KPOP2025

The rare all-female rock band in Korea’s pop industry, QWER burst onto the fifth-generation scene in late 2023 with a unique story and sound. Founded by a fitness YouTuber and composed of a pair of Twitch streamers (drummer Chodan and bassist Magenta), a TikTok cosplayer (keyboardist Hina), and a former J-pop idol (main vocalist Siyeon), the quirky group gets its name from the <i>League of Legends</i>’ hotkeys.

From debut single “Discord” to third mini album <i>In a million noises, I’ll be your harmony</i>, QWER’s J-rock-inspired music bursts with energy and optimism for a better future. While “Dear,” the 2025 mini album’s exuberant lead single, may explore a heavy theme (“Left here in the rain/I don’t want to cry alone/Please tell me/How to hold back tears”), QWER keeps the tone bright, pairing pop-punk guitar with Siyeon’s soaring soprano. “잘 지낼게요,” she refrains in the outro, with the rest of the band behind her: “I’ll be OK.”

Naming their third mini album <i>bomb</i> was clearly a statement of intent for a nascent girl group like ILLIT. The South Korean-based multinational act embellishes their signature beat-driven-yet-dreamy sound on five tracks that incorporate a modern vintage feeling (“little monster”) and playful moods (the boisterous “oops!”). In particular, the lead single “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)” compares the thrill and trepidation of a first date to the shyness of a “borrowed cat” over chic French house beats. Exclusively for Apple Music, the group’s five members take us through the record, track by track.

<b>“little monster”</b>
Yunah: “‘little monster’ is built around a vintage-inspired, simple sound and an addictive hook. The lyrical feel of the vocals really adds to the vibe of the track. In the lyrics, the ‘monsters’ represent all the negative emotions, like sorrow or gloom, that bother us. The point here is cheerfully saying that we’re going to gobble up all those monsters!”

<b>“Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)”</b>
Minju: “‘Do the Dance’ features strong lyrics, colorful melodies and hooks, and cat-themed choreography. The Korean title comes from the expression ‘like a borrowed cat’ to describe how you go blank after making a blunder on a first date with someone you’re really into. This track will feel even more special when you feel like diving into a magical atmosphere.”

<b>“jellyous”</b>
Moka: “‘jellyous’ expresses the sense of uncertainty, that tension mixed with anticipation, when you schedule a meet-up with someone you’re into and you’re wondering whether or not that counts as an actual date. The title comes from how people use ‘jelly’ as a cute way of saying ‘jealous,’ so being ‘full of jealousy’ becomes ‘full of jelly’! This track has a brisk, catchy beat that really stands out.”

<b>“oops!”</b>
Wonhee: “‘oops!’ is a track in an exciting pop-punk style, and it’s about getting together with your besties to share juicy gossip. The song’s about ordinary girls who are just as likely to get up to silly nonsense as they are to share deep, heartfelt thoughts. Think of hanging out with your friends when listening to this one.”

<b>“bamsopoong”</b>
Iroha: “‘bamsopoong’ conveys a gentle, dreamy feel, like you’re sharing a special moment at a private spot under the starlight. It’s about when worries keep you awake at night, you reach out to a soulmate and go on a picnic together. Think of a mellow picnic scene when listening to this.”

Released in June 2025, fromis_9’s <i>From Our 20’s</i> acts as a bridge between the K-pop girl group’s time as a nine-member squad under HYBE’s Pledis Entertainment and their time as a quintet under ASND Entertainment. Following up on their 2024 summer song success with “Supersonic,” fromis_9 leads the six-track EP with “LIKE YOU BETTER,” an explosive, Carly Rae Jepsen-esque bop designed to be sung with the car windows down. The feel-good, pop-rock vibes continue in “REBELUTIONAL” and “Love=Disaster,” the fizzy summer pop track “Strawberry Mimosa” (co-written by member Park Ji-won), the emotionally charged “Twisted Love” (co-written by member Song Ha-young), and the upbeat album-ender “Merry Go Round.”

“Gnarly,” the lead single from KATSEYE’s <i>BEAUTIFUL CHAOS</i> EP, is both a comeback and a cannonball into the girl group’s new era. It’s a revved-up, hyperpop fever dream that’s braggadocious and tongue-in-cheek in equal measure (“Hottie, hottie/Like a bag of Takis/I’m the shit,” they chant), with generous cursing that cuts as sharply as its knife-slashing sound effects. It’s almost hard to believe this is the same group that debuted just a year earlier with 2024’s <i>SIS (Soft Is Strong)</i>, whose breakthrough single “Touch” was a sweet kiss-off wrapped in candy hearts. But that’s the point: KATSEYE are no longer the rookies pieced together by label giants HYBE and Geffen. “Gnarly” marks their charge into bolder, more daring territory that reflects who they really are: chronically online, fierce yet funny, mature yet refreshingly unfiltered.

<i>BEAUTIFUL CHAOS</i> continues down that path, exploring the complexities of modern womanhood—dating, digital personas, and, in KATSEYE’s case, six distinct personalities living under one roof—across an eclectic range of tracks. On “Gabriela,” they warn off a romantic rival atop a breeze of Spanish guitars, with member Daniela delivering the group’s first Spanish-language verse. <i>SIS</i> fans will find an older sister to “Touch” in “Gameboy,” a pastel rebuff layered in 8-bit bleeps and hopscotch percussion, while the balladic “Mean Girls” lets the group’s vocal runs and harmonies shine as they rise above online haters. But closer “M.I.A” steers KATSEYE back to the club, reasserting their self-worth (“Don’t be like this/No, you won't put a leash on a bitch”) over a gritty, throbbing beat and ready to dash into the night.

In their first decade as a nine-member K-pop girl group, TWICE became masters at exploring new facets of their concept without ever losing the unwavering cheerfulness that defines it. For <i>THIS IS FOR</i>, TWICE’s fourth full-length album since their 2015 debut, the third-generation squad slides into a comparatively subdued cool-girl persona to explore overlapping themes of female empowerment and romantic frustration, artfully navigating the space between K-pop’s “girl crush” and “bubblegum pop” false binary.

The cool-girl persona is especially on display in <i>THIS IS FOR</i>’s title track, a high-energy song that starts with a chuckle and a shout-out: “This is for all my ladies who don’t get hyped enough/If you’ve been done wrong, then this your song, so turn it up.” TWICE makes room for feelings of otherness on “THIS IS FOR” before using the synth-pop bop “MARS” to expand on the theme: “Do you ever feel like/You don’t belong in the world?” The tale of tested confidence continues in the rolling rhythms of “G.O.A.T.,” a subunit song that has members Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung comparing themselves to a phoenix rising from the ashes in the aftermath of a breakup: “Got me on a roll, yeah, I breathe fire/Try to bring me low but I go higher.”

Released in TWICE’s 10th year as a K-pop group and in the immediate aftermath of the JYP Entertainment squad’s successful contributions to the <i>KPop Demon Hunters</i> soundtrack, <i>THIS IS FOR</i> sees the group also preparing for their This Is For world tour. The 14-track, mostly English-language album includes five subunit songs that fit particularly well into a high-energy set list as an opportunity for non-participating members to rest. In addition to “G.O.A.T.,” they include “BATTITUDE” (Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, and Mina), “DAT AHH DAT OOH” (Sana, Jihyo, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu), “LET LOVE GO” (Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu), and “TALK” (Nayeon and Jihyo).

In 2024’s <i>The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY</i>, K-pop boy group TOMORROW x TOGETHER (aka TXT) used the “language of the stars” to continue their story of adolescent angst. A year later, <i>The Star Chapter: TOGETHER</i> continued and concluded the group’s fourth “chapter,” exploring the group’s central theme of “together” across eight tracks. In synth-driven album-opener “Upside Down Kiss,” togetherness is at its most sensual (“Baby girl, let’s get freaky”). The theme gets more abstract in EDM-trap lead single "Beautiful Strangers,” which could easily be about the bond between TXT and their fans, known as MOA (“We do it for love/Don't forget, forever”).

Perhaps ironically for an album subtitled “TOGETHER,” <i>The Star Chapter: TOGETHER</i> marks the first time a TXT release has included solo songs from every member. In the reggae-inspired “Ghost Girl,” Yeonjun sings about an all-encompassing attraction, while Soobin enjoys a relationship that makes every day feel like a weekend in the easy-listening pop track “Sunday Driver.” In the groovy “Dance with You,” HueningKai asks someone to be his dance partner, while Beomgyu’s rock ballad “Take My Half” is about the singer stepping up to be a better partner. In “Bird of Night,” Taehyun offers camaraderie to any listener who might also be sleepless with worries.

Much of the togetherness explored in <i>The Star Chapter: TOGETHER</i> takes the form of romantic love, but group album-ender “Song of the Stars” brings it back to the TXT-MOA connection. While the album was released during TXT’s contract renegotiation ahead of the end of their initial seven-year contract in 2026, the rock track’s outro evokes a scale that stretches beyond the terrestrial: “May it last forever/The song of the stars.”

NCT WISH 准备用全新的作品，将世界渲染得更加鲜明夺目。正如其名“COLOR”（色彩），专辑不仅延续了 NCTzen 们熟悉的明快氛围，也在音乐多样性上有所精进。七首歌融合了炙热的电子流行、张扬的 Hip-Hop 与自信的 R&B，歌词意蕴成熟，让人仿若穿梭于明媚的海边沙滩与奇思妙想的电子游戏场景之间。接下来，NCT WISH 的六位成员将带领我们逐一走进这张迷你专辑。

<b>《COLOR》</b>
SION：“作为主打歌，《COLOR》唱的是我们想用自己的色彩去渲染世界，并守护那份色彩。歌词充满了爱。有一句‘绽放色彩’（Bring out the colour），每次唱到都会让我想到大家一起合唱的场景。”

<b>《Baby Blue》</b>
RIKU：“这首 R&B 流行歌特别朗朗上口，随时听都很合适。无论是放松时刻或者只是想清空思绪，都可以听。这首歌情感非常充沛。”

<b>《Surf》</b>
YUSHI：“这首歌能让你瞬间进入夏日氛围，就算天气炎热也能送去几分凉爽。拍摄 MV 的时候我们还尝试了冲浪，我们第一次体验这个，玩得很开心。”

<b>《Cheat Code》</b>
JAEHEE：“《Cheat Code》是一首电子流行歌，听起来就像走进了游戏世界。第一次听的时候，副歌前的桥段特别吸引我，旋律很酷，感觉又很宏大。我经常在飞行途中听这首歌。里面有很多喊唱的部分，一个人听的时候也能被瞬间点燃！”

<b>《Videohood》</b>
RYO：“这首 Hip-Hop 活力十足，特别适合在需要拉满氛围的时候播放。我特别喜欢 SION 唱的开头。因为整首歌都很有 Hip-Hop 味道，我录音时也特意在声音里加了一点力度。”

<b>《WICHU》</b>
SAKUYA：“这首 R&B 歌曲对我们来说是一次新的尝试。它的氛围跟以往作品很不一样，所以在录制前我们下了很多功夫。我尤其喜欢朗朗上口的前副歌和俏皮的歌词。歌词里还藏着一首三行藏头诗，大家可以去找找看。这首歌很适合在夜晚放松时听，也向 NCTzen 们传递了一个讯息：我们会一直陪伴着你们。希望大家多多喜爱这首歌！”

<b>《Reel-ationship》</b>
SION：“《Reel-ationship》是一首充满怀旧气息的 R&B 歌，你能在歌声里感受到我们传递出来的温暖和治愈。在夕阳西下的时候，听这首歌再合适不过了。而且歌名也超级可爱。”

꿈꾸는 이들에게 보내는 희망찬 응원. 역동적 에너지와 섬세한 감성이 어우러진 정규 1집.

귓가에 맴도는 청량한 신스 사운드. 북미 투어에 맞춰 발매하는 첫 영어 앨범.

Everyone has a first flip, at least metaphorically—a youthful moment when reality is turned on its head in a disorienting rush of emotions. On their third mini album <i>My First Flip</i>, K-pop rookies KickFlip lean into the feeling across seven energetic tracks. On “My First Love Song,” a breathless pop-rock song that bounds along on a rush of guitar and synths, the disorientation is a desperate desire to confess one’s love. On “Band-Aid,” the spirit of hopeful declaration has turned to teen heartbreak but lost none of its rock-infused kineticism. On <i>My First Flip</i>, the dizzying feelings of first love are something to be indulged in, even when they sting, adding another dimension to KickFlip’s blossoming discography of pop-rock bangers.

NCT의 메인 보컬을 담당하며 NCT 127, NCT DREAM, NCT U에서 종횡무진 활약하는 해찬. 그가 정규 앨범 'TASTE'를 내놓으며 본격적인 솔로 활동을 시작합니다. 이번 음반에는 해찬의 감미롭고 소울풀한 보컬을 만끽할 수 있는 곡들이 가득 담겨 있습니다. R&B와 네오 소울, 일렉트로 펑크 등 다양한 장르를 녹여내며 때로는 흥겨운 그루브로, 때로는 포근한 멜로디로 리스너를 사로잡죠. Apple Music에서 해찬이 야심 찬 데뷔 앨범을 직접 소개합니다. 아래에서 수록곡별 인터뷰를 확인하고, 그의 음악적 감각과 취향이 흠뻑 스며든 이번 작품을 감상해보세요.

<b>1. Camera Lights</b>
"이번 앨범의 첫 곡은 네오 소울 장르에 처음 도전한 'Camera Lights'입니다. 새로운 스타일의 곡이라 걱정도 많았는데 작업하면서 자신감이 생겼던 곡이에요. 제 음색을 잘 느낄 수 있는 곡이라 생각하고, 밤에 친구랑 분위기 좋은 곳에서 시간을 보낼 때, 혹은 느낌 있는 BGM이 필요할 때 들으면 딱 좋을 것 같습니다."

<b>2. CRZY</b>
"타이틀곡 'CRZY'는 처음 듣자마자 '이건 무조건 내가 해야겠다' 싶었던 곡이에요. 2000년대 초반의 거칠면서도 힙한 느낌이 매력적인 것 같아요. 무엇보다 이 곡은 저의 보컬과 랩, 퍼포먼스를 모두 보여드릴 수 있는 곡이라, 여러분이 각자 즐겨주시면 더 재밌게 들으실 수 있을 거예요."

<b>3. ADRENALINE</b>
"'ADRENALINE'도 개인적으로 애착이 큰 곡이에요. 특히 도입부에 '빛바랜 도시는 Black' 부분은 굉장히 공들여서 녹음했던 기억이 납니다. 평소보다 더 강하고 임팩트 있게 목소리가 전달될 수 있도록 신경을 많이 썼죠. 이 곡은 에너지가 넘치는 곡인 만큼 드라이브할 때 들으시면 어울릴 것 같아요."

<b>4. Love Beyond</b>
"'Love Beyond'는 저의 생일 파티와 'HAECHAN, 2025' 영상에서 일부를 먼저 공개했던 곡인데요. Instrumental로 시작하는 반주부터 신나고 세련된 분위기가 확 느껴져서 처음 들었을 때부터 마음에 쏙 들었어요. 너무 잘 해내고 싶은 욕심이 커서 작업에 도전적인 부분이 많았지만, 결과로 나온 음악이 정말 만족스러워요. 내적 댄스를 부르는 곡이라, 기분 전환이 필요할 때 들어보시면 좋을 것 같습니다."

<b>5. Roll With Me</b>
"'Roll With Me'는 편안한 감성을 살려 릴렉스한 분위기에서 녹음한 곡이에요. 트럼펫과 로즈 피아노, 라이브 드럼 사운드까지 어우러져 따뜻한 무드를 만들어주죠. 휴식이 필요할 때 들어보시면 좋을 것 같아요. 또 유일하게 떼창이 가능하지 않을까 생각되는 곡인데요. 내심 기대하고 있으니까 언젠가 콘서트에서 하게 되면 꼭 따라 불러주세요!"

<b>6. Intermission</b>
"'Intermission'은 연극이나 뮤지컬에서 잠시 쉬어가는 시간을 뜻하는 것처럼, 앨범의 중간에서 앞과 뒤의 흐름을 이어주는 트랙이에요. 녹음할 때 부스에 들어가서 대화를 나누듯 신나게 녹음했는데, 그만큼 마치 함께 노는 듯한 분위기가 느껴지지 않나요? 이 곡을 들으면서 앨범 속 새로운 챕터로 함께 넘어가는 느낌을 즐겨주시면 좋겠습니다."

<b>7. Talented</b>
"'Talented'는 처음 들었을 때 가장 임팩트 있게 다가왔던 곡 중 하나입니다. 듣자마자 확 끌어당기는 느낌을 받았던 곡인데요. 녹음할 때 역시 많은 연습과 노력을 들였고, 열심히 준비한 만큼 저의 재능으로 제 음악을 들어주시는 모든 분들을 사로잡겠다는 메시지가 잘 담긴 것 같아요. 언젠가 무대로도 꼭 보여드리고 싶은 곡이니, 여러분도 많이 기대해 주세요!"

<b>8. WYN? (Feat. 김하온 (HAON))</b>
"'WYN? (Feat. 김하온 (HAON))'은 재미있게 노는 분위기에서 녹음했던 곡이에요. 래퍼 김하온 님이 2절에 나오는 랩 파트를 멋지게 채워주셔서 정말 감사한 마음이 큽니다. 곡의 자유로운 분위기를 살리면서, 듣는 분들이 쉽게 따라 부를 수 있도록 신경을 많이 쓴 곡인데요. 출퇴근할 때, 혹은 힘이 필요할 때 한번 들어보세요!"

<b>9. Should Be</b>
"'Should Be'는 제 자부심 같은 곡이에요. 정말 오랜 시간 고민하며 녹음했기 때문에 완성했을 때 큰 보람을 느꼈습니다. 특히 곡이 가진 복잡한 감정을 목소리로 섬세하게 표현하려고 신경을 많이 썼습니다. 편안하게 들을 수 있는 곡이니, 여러분도 마음 편히 즐겨주시면 좋겠습니다."

<b>10. Grey Rain</b>
"'Grey Rain'은 제가 4년 전에 처음 듣고 오랫동안 마음에 남아 제 앨범에 넣게 된 노래예요. 특유의 공허하고 쓸쓸한 감정을 잘 담아내기 위해 열심히 녹음했는데요. 기타 소리와 제 목소리만으로 곡의 전반적인 부분을 채워야 해서 부담도 있었지만, 워낙 좋아하는 곡이라 사랑하는 마음으로 이 부담감을 극복할 수 있었던 것 같아요. 이 곡이 여러분의 새벽에 작은 위로가 되어주길 바랍니다."

<b>11. Outro (Back In The Studio)</b>
"이번 앨범의 마지막 곡 'Outro (Back In The Studio)'는 'Grey Rain'에서 비를 맞으며 느꼈던 쓸쓸한 감정을 이겨내고, 다시 아티스트로서의 여정을 시작하는 순간을 그린 곡이에요. 단순한 앨범의 마지막 곡이 아니라 'Outro (Back In The Studio)'를 통해 첫 곡으로 자연스럽게 이어지는 연결고리 같은 느낌을 주고자 했습니다. 이 트랙 덕분에 앨범이 전체적으로 하나의 유기적인 흐름을 가지는 것 같아요. 여러분도 이 곡을 들은 뒤 다시 처음부터 앨범을 이어 들으시면 또 다른 매력을 느끼실 수 있을 거예요."

On their sixth mini album, the members of Korean girl group aespa declare themselves “rich men.” This is in K-pop persona character for GISELLE, KARINA, NINGNING, and WINTER, who have famously been “big girls making money” and “some kind of supernova” in previous empowerment-themed “girl crush” hits, but the 2025 album crafts an entire concept around the feminist glory of financial independence.

The album’s rock-influenced, catchphrase-centric title track begins with an iconic 1996 interview response from Cher, rerecorded by Japanese member GISELLE: “My mom said to me, ‘Find someone who can give you everything.’ And I said, ‘Mom, I already have everything. I am a rich man.’” <i>Rich Man</i> is often less explicit in its exploration of independence, but leans into complementary themes like accelerating ambition (hip-hop dance track “Drift”), romantic dependability (synth-immersed R&B song “Count on Me”), and supportive self-confidence (midtempo pop track “To the Girls”).