri and Seohyun from Girls’ Generation, performing a plain commercial song for the cosmetics brand Pantene, have never been prettier. Sophisticated yet sensual, but not vulgar as many American pop stars. Exotic and Western, in a simultaneous hybrid.

1. EXO – Monster

2. NCT 127 – Fire truck

3. Luna – Galaxy

4. BTS – Blood, sweat and tears

5. BTS – Fire

6. Yuri & Seohyun – Secret

7. AOA – Good luck

8. R3Hab feat. Amber & Luna – Wave

9. Big Bang – FXXX it

10. EXO – Lotto