K-Pop Releases: June 2025

Initial Release: July 3

Hello, everyone! Welcome, or welcome back to K-Pop Releases, where I take a look at a select number of k-pop songs and review them! We're looking at June, which means summer is in full swing! We have a good amount of bops, but this month wasn't immune to duds, either. It's a mixed bag of releases, is what I'm saying. I have a tier system, which I use to rank the songs based entirely on my opinion, so let's take a look at that!

Tier Ranking:

• 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)

Different opinions are fine, but be respectful about mine if you want me to respect yours. Let's do this!

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'Bad Desire (With or Without You)' by ENHYPEN

Release: June 5

Label: HYBE - Belift Lab

Tier: 3/6

So...ENHYPEN... They exist. I mean, they're fine, but they don't grab me like other boy bands do (including one we'll see in this blog soon). I get their appeal - a cool concept, where they're "sexy vampires" (I feel weird saying that when their maknae's six years younger than me), and they have a pretty die-hard fanbase, but their music just seems to fall flat for me. They don't have enough punch, you know?

Aside from a throw-away English single from two months ago, this is their first comeback of the year. On paper, 'Bad Desire (With or Without You)' sounds pretty cool: a synthpop track that describes the internal tension between love and desire. Despite the members' vocals being drowned by this watery vocal filter, they do a good job conveying the emotion of the track. Heeseung is the obvious stand-out in terms of vocals (he's the main vocalist, after all), and Ni-ki is pretty serviceable as the token deep-voiced member. I like his part in the outro, when he whispers, "Tell me all your deepest". Jay and Sunghoon even have a couple of stand-out moments; I'm especially really liking the former.

And yet, this track is left a lot to be desired. I think that comes from the song's length, which doesn't even make the two-and-a-half minutes mark! This is KATSEYE song-level short! If it were longer, they're could've been a bridge or a payoff, but that just doesn't happen here. It's better than their title tracks from last year, but I'm not sure if that's saying much.

'Girls Will Be Girls' by ITZY

Release: June 9

Label: JYP Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Story time! I first learned about ITZY in 2022, when their signature hit 'WANNABE' was set to be added in the then-upcoming Just Dance 2023 Edition (heck, Just Dance is where I first found a good number of k-pop acts). That song is a bop, and I'm reviewing it in another blog I'm currently on; so stay tuned for that. Unfortunately, 2022 marked a dark point in the group's career, and that's mainly due to the release of CHECKMATE, which gave us the infamous title track in 'SNEAKERS'. I mean, it's a bad song! Just the mere vibes of that track and the vocal delivery from the girls come off as so juvenile to me.

They took a while to escape that dark period, and while 'Cheshire' was okay, 'Boys Like You' and 'CAKE' were much worse to me. Believe me, getting into ITZY was very difficult for me. Then, at the beginning of last year, they released BORN TO BE, and some of the tracks I listened to are really good! They released another album in October, and while 'GOLD' was fine, if a bit jumbled, 'Imaginary Friend' was one of the best title tracks they made in a very long time! Safe to say, 2024 made me come around on ITZY. I'm tempted to call them one of my favorite girl groups, but like I said earlier, 2022 and '23 were not their years.

'Girls Will Be Girls' is their newest title track, and it's really cool! It's a typical girl power anthem, sure, but the vibes of this track really sell it for me. The production sounds badass, and I love the instrumental breakdown after the second pre-chorus. ITZY themselves sound great on this as well! Sure, Ryujin's rap in the second verse sounds a bit awkward for my taste, which isn't like her, but Yuna has enough attitude in her tone to make her flow work. The vocalists, Yeji, Lia and Chaeryeong, however, are at the top of their game with this one! They really make this song feel huge!

I do wish the song could be a bit longer, and the phrase "girls will be girls" repeating over and over can get old if you're not in the mood to listen to it, but I really enjoyed this one! If they make more tracks like this, they'll surely snuggle in as one of my favorite groups!

'Memory' by DOYOUNG

Release: June 9

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 3/6

Ah, Doyoung... What can I say about him? Here's a brief overview: he's one of the main vocalists of NCT, and a damn great one at that! No really, this man is an incredibly vocally gifted singer! He made his solo debut last year with 'Little Light', a song I really like.

This is his first comeback as a soloist, and while this song, 'Memory', captures the same rock sound and emotional vibes 'Little Light' does, it also sounds kind of boring? It's a song about making memories and how they'll stick with you, even in your darkest days, but I'm not sure if this song will stick with me in the long run. Of course, the instrumentation is great, and Doyoung has a great vocal presence, which is why it's in the Decent Tier at all, but there's a good chance I'm gonna end up forgetting this overtime.

'Lips Hips Kiss' by KISS OF LIFE

Release: June 9

Label: S2 Entertainment

Tier: 1/6

If I had a nickel every time ITZY and KISS OF LIFE had comebacks on the same day, I would two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right? This happened last year, with GOLD and Lose Yourself, by the way.

Actually, there's a certain elephant in the room we need to discuss before I talk about this song, because what is going on with them this year?! Back in April, KIOF had a livestream, celebrating their leader Julie's birthday. The theme of the party was "old-school hip-hop", and the girls wore outfits and hairstyles that teetered on the line of cultural appropriation, which was made worse by some of them mocking African-American accents. People were not happy. Of course, the group got under fire for said stream and later wrote apologies which could've been executed better.

Now, I'm not black. Therefore, I can't say I'm personally offended by that cringy-ass livestream. But I will say this: it's really disappointing to see their reputation flushed down the drain like this. Mainly because, up until that point, they were my favorite 5th Gen group. Their music has a heavy emphasis on R&B, which is produced flawlessly, and the girls are a force of personality, with soaring vocals; not to mention that Julie is an excellent rapper. 'Midas Touch' and 'Sticky' are some of my favorite k-pop songs from last year, and 'Get Loud' is very underrated! It's really sad that a group with so much potential is at risk of getting cancelled, and I think it's working because they got removed from the lineup for KCON LA not too long ago.

And I think it's working even further, because 'Lips Hips Kiss' isn't very good. Yes, I really dislike this, but it's nowhere near as bad as 'Igloo' (Sorry, but that song was trash. Never understood the hype). This song has the early 2000's R&B sound KIOF are known for, but it's going for a more contemporary vibe. But I'm sorry, what's that pitched-down voice going "okay, 'kay, 'kay" during multiple parts of the track at nauseum? It sounds really annoying, and it immediately kills the vibe! There's also this rink-a-dink sound effect that plays throughout, and while it's not as obnoxious as the pitched-down voice, it's still pretty bothersome.

Then there's the members themselves, who all sound really good, as usual; I especially love the harmonization on the refrain. And yet, I feel like something's missing in their performance. The other title tracks usually let their vocals pop off, but here, the girls seem...restrained. Which is weird, because 'Nobody Knows' was also low-key, and they sounded fine on that. Heck, I don't even think Julie raps here!

Yeah... I'm not a fan of this song. I don't blame you if you skipped out on this.

'BEEP' by izna

Release: June 9

Label: WAKEONE

Tier: 4/6

On to something a little more light-hearted (no pun intended). This is izna, a girl group who debuted in late November under WAKEONE. They've been getting some buzz in the last few months, mainly because their music is being produced by Teddy Park. I go into more detail about his schtick in an upcoming blog, but long story short, his track record fluctuates for me. He's usually heavily involved with artists from YG and THEBLACKLABEL (his own label, btw), so seeing him working with a group outside of those companies is interesting.

Too bad izna themselves aren't. Their debut single, actually titled 'IZNA', was incredibly boring, and their follow-up 'SIGN' was fine, if a bit bland. I'm sure the girls are talented, but there's like, 10 other girl groups I could be listening to instead.

This is their new single, and how does 'BEEP' rank among the other tracks? It's alright - may be my favorite song from them so far. It's a cutesy crush song, with a bouncy beat, and nice vocal performances from the members. I even like the rap verse from Koko and Sarang; they sound fun! I don't know if this will stick with me in the long run, but it's pretty good! I like it.

'Killin' It Girl' by j-hope ft. GloRilla

Release: June 13

Label: HYBE - Big Hit Music

Tier: 4/6

Back in March, I reviewed 'Sweet Dreams', an okay song with a Miguel feature. Apparently, J-Hope released another song that month in 'MONA LISA', which I'll admit, is pretty good. I didn't review that song initially, mainly because it was originally a promotional track, according to Wikipedia; though looking back, I kinda wish I did review it.

We have a new song from him for the summer, this time with rapper GloRilla! Now, GloRilla is someone I haven't looked into, as I don't listen to a lot of western hip-hop. This is my first impression of her, and her verse is pretty good. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about her incredibly deep voice, but I got used to it on repeated listens, and she has a nice flow for the song's atmosphere. And J-Hope isn't too bad on this either! I mean, sure, the autotune on his voice in the first verse is really annoying, but once that goes away, he sounds really good, flirty even! The clattering production can be a bit much on the verses, but once the chorus kicks in, the watery guitar comes in, and I feel entranced!

Give this one a listen - it's really good!

'Lemon Drop' by ATEEZ

Release: June 13

Label: KQ Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Speaking of flirty summer songs, ATEEZ are back! They're another favorite boy band of mine, as these guys are total badasses behind the mic, and their music has so much personality that's really hard to ignore.

Their GOLDEN HOUR albums have had a weird shift in their title tracks, with 'WORK' and 'Ice on My Teeth' going in the easy-listening route, while still having unique instrumentals to keep the listener engaged (if only ENHYPEN could benefit from something like that). 'Lemon Drop' doesn't have that; instead, its production feels like a throwback to the 2014 hip-hop scene, except much more lively. It still has a bouncy beat, the pitched-up vocal effect in the background, and the pre-chorus has a repeated hand-clap.

And how about the members? First off, Hongjoong and Mingi are great rappers, with really unconventional voices (the latter especially), and their performances here are really good. Though Mingi, for me, sounds fine in the first verse until he lowers his voice to a near whisper, where at one line he ends with "brr, da-da" - like...ew. Don't do that, man. Not here. It sounds even more awkward when that verse is followed by Jongho practically shouting his lines. Don't get me wrong - I like Jongho; he's a great main vocalist, one of the best in k-pop in my opinion. But I don't know how to feel about his part there. Thankfully, his voice is toned down in the second pre-chorus, where he and Yeosang sing. I also really love Yunho's and San's softer tones, as they were probably part of this track overall, and Seonghwa and Wooyoung aren't too bad on this either.

We had some small hiccups, but this is a fun listen regardless. Maybe this one might grow on me, but we'll see about that. Also, congratulations on making this your first Billboard Hot 100 entry, ATEEZ! You guys earned it!

'1&Only' by XLOV

Release: June 13

Label: 257 Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Seriously, these male acts are ready for summer, and I love it! This is XLOV, a four-member boy band from 257 Ent., a small company founded in 2021. These guys are very new, as they debuted this year in January, and their debut song, 'I'mma Be', was something I didn't care for.

But now they're on their first comeback, and this song is really good! '1&Only' is a very sensual track, and the members all do a good job keeping you engaged. These guys all have pretty distinct vocals, and I like how they're all implemented in the song. Wumuti and Haru are solid rappers, and they sound nice when singing as well, along with Rui and Hyun. I think I'm drawn Rui the most; he has a high voice that's really easy to get lost in. It's a nice track, and I recommend you give it a chance! I'm really curious on what they do next!

'Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)' by ILLIT

Release: June 16

Label: HYBE - Belift Lab

Tier: 3/6

Busy month for Belift, isn't it? Enter ILLIT, a five-member girl group who debuted last year with the smash hit 'Magnetic' - a really cute song that actually managed to become a western crossover! No really, it was the first debut song from a k-pop group (Key word: group. Select soloists are a different story.) to enter the Billboard Hot 100 (only reached #91) and the U.K. Singles Chart (peaked at #80), and even spent 11 weeks on the Canadian Hot 100 (peaking at #37)! And...they haven't captured the same magic since. 'Cherish (My Love)' was also cute, but it wasn't a track people instantly grabbed onto.

They're back, and 'Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)' seems to be leaning towards a more dancy vibe, while still keeping the cutesy sound this group is known for. And I hate to say it, but this might their weakest title track so far. It's a song about the mixed emotions of a first date, and the girls use the metaphor "billyeoon goyangi" - which in Korean, translates to "borrowed cat" - to describe awkwardness. And because I brought up "borrowed cat", that means we get cat references! I don't mean that as a bad thing (I like cats); I just thought it was mildly interesting.

For me, what keeps me from really enjoying this song is the post-chorus, where Iroha and Wonhee go "do, do, do...", which is already annoying enough, but their voices are drowned in this watery vocal filter, which gets old really fast. Their vocals sound fine on the rest of the track, but I have a hard time paying attention, as the song sounds so overstuffed! The strings that pop in feel more distracting than pretty, something I never got out of, say, IVE's 'After LIKE'. Not only did the strings on that song sound pretty, but that song's production felt balanced, and IVE knew how to keep your attention (and the strings on that song were pulled from an old '70's disco track).

The song is still okay, and the girls sound nice when they're not muffled with vocal layering, but I don't see this becoming a major favorite.

'Episode' by KANGDANIEL

Release: June 16

Label: ARA

Tier: 3/6

In case this is your first time on here, let you catch you up: I reviewed Kang Daniel's English track, 'Mess', back in April. I really like that song, and Daniel has a smooth voice that's easy to get lost in. He's one of the very few male soloists in k-pop that I'm intrigued by.

He's back with a new album and this is its title track, and... it's okay. Like, is it just me, or does the production sound really basic? I'm getting elevator music vibes, but it's not infuriatingly boring like that NMIXX song I reviewed in March, because at least this one has somewhat of a groove. Maybe I just feel that way because Daniel's other singles have more of a punch to them; his best tracks have a level of grandness I get invested in. He still sounds nice on this track, and the hook is pretty catchy, but not something that's gonna stick with me overtime.

'ICY BBY' by Moon Byul

Release: June 17

Label: RBW

Tier: 4/6

We got three summer bops from men so far, so let's see what the women are doing, starting off with Moonbyul, the rapper from MAMAMOO! I just recently checked out all the solo singles from these women, and I enjoyed a large chunk of them! I'm tempted to say Moonbyul has my favorite solo output overall, but I don't want to that conclusion yet.

But here's what I like about her: she has a unique voice, her rap flow is captivating, and her vocals are surprisingly really good! A lot of her solo work is bright and upbeat, and 'ICY BBY' is no exception. The production has some bloops sprinkled throughout, but the beat is lively enough to keep me engaged. Not to mention Moonbyul has a wonderful stage presence, and I even enjoy her rap in the second verse. The hook can be repetitive, but I think it's easy to ignore that here, 'cause Moonbyul knows how to make it sound infectious.

Overall, it's a really solid track! Give this one a listen if you're interested.

'STYLE' by Hearts2Hearts

Release: June 18

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 6/6

This may be a weird choice for me to put this song in the Amazing Tier, but please bear with me on this. Hearts2Hearts made their debut in February with their song, 'The Chase', a song I found to be fine, but nothing too special. They're back with a new song, and man, this one's a bop!

It's a bright, summer-y track, likely about a crush. The song is backed with a liquid guitar and a fun dance beat, and the girls sound incredible! Considering how young all the members are, they do a really good job expressing pure joy. They still have a lot more room to grow, as this is their first comeback, after all. But I really enjoy this track! I find it adorable! Not much else I can say; just check it out if you haven't!

'WICKED' by ALLDAY PROJECT

Release: June 23

Label: THEBLACKLABEL

Tier: 2/6

Here's a first for this series: a co-ed group! From what I heard, these used to be quite common in k-pop, especially in 1st Gen. Funnily enough, during that era, select European countries had their own fair share of co-ed groups as well! S Club 7 are the most notable to me, but you also had A*Teens, Steps, Liberty X and so much more, most of whom were very corny. The only co-ed act I've been aware of since I started getting into k-pop is KARD, who thankfully, have the exact opposite vibe those European acts did. I've only listened to two of their tracks so far, and they're alright for what they are.

Now the have ALLDAY PROJECT, a group that holds five members (three girls and two guys), who very recently debuted under THEBLACKLABEL. 'WICKED' is the debut song, and I'm not sure how to feel about this. It's a Brazilian funk track, which has the members flexing their rap abilities. Yeah, this is a pretty rap-heavy group; so much so that Youngseo seems to be the only vocalist here. She has a distinctly pitchy voice, and her part in the fourth verse is pretty okay.

Everyone else on the other hand... Let's start with the other girls, Annie and Bailey. They both have pretty low voices, and Annie's flow in the second verse is really good! And while Bailey raps fast in the third verse, she doesn't leave much of an impression for me. Then there's the two guys, and I hate to say it, but I find Tarzzan really annoying. (Also, that's your stage name? Really?) His voice has a mid-range, but he sounds oddly pitchy! His flow in the third verse feels too invasive for me; I feel like I'm being cornered, like I can't escape. Woochan, thankfully, isn't as irritating, but he still doesn't do much for me (I like his voice, though).

And have I mentioned this production? It wants to sound cool, but it sounds so barren! Disappointing debut; go listen to their pre-release track, 'FAMOUS' - that song actually does sound cool, and the members all sound great there!

And if you want a debut that's worth while...

'F Girl' by Baby DONT Cry

Release: June 23

Label: P Nation

Tier: 5/6

You remember Psy, right? The guy behind the gargantuan 'Gangnam Style'? He has his own label now (first opened in 2018, in fact), and a new girl group debuted from there! This is Baby DONT Cry - made up of four members, and no joke, were created by the Jeon Soyeon, the leader of i-dle! When I learned that she would have a hand in working for another group, I was beyond excited! I love i-dle enough as is, so I was interested in seeing what this group would offer.

'F Girl' is a fun song, going for a grungy pop-rock vibe. I love the bass that plays throughout the track; it sounds so cool! I also like the girls here, too. They have a lot of charisma, and their singing and rapping abilities are really good! Not to mention that the chorus is really catchy! Sure, the members sound a bit "school-girlish" when they chant, but I don't care! It's a great debut - give it a listen!

Also, check out their pre-release track 'Bet You'll Regret It', as it's also really good!

'SET NET G0?!' by CRAVITY

Release: June 23

Label: STARSHIP Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Alright, another boy band! This is CRAVITY, made up of nine members and debuted in 2020. Their songs are okay, but they don't stick out in my mind too often. I will give them this: 'Love or Die' and 'Now or Never' are by far their best title tracks, some of my favorite k-pop songs from last year!

They're back with a new album, and 'SET NET G0?!' (don't know why there's a zero instead of an 'o', but whatever) is pretty good! It's a breezy pop-rock track, and the guys give us solid vocal performances. Serim and Allen also have a neat rap verse, and I like the brief beat switch there. My favorite part of this track, however, would have to be that distorted guitar that plays before the chorus. It sounds so cool! I just wish the track was more interesting throughout, but other than that, it's still good! Check it out.

'LIKE YOU BETTER' by fromis_9

Release: June 25

Label: ASND

Tier: 6/6

And now we have fromis_9, and what a journey they went on these past several years! They debuted in 2018, making them one of earliest groups to debut during the 4th Gen era, and throughout their career, they moved between label to label, while still having a solid track record of singles. Yes, I like this group, but they're far from one of my favorites. There's just other girl groups that stick out to me a lot more.

fromis_9 originally had nine members (in case you couldn't tell from their group name), and now they're down to five; meaning that now half the group is gone! But man, these remaining girls made the most out of this track! No joke, 'LIKE YOU BETTER' is their best title track since 'LOVE BOMB', and I couldn't be happier!

One thing these girls are good at is capturing the concept of summer: bright, happy and full of life. The song is accompanied by breezy synths and a lively guitar, and the girls all sound great on this! I absolutely love the chorus, as the girls give infectious vocal performances! Hayoung especially has a fantastic voice; she's probably my favorite of the group's vocalists overall. I love the way the members all harmonize in the post-chorus, even if vocals sound like they're being layered on top of each other. Jiheon even raps a little bit in the second verse, which I feel like those have been missing in some of their more recent title tracks (any member rapping, I mean). Nagyung, Chaeyoung and Jiwon sound nice, too!

fromis_9, you knocked this one out of the park! Great job! I wish you girls the best under your new label!

'Dirty Work' by aespa

Release: June 27

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 0/6

aespa are back, and let me tell you: 2024 was an amazing year for them! They released their first full-length album Armageddon, which spawned the legendary pre-release track in 'Supernova'! That song was a thrill ride from start to finish, and it was a massive hit in South Korea, making that country's year-end list at #1! It also won several awards, including eight music show wins! Then 'Whiplash' came out that fall, which even became their first entry on the Canadian Hot 100, making them the first SM group to chart over there since 'Jopping' by SuperM back in 2019 (Remember them?)! Things were going really well for aespa, and I wanted them to continue that winning streak.

I mean, their success is gonna continue no matter what, but damn it - I wish this song was so much better! I'm not kidding; 'Dirty Work' is awful! I don't know if I prefer this over 'Savage', but at least that song had soaring high notes!

This one is just tedious, with a clattery beat that bloops around and ASMR-esque vocal deliveries from the members. If you want to rap about wanting to thrive, you need to at least have some dominance in your flow. Speaking of rapping, why are we getting that from Winter and Ningning? Those two are great vocalists, and while I don't mind the idea of them rapping, they sound so off here! They don't show off their vocals like they normally do - they sound restrained. I guess Karina and Giselle are fine, but not that interesting here.

Yeah, this is a mess. If this becomes their first Billboard entry, I'm gonna be really disappointed.

'X' by ONEUS

Release: June 30

Label: RBW

Tier: 5/6

I reviewed ONEUS in the January blog, and long story short, I really like this group. Their title tracks are excellent, and the guys have really engaging voices. This comeback is a bit different, however. Mainly because Seoho is in the military, so he's not gonna be around for a while.

How do the remaining four members do without him? Pretty well! 'X' is a really cool song, backed by a really slick bass playing throughout. I really love how Keonhee sings the pre-chorus; his vocals sound great here! Hwanwoong really stands out as well, as he has nice vocals in the first verse, and he even raps alongside Leedo in the second verse! Who knew he could rap so well?! Xion is pretty good on this as well, though he doesn't get as much time to shine as the other three do. Overall, another bop from these men! Please check it out if you haven't!

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And that's June 2025 for you! Next month seems to be a much busier time for releases! Could I review BLACKPINK then? Possibly, but we'll have to see them.

If you enjoyed what you read, make sure you subscribe to my blog so you don't miss anything! I'm Grace, and have a wonderful day!