From Netflix's Squid Game shaking up top trends on social media and breaking viewing records on streaming sites, to K-pop acts touring (and some even visiting the UAE), it's safe to say that the South Korean entertainment industry has had a busy year.
South Korean artists continued to push the genre's boundaries by incorporating global elements ranging from Latin and R&B to rock and electropop. Now, we look back at some of the best and trendiest songs in a year that was challenging for many, but inspiring for others:
'LaLisa' and 'Money' by Lisa
Blackpink's Lisa broke out of her shell this year as she made her debut as a solo artist. Her project LaLisa, after her full first name, consists of two songs: LaLisa and Money. The single album has broken records on Spotify while LaLisa has also gathered 383 million views on YouTube.
Meanwhile, anyone scrolling through TikTok will be familar with Money, which has a contemporary American rap music style. This song also has more than 360 million views on YouTube. Lisa was ranked among Spotify’s top 30 K-pop artists of 2021 globally.
'Butter' by BTS
Butter, the second English-language track from BTS, was the song of the year. The jam from the K-pop boy band had everyone dancing and, well, craving butter. It dominated radio stations globally, including the UAE, and social media platforms.
With 649 million views on YouTube, the dance pop track has taken home several achievements including topping the charts in South Korea’s K-pop 100 and peaking at No 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The single won a number of awards including "Song of the Year" at the Asia Artist Awards, Melon Music Awards and Mnet Asian Music Awards.
'House Party' by Super Junior
The group, with more than 15 years of experience in the music scene, came to the UAE in October to perform at The Palm Fountain in Dubai as part of the Korean Festival. During their concert, they premiered their newest song, House Party.
The track, with more than 27 million views on YouTube, is the second from the group’s latest album, The Renaissance.
Its music video has received positive feedback for its pandemic and social distancing-friendly theme that many found to be creative and easily relatable.
“Whenever the pandemic kind of slows down and we do have the opportunity to tour, you can probably expect another Super Junior album," Kyuhyun told The National in an exclusive interview.
'Don’t Call Me' by SHINee
The four-member boy band, who made their debut in 2008 as five members, is one of South Korea’s most beloved groups.
The Don’t Call Me album is their seventh and the first not to feature their late member Jonghyun, who died in 2017. The title track has 58 million views on YouTube and reached No 1 on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart.
'What Type of X' and 'Coldblooded' by Jessi
Jessi, whose real name is Ho Hyun-joo, is a soloist in South Korea but originally from America. Her song What Type of X has shaken up social media with many taking to TikTok and Instagram to emulate her dance moves from the music video, which has also gathered more than 60 million views.
The sensational rapper has also released a song called Cold Blooded for the show Street Women Fighter, where Korean dancers compete to be crowned the country's best dancer. Jessi is under P Nation entertainment which is owned by famed Gangnam star, Psy.
'Rollin' by Brave Girls
Brave Girls, a group consisting of four members, had a particularly memorable year. Their song Rollin’, originally released in 2017, suddenly gained popularity thanks to YouTube.
A compilation video of the group performing the track for the South Korean military went viral, causing a surge in popularity and the song to rise in the music charts.
It became a nationwide hit, and hit No 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart and the K-pop Hot 100. The members have mentioned that they were close to disbanding right before their luck changed.
The clip stands out because of its unique dance moves, which had whole of South Korea, including entertainment channels, rolling along.
'Alcohol-free' by Twice
Alcohol-Free from Twice's 10th EP, Taste of Love, is about what it means to fall in love. The summer track, which has elements of bossa nova and hip-hop, peaked at No 41 on the Billboard Global 200 where it spent eight weeks.
The also song reached No 6 on the Gaon Digital Chart and at No 7 on the K-pop Hot 100. The video has more than 200 million views on YouTube. The diverse, nine-member girl band made its debut under JYP entertainment in 2015.
'I Am Not Cool' by Hyuna
Kim Hyun-ah, famously known as Hyuna, has had a very busy year. I'm Not Cool is her seventh extended play and she released a single of the same name.
The colourful song has a fast upbeat tempo. I'm Not Cool has been nominated for Best Album at the 2021 Asian Pop Music Awards.
The singer released several songs and performances this year, solo and with her boyfriend Dawn, who is under the same label, P Nation. She made her debut as a member of Wonder Girls in 2007.
'Bicycle' by Chungha
Bicycle, a song about moving ahead, is off Chungha’s first studio album, Querencia. The song has R&B, trap and dance-pop beats, which is perfect for those who need to get hyped up or get through an intense workout at the gym.
The music video has more than 38 million views on YouTube and made its debut on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart at No 11.
'Next Level' by Aespa
Of all the groups listed, Aespa is one of the newest, yet also the quickest to create a name for themselves in the K-pop industry and around the world. From their dance moves to the lyrics, the group stands out.
They won Best Dance Performance at this year's Mnet Asian Music Awards, and were nominated for TikTok's Song of The Year. Spotify also named Next Level the best K-pop song of 2021.
The dance and hip-hop infused track is a continuation of the group's story from their debut single Black Mamba.
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MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.
6pm: Al Ruwais Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 1,200m
Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinal.
6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
HAJJAN
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31