Writer: Vedansh Varshney (Delhi, India)

Editor: Khushi Vaid (Delhi, India)

Experimental music has made a significant impact on the K-pop scene in recent years. When I mention ‘experimental,’ I’m talking about songs that challenge our typical expectations of what a song should sound like. These tracks surprise us by deviating from traditional song structures, incorporating unexpected instrumentals, or featuring unconventional styles of singing and rapping, often leaving the listeners either amazed or perplexed. In this article, I’ll be discussing some of my favourite experimental K-pop songs that have left a lasting impression on me.

ITZY – Dalla Dalla

Being JYP’s next girl group after TWICE, ITZY’s debut was highly anticipated, but nobody could’ve imagined how their experimental debut song “Dalla Dalla” would transform the K-pop landscape forever. ITZY’s debut was met with mixed reactions. At the same time, some appreciated and enjoyed the bright, upbeat vibe of the song, while others were thrown off by its unconventional arrangement, which rapidly progressed through a multitude of different sections. I personally liked the song a lot; it felt like a journey where you get to witness their unique colours as a group while exploring different themes- confident, bold, bubbly, and dreamy.

ITZY ended up becoming the new “trendsetters for experimental music” in the 4th generation of K-pop. Their successful debut also prompted numerous K-pop record labels to test the waters, and experimental music suddenly became prevalent everywhere. Even though the history of experimental music in K-pop dates back to the 1st generation, Dalla Dalla definitely made the concept more acceptable and established among newer fans.

Red Velvet – Really Bad Boy (RBB)

Red Velvet has blessed us with a lot of “whimsical” concepts over the years, but this song is totally out-of-the-box and worth appreciation. Apart from their stunning vocals, I would describe “Really Bad Boy” as oddly alluring because it has a lot of different layers to it, which need to be explored one by one. The most unconventional part of the song for me is the chorus. It’s not a traditional sounding chorus, but instead a combination of a repeating phrase, harmonies, belts and even high-pitched screams (done by the member Irene). And, surprisingly, everything works out perfectly together. Even though the song might feel a bit repetitive, I personally feel the incredible vocals create a pretty strong hook that will keep you glued and craving for more listens. 

NCT U – Baggy Jeans

A viral song praised by the public recently, “Baggy Jeans”, truly represents NCT’s distinctive music style that distinguishes them from other groups. Apart from the creativity and uniqueness of the concept, I love how the chorus of the song vividly paints a picture of “baggy jeans” in your mind. The whispered vocals add a breathy touch, perfectly capturing the loose and airy feel associated with baggy jeans. NCT often includes a dance break before the final chorus in their songs, but ‘Baggy Jeans’ surprises us with an unexpected key change as well as it transitions from the dance break to the final chorus. This adds a more intricate and surprising layer to the music. Overall, it’s an amazing song where the concept and music perfectly match and enhance each other.

NMIXX – O.O

NMIXX became the talk of the town when their debut song “O.O” left everyone deeply perplexed. The song title accurately represents the expression of astonishment that everyone probably experienced when they heard the song for the first time. Experimental music isn’t new in K-pop, but the impact NMIXX’s debut left on the K-pop community was definitely unprecedented. If we’re talking about it being a “hit” or “miss” – most of the people absolutely disliked it; they couldn’t understand the group’s concept. NMIXX debuted with the concept of “Mixxpop”, which apparently refers to a mashup of different genres, evidently observed in their title tracks like “Dice”, “Soñar (Breaker)”, etc. 

Although I’m a huge fan of the song, I personally agree that “O.O” isn’t the type of song that would be easily digestible by the general public; it rather targets a niche only. Many people felt that they were listening to “two songs at once” as the song unexpectedly switches between dark and bright themes. It can come off as “overly complex” and “overwhelming” to the listener, making it difficult to recognise a hook in the song. Regardless, NMIXX remains one of my top girl groups because of their mind-bending music.

Billlie – RING X RING

“RING X RING” is another phenomenal debut song that deserves recognition for its eccentric nature. What particularly caught my attention were the contrasting music elements that were at play. The instrumentals, which sound like a siren, evoke emotions of “rush” or “urgency” from the very beginning, as if everything is moving forward at a fast pace. But then you also have “twinkling sound effects” and the lines “la la la la la” appear occasionally in between. Interestingly, the coupling of these two elements is contrasting in nature – the siren instrumentals create a dark and sinister atmosphere, whereas the twinkling sounds are brighter and magic-like. Not to forget the intriguing dance break, which “keeps on building up”, creating more and more energy.

TXT – Eternally

I personally consider it the most unexpected track from their album “The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY”. ‘Eternally’ begins as a soft, dreamy ballad; it feels like you’re floating, as if you’re in a state of trance, until it abruptly takes a dark turn, uncovering deeper vocals that sound almost sinister. Upon looking closely, you’ll observe that the song seems to continuously oscillate between these two motifs as if a person is trapped between a “dream” and a “nightmare” indefinitely (literally eternally). Notably, the song lacks clear distinctions between verses, pre-chorus, and chorus. Surprisingly, this contrasting blend of themes comes together perfectly.

AESPA – Next Level

“Next Level” is AESPA’s most popular song while also being their most unconventional one. Despite the song leaving everyone flabbergasted, it eventually gained nationwide popularity after climbing to #1 on the Melon Chart and was even used for promotional purposes during the presidential elections. Next Level is known for its slow, addictive beat that suddenly switches into an upbeat, fast-paced rap-like section halfway through. The rap section indeed feels like an extended bridge if we consider how typical SM song structures work. Many people might not be aware of the fact that this particular song structure is closely observed in another renowned song by their company seniors, Rising Sun by TVXQ!. It’s also interesting to note that both songs were released 16 years apart! SM Entertainment’s music was way ahead of its time.

Do let us know in the comments which is your favourite track by any of these groups.