NME names IU's 'Lilac' No. 1 on 'The 25 best K-pop songs of 2021' list

IU [ILGAN SPORTS]

Singer-songwriter IU’s “Lilac” (2021) was named No. 1 on NME’s list of “The 25 best K-pop songs of 2021” on Monday.

“While most the world took its sweet time coming out from the pandemic-induced nightmare that was 2020, K-pop jumped out of the gate swinging, with milestones, achievements and record-setting feats aplenty in 2020,” the article reads in English.

“On the album’s title track, IU tells her most relatable tale yet: the bittersweet journey of letting your youth go” and “seeped in nostalgia, this surprisingly dancey number is a heartfelt love letter to the singer’s roaring 20s before she enters a new decade.”

Other hit songs released by K-pop acts this year, like NCT 127’s “Sticker,” Blackpink’s Rosé’s “On the Ground,” aespa’s “Savage” and “Next Level,” BTS’s “Butter” and STAYC’s “ASAP” and “Stereotype” also made it on the list.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]