K-Pop in 2025, Pt. 2

Initial Release: Jan. 1

Hello, everyone! Welcome, or welcome back to my blog! This is the second part of K-Pop in 2025, a year-end overview of how the genre did this year! I already went over the worst and average stuff in Part 1, which will be linked here.

Yes, this entire part has all my best picks! You're getting positive vibes throughout this blog! Although if you disagree with my opinions, that's fine, but please be respectful about them if you want me to respect yours.

No more chit-chat - let's do this!

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Best Picks

40. ‘Kick Start’ by AMPERS&ONE 

Release: Apr. 8 

Label: FNC Entertainment 

Here's another song I didn't go over in my monthly blogs. AMPERS&ONE might be on track to becoming my favorite 5th Gen boy band, as they're so underrated! ‘Kick Start' is a bop, with production that sounds badass, but not in a flashy way, and the guys are really good, too! I think the way Jiho in particular sings the line, “Nuga wado igyeo nael su inneun geon, it's you” (or in English, “The one who can beat them all, it's you”) is really satisfying. I hope these guys gain more attention next year, because I’d love to hear more! 

39. ‘iLy’ by SAY MY NAME 

Release: Aug. 1 

Label: iNKODE 

This was a great song to introduce Shuie into the group! Her rap in the first verse is a major highlight! SAY MY NAME just recently had a comeback as I’m writing this, and oh boy, ‘UFO (ATTENT!ON)’ is a really good title track!  

38. ‘1999’ by MARK 

Release: Apr. 7 

Label: SM Entertainment 

Probably my favorite of the NCT solo releases this year! Mark is charismatic throughout, the instrumentation feels ambitious and wonderous - it's just great overall! I’d love to see what else Mark can do outside of the group. 

37. ‘GIMME GIMME’ by ALL(H)OURS 

Release: Feb. 4 

Label: EDEN Entertainment 

I wasn't too sure how to feel about this song when it first dropped. Sure, I liked it, but I don't think the track said anything that compelling. But sometimes, just an energetic and badass beat is enough to grab my attention. Not to mention that ALL(H)OURS themselves are pretty cool on this, too! 

Funnily enough, the member that stands out to me the most is ON:N, one of the vocalists. He’s the maknae with a distinctly high voice, and he surprisingly blends right in with this group's experimental(?) concept, similarly to how I feel about I.N from Stray Kids. Seriously, listen to his voice on the bridge; he’s really good there! 

36. ‘CYNICAL’ by SUNMI 

Release: Nov. 5 

Label: ABYSS Company 

One of Sunmi’s strongest title tracks! I love the horror vibes of this song! 

35. ‘Countdown!’ by TWS 

Release: Apr. 21 

Label: HYBE - Pledis Entertainment 

Sometimes I question if I like TWS this much, or if they're just a one-trick pony? I mean, this doesn't sound different from ‘plot twist’ and ‘If I’m S, Can You Be My N?’, but I don't care! Those songs are great, and so is this! 

34. ‘Bloom’ by RESCENE 

Release: Nov. 25 

Label: THE MUZE Entertainment 

This grew on me a bit. RESCENE sound great on this, and the production is majestic! ‘Heart Drop' is incredible as well! 

33. ‘My First Love Song’ by KickFlip 

Release: Sept. 22 

Label: JYP Entertainment 

A great song about young love! I love how endearing the boys sound here, and the pop-rock production is amazing! And yet, there's another song from My First Flip that sounds not just great, but even better! It's called ‘Band-Aid’; you might know it, maybe you don't - it was the pre-release track from that album. Seriously, the guitars on that track go so hard! 

Also, I read online that Amaru has been on hiatus since September due to anxiety. That's a shame; I hope he gets better. 

32. ‘IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU’ by BOYNEXTDOOR 

Release: Jan. 6 

Label: HYBE - KOZ Entertainment 

This song may sound sweet, but if you translate the lyrics, it's a really sad track (a breakup, but still). I also like how the group incorporate Japanese into the chorus; that was a neat touch. 

31. ‘FOCUS’ by Hearts2Hearts 

Release: Oct. 20 

Label: SM Entertainment 

I genuinely didn't expect Hearts2Hearts to win me over this year! ‘FOCUS' is infectious throughout, with its house beat, the nearly frantic piano riff, and the girls’ harmonies sounding so nice! It's also another one of those songs where the repetitive lyrics don't annoy me. I think Yuha’s “Hanjjogui phrasing, the phrasing, the phrasing, the phrasing” line in the second verse might be my favorite part in the whole song overall. 

And an off-hand comment, I mentioned before that KISS OF LIFE used to be my favorite 5th Gen group, but after they lost their credibility, I think the position for this role is a tight race between this group and BABYMONSTER, at least for girl groups. And believe me, we’ll get to BAEMON later. 

But we still have a bunch more songs to get through. Speaking of…  

30. ‘IKUK’ by ONEUS 

Release: Jan. 14 

Label: RBW 

I haven't had ONEUS on my mind as much as I initially did at the beginning of the year, but regardless, this is still a great song! Even though Seoho took up a majority of the lines, the other members aren't too shabby either. They sing well and have nice stage presence, not too much to go over. 

I have no idea what next year holds for them, though. Their contracts at RBW are expected to end, and considering how much that company has sucked lately, I’m not sure whether or not they're renewing. I mean, PURPLE KISS disbanded; anything could happen! 

29. ‘HANDS UP’ by MEOVV 

Release: Apr. 28 

Label: THEBLACKLABEL 

The first MEOVV song that made me think, “You know what? This group might be pretty good, after all!” 

‘HANDS UP' is still their best song so far, and I'm quite happy about that! I love the second verse, as Narin and Gawon give really good rap performances, and even Ella joins in! Then the pre-chorus comes right after as Sooin and Anna give nice vocals that work well with this high-energy track. I don't think they're topping this one anytime soon, but I'm curious to see how they do next year! 

28. ‘Fly Up’ by RIIZE 

Release: May 19 

Label: SM Entertainment 

I get college vibes out of RIIZE, mainly with this song. I can't be the only one who thinks that, right? This is a great song, with strong vocals, decent rap performances and swelling production! 

27. ‘PARADISE’ by TREASURE 

Release: Sept. 1 

Label: YG Entertainment 

Am I allowed to call this the male equivalent to TWICE’s ‘FANCY’? I mean, this might not be as instantly beloved as that song was, but it's so lovestruck and happy that I can't help but make the comparison! Such a cute song! 

26. ‘Hello Stranger’ by KWON EUNBI 

Release: Apr. 14 

Label: Woollim Entertainment 

Seductive in all the right ways! Yeah, that's it. 

25. ‘FAMOUS’ by ALLDAY PROJECT 

Release: June 23 (video released June 16)

Label: THEBLACKLABEL 

Congratulations, ALLDAY PROJECT! You actually have a song I really enjoy!...and it's kind of a shame it's the debut; but still a great one nonetheless! The production is incredible - dark, but still energetic enough for the members to work with! And man, everyone here gets their time to shine! Annie and Bailey start off strong with their respectively low voices, Youngseo has her high vocals in both pre-choruses, and Tarzzan and Woochan have their own rap verses! Sure, the former is pretty annoying in that department, which drags the song a bit, along with the outro, which has a beat switch-up that comes right out of nowhere. I don't know, but I feel like that part doesn't mesh well with this track. 

Still, this is a fantastic song, fully showing what this co-ed group is capable of! 

24. ‘THUNDER’ by SEVENTEEN 

Release: May 26 

Label: HYBE - Pledis Entertainment 

As much as I enjoyed SEVENTEEN’s music over the past two years, I feel like I'm gonna miss these guys. I don't follow them fully to know their release schedules, but part of me is saying that full group comebacks are gonna be pretty quiet for a while. And the reason is very obvious: most of the members are enlisting in the military (heck, four of them are already there). It sucks, but it's something we just have to deal with in these boy bands. 

With all that said, this is a really excellent song! The production is fun and edgy at the same time, and the guys are great as well! If this is their last group comeback for a while, I’m happy we're ending on this one! (But still, there's a chance I may be wrong about this…) 

23. ‘In Your Fantasy’ by ATEEZ 

Release: July 11 

Label: KQ Entertainment 

I'm so happy ATEEZ were able to have two of their title tracks chart on Billboard this year! Sure, their albums sell well in the U.S., but actually seeing even one of their songs on the singles chart was not on my 2025 bingo card! 

This song right here screams ATEEZ! The theme is sexy, the members give really strong vocal and rap performances, and who knew that Timbaland-esque beat suited their voices so well?! I hope to hear more songs like this! 

22. ‘JUMP’ by BLACKPINK 

Release: July 11 

Label: YG Entertainment 

I can't wait for that new BLACKPINK mini-album! Oh, and this song’s a bop! 

21. ‘FaSHioN’ by CORTIS 

Release: Sept. 8 

Label: HYBE - Big Hit Music 

Okay, why didn't anyone tell me about this song a few months ago?! I could've reviewed it in my September releases! 

I was unsure about CORTIS back in August, but ‘FaSHioN' intrigued me. This track is awesome! It has a rockin’ trap production, each member adding their own flair in their raps and vocals, and a message that has so much confidence! Sure, it sounds like a Travis Scott song, but it sounds so badass! If this is what CORTIS can sound like in their debut era, imagine what these guys can do in the future! Looking forward to that first comeback! 

And now we're entering the top 20! So what made it? 

20. ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ by ITZY 

Release: June 9 

Label: JYP Entertainment 

Yeah… This was a good year for ITZY. 

As much as I like ‘TUNNEL VISION', that song needed time for me to get used to; as opposed to this, which clicked immediately. Sure, the hook is repetitive as sin, but that's not much of an issue to me, as this track feels huge! We have kickass production, strong vocals, pretty good raps from Yuna and Ryujin, and an awesome breakdown after the second chorus. That might be my favorite part of this song overall! I'm not sure if this will crack my top five favorite ITZY title tracks, but it's a possibility if I’m in the mood for a stellar girl power anthem. 

19. ‘earthquake’ by JISOO 

Release: Feb. 14 

Label: BLISSOO 

It's funny how ‘FLOWER’ was such a weak solo debut that two years later, Jisoo would try again with her first comeback. Not only that, but it ended up being much better! That chugging bass is addictive to listen to! 

18. ‘DIVINE’ by Stray Kids 

Release: Nov. 21 (video released Nov. 27) 

Label: JYP Entertainment 

This was easily the best title track Stray Kids had this year! I mean, I like ‘Do It', but I think it shrunk on me a bit since I reviewed it. 

‘DIVINE', on the other hand, hasn't, and I’m glad about that! You know you're in for a ride when Seungmin opens the song with his incredible vocals! Something I didn't mention in the November blog is that this track is filled with Korean cultural references. Genius points them out better than I could, but the one that stood out most was the “Deong gideok kung deoreoreo” line in the chorus. It's a type of rhythm played on a buk, which is a double-sided drum; and that rhythm is very well-known in Korea and is even used in Korean folk songs! That's pretty nifty, I’ll say! 

17. ‘HOT’ by LE SSERAFIM 

Release: Mar. 14 

Label: HYBE - Source Music 

I’ll keep my thoughts on this song brief, because like with Lisa’s ‘FUTW’, I’m also reviewing this again in the upcoming Canada blog. This is easily one of LE SSERAFIM’s best title tracks, and definitely one that proves that easy-listening music can work for this group if given great production! The soft-rock instrumentals work so well, and they suit the members’ vocals flawlessly! 

And maybe you’re aware of this, but I want to bring it up anyway. Did you know this song has an English remix with JADE? As in, Little Mix’s Jade? That's incredible; I’ve been a Mixer for about 10 years now, so knowing that remix exists makes me so happy! 

16. ‘Good Goodbye’ by HWASA 

Release: Oct. 15 

Label: P Nation 

And rounding out the Great Tier, we have Hwasa’s hit ballad. What can I say? She struck gold with this one. ‘Good Goodbye’ is a devastatingly beautiful track that went to #1 in South Korea (the Circle Digital Chart and the Billboard Korea Hot 100); and it's her first song to chart on the Global 200, peaking at #32! Considering most of us thought she peaked commercially with ‘Marìa’ five years ago (which is still my favorite Hwasa song), that's amazing! 

And speaking of amazing… 

15. ‘DUH!’ by P1Harmony 

Release: May 8 

Label: FNC Entertainment 

Yep. The entire top 15 are all in the Amazing Tier. I love this song, but I think I ended up listening to b-side ‘Pretty Boy’ more throughout the year. It's not as sonically great, but it's a song that's worth checking out! 

As for ‘DUH!’, it's just a solidly incredible hip-hop track. The guys are great as always, and the production is so hype! Not much else to go on. 

14. ‘Sunkiss’ by WENDY 

Release: Sept. 10 

Label: ASND 

Easily the best songs from the Red Velvet solo releases! Seulgi’s ‘Baby, Not Baby' was close, but Wendy’s track is just sonically better! The production is lovely, and her vocals are insane, especially in the chorus. She knocked it out of the park here! 

13. ‘Goodbyes and Sad Eyes’ by Moon Byul 

Release: Aug. 20 

Label: RBW 

Did you know MAMAMOO are reuniting in just a few months? That's really cool! That'll be their first group comeback since 2022 (just a few months after BTS’ last comeback; interesting), just three years ago as I'm writing this. 

As for ‘Goodbyes and Sad Eyes’, it may be Moonbyul’s best song yet! The pop-rock instrumentation sold me enough, but her presence makes for an incredible listen! Can't wait for that MAMAMOO comeback! 

12. ‘WE GO UP’ by BABYMONSTER 

Release: Oct. 10 

Label: YG Entertainment 

So…people hate this song? That's fine if you do, but I'm sorry, this one only grew on me since the last time I reviewed it. ‘WE GO UP' is full of ambition, and the girls are at the top of their game, especially Ahyeon! She really steals the show here! 

Still can't wait for Rami to come back to the group next year… 

11. ‘Waste No Time’ by XngHan&Xoul 

Release: July 31 

Label: SM Entertainment 

This is Seunghan’s first step after leaving RIIZE, and man, he made the most out of this solo debut! His vocals shine so much on this track (in spite of some vocal filters), and the production is so high-paced and energetic! ‘Waste No Time’ just feels so uplifting; it makes the most of what it can do. I’m looking forward to XngHan&Xoul’s next project! 

And just like that, we finally reached the top 10! So how are we opening up this prestigious honor? 

10. ‘BTTF’ by NCT DREAM 

Release: July 14 

Label: SM Entertainment 

Here we go - the last song on this list I didn't review in one of my previous blogs. 

‘BTTF’ is an awesome pre-release single! It's a song about feeling nostalgic, and the production is filled with high-speed energy and the guys being at the top of their game in terms of stage presence! I do like how the beat slows down in some parts in order for the vocalists to shine, especially in the bridge. There's something so hypnotic about the way Haechan opens with, “Annueong, naya / Naega dallajin geonji malhaejwo” (translation: “Hey, it's me / Tell me have I changed”). 

This is one of NCT DREAM’s best songs, by a landslide! 

9. ‘1&Only’ by XLOV 

Release: June 13 

Label: 257 Entertainment 

I still haven't hopped onto the XLOV train yet, but this song is an exception! The guys all sound great, and the beat is enticingly hypnotic! Can we get more of this and less of ‘I’mma Be’ and ‘Rizz', please? I want to like this group as much as other people! 

8. ‘Good Thing’ by i-dle 

Release: May 19 

Label: CUBE Entertainment 

I remember when this song first dropped, that I thought it was gonna be my top song of the year. As you can already tell, that didn't happen. We still have seven more songs to get through, and (spoilers) three of them came out before this one did! 

Sure, ‘Good Thing’ may sound like trashy glam pop, but this is trash I can get behind! It sounds like something Kesha would've made 15 years ago, so I may be nostalgic for that era. i-dle are incredible here, as they really give their all in the vocals; and I can't forget Soyeon’s rap in the first verse! 

7. ‘REBEL HEART’ by IVE 

Release: Jan. 13 

Label: STARSHIP Entertainment 

I may have listened to ‘ATTITUDE’ more, but ‘REBEL HEART' feels so triumphant! I love the pop-rock instrumentation, the inspiring message, and the girls are great as always! I especially like the second verse; Rei and Gaeul give fun melodic raps, and I like the small bit of vocals from Leeseo. I feel like she, in particular, shines so much here, especially when she has her high note in the first chorus! It's a great song, maybe one of IVE’s best tracks! 

6. ‘ExtraL’ by JENNIE (ft. Doechii) 

Release: Feb. 21 

Label: Odd Atelier 

“Do my ladies run this?” indeed. 

This is easily the best of Jennie’s songs in her solo catalog! Of course, she's great on this, but Doechii's verse completely steals the show! Her stage presence grabbed me immediately with the first line; and then the song throws you into the third verse, where Jennie and Doechii go back and forth between rapping every other line, and it's fucking awesome! 

I feel like a badass woman in power, and I’m shocked it wasn't as popular as ‘like JENNIE’! Because for me, this is up there with Rosè’s ‘APT.’ as one of my favorite BLACKPINK solo member tracks! 

5. ‘VVV’ by THE BOYZ 

Release: Mar. 17 

Label: ONE HUNDRED 

My favorite boy band song of 2025! Seriously, THE BOYZ knocked this one out of the park! The disco vibes are awesome; the production is full of energy, and yet, it feels celebratory at the same time! Honestly, this was the best possible way for this group to cap off the OT11 phase of their journey, because in case you didn't miss Part 1…you know what happened… 

4. ‘STYLE’ by Hearts2Hearts 

Release: June 18 

This is the song that had me sold on Hearts2Hearts! And on their first comeback, too! I saw someone on YouTube describe ‘STYLE' as “bubblegum, but not colored pink”, and I think that's a pretty accurate description. This song is adorable, perfectly capturing the feeling of young love! I love the liquid guitars that lead you in, and the girls give wonderful performances. I think Carmen shines the most here; her vocals are incredible, especially with those adlibs in the final chorus! 

It's by far my favorite H2H track, and I’ll be surprised if something tops it next year! 

3. ‘Farewell for now!’ by JO YURI 

Release: July 14 

Label: WAKEONE 

And now we've reached my favorite soloist track of the year! If Yena’s ‘Being a Good Girl Hurts’ sounds like it came out of an anime, then ‘Farewell for now!’ sounds like it came out of a k-drama. And I love it for that! 

This is a beautifully devastating song, and even though most of it is sung in Korean, Yuri’s vocal delivery alone is enough to keep you emotionally invested. Her warm voice is this song's highlight, along with the instrumentation. Don't think she's topping this one anytime soon. 

2. ‘Blue Valentine’ by NMIXX 

Release: Oct. 13 

Label: JYP Entertainment 

Thank God NMIXX turned it around for this comeback, because this title track is a beautifully crafted piece of art! ‘Blue Valentine' feels so different for them, but the production has enough elements that sound enough like the NMIXX we’re all familiar with. This song tells the story about a breakup that's gone cold, and the girls sing their hearts out on this one. I especially love Lily and Sullyoon here; I feel like their vocals shine the most! There's also Jiwoo’s aching voice in the bridge, when the music dims into a somber piano note - I like that part as well. 

I'm looking forward to what NMIXX do for their next comeback! If it's more like this, I’ll be satisfied. 

And with all of that done, we’re at the #1 spot? What song has the honor of being my personal favorite k-pop song of 2025, you may ask? Well… 

1. ‘LIKE YOU BETTER’ by fromis_9 

Release: June 25 

Label: ASND 

Yeah…fromis_9 captured something really special with this track. As much as I love NMIXX, ‘Blue Valentine' has stiff competition with ‘DASH’ and ‘See that?’ as my favorite title track from them. As for fromis_9, I didn't expect them to top a list like this, mainly because when I learned about them last year, I just found them to be fine and not much else. Before this song came out, I’d say I only loved three of their songs, and even then, they're in the Great Tier at the highest. 

‘LIKE YOU BETTER' is amazing through and through! This was fromis_9’s first release as a five-member group, and they made a song that has all the great qualities of their previous tracks! An upbeat, pop-rock production, a theme about summer romance, and the girls giving us their incredibly strong, yet infectious vocals. I love the way the members all harmonize that “Oh” in the post-chorus, as it's easily one of the most satisfying moments in any k-pop song from this year! There's also the bridge, where Hayoung sings with Jiwon and Nagyung respectively, while the guitar settles down to let the girls shine; and boy, do they sound lovely! 

I think after this song's release, I started to understand fromis_9’s appeal a little more. It's a shame it took until half the original lineup to leave for me to get behind them! Whatever it is that fromis_9 do next year, I’ll be ready!

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Thank you so much for reading my blogs! I enjoyed writing these as the year went on, and I'm hoping 2026 will help me gain an audience. This year-end review may have been my favorite blog yet!

Once again, if you enjoyed reading my blogs, make sure you subscribe and follow my social medias linked at the top of the page so you don't miss any updates! I'm Grace, and have a wonderful day!