rolling kpop 2026

First thing I've liked this year is Apink's retro flute jam "Love Me More"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2os26sMjOg

I had been looking forward to the CHUU album but it didn't make much of an impression.

love how apink keeps plugging away even as all their 2nd/3rd gen peers have disbanded/retired, one of the most underrated discographies in kpop

i will try to keep up a bit more this year, though I've already missed out on January.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qkpcLK422o

almost fantastic, everything is there except the hook just isn't quite big enough

totally agree - great composition and sound design (and rapping!), but the hook is a real drag. thank you for sharing

That Bang Bang is #2 and this KiiiKiii is #1 in Korea right now. Pretty propulsive stuff at the top of the charts, but prefer the KiiiKiii

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhHB4dZTChw

wow that kinda rules

yeah love that. great video too

similar vibe, though it's not as strong as their singles from last year imo:

Hearts2Hearts - RUDE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7sGJVUrkjQ

Yeah it's cute but a bit slight. But we're seeing some sort of trend this year.

The new ATEEZ album has one good song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqkfEUqjl6Y

what is going on where jpegmafia of all people has a credit on the new bts album lol

very fun and energetic in an old school kpop way

YENA - "Catch Catch"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItSKahBISg0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a90HBQs3FU

hyoyeon from snsd's new single is intense

That's pretty good though a bit too short and repetitive.

propulsive club bangers all over kpop this year. See also:

NMIXX - “TIC TIC (feat. Pabllo Vittar)”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tkjwhhYIFU

really love the instrumental of this synthpop track from Itzy's Yuna, but the song itself is a bit meh, wish they did more with the chorus

YUNA - "Ice Cream"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0FwbTiD3iA

Former Kiss of Life creative director and talent show contestant Lee Haein is both a member and the overall producer (through her own label) of this new 'virtual' group. It's not a sinister AI thing, in fact all the members identities are known and apparently they'll be themselves later on in the group's life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7OhGsGbaM4

catchy songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9q7NoOQHIo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBx08M4cDME

the proportions of the characters in that owis video are so uncanny, like everyone's neck is slightly too long or something?

lots of choices to be made, I guess, since their 3D models also have to work for live streams and such

The first single off T.O.P's debut (his first solo release in over a decade/since leaving BigBang) was disappointingly boring but the album itself is a great listen - deeply personal and idiosyncratic and recognisably T.O.P, addressing everything from his drug scandal to his blacklisting from the industry.

There isn't anything on it as immediately arresting as "Doom Dada" but it's just great hearing something out of kpop that is so clearly the product of a singular vision and that isn't interested in chasing current pop trends.

This is one of the better songs, basically processing his grief from leaving Big Bang and the loss of identity that came with it. and for us old school kpop hags, bonus points for featuring the gorgeous Nana from After School/Orange Caramel in his videos too:

T.O.P. - "Studio54"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfaybWG25D4

TOP's absence was felt but BIGBANG's coachella set was a nice reminder of what a force these guys are, this energy has been so badly missed all those years they were away.

also only a BB member would be ballsy enough to perform two Korean trot songs on that stage (and absolutely killed it in the process)