jun2yng's Favorite K-Pop Music Videos of 2013

Jan 11, 2014

There was so much great music in K-Pop in 2013: songs that want to make you cry, laugh, or just get up and dance! And then there were songs that didn’t do much at all. But a great song AND a great music video? Perfection.

This is jun2yng, one of the news writers here at Soompi. Here are some of my personal favorites from 2013 in K-Pop music videos, including videos from artists like Brown Eyed Soul, G-Dragon, MFBTY, Zion T, and more! They are videos that just broke away from the rest for me, and made me love the songs even more.

Check ’em out! They’re listed in the order that they were released. Top 9, here we go!

Disclaimer: This list is purely my personal opinion, and in no way is this an official list by Soompi.

01.20.13

MFBTY (Tiger JK, Yoon Mi Rae, Bizzy) – Sweet Dream

The video is stunning, you just have to watch it! This hip hop trio always brings it with some amazing chemistry. In this video they beautifully portray the simple emotion of just missing someone far away, or being caught in a restraining circumstance, with some stunning visuals and witty, entertaining scenes. The scene with and following the tiger has to be my favorite of the video.

04.08.13

Zion T – Babay

One of my favorite up-and-coming artists! Love the museum setting and the comic theme of this video. It’s the cool analogy of the ‘please, don’t touch’ museum artwork that’s only meant to be looked at, and the goddess-like women in the eyes of the men in the video. In the end, we can clearly see, Zion T was just not about that ‘no touch’ rule. And, Zion T’s beautiful quirk really comes through in the video, which is just a treat to see.

04.13.13

PSY – Gentleman

While Gentleman didn’t get nearly as much traction as PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” the music video is much better in my opinion. And while at first I did a double-take at the all-too-familiar “Abracadabra” dance, it wasn’t unwelcomed, especially with the cameo by Brown Eyed Girls’ Gain. The song honestly isn’t one of my favorites, but the video (I can’t lie) is entertaining. Especially with the bloopers at the end, I can just imagine the fun they had shooting the video.

05.20.13

Lee Hyori – Bad Girls

The comic book theme is super entertaining, and the video hits spot on with the song, upbeat and mischievous. Not to mention the baby is absolutely adorable, even with a scowl. The eyebrows are a nice touch, as well. None of the ‘bad’ actions by Lee Hyori in the video are without provocation, which leads me to believe that maybe there’s a deeper message hidden behind all of the comic-like theatrics. Again, not one of my favorite songs, but the video makes up for the song.

07.28.13

Brown Eyed Girls – Kill Bill

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

It was a pleasant surprise to see Brown Eyed Girls do a take on the Tarantino film, and it was well done. The video was a lot of fun and a great match with the song. The upbeat, lighthearted pop tone that delivers a story of heartbreak in Brown Eyed Girls’ “Kill Bill” is not unlike the light tone of the original Tarantino film. The video has an almost comical violence, laced with the severity of the main character’s emotions and drive for revenge, and that makes this music video a win.

09.04.13

G-Dragon – Crooked

GD just oozes cool. He is a fashionista, indeed. Seeing all of G-Dragon’s various outfits in this music video makes it quite a feast for the eyes. And on a less shallow note, the whole video is a statement to the world: it’s okay to just let go. The video alternates between different emotions, sad, angry, determined, frustrated, and while the different emotions may not be absolutely plain to see, they are there if one just pays attention.

10.07.13

IU – The Red Shoes

Shoes that take you somewhere exciting and new? Get me a pair! This music video just sucks you into the story of the song, a story of escape and fantasy. Who hasn’t dreamt of something like this at one point in time? Any fantastical form of escape from the world to a completely new place full of wonders? Sign me up.

And who can resist Yoo Hee Yeol in red leather pants? Yoo Hee Yeol in red leather pants playing piano?

12.12.13

Yong Joon Hyung – Flower

I love the imagery in this video, with the analogy of the flower and butterfly to the relationship. The gradual progression to the final rocky, barren location with its lack of color and life and the images of the burning flower and butterfly were a nice smooth touch to the video. And I can’t forget about the awesome Prepix dancers!

12.18.13

Brown Eyed Soul – You

First of all, let me get this out of the way. The music video stars Kim Young Kwang and Kyung Soo Jin. Mhmm.

Anyway, this music video is amazing, and not just because of the faces in it. It’s not flashy, and it’s not super theatrical. It’s delightfully simple, in fact, and draws a picture of an old boyfriend and girlfriend who see each other again for the first time in a while from across the street. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been. It’s the silent exchange that happens between the two that just grips your heart, full of memories, apologies, loss, and it’s something that only they know.

So… I let myself narrow it down to 9 because I’m including this list… other notables. You should check these out, too, if you haven’t already seen them.

B.A.P – One Shot (Brothers forever. Or not.)

YB – Mystery (This one’s really quirky, but… I like that.)

Jay Park – I Like 2 Party (I just want to go party. Jay Park + Prepix..)

2NE1 – Do You Love Me (I just want to go party with 2NE1.)

Sunmi – 24 Hours (The white to black effect..)

Block B – Very Good (Block B just gets you pumped.)

Taeyang – Ringa Linga (Dance Performance) (As much as I love Taeyang, this one’s for the dancers, too, killin’ it.)

Yoonhan – Man on Piano (Sims? Sims!)

T.O.P – Doom Dada (Apes.)

Dynamic Duo – Three Dopeboyz (Love the visualization style of this music video, perfect with that heavy beat. Not to mention the song is dope.)

Hyorin – Lonely (The juxtaposition of emotion in this music video is amazing. And the fashion! The fashion.)

EXO – Miracles in December (Something about this music video.. it’s so simple, but it strikes a chord. Maybe it’s the puppy.)