K-Pop Releases: Sept. 2025

Initial Release: Oct. 4

Hello, everyone! Welcome, or welcome back to K-Pop Releases; my main blog series where I take a select number of k-pop songs of the month and review them! I'm Lil' Miss Different, A.K.A, Grace, and today, I'll be reviewing the songs from September! This was a really solid month overall in terms of quality, but there's a few major themes. This month might have the most amount of soloists I've looked at for this series thus far! Which is insane, because I tend to prefer groups when it comes to k-pop! We also have a lot of acts associated with the same company. I know SM tends to be pretty busy, but we also have a lot of JYP (and STARSHIP); definetly expect some of those acts to pop up here!

Just like always, I rank the songs I review based on my personal opinion. So here's the Tier List!

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)

If you have a different opinion from me, that's fine. But I advise you to be respectful of my takes if you want me to respect yours. With that out of the way, let's start this review session, 'cause it's another busy month! Are we ready?

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'R&B ME' by JUN. K (ft. Changbin of Stray Kids)

Release: Sept. 1

Label: JYP Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Okay! We have another busy day with releases, this time being Sept. 1st, and considering the next three songs are all from boy bands, it's only fair to open up this blog with a soloist...who also comes from a boy band. This is Jun. K (formerly Junsu), the main vocalist of 2PM, and I'm sorry to anyone who likes/liked that group, but out of the "Big 3" boy bands from the 2nd Gen era, they're the one who stick out to me the least. Sure, these guys are talented, but they lack a certain level of "umph!", and most of their title tracks end up being forgettable to me (Aside from 'A.D.T.O.Y' and 'My House' - those songs are sexy as hell!).

Let's get back to song at hand! 'R&B ME' is alright; it has a down-beat tune, and Jun. K has soft, yet husky vocals. Though what really gets me is the featured artist in question - that being Changbin, one of the rappers from Stray Kids and a member of their sub-unit/production team, 3Racha. He's on the second verse, and he's fine on this. He goes for a more melodic flow, and while I can still tell it's him, I can't help but think how non-descript he would be when I'm listening to this in passing. Changbin usually has a commanding presence behind the mic, and while yes, he has gone mellow for SKZ's b-sides, he still gets to keep his identity intact. Heck, he sounded more like himself on that ITZY track he worked on for their GOLD album last year (no really, 'VAY' is awesome)!

Sorry about the rant. My inner STAY just needed to vent. This song is still really good, and I hope you give it a chance if you haven't.

'PARADISE' by TREASURE

Release: Sept. 1

Label: YG Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

TREASURE are back. I reviewed this group back in March, and I wasn't too favorable of them. They're fine, but there's other boy bands I could be listening to instead. 'YELLOW' was an okay song that I don't see myself returning to often.

'PARADISE' is a really excellent song! It's about being in love, and I love the instrumentation here, especially the swelling horns! This track is pure happiness, and they guys do a great job at showcasing that feeling! Yoshi, Haruto and Hyunsuk respectively have great raps in the second verse, and the way Jeongwoo and Jihoon sing, "Neol saranghae" (or "I love you") in their post-choruses is incredibly satisfying! I think the only part I'm a bit stumped on is the bridge, and the way the guys spell "paradise" is a pretty cheesy. It's an eight-letter word; I'm sure you could've done something different there.

TREASURE might win me over with more tracks like this, because this is great!

'N the Front' by MONSTA X

Release: Sept. 1

Label: STARSHIP Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Now here's a boy band I imagine more people are excited to see back! Here's a brief rundown on MONSTA X: they debuted in 2015, have a solid list of hits to their name, and they have an edgy style in their music that I think works really well. I wouldn't call them super amazing or anything, but I enjoy a lot of their singles.

Here's what makes this comeback interesting for MONSTA X - this is their first full-group comeback since 2021! They still had releases in 2022 and '23, but that was during a time when certain members were fulfilling their military duties. That's also likely why they didn't have a group comeback last year. THE X already had a pre-release single in 'Do What I Want', which I actually kinda like.

'N the Front' is the title track, and... it's slowly growing on me. This seems to be another flex song, and the production is intense enough for the members to work off of. It's not stellar - I think the blooping synths can be annoying if I'm not in the mood for this - but it's passable. For me, the main stand-outs in this group are Joohoney and I.M, the rappers. They're really solid on the first verse, and I like the attitude they bring to this track. I do wish I liked the vocalists a lot more, 'cause they seem pretty talented, but I just don't find them that memorable.

A good song, but if I'm listening to MONSTA X, I'm sticking to 'Fighter' and 'Shoot Out', thank you.

'ICONIK' by ZEROBASEONE

Release: Sept. 1

Label: WAKEONE

Tier: 3/6

ZEROBASEONE released their new album, and the title track is just okay. Probably their most "okay" title track since 'Feel the POP' last year. I don't know, but I feel like I was expecting a lot more out of this song. After all, 'SLAM DUNK' was an excellent pre-release track! Anyways, let's look at 'ICONIK'.

This song is about looking into the future, being ready for anything the guys come across. The production sounds really nice, and the members give really good vocal performances. The "This iconic, electronic" line from Gunwook, Yujin and Gyuvin in their respective choruses does get stuck in my head. Definitely "iconic", I would say! ...Yeah, that was pretty bad.

I'll get back to you if this song grows on me.

'Rich Man' by aespa

Release: Sept. 5

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Time for a break from the men! I want to see what one of the girl groups are doing. It looks like aespa released a new mini-album.

Let's backtrack. I reviewed aespa in my June blog, and I panned 'Dirty Work' for being a sludgy mess and a giant mistep from the massive highs in their singles last year. I hate how that song turned out. This new track, though - it's alright!

'Rich Man' is a nod to a 1996 Cher interview, where the singer says, "I am a rich man," in response to her mom telling her that she should settle down and marry said rich man. It's something Giselle references in the song's intro. aespa use that famous quote and turn it into a self-empowerment track, back by a rock-style production that I really wish was executed a lot better. I love rock music, but the electric guitar here sounds... pretty basic? I don't know, but the instrumentation doesn't click for me like it should. Then there's aespa themselves, and they're okay on this. Karina and Giselle are solid rappers, and I really like their third verse. Winter and Ningning, on the other hand, don't let their vocals shine like they normally do. It's a shame, because they're both great singers! But here, they sound restrained.

This song has a great concept, but man, do I wish this song went all out with the rock edge!

'CRZY' by HAECHAN

Release: Sept. 8

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Man, I've been looking forward to this debut since it was announced! Haechan is my bias in NCT, possibly tied with Mark - he has a soft, yet raspy voice that's really distinct and draws me in. I dare say, he has one of most unique voices in k-pop! Anyways, he put out his first album, and its title track is fantastic!

'CRZY' is a lovestruck song backed by a Latin guitar. In other words, this is 'Who' by Jimin, but a thousand times better! I only found 'Who' to be okay, though I can see why other people really hated that track; it was mainly bogged down by unfitting autotune. Haechan's song isn't like that. 'CRZY' really let's him loose with his vocals, and he sounds incredible! I guess the small bits of rapping are a bit awkward, but that's a small nitpick. I even like the Spanish counting that leads into the second verse! Haechan is so suave on this song, and the production really complements his vocal style. I can definitely see this song growing on me! Please give this a listen!

'RODEO' by MOMOLAND

Release: Sept. 8

Label: Inyeon Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

MOMOLAND are back. That's neat, I guess.

Let me explain: MOMOLAND are a 3rd Gen era girl group, originally debuting in 2016 with this super cutesy image. You may recognize this group for their 2018 title tracks, 'Bboom Bboom' and 'BBAM', the former being a viral hit on YouTube, garnering over 600 million views! And as much as I enjoy those songs, their other stuff doesn't really click for me, ranging from unremarkable to pretty annoying. They got popular through their addictive electro swing sound, which they ended up hammering into the ground pretty quickly. Honestly, I kinda see why they initially disbanded in 2023.

I was quite surprised to see them reunite this year. And I'm even more surprised that the song they came back with is actually pretty good. Yeah, 'RODEO' actually turned out great for them! This is a lot of fun; I love the twangy electric guitar and horns that play throughout the track! And the members aren't too bad on this, either. They know how to set the party vibe this song is going for, and their vocals are quite infectious. If MOMOLAND are here to stay, I hope we get more songs like this! Give this one a listen if you haven't!

'READY 2 RUMBLE' by ALL(H)OURS

Release: Sept. 9

Label: EDEN Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

ALL(H)OURS are back, and still as solid as ever! I reviewed their previous singles from this winter, and 'Graffiti' and 'GIMME GIMME' turned out pretty good. I still wish the guys had more spark in their performances, but I think they still have a long way to go for that. They have the potential to be one of my favorite boy bands in k-pop!

Anyways, how's this new song? It's alright - a pump-up anthem with bombastic production and (I think) traditional Korean instrumentals. The boys give decent vocal and rap performances, and I think they sound pretty cool on this. I do have one glaring issue: what is that drop? It sounds like a bunch of spears beaming at each other; I don't know how to feel about it! Besides that, 'READY 2 RUMBLE' is good enough. Check it out if you want.

'body' by DAYOUNG

Release: Sept. 9

Label: STARSHIP Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Here's an interesting case with this particular idol. Dayoung is a member of the girl group, WJSN (or Cosmic Girls), originally debuting in 2016 and is one of the lead vocalists. I'm usually nice to the groups from STARSHIP - I praised MONSTA X earlier today, I think CRAVITY are fine, and IVE are one of my favorite k-pop groups. I like WJSN; they have a unique concept (space theme), and their songs are generally really pretty. And yet, even though they're still under that company, they haven't had a group comeback since 2022! That was three years ago!

I guess it was only a matter of time until one of these women made her solo debut...at least, the first time I'm experiencing this. I don't know if anyone else has solo output; I'll have to check. Dayoung currently doesn't have her own Wikipedia page, unfortunately, so I'm going into this for vibes. And wow, she's really hot! Excuse me, this song, 'body', is really hot. The production is upbeat enough, and Dayoung has a lot of charisma in her performance. I don't think she stood out too much in her group (WJSN have 10 members, after all), but here, she's a lot of fun! She's super flirty, but her vocal delivery also feels uplifting in a way. I really like that. This one surprised me; good job!

'Sunkiss' by WENDY

Release: Sept. 10

Label: ASND

Tier: 6/6

From one female soloist to another, we have Wendy, Red Velvet's main vocalist! She started her solo venture in 2021 under SM Ent., to very underwhelming at best results. Maybe it's just bad memory on my end, but Wendy's solo music hasn't impressed me much. It's a shame, because she has a beautiful voice. Earlier this year, she moved to ASND, the same company fromis_9 switched to.

And let me just say, 'Sunkiss' blew me away! Seriously, what's with ASND finding production styles that work wonders for their artists?! This is a mid-tempo pop-rock style ballad, about falling in love. This track just feels so grandiose, and Wendy sells the emotional core very exquisitely! Her vocals aren't too over-the-top, but I think that's fine here. This song is beautiful, please give it a listen!

'SHOOT (Firecracker)' by CHAEYOUNG

Release: Sept. 12

Label: JYP Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

2025 has been kind to Chaeyoung, hasn't it? She goes from singing 'Takedown' with Jeongyeon and Jihyo for the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, to being one of the few stand-outs on the fairly okay 'THIS IS FOR', to now releasing her debut solo album! I was curious to see what she would do musically outside of TWICE, and this isn't much of a surprise, but I really like this song!

'SHOOT (Firecracker)' is a quirky song, with I believe, an '80's inspired soft rock production. For someone who's usually one of the rappers in her group, Chaeyoung has a sweet singing voice. Her vocals are pretty low-key in this track, and I think it works nicely against the instrumentation. It's a nice song, and I hope you check it out if you haven't yet.

'Think Too Much' by Jang Wooyoung (ft. DAMINI)

Release: Sept. 15

Label: JYP Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Another 2PM member, huh? Sure.

Jang Wooyoung is that group's main dancer and lead vocalist, and this is first solo release since 2018. 'Think Too Much' is pretty solid; it has a slick guitar backing the track, and it sounds really cool. Wooyoung has a nice voice, as he sings about encouraging this person to be with him in a relationship. Then there's the featured artist, Damini, a Korean rapper who's been around in the music scene since 2022 and one of the few organically solo idols in k-pop (or "k-rap" in her case). I have no idea who she is, but her verse is alright! Her voice is a bit quirky, but she has a nice flow and attitude.

Like with Jun. K's track earlier, this song isn't anything too special. It does its job fine, leaving a pretty good impression on the listener. If you want to check this out, go ahead!

'CHAN-RAN' by IDID

Release: Sept. 15

Label: STARSHIP Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Time for a break from the soloists! And another STARSHIP release?! I don't think I expected this company to have a busy release schedule this month. Anyways, this is its newest boy band, IDID; seven members and a banger debut!

Yes, I enjoy 'CHAN-RAN'. It's a "feel the vibe" type song, with a fast-paced pop rock production. I also really like the guys themselves, even if they all sound really young (they probably are, too). Wonbin, Semin and Seonghyeon are pretty good rappers, and Yonghoon might have my favorite voice between the vocalists. Not much else to add other than that's it's a really good debut! Can't wait to hear more!

'M.O.' by YUQI

Release: Sept. 16

Label: CUBE Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

And now we move on to Yuqi, the deep-voiced member from i-dle! She's been making solo music since 2021, and from what I heard so far, she's really solid! 'M.O.' is her newest title track, and it's great! It's a break-up song with a hip-hop production, and it sounds fantastic! I love Yuqi's vocal delivery, as she makes the melody so catchy. The beat also feels low-key, and it works wonders for Yuqi's voice! I honestly don't know what else I can say about this song. It's just a great "dump you" track that feels satisfying to hear!

Now, what's the next song we're reviewing?

'Head Shoulders Knees Toes' by TWS

Release: Sept. 22

Label: HYBE - Pledis Entertainment

Tier: 1/6

This one came out of nowhere.

Let's catch up: TWS are releasing a new album next month, and this is the pre-release single. I get wanting to age up your sound, but this feels like way too sharp of a contrast to their previous work. TWS are usually fun and youthful, but this...is a mess.

'Head Shoulders Knees Toes' has a very annoying chorus, just repeating the titular phrase at nauseum, and the guys sound really awkward during that portion. And speaking of the guys, what is that flow they're going for? They're constantly shouting in unnecessary places like it's a late 2000's pop song, and it sounds so wrong! As for the positives, I like the swelling horns throughout the track. Plus, I think the pre-chorus at least sounds nice. Unfortunately, that ends up leading into the chorus, which sounds really empty production-wise. I guess that explains why I don't like that chorus to begin with.

I hope the title track ends up being a lot better, because man, this is a miss. Sorry, guys.

'My First Love Song' by KickFlip

Release: Sept. 22

Label: JYP Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Don't worry, this is the last JYP act we're looking at today. Yes, KickFlip are back with a new mini-album, and this title track is actually great!

Yeah, I can't believe it, either! They actually have a title track I would rank above "passable"! 'My First Love Song' is pretty straightforward. It's - you guessed it - a love song; a "confess your love" scenario. The pop-rock production sounds great, and I really like the guys on this track! You get the lovestruck feeling they're going for, and the instrumentation complements their vocals. I wish KickFlip stood out more, which is why I hesitate to put this in Amazing Tier, but that's a small nitpick. If they keep this streak going, they can really win me over. Great stuff!

'Who Are You' by SUHO

Release: Sept. 22

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Another month, another EXO member. This time, it's Suho, the group's leader. I may have to reevaluate his solo work when I get the chance, but this new song is pretty good! 'Who Are You' leans heavily into this 90's rock production, which suits his vocals well. I find the instrumentation quite relaxing, in spite of the song's devastating lyrics.

Yes, this is a break up song. Suho, in this track, is heartbroken that his partner isn't the same, and moving on from each other seems to be for the best. I like that Suho sees a glimmer of hope as he begins to move on. Though I really wish song ran a bit longer. Once you think there's a bridge about to start after the second chorus, the song ends. I hate when songs do that! Why does that keep happening?!

Still, this is a good track. Give this one a listen.

'Pretty Please' by Hearts2Hearts

Release: Sept. 24

Label: SM Entertainment

Tier: 5/6

Speaking of taking cues from 90's music...

Actually, before I get into this song, I want to bring something up. Hearts2Hearts are releasing their first mini-album next month. No more single albums from them (at least for now)! And frankly, I'm looking forward to it! 'STYLE' is one of my favorite k-pop songs of this year, and these girls have captivating vocals. 2025 has been really good for them, and if they keep the momentum up next year, they could end up being one of my favorite groups in k-pop!

So what's 'Pretty Please' like? It's about wanting to explore a relationship - whether it's romantic or just platonic - a relationship nonetheless. First off, this production is lovely! I love the 90's R&B influence; it's calming and nostalgic, and the girls sound fantastic as always! I like the spoken intro from Stella, as it kinda reminds me of how 'Gee' by Girls' Generation opened up. There's also the third verse, where A-na and Juun start rapping, and the production briefly switches to a hip-hop beat. I don't know, but I find that part really jarring. I think we would've been fine without that part.

This song is great, and I can't wait for that mini-album!

'EX' by P1Harmony

Release: Sept. 26

Label: FNC Entertainment

Tier: 2/6

Ah, P1Harmony. What do they have this time? A bouncy, synthpop title track that's all in English, that's about a break up. Don't get me wrong; the song's cute enough, but the production feels a bit underwhelming to me. P1Harmony have flashy personalities, and they're at their best with energetic beats. 'EX' downplays their personalities and turns them into an average by-the-number boy band. It also doesn't help the constant usage of the "ex" sound/rhyme gets old really fast. If you like this, fine, but I'm gonna end up forgetting about this by their next comeback.

'5, 4, 3 (Pretty woman)' by CxM ft. Lay Bankz

Release: Sept. 29

Label: HYBE - Pledis Entertainment

Tier: 4/6

Or S.Coups x Mingyu, if you didn't catch that.

Yes, we have another SEVENTEEN sub-unit on our hands! The last time we had a sub-unit debut from them, we had Hoshi x Woozi and coincidentally, those two are the most recent members to enlist in the military. I reviewed '96ers' in March, and I didn't like it, mainly because the production was too obnoxious for me to get invested in.

Thankfully, '5, 4, 3 (Pretty woman)' isn't like that. This track is going for a laid-back, spring/summertime vibe, as S.Coups and Mingyu flirt over a woman. They want her, and they want her bad! Yeah, this song is really hot! Sexy isn't a vibe I usually get out of SEVENTEEN's music, but it's always welcome. One thing I really like about this song is that while the guys really want to get with this woman, they're not skeevy at all. They play it cool and are approachable. I wish we got more of that from western culture's music... And the featured artist, Lay Bankz, is cool as well! She delivers a solid rap verse, and I like her charisma.

I'm not saying this track is super excellent or anything, but it's really good for what it is. Listen to this if you haven't!

'Arcadia' by CHEN

Release: Sept. 29

Label: INB100

Tier: 4/6

Our last song for today, and a nice track to end off on! Chen is another EXO member, and a wonderful vocalist! His voice is gorgeous, and 'Arcadia' is no exception to this. This song is backed by a psychedelic guitar, going for a more somber tone, and man! This production sounds amazing, as it works so well against Chen's vocals. He sings about how lost he feels, and you can really hear the emotion in his voice. And yet, despite my praises, I just think the song itself is fine.

I get why someone would love this, but for me, I'm not sure how much I would seek this out. I guess it's better than his previous singles from before, but that's mainly by default. I just wish we got a bridge and maybe a final chorus to push this over the edge. Overall, this is good, but there's other songs I could be listening to instead.

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And that's our month! It was a lot, but I'm glad it's finished! Now I have something to confess: I'm putting the writing process of my upcoming 'K-Pop in Canada' blog aside for the time being. I usually write these blogs on my phone, and writing for that has become such a hassle for me that I lost motivation for. I still want to be able to finish it, and at the earliest, you're definitely getting it by next year. But for now, there's other things in life that I need/want to focus on.

If you enjoyed the blog, make sure to follow this site and my social media sites listed at the top. You might enjoy what I post! Next month should be interesting; we're getting a lot of girl groups, most of whom we haven't seen in a while! I'm Grace, and have a wonderful day!