Anti-drops in K-pop

Hello everyone,

I don’t know if any of you remember but a little while ago, I reviewed the album “VERSUS” by VIVIZ and during that review I mentioned a little thing called an “anti-drop”, which happened in the first chorus of “Untie”. A little later in an album called “[VillainS]” by Dreamcatcher, it showed up again in a song called “OOTD”, as well as “Shatter”.

Today I’ll be showing you some of my favourite anti-drops in K-pop. Now if you didn’t read my original explanation of what an anti-drop is, you’re probably shaking your screen in frustration, yelling to the heavens, “what on god’s green earth is an anti-drop?!” Well, if you would please refrain from shaking that screen and yelling I’m about to explain to you.

This is the original explanation I had put when it first came up:

“An “anti-drop” is when a song that is building up to a “drop” of the beat, instead drops everything and just plays drums, bass, and vocals, causing an “anti-drop” of the beat. It almost feels like the breath has been taken out of you when this happens when listening to a song. Charlie Puth is credited, by some people, as the creator of this, as his song “Attention” uses this technique, causing many producers to follow suit, however he was not the first person to use this. One of my favourite examples of an anti-drop is ‘Oh My God’ by (G)I-DLE, which is an incredible song, but also uses an anti-drop in the chorus.”

One thing I failed to mention is that there are a few different types of anti-drops. Some are more extreme sounding and others are a bit gentler in comparison. This is because there are actually different genres within anti-drops. I watched a video on this, but I would do it no justice with my awful retelling so here’s the video:

Also, if you like K-pop and want to know the specific genres of different groups music or just music in general, please check this guy out (@taemteez on YouTube), his videos are very interesting. I won’t be able to tell you the exact genre of each anti-drop though so I will more be talking about how severe the anti-drop feels as a casual listener.

I’m almost done, don't worry, but I have another thing to explain. There are different types of anti-drops too. I bet you’re shaking your screen again going “but that’s what you JUST said, what do you mean there’s more types?”. Well, once again please stop shaking your screen, I can’t imagine it’s doing much good for that device. Secondly, I’m referring to the structure. 

One basic structure is pre-chorus - anti-drop/chorus - post chorus, the post-chorus being what we were expecting after the pre-chorus originally, or as most people refer to it the “real” chorus. 

Another is pre-chorus - anti-drop/chorus - 2nd verse this second version feels even more severe because there’s no “real” chorus. 

Sometimes then songs go pre-chorus - anti-drop/chorus - post chorus, but the post-chorus simply elongates the anti-drop (rather than being a “real” chorus), but is also a second anti-drop because you were expecting the “real” chorus - and then you either go into the 2nd verse and never get a “real” chorus, or they then do a second post-chorus, and you get the “real” chorus. 

These anti-drops can get very complex, but I shan’t bore you with this any longer.

Now I am by no means the first person to “discover” anti-drops, or the very first person to share some of their favourites with the world, so here are some YouTube videos I’ve watched about anti-drops in K-pop. And if I’m completely honest this is how I heard about anti-drops. Some of my songs will overlap with their songs, which is okay because there are only so many anti-drops in K-pop so there would naturally be an overlap.

I have a long list in front of me, so let’s just get this started, shall we? This list is in no particular order.

1.      Doom-Du-Doom by P1Harmony

This is a great song by a great group. This song definitely doesn’t feel super severe when it does lose those instruments, however that anti-drop is definitely there. It follows a pretty basic anti-drop structure with the pre-chorus - anti-drop/chorus - “real” chorus/post-chorus. I’ll share the music video for each song at the end of my explanation. I feel like to get the full effect of an anti-drop you need to really experience it by listening to the song fully rather than a small clip.

2.      OOTD by Dreamcatcher

This one definitely feels much more severe in my opinion because there is such a build up to the chorus that you also didn't see it coming. I remember being absolutely floored when I heard it first, while I was hoping for it, I didn’t actually expect it. This is definitely up there with some of my favourite anti-drops I’ve heard.

3.      Oh My God by (G)I-DLE

Let us all bow down to the literal QUEEN of anti-drops right here. This song is perfect for me. I love this song beyond words and honestly haven’t heard a better anti-drop ever. I don’t think anything could ever take its place, in my ranking of anti-drops. When Soyeons voice comes in over the anti-drop it’s just literal heaven. And this is one that doesn’t give you a “real” chorus, or even any kind of post chorus; we just go straight to the second verse. Takes my breath away every time even though I expect it.

4. Spider by Hoshi

This one has that second anti-drop when you feel as though you’re about to get the real chorus, then throws in a fuller chorus after. The whole song is pretty low-key so while the anti-drop is there it doesn’t feel very extreme. This also might be because I’ve listened to this song countless times and simply just expect it now.

5.      Why Not by LOONA

This song actually rather than focussing on vocals during the drop, instead focuses on the bass line and the drums. I can’t think of the word I’m looking for to describe what this is like honestly. Some of these songs I don’t know if the anti-drop just isn’t that severe, or I simply just expect it now in the song, so it no longer shocks me. I wouldn’t rank this very severe but let me know what you think. Am I ranking songs wrong in their severity?

6.      Nxde by (G)I-DLE

Now I’m not sure if this song would actually class as an anti-drop if I’m honest but it certainly feels like one to me. It once again doesn’t focus on vocals but instead the instrumental and a violin sound takes the place the vocals would be. They then do a second anti-drop, then give us the “real” chorus.

7.      MOONWALKER by SEVENTEEN

I love this song beyond words. I love a lot of songs beyond words. This is an amazing anti-drop. If Oh My God is the Queen of anti-drops this would be the King of anti-drops. It just has that perfect build up then just “drops” everything and you’re left in shock because you expected some big chorus.

8.      You Calling My Name by GOT7

When I first heard this song, my thought was “dang”. And that is the only way to describe this song. To start off almost the whole song feels like an anti-drop and it’s not till the end of the whole song we get that energy. The chorus gave us like 4 anti-drops in total, I think. Like you keep thinking you’re gonna get that “real” chorus, but it never comes. Just utter perfection in my opinion and one of my favourite songs by GOT7.

9.      Sugar Rush Ride by TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Literally no one was ready for this anti-drop when this was released. It’s such a severe chorus that, even after listening to it as many times as I have because I have an unhealthy obsession with this TXT song in particular, you almost don’t expect it. It’s just amazing, and then you get the “real” chorus, but they really make you wait for it. Round of applause for TXT and this incredible release.

10.  Super by SEVENTEEN

Another song that really makes you wait for that “real” chorus. Also, DARUM-DA-DIMDA!! But that aside this was a really good song. It’s probably halfway there to being a severe anti-drop. I think it’s more severe because it goes on for so long but also less severe as the actual “drop” doesn’t feel very extreme. Or maybe I’m used to it. Like I said, it's hard for me to tell.

11.  Baggy Jeans by NCT U

I love this song. I know a lot of people didn’t really like it, but I think it’s a really fun song. You never really get that “real” chorus with the song. And personally, I think that’s a good thing because I think a “real” chorus wouldn’t suit this song at all, and it would sound a bit off. Also, I’m just gonna plug my YouTube channel here because I did do a cover of this song so check it out :).

12.  Abracadabra by YooA

Such a great anti-drop, another one of my absolute favourites I’ve heard. This one feels a bit in the middle like some others here. It’s not the most extreme anti-drop but by no means is it non-existent. I do love this song though. Also please watch the music video because this choreography is literally chef’s kiss like incredible. One of my favourite choreographies of all time.

13.  Stay Tonight by CHUNG HA

Now this is a pretty severe drop in my opinion. Her vocals build so much in the pre-chorus that you’re really expecting something so epic, and then it just all drops. The chorus kinda gently builds slowly as it continues eventually giving something closer to what you expected. A great song with a really great anti drop.

14.  WHISTLE by BLACKPINK

Of course we have a BLACKPINK song here. This was one of their first songs back when they first debuted. I actually really love this style of an anti-drop where it has that whistle sound effect. Now I wouldn’t rate this very severe in the anti-drop. It’s definitely there to some extent, but it doesn’t give itself much of a build in the chorus to what we get for it to feel very extreme.

Imagine the pre-chorus is a hill/mountain you're climbing, right? Then the anti-drop is when you jump off what you just climbed up. Take OH MY GOD by (G)I-DLE as an example, it feels like you just dropped off Mt. Everest. But this one? It only feels like a slightly large hill. It’s there but I think there are still so many noises and affects happening in the anti-drop for it to feel very severe. You get what I’m saying? Probably not, so let's move on.

15.  FACE by WOOSUNG

I absolutely love this man’s voice. It’s like the perfect mix between breathy and powerful. This song honestly feels like an anti-drop in itself much like You Calling My Name by GOT7. I love the way this song literally drops everything but the Bass line and his vocals in that initial moment of the anti-drop, which is honestly so satisfying. Then as the choruses continue on it gets less and less severe with each one until we get the very last one where it gives us much more like what we expected initially, which, I have to say, is nowhere near as satisfying.

16.  MOVE by TAEMIN

One of my favourite vocalists in K-pop, as well as an incredible dancer. This song is once again almost an anti-drop in itself and while it may not feel as extreme at the anti-drop moment as some other songs, this song is just so anti-drop in itself. Am I even making sense? Probably not lol.

17.  WONDERLAND by ATEEZ

Granted it’s an incredibly short-lived anti-drop moment, yes, but the effect it has on the song overall? It makes it so important. I’ve listened to this song so much that I barely notice it anymore because I expect it, but this song would just not have that level of energy in the chorus if it didn’t have that moment of dropping everything.

18.  FEARLESS by LE SSERAFIM

I absolutely loved this era of LE SSERAFIM, and I wish they had stuck to this sound. It’s not that I don’t enjoy their new songs, but I just wanted more of this. Anyway, this is a pretty tame anti-drop. Reminiscent of WHISTLE by BLACKPINK, it’s only a small jump not a cliff, but it definitely has its moment in the song which I really enjoy.

19.  Naughty by Red Velvets – IRENE & SEULGI

The absolute hold this song has on me? Ridiculous. Also, this choreography is mind-blowing. This has much more of a feel of an anti-drop rather than there explicitly being a very exact moment. The anti-drop has a lot of energy which I suppose isn’t really a big point of anti-drops since it’s supposed to be the absence of energy in it. But whatever, I love this song regardless.

20.  MANIAC by Stray Kids

Last but definitely not least, we close it out with Stray Kids. I love their music so much. Anyway I just have to say Bang Chan is an incredible producer because the idea of the drill going into the chorus is absolutely genius and fits this song so well. Once again, a bit less of an anti-drop here but I think it’s because we are quite led into it with the bird tweets and drill effects. Regardless, this song is incredible.

And this closes out the first round of my anti-drops post. Let me know what you thought. Should I make a sequel? There are so many anti-drops I haven’t even begun to cover them all!

Proffessor Nutkins