When you think of 2011 K-pop, what comes to your mind? Though it seems like it was just a few years ago, a decade has already passed, and two generations have already surpassed in the world of k-pop. It feels like it was just yesterday when we were dancing to "Roly Poly" or when we saw Girls' Generation make their US debut on the 'David Letterman show,' but it has already been eleven years.

So what exactly happened in the year 2011 in k-pop? It was definitely a crazy year with lots of good music and legendary comebacks -- we already mentioned some above, but it's time to take a deeper look and see some of the hits that we may have forgotten about! So let's take a trip down memory lane, and see what was going on back in 2011!

2NE1 

2NE1 was already killing this girl-crush concept before it was even a thing. They teased us early in the spring with their ballad track "Lonely," which was also a hit track, but these ladies kicked off summer with their hit song "I Am The Best," which is still a legendary track to this day. They even performed "I am the Best" in Coachella THIS YEAR as a reunification surprise performance that truly surprised many!

And then they hit a trifecta with "Ugly" later in the year, giving us THREE amazing tracks to binge-listen on!

Infinite Challenge Tracks

We were able to see a replica of these Infinite Challenge Song Festivals through the recent show "How Do You Play?" through music projects such as Ssak3, Refund Sisters, MSG Wannabe & WSG Wannabe, but the Infinite Challenge Song Festival was the OG of these music projects. The members of Infinite Challenge partnered with famous singers of the time to release tracks and host a music festival -- the impact of these festivals was so significant that Park Myungsoo's collaboration with G-Dragon and Park Bom earned him the #2 spot on 2011's Melon Chart!

T-ara

After a somewhat confusing comeback in late 2010 with their infamous song "ya ya ya," T-ara decided it was no more time for games. In the summer of 2011, T-ara released "Roly Poly," what would soon be known as the #1 song of the year. Everywhere in the streets, T-ara's "Roly Poly" was playing, and we can't deny that if you were a k-pop fan at the time, we were dancing along to the choreography. The catchy beat is also super addicting! This song ended up becoming the most popular song by T-ara, and T-ara is still remembered for this legendary track today.

Girls' Generation

GG was already the nation's girl group at this point, but they wanted to take it one step ahead by making a comeback simultaneously in Korea & the US. It's mindful to remember that k-pop wasn't as global as it is right now, so it was a massive challenge for these ladies. The result? Girls' Generation brought the boys and girls out!

BEAST

BEAST in 2011 was killing it in their own ways by releasing their song "FICTION," which was not only a good track, but the choreography was incredible! Their fancy feet dance got the nation dancing, and it was definitely a talent show dance for high school boys back then. If TikTok was a thing back then, "FICTION" would be the challenge. We can't forget their pre-release track "On a Rainy Day" because that song also got us in the feels...

Sistar

Sistar was only one year into debut in 2011, but they definitely paved their way through in 2011 with their sub-unit debut for "Sistar19." All male AND female fans were absolutely in love with "Ma Boy," and it recently also became a very popular dance challenge in Korea as well! Think TikTok challenge before there was TikTok.

But what got them rolling even more was their first full-length album - what really got them to be known as THE summer queens. "So Cool" was a refreshing and catchy track that everyone in the country could bop with and made them a top-tier girl group!

Superstar K 3

Does this name give you some familiarity? We now have many audition programs in South Korea, such as the Produce series, Sing Again, Idol School, and Show Me The Money, but Super Star K was the true pioneer of Korean audition programs. Having a similar format as American Idol, Super Star K was an audition program designed to discover true talent, and millions of Koreans participated in this series. Season 3 is especially remembered for its notable participants, such as Ulala Session, Busker Busker & Twogaewol. Superstar K was also the show that hit the highest viewership ratings on cable television when it wasn't as common as it is today.

4Minute & HyunA

4Minute can't be left out on this list as well when you think 2011 k-pop. Their tracks "Mirror, Mirror" and HyunA's solo debut of "Bubble Pop" shocked the public and showed their potential for music. 

Trouble Maker

We thought we were done with HyunA, but it didn't stop for this beautiful lady as she made a quite legendary comeback with then-labelmate Hyunseung as the duo Trouble Maker. The concept was something never seen in k-pop, which got the public talkin'! HyunA was and is truly a genre of its own!

Secret

Secret was the first group in 2011 to make a comeback with their cheerful track "Shy Boy." These girls were on the road to stardom and continued to release hit tracks, such as "Starlight Moonlight" and "Love is MOVE."

Wonder Girls

The greatly anticipated ladies of JYP Entertainment - Wonder Girls, made their comeback in almost 1.5 years with their song "Be My Baby," and it was even more fun to see them compete with their top-tier competitor, Girls' Generation, as they made a comeback in similar timing. Fans were so happy to see the ladies promoting domestically again, and the song overall was a bop!

What are your thoughts on this list? 2011 was so great that we couldn't even collect all the rememberable moments in one post, so make sure to stay tuned to next week to check out other great songs and rememberable moments that perhaps you may have forgotten about. Next week, we'll look at artists such as KARA, f(x), Super Junior, Big Bang, IU, G.NA, Brown Eyed Girls, and much more! 

Until then - let us know your thoughts on 2011 k-pop in the comments below. What was your favorite song of 2011?