January K-Pop Releases

Here are my thoughts on All the new releases in k-pop I listened to this month. I may not have anything interesting to say, but I will say it anyway! I didn't cover everything, just what I was interested in listening to.

KATSEYE - Internet Girl

Do I really have to say anything? This wasn't good. What a waste of talent. I hope these girls get better songs going forward.

Apink - RE: LOVE

Big fan of the 90's hip-hop/swing sound throughout most of the album, and I love the ballad at the end. Hold My Hand is probably my favorite track. They just don't sound like this anymore! Maybe it's the nostalgia talking (acting like I was listening during 2nd gen), but with all the other new stuff I'm listening to, this stands out.

CHUU - XO, My Cyberlove

Every album Chuu puts out sounds more and more like shes getting comfortable with her sound and I'm so happy for her! She has such a gorgeous voice so I will never ever complain about more ballads. I think the title track is definitely my favorite off of this, but Limoncello is an honorable mention as well.

LATENCY - It Was Love

I waited very, very patiently for this to come out when Hyunjin announced she was redebuting in a ROCK BAND with some of the former members of cignature, and I'm so glad I stuck with it because they sound great! As far as I know, most of the members didn't know how to play musical instruments before debuting...? Besides HeeYeon, who I know is the lead guitarist. I have so much to say here. I love the guitar solo, the ascending key changes at the end, the vocals all sound amazing. Waiter! Waiter! More k-rock, please!

JIMIN - 0108

What a nothing-burger of a song. Generic lyrics, generic production, generic everything. Not sure what any of this has to do with her birth date.

ALPHA DRIVE ONE - EUPHORIA

I need to start this off by saying this group abbreviates to ALD1 because literally what was MNet thinking. I didn't hate this. I'm not going to lie to you though, this vocal line up is pretty weak. It wasn't bad sounding, but I felt like most of what was being sang was out of their range, or pitch corrected slightly. In general, I think I have more mixed feelings than hatred or dislike towards any of the songs. I thought I was going to like it way less than I did because Formula, the first track, was just not very good. Freak Alarm is my favorite, but nothing else really stood out. The other songs are fine. Just fine.

ILLIT - Sunday Morning

Cute and nostalgic even though it doesnt match what they usually put out. Apparently going to be an anime opening which definitely fits the vibes here.

NCT WISH - WISHLIST

I really, really hate using the term "cute" for grown ass men, but this group is made of infants so I guess it's okay to call this album that. It's very fun, but it kind of got lost in my brain immediately after I finished listening to it. It's all a bit repetitve as well, the songs kind of blend into one another. WISH seems to have a good vocal line, so hopefully their next album will be more memorable for me.

BORA - Muffler

Such a pretty song and lovely lyrics! Seems like she's periodically uploading covers right now, so I hope she'll release some more original stuff in the future.

TWICE MISAMO - Confetti

No, no, it's nice! I just didn't know people were still into doing the charleston in 2026.

ENHYPEN - The Sin: Vanish

This was like. An experience. In multiple ways. First, apparently ENHYPEN are vampires. Maybe I knew this, I don't know, but they REALLY play into it. Like they have lore and everything. Sorry I didn't study for the comeback. Second, apparently every album is like, narrated???? Between each song there was short passages about what was going on in the "story" of the album. I am totally down for this like I was ready to meet this at it's level. And then we got to the title track. MAN. I don't want to say boy group slop, but it FEELS right to say. Knife sounded like every other song I've heard this month. The instrumentals during the narrated bits were honestly more interesting than most of the b-sides! With the one exception being No Way Back featuring So!YoOn!, who is part of her own indie band. What the touch of a woman does...?

EXO - REVERXE

I'm going to preface this by saying that I haven't listened to much of EXO at all. I know their most popular songs probably, and that's it. But you can definitely tell they lost pretty much their entire vocal line. They don't sound BAD, not at all. It's kind of like, sometimes eating plain bread is okay, but it really needs butter or something right? None of the songs were really outstanding, but none of them were really terrible either. They just felt empty.

dodree - Just Like A Dream

This is a new JYP duo that basically stealth dropped and I looove it. Unique sound and both their voices are beautiful. MV basically a mini GL drama. Reaaally want to see more from these two. Praying for at least a full mini-album.

1VERSE - WABIF (Wide Awake Before I Fall)

I listened to this once and like. Immediately forgot what it sounded like. They don't sound bad, at least. Kind of generic lyrics and the weird reversed piano in the back gets annoying. The title itself kills me. "WABIF" is very silly. Also one of these guys in the video looks like Mark Lee to me and I feel like I'm going crazy.

XG - THE CORE - 核

Love an album with an intro. I feel like this was what I was missing when LISA released Rockstar and then did literally nothing like it after that. What Alter Ego could have been if she actually stuck with that sound and not produced hot garbage. HYPNOTIZE is the best song off of this album for me, hands down. Please more diva house in k-pop, or I guess j-pop in this case. GALA, which is their first single off of this, is also great. Both great additions to any cunty k-pop songs playlist. NO GOOD stands out as a b-side. Big fan of the spacey r&b thing going on here. BUT. I will not lie when I tell you that the rapping is not doing a lot for me. It's okay on some of the songs but the dis track was a little much.

Luna - Flight Mode

Listen. I won't ever complain about new Luna music. But I fear this really is her "Amber Pop-Mart moment," as oomf put it. It's good and I love hearing her always, but somehow this too is SM's fault. Not much else to say about this.

MOMOLAND - white spring

The video for this was like. The niceys and kind verson of Internet Girl. The good verison where everyone's vocal talents actually get showcased. Lovely ballad that reminds me a lot of older gen stuff.

ZEROBASEONE - Running to Future + Roses

I went into listening to both of these singles thinking it would sound similar to the other boy groups I listened to this month. Rather shockingly, I actually enjoyed both of these. Running to Future is a typical ballad, and while I don't think the vocal line-up is particularly strong, its perfectly Fine. I'm just happy I enjoyed the ballad at all. Roses is a short but sweet pop-rock song that seems to fit the group and their vocal ranges a bit better. Perhaps I will have to check out more of ZB1...

KiiKii - Delulu Pack

This was an album where I feel like the b-sides outshine the title tracks. I still enjoyed them (though I liked delulu much more than 404), but MUNGNYANG and Dizzy were my favorite tracks by far. I don't think anything revolutionary is being done here, there's a lot of groups right now with the y2k thing going on. But, it was still a fun album.

Bi11lie - cloud palace

I love Billlie. They feel like LOONA's daughters TO ME. Very dreamy sounding, and cloud palace delivers more of the same sound that I am always missing now that they are gone. Both the remixes of this track are also worth listening to, but the single itself is my favorite.

i-dle (Feat. skaiwater) - Mono

This was... interesting. Not bad, but interesting. I can appreciate the message here. There's not a lot of k-pop celebrating sexuality and gender identity, but I just don't think this song was for me. I think I'll just stick with Lady Gaga.

So what are my final thoughts? Overall this month was pretty... okay. Definitely some anticipated releases for me and some surprises (good and bad). My favorite was definitely LATENCY's It Was Love, and I need them to release a full album tomorrow. Least favorite is KATSEYE's Internet Girl (no surprise). My new favorite is dodree's Just Like A Dream, who I also cannot wait to see more from.

I do kind of lament the state of boy groups right now. Most of what I listened to sounded very similar to each other, or it was the new EXO album. I don't want to be the old man that yells at a cloud, but the 4th/5th gen groups have just not been as good as what I have heard from 3rd gen and before. Surely, we can't have run out of talented singers? I'll still keep listening, in case there are groups that surprise me, like ZEROBASEONE did this month, but I'm definitely disappointed.

Hoping to get around to listening to older stuff next month as well if I can get my ass in gear so oomfs please don't be afraid to give me reccomendations.