Best Spotify Playlists to Keep an Eye on in 2023
Designed by Martina Yee
Everyone loves a good playlist. Whether you have one for morning commutes, lazy afternoons, or your nighttime routine, playlists keep all of your favorite songs from multiple artists in one place and can introduce you to artists you have never heard before. And here at HALSUG, we have curated multiple playlists sharing some of our favorite upcoming artists.
With over four billion playlists and over 60,000 songs added each day, Spotify also creates around 3,000 official Spotify playlists both algorithmically and editorially. Often updating monthly, weekly, or even daily, their playlists often mix multiple musicians and genres all in one place. We have compiled a list of Korean playlists we think you should watch out for this year that will introduce you to some of Korea’s trendiest and lesser-known artists that you definitely will not want to miss.
Fresh Finds Korea
Updated every Wednesday, Fresh Finds Korea is an indie-focused playlist with artists across various genres ranging from K-Hip-Hop, K-R&B, and Korean Ballads. With many artists pitching their latest songs to playlists, they focus on providing synergy for listeners. It is without a doubt that this playlist will present you with releases from a variety of artists you did not know existed. This playlist is perfect for those looking to discover new music weekly.
New Music K-Pop
Featuring the latest songs from the K-Pop world, New Music K-Pop highlights a mix of songs ranging from Korea’s K-Pop giants to indie and underground artists. This playlist has a perfect balance for fans who want to listen to their favorite artist's freshest songs, while also introducing them to unfamiliar artists to keep on their radar.
Dalkom Cafe
Perfect for a study playlist, Dalkom Cafe is a chilled playlist with easy-to-listen K-R&B vibes. Not only does it play the latest songs, but it also showcases songs from over the years and focuses on maintaining a consistent, relaxed tone throughout. Contrasting the previous playlists, Dalkom Cafe is unlikely to present you with new artists frequently as it only updates a couple of times per month. However, it is likely to bring attention to some hidden indie stars and different sides of bigger Korean artists you didn’t know of before.
TrenChill K-Hip-Hop
Separated into two playlists, TrenChill has both a K-Hip-Hop and K-R&B version with the purpose of providing users with the most chill and trendiest songs that also complement a wide range of songs from previous years. The playlist has seen the likes of Epik High’s “Rosario” place as one of its most popular songs in 2021 alongside the likes of Seori and JUNNY. You may recognize some names below, but this playlist will acquaint you with a sprinkle of old and new. Check it out for good vibes and good vibes only.
KrOWN
One of Spotify’s flagship playlists, formerly named K-hip-hop+82, was renamed to KrOWN in September 2022. The name stems from the words Korea, Crown, and Own and refers to the Kings and Queens of the K-Hip-Hop scene. Spotlighting established artists like Dynamicduo and Kid Milli along with collaborations amongst Korea’s hottest rappers, this playlist also promotes upcoming rappers from Show Me The Money. This playlist also comes with Spotify-written articles about some of the artists featured on it.
Rising 1’s
It only seems right to include a fire HALSUG playlist to end this list. Rising 1’s features a wide range of artists from not only the Korean music scene but from different countries and languages. This playlist explores upcoming artists soon rising to the top, so take a listen and see who will end up on your rotations. You can be the friend who discovers the next big act before they blow up!