Best K-pop Songs of 2025

Tamar Herman

06 Jan 2026 — 16 min read

Over the past twelve months, K-pop has been fascinating to witness for what it’s turning into and what it’s reacting to. I think this year truly belonged to rookie groups, with many rising acts really getting their presence known in a moment when many more senior acts didn’t necessarily release music, or didn’t release music that really captured attention or the zeitgeist.

When it came to one stand-out act… I felt that this year was the year when NMIXX really defined their sense of self, and presence, in the industry, and made anyone who wasn’t already in love with their music take note and listen.

This list is a bit late, because I’ve honestly really struggled with K-pop’s musicality in 2025: this was simply not my personal favorite year for K-pop on the music front. I don’t really know if I have a single true Song of the Year, but there were songs I enjoyed more than others, so I’ve rounded them up here based on both their universally-accepted artistic merits and how much I enjoyed them personally.

One theme that became apparent as I wrote was that this year felt like there was more of a sense of momentum, and danceability moving music. There were many tracks that feel like they were crafted particularly for clubs and partying rather than built around idol's performing, and I can't help but wonder if this is a five-year-later reaction to COVID lockdowns, or just everyone dancing away as the world feels terribly bleak.

Another trend was rock's influence on K-pop artists this year, with more than a handful of these tracks incorporating elements from various subgenres. What that says about the industry, I'm not sure, but it's probably something to do with all the nostalgia flying around.

A third trend, and the one that irritates me immensely, is that even many of the very best songs felt too short, and underbaked. It is so clear that in the era of short videos and curated playlisting running songs into one another, creatives are being told to create bite-sized tracks and we're hearing so many musical ideas that never are given the chance to get fleshed out to their true breadth. While small canvases can feature great art, it often just feels like most songs run out of space before they barely get started. Going back to NMIXX, it feels like they're the rare act where short songs are so tightly produced, so pristinely planned, that even short songs feel well-formed. Length isn't really the problem for most songs, as much as the approach. I hope A&R departments are taking note.

As this is my newsletter, please enjoy some of my Personal Favorites as this year’s Best of K-pop, and don't get too offended if your favorite artists aren't there: your tastes are yours, and mine are mine, and that's so wonderful. I also may be featuring some of those faves in an upcoming Albums list, but, again, please don't take these lists too seriously if you don't agree with them. For one thing, because different tastes are great! But for another, because I don't believe I have very good taste and often feel lacking when writing technically about music, so trust yourself over me.

Every year I start it by saying I'll write more about music and flex my creative muscles more, but another year has passed and I am yet again still stressing about whether or not people like my silly newsletter song blurbs. Thanks for reading, always, and I hope music helps you get through some of the rough times life puts before you. I hope to bring more music your way in 2026. For now, here are

The Best K-pop Songs of 2025

30. Allday Project - One More Time

Nostalgia is most certainly in, and ALLDAY PROJECT, the new co-ed crew from The Black Label, really leaned into nostalgia with "One More Time" by throwing things back to an earlier era of Korean pop music when mixed gendered teams thrived. It's not quite as vibrantly disco-dance as Koyote's style, but it feels like a Teddy updated version of what a classic K-pop co-ed act can look like, with more euphoric EDM, but still exuberantly danceable drum and bass.

29. BOYNEXTDOOR - If I Say, I Love You

Throughout the year, BND convinced me of both their talent and their charm, winning me over with each new release. But "If I Say, I Love You", which dropped on January 6, set everything in motion and and took the chill off the wintery air. It's a cute, if not downright cheesy, love confessional with peppy bubblegum pop-rock with a bit of funk that leaves behind a feeling of youthful and heartwarming first love.

fromis_9 - Like You Better

Sometimes all you need is a boisterous, effusive pop song that builds and soars into a rousing chorus, and "Like You Better" is just that to the point it probably should be mentioned under the dictionary definition of "Summer Pop Song". It's big, bold, and infectious with its feeling of glittering synths and rousing spirit. I read several reviews after it came out that compared this to Carly Rae Jepsen, and not necessarily the most fromis_9-feeling track, and I agree to both of those things but...CRJ is great, and so is fromis_9, so the blending of their styles is a sheer joy.

CORTIS - What You Want

Tapping into all the trendiest of sounds of the zeitgeist, CORTIS rapidly captured a lot of attention for the high energy of their hits "GO" and "FaSHioN". While their music has generally spurred a lot of renewed conversations about musical influences and emulation of K-pop, it was the grunge indie rock of "What You Want" that caught my attention. Like a perfect slice of yesteryear's coming of age films, it ushered in the debut of these K-pop sk8er bois reverbing their way through teenage angst. In the era when retro wins, this is a medal-worthy update of some old sounds.

Red Velvet Irene & Seulgi - Tilt

Seulrene know their power, and glory in it just as they should in "Tilt". The track creates tension by blending lush synths and the duo's versatile voices, swirling around each other as if they're a pair of diva butterflies in different modulations, showing off for one another. The powerful, yet repetitive, chorus "Tilt Tilt Tilt" is fun on the first few listens, and stays in the ear for ages once the song is over, but feels like it almost puts a stop to everything the duo is doing. It makes me almost wish there was a chorus-less track to listen to sometimes, just to be able to relish in their back-and-forth.

25. Le Sserafim - Spaghetti feat. j-hope

For over a decade now, usually in English-language spaces when discussing K-pop you'd hear the term "experimental" all the time, because it felt like K-pop production always wanted to push things forward and have fun with production. In recent years, that's become a bit lackluster as trends have become more about matching Western listeners' palettes, except for a few standout moments. But "Spaghetti" feels like it's hit that sweet spot of blending over the top production and having fun with a performance in a way few acts are doing. This, and Katseye's "Gnarly", feel like a trend that Hybe (or at least some folks in A&R), are favoring, which gives me hope for the future of a more fun and reinvigorated K-pop musical scene.

24. Meovv - Hands Up

There's always one powerful Teddy-written girl group track that flies up charts and into the place of the brain where earworms live. "Hands Up" is almost a prototypical girl crush song, or maybe a World Cup anthem as it dabbles with some upbeat funk, but is elevated by the richness of the members' voices: the beat and scratching synth whistles drive the song, but ultimately play second fiddle to the human voice. It ultimately all comes together and is transmuted when the titular phrase's repetition is autotuned into a near-instrumental in the finale.

23. Seulgi - Better Dayz

Like the long lost sister of Red Velvet's darker moments tracks, Seulgi's "Better Dayz" is like an audible nightmare wrapped up in a cozy blanket during a thunderstorm. Presenting a soundscape that feels both forceful and tantalizing, resonating bass demands attention as Seulgi's words provoke with come-hither breathy verses, bold belts, and creeping distortion. This variety of singing is presented across a tune that doesn't really ever stop developing, with new instrumentals, rhythms, and genres appearing every few moments. "Lies, I give you lies / beautiful, beautiful lies" she sings in the chorus, before a reset and change in style. It feels like perhaps that line is a taunt about the song itself, one that is always beautiful but never quite honest about the path it's taking as it captivates the ear with fakeouts before closing with the echoing "Good things all come to an end".

22. izna - Sign

Any of several izna songs belong on everyone's playlists, but "Sign" wins its place among the best for interplay between the lyrics and the music that I really love "You make it feel like spring break / You shake me up like an earthquake" sings Sarang, and by the end of the song it truly feels like going back and forth between the melodic, sweet blooming days of first love, or spring break soundtracked by tinny guitar, and the passion and drama of an earth-shattering experience wrapped in bold hooks.

Enhypen - Flashover

Future bass has its time and place, and Enha approach it with the perfect sense of restraint and drama in "Flashover". Barely two minutes long, funky strings and a clapping beat lead "Flashover" as we hear sweet, impassioned falsetto. Then the beat drop arrives, and distorted vocals upset and then reset the dynamic. Here's to hoping we get an extended version someday soon.

20. SHINee - Poet | Artist

Dreamy and invigorating electro-pop drives "Poet | Artist", released around SHINee's 17th anniversary. You might, before your first listen, think that this is a song dedicated to their career, or simply a return to form after nearly two years without any music as a group. And while it is that, it's not necessarily a new song, but something kept waiting for the right moment: it is in fact a song co-written and prepared by Jonghyun for his ultimately posthumous album of the same name (released in 2018 without this track).

Upon listening, it feels like it is a song that both reflects SHINee's artistry throughout their career, as well as the place he still has in the act. Featuring vocals from Jonghyun alongside the other members – who actively emulated his style while recording the track – it's an emotional tribute, and feels like a glorious celebration of life even when there is a loss.

TWICE - Mars

All hail the glorious synth-pop decadence that is TWICE's "Mars". In a year of evolution and maturation for the group, and the likes of "Takedown" at Lollapalooza and Tzuyu's bra going viral at the Victoria's Secret fashion show, this is a show of TWICE at their very most classically girly pop. "Mars" is as vibrant as it is twinkling, like they're gently settling down on a pit stop at the red planet while the nonet are aiming for the edge's of the solar system as they seek their next journey. It's groovy and upbeat, and feels like a sprinkling of joy.

18. ifeye - r u ok?

Even if this song only made the list because I constantly repeat the sing-talk "run kitty run run" in my head when me coworkers are talking about their cats, it'd be worth it. But 2025 rookies ifeye proved that they were ones to watch with their debut single "Nerdy" then dropped a future house check-in with "r u ok?". The song draws from a variety of different musical cultures and genres, opening with Spanish lyrics then interweaves bhangra and reggaeton through glitchy effects and twisty-turning one liners. You really need to listen to this song on different pairs of headphones multiple times before getting everything, and then listen some more.

Jin - With the Clouds

There's something delightfully poignant about the soft rock whimsy of Jin's "With the Clouds". Like the title in Korean, "구름과 떠나는 여행", or "traveling with clouds", it comes across like a melodic roadtrip with Jin's alternating sweetness and dependability. Like how clouds can be soft and fluffy white on a bright blue day, or gray and grim, denoting a storm to come, "With the Clouds" weaves in and out of varied intensity levels as Jin's tender tone soars across the track he wrote with Adora, Pdogg, and Yojiro Noda of Radwimps, a crew of songwriters that simply makes so much sense it'd be a great think if we see them reunite collaboratively in the near future.

16. Yuta - Get Out Of My Mind

When NCT's Yuta delved deep into the J-rock scene in recent years, it felt like such a match made in heaven that it was as if he was fulfilling some millenia-old prophecy. K-pop and rock don't always go hand-in-hand, but increasingly we're seeing different soloists try their hand at it. Most are veering more towards classic rock or more British in style, but Yuta's going fullblown emo and metal, though not (yet?) full-blown visual kei. "Get Out of My Mind" is that ultimate angst track that solitary creatures and those of us who feel like we're constantly seeing the end of the world as we know it can relate to. Is there any more of a 2025 lyric than a declaration of "Gotta say, this world is such a scam". Yes, yes it is.

15. Hearts2Hearts - The Chase

As a debut song, many people criticized "The Chase" from Hearts2Hearts, the first SM girl group since aespa arrived with "Black Mamba" in 2020. "The Chase" is practically the opposite of a bold K-pop debut: it's restrained, and ephemeral. It's that sense that keeps it breathing fresh air into itself time and time again, as each listen unveils a new tiny facet that you have to seek out and chase after like a leaf in the wind. Its a synth playground of delights with its twinkling, hip-popping production, that at first seems built on simple harmonies and deadpan singsong raps, but "pops like candy" and subtly draws the listener in in the most captivating of ways. "The Chase" may ostensibly be about love, but perhaps it's also about chasing its depths.

14. Tablo x RM - Stop the Rain

Whenever I listen to "Stop the Rain", part of me never wants RM and Tablo to talk to one another ever again for their own emotional wellbeing. It feels like they both feel too much, know too much, and are like two magnets attracting one another and the shared fates they've avoided by growing stronger and songwriting through it. This song's sonically simple, but it hurts and pulls at the heartstrings as the pair layout their trauma for the world in a lo-fi way, finding, and offering, solace in togetherness. Although not technically an Epik High song, it feels like a classic, joining the canon of "Let It Rain", "Umbrella", and the very meta "Rain Song", in the "Epik High playlist of sad songs to seek comfort in when it feels like every day is a little bit drizzly".

13. Seventeen - Thunder

There's something oh-so satisfying about an exuberant, but campy, banger being driven in circles around a steady whistling hook. It blatantly opens and closes out the song, but never quite disappears, looping its high-pitched breeze below the swaggering celebratory track that is "Thunder" and all its EDM braggadocio. As a tenth-anniversary single, it feels like it brings together the brashness of many of Seventeen's latest movements, while still making space for having fun in a very Seventeen sort of way.

12. Ten - Stunner

Ever since he enthralled us all with "Dream in a Dream" way back in 2017, it became clear that Ten has the charisma and skill to win over the entire world if he's given the chance. As love personified in the funk of "Stunner" he pushes and pulls at attraction and accolades with harmonious croons, alluring falsettos, taunting raps. The pre-chorus's rising spiral delivery is a masterclass on Ten's part, fitting a production that feels sharp and – yes – stunning, as it draws Ten's intensity and artistic soul to the forefront.

Le Sserafim - So Cynical (Badum)

Although "Ash" may generally be considered the superior HOT B-side, and I too love it, I have spent the year haunted by the infectious badum of "So Cynical". Co-written by Ejae, yes, that Ejae, there's a haunting charm to "So Cynical (Badum)", which is somehow both anxiety inducing and soothing as it moves between being richly sensual and a bit restrained, but altogether presenting a sense of boldness as Le Sserafim urge listeners to not be afraid and to chase the love that maybe feels so far out of their reach that there's no point chasing it. But through the track they make it clear: It's easy to be cynical, it's difficult to ba-ba-ba-dum.

10. BLACKPINK - Jump

I wrote about this song for NME's end of year K-pop list, so won't be writing another blurb because it feels redundant. You can find this and the rest of the list here.

This is what I wrote: "After several years MIA, BLACKPINK returned with panache with the club-ready ‘Jump’, which finds the ever-charismatic quartet leaping across propulsive horns and beats in hardstyle glory. There’s a visceral sense of movement as the track progresses towards the entrancing outro, as the girl group crank up the bass to earth-shattering levels to keep you on the dancefloor."

9. Dayoung - Body

I wrote a whole piece about why "Body" was the song of the summer, even if it came out in September, and I think it comes down to ultimately the fact that Dayoung first and foremost understands pop really well. As a member of Cosmic Girls, she performed some of the most symphonic and sleek music coming out of K-pop in the mid aughts, and had her chance for a gimmicky, nostalgia pop as the WJSN Chocome unit. There's a bit of the same captivation and charisma in "Body" – especially with the scattering of synths that feel like a nod to the WJSN canon – while vacillating between bouncy beats and some chiller moments that feel all at once very 2025 while having timeless pop appeal. A momentous effort on Dayoung's part helped get the word out about this song, and it became one of the brightest moments for K-pop this year.

8. Yeji - Invasion

Although the album and title song were called Air, "Invasion" opens up feeling like a real breath of fresh air, with vocals that come across light and breezy even when they're forcefully blending in overlay to declare their presence. "Invasion" feels like a track awash in the many facets of Yeji's artistry, with an interplay between near-whisper lightness and more forceful, echoing declarations. The song's production is absolutely gorgeous, with bass, a hint of funk, and classic Y2k electronica weaving into her voice as she declares how she's changing and growing, ending off on a sweet, barrier-breaking belt towards the finale. Get it on the Princess Diaries 3 soundtrack, Disney.

7. ARTMS - Goddess

Nothing feels so quite 2025 as the frenzied, hauntingly off-kilter aesthetic of ARTMS's "Goddess". It's like the hazy drunken dance scene from every teen drama brought to life in the most captivating of ways. This, seemingly intentionally, isn't a song I'd pass over to someone to show off ARTM'S's vocal belts, but rather their versatility: it's almost like a hint to the power they hold within them, musically, as glitchy pulses and hazy distortion of the lyrics duel with the melody, as if each singer is fighting their way to burst forth and free the "Goddess" within.

6. Monsta X - Tuscan Leather

Monsta X's long-awaited post-military return finally ended in earnest when they released The X in September. If you had told me in August that the final part of the year would have been dominated in my heart by a singular moment of a song, I probably wouldn't have bet on a Kihyun-Wonho back-and-forth chorus from a Monsta X b-side but in retrospect it checks out: this song is such a classic Monsta X moment, wrapping impassioned love declarations in swaggering raps and funky seductions. Sometimes, you just need a really good boy band track to get you through the day, and "Tuscan Leather" is just as addicting as the titurlar perfume.

6. KATSEYE - Gnarly

The impact of "Gnarly" on Katseye's career is immense, with the overt tackiness – or gnarliness – and its crass lyrics paired with deadpan serious deliveries setting the group up perfectly to release the now-Grammy-nominated "Gabriela". But the Internet, and I, love a song that doesn't take itself too seriously, and in 2025 the satirical brashness and bombast of "Gnarly" is truly the shit. The members' delivery of each line as if it is both the most serious thing they've ever said is one huge beautiful hyperpop joke.

4. ATEEZ - Lemon Drop

"Lemon Drop" feels like the sexy, matured answer of ATEEZ responding towards their earlier summertime track, "Wave". If that early track feels like a refreshing cool breeze on a hot day, "Lemon Drop" is the longest night of the year, with heat sweltering as passion ignites. The tantalizing verses push-and-pull against thirsty trap and reggae beats, surging towards the come-hither rhythms of the booze-fuelled chorus that promises a night full of passion.

3. NMIXX - High Horse

I wrote about this song for NME's end of year K-pop list, so won't be writing another blurb because it feels redundant. You can find this and the rest of the list here.

This is what I wrote: "An elegant trip-hop track built around a deceptively simple piano melody, ‘High Horse’ is driven by the harmonious, powerful voices of the girl group’s six members as they shift between soft balladry to lilting deadpan to rousing belts that stir the soul. NMIXX’s name represents their ability to blend different styles of music to create something unique, and ‘High Horse’ is a masterwork of their craft."

2. Haechan - Adrenaline

With his first solo album TASTE, Haechan of NCT, NCT 127, and NCT Dream put his own personal musical preferences front and center: this man has been forthright in his devotion as a fan of R&B artists and Michael Jackson since he first debuted as a teenager, and you can hear those influences across his album. The standout track "Adrenaline" is rich in warmth as the singer's voice weaves over itself in echoing lushness, with some huskiness, above clapping stomps and heartbeat-evoking rhythms. He switches off between falsettos and sing-talk raps seamlessly, with the heart of each chorus feeling like a spark to the nervous system.

1. JustB - Chest

The infectious, glitchy EDM glory of "Chest" is the standout K-pop song of 2025, mixing up a whirlwind of tension both musically and lyrically.

From the very first synths sliding against what sounds like a steady, high-pitched piano beat, there's a sense this is a song full of sweet, tender passion and frenzied, desperate energy in the glitchiest of timelines. "Chest" pushes audibly towards a fog lit dance floor, shoving its way forward with dynamic beats and bold melodies as the members alternate between comforting seduction and total desperation: "You are the one I can't forget/ 'Cause for you I will be undead /Come take my soul away, that's all I have left /When I come home, you can sleep on my chest". Yes, please.

JustB had a big year this year, largely due to the raised awareness of the group after member Bain courageously came out as gay while touring, but their music has always been worth listening to, and "Chest" is the best from them yet. I hope they can have a repeat performance next year, and keep creating good, addicting music.