K-Pop Releases: Apr. 2025

Hello, everyone! Welcome, or welcome back to K-Pop Releases, where I take a look at a select number of k-pop songs releases within the month! I'm Grace, A.K.A, Lil' Miss Different, and I'll be looking at the songs released in April. I tried to pace myself with choosing the songs I wanted to review, but I think that ended up making this month feel really slow. I knew we weren't getting a lot of big names this time around, but still! In terms of quality, we have some really solid songs here, but also a couple of duds.

I'll be ranking each song a score out of 6, based on my own opinion.

Tier Rankings:

• 0/6 - Crap Tier (hate the song)

• 1/6 - Bad Tier (still don't like, but could be worse)

• 2/6 - Mid Tier (boring or just mediocre)

• 3/6 - Decent Tier (just okay, only check out once in a while)

• 4/6 - Good Tier (perfectly serviceable)

• 5/6 - Great Tier (really enjoy)

• 6/6 - Amazing Tier (completely in love)

Once again, different opinions are totally fine, but please be respectful of mine if you want me to respect yours. Let's get ready, shall we?

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'WANT' by Solar

Release: Apr. 2

Label: RBW

Tier: 4/6

RBW has some really excellent groups: ONEUS, PURPLE KISS, ONEWE- actually, I'm not familiar with them; I don't listen to k-rock (though if you think I should check them out, let me know). If there's one act this company's best known for, it's MAMAMOO, a girl group who debuted in 2014 and whose recent comeback was in 2022. I really enjoy their music, even if they aren't a personal favorite of mine.

Today, we're looking at that group's leader, Solar, and her recent solo comeback 'WANT'. The song is about love, and it has a lively brassy sound to it. One thing I like about Solar is her vocal performance, and she sounds stellar here! Her charisma carries the song well, and I especially love the high note at the end of the bridge. I wish this song stuck out to me a bit more, otherwise I would've ranked it higher. Hopefully it grows on me overtime!

'All My Poetry' by ClOSE YOUR EYES

Release: Apr. 2

Label: UNCORE

Tier: 4/6

Well... another project boy band. This is CLOSE YOUR EYES, or 'CYE' for short, made up of seven members and are under UNCORE, a small company that was founded late last year. This is their debut, and it's really good! The production has a laid back early 2000's style R&B sound, and all the guys sound really good on it. And they all sing well, too. Jingxiang is the immediate stand out to me, for his incredibly deep voice. I'm tempted to say he sounds like Felix from Stray Kids, but no... He's not down at that level, at least not yet. Besides that, I really like this track. I can't wait to hear more from CYE!

'BREATHE' by xikers

Release: Apr. 4

Label: KQ Entertainment

Tier: 0/6

Ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between, our first Crap Tier song in the series... Yay...

Before I talk about the song itself, let's talk about xikers. They're a 10-member boy band who debuted in 2023 under KQ Ent., the company best known for ATEEZ. In terms of their music, they started off pretty strong; 'TRICKY HOUSE', 'ROCKSTAR', and 'DO or DIE' were really excellent tracks. Then last year, they seemed to have a quality drop, and while 'We Don't Stop' was fine enough, 'WITCH' shrunk on me pretty quickly.

Which brings us to 'BREATHE', their worst title track yet. I love my loud ass music as much as the next person, but there's a limit on how much of that I can tolerate. And this is it: a buzzing synth that permeates throughout the track, and a bunch of guys, who while all have different, unconventional voices, don't do too much to stand out, and are also somehow really annoying at the same time. The hook is just one of the guys repeating the word 'breathe' at nauseum, and it gets old really fast! I think the opening guitar note was a sign that the song was going to be a complete dumpster fire. Crossing my fingers that xikers can redeem themselves next comeback.

'1999' by MARK

Release: Apr. 7

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

So this is the title track of The Firstfruit, huh? I'll admit, the beginning starts off pretty wonky, with a pretty clunky beat and Mark's high-pitched ASMR-esque delivery, which I'm not a fan of. He does break away from that when he starts rapping, thankfully, reflecting on his experiences with growing up in Toronto. Then the bridge happens, and the song improves from there, and I really like the strings added; they sound heavenly! I'm not sure what else I can say, it's just a really solid song. Give it a listen if you haven't.

'SNAP' by MOON SUA x SIYOON (ft. sokodomo)

Release: Apr. 7

Label: Mystic Story

Tier: 3/6

Billlie is another girl group I really like despite not being one of my personal favorites in k-pop. They're so quirky, and they have some really distinct and memorable members. Which brings us to their first sub-unit in Moon Sua x Siyoon, the main rappers.

This is their debut, and it's alright. The girls are really solid rappers, and they do a good job at keeping you engaged. This song also has rapper sokodomo, who doesn't appear until the third verse, and he's serviceable enough. I tend to forget he's on this, to be honest. 'SNAP' also has some flaws that are hard to overlook, starting with the production. The beat has this buzzy, video game sound that I'm not crazy about. I'm also not a fan of some of the lyrics, especially the ones involving food/eating imagery. Like, in the first verse, when Siyoon ends her line with 'tastes like syrup', and the second verse, where Moon Sua says, 'You need to satisfy me, I'm starving yummy, yummy'. The word 'yummy' is already one of the most babyish words ever - can we stop using that in our music, please?!

This is a song I'll probably only check out once in a while. But I wouldn't be surprised if it shrunk on me, either.

'Universe' by DAESUNG

Release: Apr. 8

Label: R&D

Tier: 6/6

Before I get into the song and artist, I need to address something: I'm not sure how often I'll be reviewing 2nd Gen acts. Unlike many k-pop fans, I didn't grow up in that era. I wasn't aware of the vague scope of k-pop until the late 2010's, when BTS and BLACKPINK really blew up, and even then, only one of those groups caught my eye. I'm more experienced with 4th and 5th Gens, along with a handful of 3rd Gen acts. The only 2nd acts I'll talk about in this series are the very big names, if I'm interested enough.

Here, we'll be talking about Daesung, one of the remaining members of BIGBANG. I imagine out of everyone in that group, he's the least thought about. I talked about G-Dragon back in February, and I remember Taeyang's music from two years ago; specifically the collabs with BTS' Jimin and BLACKPINK's Lisa. Even former member T.O.P is being brought up again after his role in the second season of SQUID GAME (which I still haven't watched...).

It's a shame that I wrote about him like that, because 'Universe' is amazing! Daesung has an incredible voice, and he sounds fantastic against this rock instrumentation. This track is a serenade, and you can hear the passion and emotion throughout his performance. Not much else I can say; give this song a listen if you haven't. You won't regret it!

'Mess' by KANGDANIEL

Release: Apr. 9

Label: ARA

Tier: 5/6

Kang Daniel has had quite the career, hasn't he? In case you don't know, he started out as a member of the project boy band Wanna One, made his solo debut in 2019 under his label KONNECT Ent. (which ended up shutting down last year), and has become one of most recognized male soloists in Korea. I can see that - of all the Wanna One members that went solo, he's the only one that actually stands out to me (maybe I'll reevaluate my thoughts on this later on). His music is pretty theatrical, and he has a really smooth voice (check out 'PARANOIA', 'Antidote', and 'SOS' if you want!).

And how does 'Mess' turn out? It's great! I mean, its biggest flaw is being too short, only running for two and a half minutes. It could've had a bridge and a final chorus, and it would've made the Amazing Tier! But besides that, this is really good! I love the dark vibe of this track, backed with the piano, the bass playing in the verses, and the guitar swelling in the chorus. Daniel sounds great as usual, as he sings about a complicated relationship (I think that's what it is). The song is also completely in English, aside from the French bit ending both pre-choruses. This is an excellent track, and I highly recommend you check it out!

'Eye Candy' by from20

Release: Apr. 11

Label: Way Better

Tier: 1/6

Now, I know what you wondering: who is this guy?! This is from20 - or Raehwan, who was a member of the boy band BIGSTAR. That group disbanded in 2019 after their contracts expired, and he would make his solo debut in 2021.

I have no idea what to make of this. I like my sexed-up songs here and there, but I think this one's a bit too vulgar for me? I mean, there's nothing super explicit in the lyrics, but there's something in from20's vocal delivery that really urks me. I just find his voice really annoying here. I don't like the beat either; mainly the hook, that has this whooping synth that gets old really fast.

I can probably enjoy this ironically, but on most days, I'll just be numb. If you enjoy this, totally fine; I'm happy for you! But this isn't for me.

'Hello Stranger' by KWON EUNBI

Release: Apr. 14

Label: Woollim Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Kwon Eunbi... What can I say about her? She debuted as the leader of the project girl group IZ*ONE until their disbandment in 2021. She made her solo debut later that year, and her music's really good so far! And this song, 'Hello Stranger', is no different.

First off, am I getting Latin vibes from this song? What, with the strings, the horns coming in here and there, and I especially love that aquatic drumline (I have no idea what to call that - ever heard of 'Under the Sea'? Check that if you know what I'm talking about) that plays in the chorus! Eunbi sounds beautiful here as well; her presence is so enticing! Great song, please check her out if you haven't!

'Countdown!' by TWS

Release: Apr. 21

Label: HYBE - Pledis Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Oh, TWS... Of all the boy bands that debuted in the 5th Gen era so far, this one might be my favorite, along with ZEROBASEONE and BOYNEXTDOOR. They have this cute concept, which is executed really well, and their songs are well put together. They only debuted last year, and they have yet to have a dud title track. And this song is a bop!

'Countdown!' is just simply about following your heart, a message I really like. While the guys, admittedly, aren't technically the best vocalists in k-pop, always draw me in just from how overly happy they sound. I really like Shinyu's rap, particularly, the lead-in to the second verse, which sounds pretty cool. Once again, something that keeps this track from the Amazing Tier is the short song length, only lasting over two and a half minutes. It could've had a final chorus. Otherwise, this is a really excellent song!

'Wait on Me' by KAI

Release: Apr. 21

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Kai is back from the military, and out with a comeback! Out of all the EXO members, his solo work is by far my favorite. 'Mmmh' was a sexy sounding debut, 'Peaches' was really good, and 'Rover'... Actually, I didn't care for that one; it fell into the "annoying" side of repetitive.

This song, however, is really great! Sure, the instrumentation could've been more interesting, but Kai's vocals are so enticing that I can forgive it. This guy's a rapper in his group, usually, and I like hearing his singing in his own music. And speaking of rapping, I like that he gets to do so in the first part in the second verse. I also really like the breakdown between the second verse and bridge; it sounds really neat! Overall, this is just a really great track!

'O-RLY?' by NEXZ

Release: Apr. 28

Label: JYP Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Alright, you're gonna have to sit with me on this one. NEXZ are a seven-member boy band that debuted last year. They're labeled as a "global group", but they're a mix of Korean and Japanese members, and they have songs that are also in Korean and/or Japanese. I go by YouTube channel K-Ville Entertainment's logic of what constitutes as k-pop, which is why you won't see a group like, say, KATSEYE in this series. Their songs have Korean lyrics, so I say this counts!

NEXZ are pretty good for what they are so far. 'Ride the Vibe' is a really solid debut, and 'NALLINA' is just okay. As for 'O-RLY?', it's great! Sure, the hook - specifically the 'Oh really?' part - is a bit much, but the song stays bright and has an edge that I really like. The singing is good, the rapping is excellent, and I feel like the guys are really coming into their own. I especially like how the pre-chorus sounds. Overall, I'm surprised how well the track turned out. I can't wait to see what this group does next!

'HANDS UP' by MEOVV

Release: Apr. 28

Label: THEBLACKLABEL

Tier: 4/6

Okay, last two songs I'll be reviewing are from girl groups. Starting with MEOVV, a five-piece group from THEBLACKLABEL who debuted in back in September with a really bad song. No really, 'MEOW' suuuuucks! They had two other singles released after that, but they're really forgettable. Safe to say, I was really skeptical when I read that MEOVV were making a comeback.

This song, 'HANDS UP', is the pre-release track for their upcoming debut mini album. This one surprised me, 'cause this is really good! The instrumentation is energized at all times, creating a danceable atmosphere. As for the members themselves, while I really like their voices, they could've sounded more engaging. Plus, the song itself could've had more of an impact. It's just missing that "umph!" to me. Besides that, this song is really nice. I hope it grows on me overtime.

'Pookie' by FIFTY FIFTY

Release: Apr. 29

Label: ATTRAKT

Tier: 3/6

You remember FIFTY FIFTY, right? They debuted in late 2022, they blew up with their first comeback in 'Cupid', which became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top 10 in not just South Korea, but also in the UK, Canada, Australia and several other countries. I really like that song, but I feel that they got lost in the shuffle when I became interested in other k-pop acts. Then the lawsuit happened, causing three of the original members to leave, making Keena the only original member left. The group would come back as five members in September of last year, and so far, they're just okay. Yeah... They're fine, but nothing that spectacular.

And 'Pookie' is no different. First off, "pookie"? Really? I mean, it's a better nickname for a partner than "bae", I'll give them that. This instrumentation is fine enough; I really like that bass line. But there's one thing that holds me back from really enjoying the new FIFTY FIFTY: the members themselves. One of the reasons I like 'Cupid' is how distinct all the members were. Keena even got a decent rap verse! But with this new era, she just blends in with the new girls, who don't do much to stand out.

This is just a less interesting OH MY GIRL song, and that group doesn't impress me a lot to begin with. It's fine, but I could end up forgetting about this.

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That's April 2025 for you! I hope you enjoyed reading the blog, and if you're interested in following me, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out! I'm looking at the releases for May, and it's another stacked month - I'm beyond excited! Not only that, but I'm also starting another k-pop related blog - that being, a review session of every k-pop song that exclusively entered the Canadian Hot 100! Why that country specifically? I'll let you know about that when we get to it! I don't know when I plan to release it, or how long it'll take for me to write, but I'm estimating between 2-3 months at best.

But before I go...

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'Memory of the Moon' by ASTRO

So...ASTRO... They're a 3rd Gen era boy band that debuted in 2016, with a really solid singles discography. I bring them up here because unfortunately, one of their members, Moonbin, passed away on April 19, 2023 at 25 years old. It was most likely by suicide, and considering how screwed up the entertainment industry is in South Korea, that doesn't surprise me.

Now, I have no personal connection to Moonbin nor ASTRO, but it stings that he died at all, and that young, too. He seems to be remembered fondly by fans, both as an artist and a person, so I can see why this broke many people's hearts.

This song was released on the 2nd anniversary of said death, it's devastatingly beautiful. You can really hear the emotion throughout everyone's vocal performances. ASTRO brought in a lot of idols to help contribute to the song - all, but not limited to, former member Rocky, girl group VIVIZ, multiple members of MONSTA X and SEVENTEEN, singer Hello Gloom, Choi Yoojung and Kim Doyeon of the disbanded Weki Meki, SF9's Chani, Stray Kids' Bang Chan, and of course, Billlie's Moon Sua, a.k.a, Moonbin's younger sister.

It's hard for me to describe the song itself, so let me leave you with this: listen to this song yourself. You won't regret it. Rest in peace, Moonbin. You are dearly missed.

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That's it for today. I'm Grace, and have a wonderful day!