If you're someone who has separate music playlists for every season, you aren't alone. Winter, spring, summer, and fall each have such a distinct feeling, but they also hold extremely specific musical sounds. Winter is for acoustic tracks that fill you with warmth, while spring is for those upbeat songs that suggest something good is just around the corner. Of all four seasons, summer seems to be the one that holds the most significance in of music, especially in K-Pop.

Every year, artists race to see who can release the best "song of the summer" that will dominate the entire season and go on to hold a permanent spot on summer playlists for years to come. There are already several contenders for 2025's song of the summer, including "Walls Don't Talk" by KAI and "HOT" by LE SSERAFIM, but the entries below focus on songs that are at least a year old. Envision yourself poolside, lounging in a beach chair looking out at the ocean, or relaxing on a warm evening to 10 of K-Pop's best summer anthems.

10 Roller Coaster

NMIXX

NMIXX has been on a unique upward trajectory since their dicey debut had people questioning their sound right off the bat. Since then, they've risen to new heights, unlocking a whimsical yet completely cool girl group sound that highlights each member's charms. In 2023, they released A Midsummer NMIXX's Dream, a single album with two tracks including "Roller Coaster," which was also the comeback's pre-release track.

"Roller Coaster" was the song that made me finally tune into what NMIXX were doing. They weren't just change-ups and experimental instrumentals. This one song brought out a completely new sound for them, something more refreshing and less daunting to someone who hadn't listened to their music yet. It's a song that makes the temperature rise as soon as I look at the cover art for the single, and one that is always welcome on my summer playlist.

9 SWEAT

ZEROBASEONE

Every K-Pop boy group has their own version of a summer anthem. ZEROBASEONE is a group that hasn't been around for very long, but their mark has certainly been made already. Their 2024 mini-album, You had me at HELLO, was led with the pre-release single, "SWEAT," and even got a special music video after their comeback. From the title alone, you can imagine the kind of heat this song brings with just one listen.

"SWEAT" takes this group's charm and turns it up a notch with a catchy chorus and a music video complete with blinding sunlight and whirling fans desperately trying to cool them off. No summer music video is complete without just a little bit of water, so the moment droplets fall from the sky is one that will have viewers cheering at the inevitability of wet hair and damp skin. Summer feels closer just with one listen to this song.

8 #menow

fromis_9

fromis_9 is a group that has mastered the template for perfectly crafted summer songs. Between "Attitude," "Supersonic," and "#menow," it was difficult to choose just one, but I went with the song that brings out a more layered feeling. Rather than just throwing the group onto a beach, styling them in shorts and tank tops, and getting their hair a little wet, "#menow" offers a less direct representation of summer as we commonly see it.

This song seems to feel just right when you're spending time with your best friends as the sun sets.

To me, this song seems to feel just right when you're spending time with your best friends as the sun sets, or during those last couple weeks of summer when you're trying to soak in every possible second that's left of the warm weather and your heightened sense of freedom. It feels nostalgic in a way I haven't quite figured out yet. This group's vocals already do such a great job of conveying such fragile emotions, but something about "#menow" makes me feel like I can't fully appreciate it until the time is just right. Give it a try this summer.

7 Up!

Kep1er

One of my favorite summer K-Pop songs that's come out more recently is "Up!" by Kep1er. From the moment I first watched the music video, I knew it'd be a song that would find a permanent home on my summer playlist. Everything from the bright clothing to the colorful set designs gives the perfect sense of easygoing fun that can be felt in the song itself.

Kep1er has always been a pretty divisive group, but I can't think of one negative comment I saw about "Up!" when it was released. Some seasonal songs like this can become pretty repetitive and lackluster, but there's always one that leaps miles above the rest in of overall reception. I don't know if everyone else feels as strongly about this song as I do after its release in 2022, but I'm always willing to let it play while I enjoy the sun and rest my feet in the sand.

6 THRILL RIDE

THE BOYZ

THE BOYZ never disappoints when it comes to a summer concept. "LIP GLOSS" and "SWEET" are just two of their seasonal hits, but nothing tops "THRILL RIDE" for me. This song's melody is addictive in a way that will make it impossible not to dance along in your seat. The music video alone is filled with summer energy that'll have you longing for the heat no matter when you watch it.

The group wears lifeguard gear, complete with uniform streaks of sunscreen over their cheeks, and bathrobes as they lounge by the pool with sunglasses on their faces and drinks in hand. If you're looking for a song that leans into the infectious freedom of summer and the constant wish to be on a poolside vacation, don't hesitate to add "THRILL RIDE" to your rotation this year.

5 Rollin'

Brave Girls

Whether you're aware of it or not, you know "Rollin'" by Brave Girls. Although it was originally released in 2017, this song wouldn't rack up its massive level of streams and attention until 2021, when it blew up unexpectedly on social media. Brave Girls debuted in 2011, so this victory was a long-awaited success story for the four-member girl group a decade later.

"Rollin'" captures all the unbridled joy that comes with basking in the sun in just over three minutes.

"Rollin'" captures all the unbridled joy that comes with basking in the sun in just over three minutes. The ' voices pierce through the instrumental at just the right angle to get you up and moving along to the choreography that is also guaranteed to stick in your mind. Picture yourself on a beach with your favorite people, dancing around to a song like that without a care in the world. What more could you want?

4 Red Flavor

Red Velvet

All the excitement that comes with the transition from spring into summer is found in Red Velvet's "Red Flavor." The music video is a breath of fresh air and a refreshing glass of ice-cold water, from Joy's vibrant red hair to the colorful fruit in every other shot. With this five-member girl group, you can either expect to be subtly frightened or hypnotized by pure happiness. "Red Flavor" falls into the latter category, but there's a case for every Red Velvet title track to be described as just a little scary between the lines.

For most K-Pop fans, this song is a summer staple. It's one of those songs that just sounds better at a certain time of year, whether that was the artist's intention or not. "Red Flavor" sounds perfect while sitting in the sun with a popsicle in hand, basking in one moment of relaxation before you have to get back to whatever you were doing before.

3 Sticky

KISS OF LIFE

The most recent song of the summer on this list is "Sticky" by KISS OF LIFE. This four-member girl group has quickly taken the world by storm, but nothing could've elevated their career like this July 2024 single. As the music video starts, you follow Belle as she walks past people relaxing in the sun on her way to the other where they're perched in front of a fountain. What follows is a stunning string introduction that transitions into a euphoric track that begs the question "How long before we fall in love?"

My answer is about three minutes and 12 seconds. Once you hear Julie, Natty, Belle, and Hanuel sing and watch Julie and Natty's solo dance sections, you aren't likely to have any other choice besides falling in love with KISS OF LIFE. "Sticky" was my first introduction to just how powerful a summer concept can be in K-Pop. I knew they existed, but I never knew just how much one song released at just the right time could shoot one group into stardom beyond their own expectations.

2 Alcohol-Free

TWICE

TWICE created a summer anthem for the ages with their 2021 hit "Alcohol-Free." The whispered "JYP" in the introduction is all you need to hear to know what song you're listening to. By 2021, TWICE was already one of the biggest girl groups in the world, but they continue to prove themselves time and time again. I was introduced to this song by my college roommates, who insisted on educating me on any and every K-Pop song they felt was worthy of my attention.

Something instantly clicked, and it's still a song I enjoy listening to. It's not the most high-energy song on this list, but sometimes you just want to chill out. Sometimes you want to let a cool, easygoing song like "Alcohol-Free" play while you've got your eyes closed laying out on a towel on the beach. Luckily for you, TWICE has just what the doctor ordered.

1 View

SHINee

It isn't a true K-Pop summer without listening to "View" by SHINee at least once a week. I've never heard anyone say that but, after compiling this list, I can't help but think all my previous summers have been wasted simply due to how little I played this song. You truly can't go wrong with SHINee, and they have so many songs to keep you in a good mood throughout the summer, but it would be useless for me to mention any other song besides this one.

It sounds like how summer feels, plain and simple.

It sounds like how summer feels, plain and simple. Whether school is out, you finally have a weekend to de-stress, or you're just trying to get through a workday in June, "View" is the perfect K-Pop song to accompany you until the weather cools down.