Another year has come and gone, so that means it is time for Seoulbeats’ writers to talk about their favorite K-pop moments—including MVs. Viral moments from the likes of Katseye and Illit dominated 2024, along with solo comebacks from juggernauts Jin of BTS and Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé, but there was even more happening in the K-pop industry. Writers Sara and Lucia discuss their top MV picks.
Sara: This year felt so long (what do you mean IU’s “Love Wins All” was released about a year ago?), but I had fun looking back on the great K-pop MVs from 2024. Although my longlist was quite, well, long, the top five I eventually chose stood out because of their unique storytelling, their impressive sets, and their creative editing. I also focused on how these MVs moved both watchers and the artists’ careers forward. What did you think about while picking your top five?
Lucia: Great question! I took into account artist concepts and how the music videos played into the sound and aesthetic these groups have already cultivated. I also considered storytelling and memorability; if there was a music video that left a lasting impression on me or on the cultural landscape of K-pop in 2024, it made it onto my list.
The commonalities between our criteria helped us align on one of our choices. One of the most talked about MVs of the year was IU’s “Love Wins All” (which I also forgot was released this year!). This was partially due to V from BTS playing a central role in the video’s story—but though his cameo appearance was exciting, the power of the love story portrayed is what kept people talking about the MV past its initial release.
I personally don’t have a particularly deep connection toward either V or IU, but even I felt myself moved by the MV, which is centered on a dystopian world in which V and IU are on the run from a nebulous malevolent force. The camera they find helps them see the world—and each other—as they were in happier, less dire times. Given the collective trauma we’ve endured throughout the worst of the global pandemic in 2020 and 2021, I think we all resonated with the narrative of looking back on a brighter time and mourning the difference. The MV and the song itself have undeniably continued to leave a lasting cultural impact; I even went to a wedding about a month or so ago at which the couple chose this song for their first dance. What motivated your decision, Sara?
Sara: When I saw you list IU’s MV, so many images from the video came flooding back. The sheer memorability and lasting emotional impact of “Love Wins All” pushed me to add it to my Top 5. “Love Wins All” takes an intimidating idea—where is our world heading?—but focuses on the small details. We first see IU and V running away from the metallic block tracking them. Cutting quickly between their faces, it feels like the camera cannot keep up. Still, viewers understand the weight of the destruction around them: everything is gray and smoking and destroyed. Although they are being hunted down, IU and V find slices of joy through the video camera they discover. No words need to be spoken ( some are signed, since V’s character is hard of hearing) for the emotional resonance of the MV to reach viewers, truly proving V and IU’s acting abilities. I watched “Love Wins All” again, and it was just as powerful as watching it for the first time.
I chose XG’s “Howling” for similar reasons: the sets and costumes, the surge of emotions, and the tight storytelling add extra dimensions to the track. XG infiltrate the world of a highly-protected dictator, as the girls hide behind masks with QR codes. They draw power from the natural, including animals, flowers, and the moon, to finally overthrow this dictator. XG make watchers work for the story, however, as rapid cuts and flashing lights force us to only catch glimpses of what happens. When paired with the earworm track, “Howling” sticks in your mind in the best way possible. From the outlandish yet impressive costumes, to the choice to pull the corners of the MV into darkness, “Howling” is the best of XG so far.
Lucia: “Howling” is an excellent choice! The extravagance of the set and the costumes, in conjunction with the editing style, remind me of one of my picks as well. “Virtual Angel” by Loona off-shoot Artms actually has two music videos; the first version is so chaotic—characterized by a frankly ridiculous number of cuts and colors far beyond my dog’s visual ability—that it even starts with a trigger warning. The second version, the Human Eye version (possibly hinting that the first is the Odd Eye version that ties into Loona’s infamously complex lore), utilizes more conventional cuts to unveil a haunting story about a group of extreme Artms fans who take their fandom too far. Screens become a distinct barrier between these fans, who are adorned with Artms tattoos and cheap fake wings, and their extravagant, angelic, and untouchable idols.
Though fandom toxicity has been addressed in music videos before, the first “Virtual Angel” MV utilizes a storytelling technique unlike anything I’ve never seen before, and the ending—in which the Artms fans fall (or jump?) to their deaths in pursuit of the same plane of existence as Artms themselves—is distinctly more bleak than typically seen in K-pop. These characteristics, along with the foreboding yet beautiful repeated refrain of “I’ll be there for you when your wings break,” make this music video very hard to forget.
Another one of my picks that also dealt with the distinction between the virtual and reality is “Maestro” by Seventeen. Multiple artists took on the topic of AI in their videos this year, and I wanted to pay homage to at least one. “Maestro” stood out to me because of the clarity in its message and its deep ties to musicality—in particular, Seventeen’s music. This song, with its self-referential beat recalling previous Seventeen title tracks and its tight, powerful lyricism, could not have been done by any other group, in part due to the influence of member Woozi, who consistently plays a significant role in producing the group’s works.
Though the MV is rife with robotic dancers and dogs, the title is indicative of a struggle for leadership between the entities featured in the video and Seventeen themselves. The notion of leadership and control is aptly conveyed through the act of conducting, and the baton is passed between members over a quick percussion beat that pervades the entire song. While the MV begins with Hoshi at the mercy of these militant robots, Wonwoo is able to overcome them by the end to prove that Seventeen—and humans—are the real maestro. Seoulbeats writer Sabrina did an excellent job of exploring this more in depth earlier this year.
Sara: This discussion about the battle between virtual and reality also reminds me of RM’s “Lost.” However, his MV looks more closely at how the internal self impacts one’s reality, versus the external forces Seventeen and Artms highlight. Through this eclectic MV, which plays off of an old ARMY joke (“inside Namjoon’s brain”), we get a unique look into RM’s mind. If he did not become the leader of BTS, where would he be? Like what RM sings in the song, “Time flies like an arrow, 14 now they’re 30,” referring to some of the members’ ages when he first met them to their ages now.
Playful editing, memorable sets (who knew a dark, depressing corporate office with flickering fluorescent lights would leave such a mark), and a compelling story definitely pushed “Lost” to the top of my list. There are riffs on late-night talk shows (complete with deadpan humor), baggy beige suits that contrast with rigid, almost dollhouse-like, furniture and lines, and isolated offices floating in black cavernous spaces. All of these pieces seem off-beat on the first watch, but considering what RM wants to express, they work to create something beyond just a video. Instead, “Lost” becomes an experience.
Itzy’s “Imaginary Friend” also addresses internal struggles. What made you choose this MV for your list?
Lucia: I loved the internal exploration going on in “Lost,” especially since its lyrics and MV present struggles we’ve all contemplated as we’ve gotten older. In a way, Itzy’s “Imaginary Friend” can be seen as what comes after “Lost” (and isn’t that just the nature of what makes K-pop so universal—covering every feeling under the sun from all different angles!). The lyrics essentially comfort the listener that “I”—whether that “I” may be the angel, devil, or some subconscious part of the listener themselves—am “here tonight” to “keep you safe” and “keep you dreaming” when there are monsters, perhaps such as the loneliness RM sings about.
This MV visualizes these lyrics in a way that really stood out to me. It is less overtly stylistic than my other choices, as well as what’s expected out of K-pop in general, yet it still makes an incredible impression with its deceptively simple settings and props. The feeling of being alone and lost, even in a crowd of people, is conveyed through the use of concentric circular paths, bodies of water, and endless mirrors. Shadows that reach for Yeji’s hand in an attempt to offer comfort represent the presence of the eponymous imaginary friend. I particularly love when the background dancers make an appearance in the set with the midnight blue and coral tiles adorning the floor. The setup of the tiles, as well as the way the lighting keeps the depth of the set shrouded in darkness, makes it seem like the room stretches on for ages. The background dancers dress in black to blend into the darkness, and when their hands emerge to frame Itzy’s movements, it truly seems like a nebulous mysterious entity is responding to Itzy.
The choreography highlights the connectedness of the girls, which is especially meaningful because this is Itzy’s first comeback as five since Lia announced her hiatus in late 2023. The haunting key of this song is also notable because it diverges from the music Itzy is known for. Considering the struggles Itzy have gone through with defining their sound after “Sneakers,” “Imaginary Friend” seems like a message to Itzy’s critics: This is what Itzy is capable of. They can grow, they can change, and they can become better than before.
On the flip side, I adore the visual chaos that is “Ate That” by Young Posse. This group has made a lot of noise for a variety of reasons, but regardless, their sheer strength of concept deserves to be applauded. This particular album embraces the video game Grand Theft Auto, and the MV kicks up the concept by several notches. Young Posse begin “Ate That” by walking toward a donut shop exactly like GTA characters walk in-game. Their appearances, as well as the cars they encounter and backgrounds they walk through, are modified several times throughout the MV to emulate GTA graphics. Still, the video is rife with details that mark it as distinctly Young Posse. By now, they are known for striking colors and abnormal occurrences in their MVs (like the macaroni roller coaster in “Macaroni Cheese”).
However, perhaps the strongest identifying feature of a Young Posse MV is the recurring cast of characters and continued storyline across comebacks. Both “Ate That” and “XXL” feature the group antagonizing the same man working for a “Massive” food chain. The yellow flashlight that makes things XXL (from, unsurprisingly, the “XXL” MV) makes a reappearance here, as does the elder woman of unexplained relation to the group, who dons a pair of sunglasses and offers a thumbs up after the girls successfully escape the police in a pimped out XXL UPS truck.
The consistency of Young Posse’s creative chaos is in large part due to director, Ben Proulx, who worked on all of their MVs. Fans can only hope their partnership continues for a long time. After all, K-pop fans have been yearning for the return of fun and wacky K-pop concepts akin to Orange Caramel, and Young Posse are one of the few truly delivering.
Another one of your choices also has a strong tie to concept. I’m excited to hear what you have to say about Aespa’s “Supernova,” especially since it’s one of my runner ups!
Sara: I know so many people have said this in their end-of-year roundups, but Aespa’s 2024 trifecta were incredible home runs for their sound and for their careers. While “Armageddon” made Seoulbeats’ mid-year MV review, “Supernova” deserves the No. 1 slot for the year. It’s campy, it’s bold, and it’s 100% Aespa. From the now iconic line “I’m like some kind of…supernova” to the twist ending in the MV, Aespa embolden fans (and non-fans too) to take control of their confidence and their stories. In Aespa fashion, plot twists are at every corner. For example, Karina rips a side mirror off of a car and holds it like she is taking a selfie on a cellphone; while Winter floats around a school basketball court, the camera zooming in and out haphazardly. This organized, glossy, humorous chaos pulls viewers in and just screams “Aespa.”
Lastly, G-Dragon’s “Power” wrapped up my MV list. Despite the fact that this is his first comeback in seven years (seven years!!), something as simple as his presence in the fifth gen wave of K-pop deserves a shoutout. On the surface, “Power” looks straight forward: G-Dragon is back, so, of course, an explosion of color and dynamism has to accompany his return. But, through this bombastic track overflowing with a G-Dragon stamp of individuality, the star digs into the media who gleefully ran with his 2023 drug allegations. Despite the chaos found in the sets of the MV, “Power” does not have a flashy editing style; instead, it is more of a one shot. We follow G-Dragon as he confidently cruises through doorways, hops up on the table of a news studio, and dances in a graffiti-covered subway car. “Power” is a visual feast for the eyes, while underscoring that G-Dragon, indeed, has the power over these attempts to damage his career. As Celina mentioned in her review of the MV (which I highly recommend reading for all the Easter egg notes and deep dive into the song’s lyrics), “It is clear that while G-Dragon was gone, he was certainly not forgotten.” And I completely agree.
The best K-pop MVs of 2024 were definitely one for the books: Let’s see what 2025 has in store!
(YouTube [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Image via HYBE Labels.)
