Author: Rahul M

Get ready for a new single from Kang Daniel! On September 1 at midnight KST, Kang Daniel surprised fans by announcing his plans to release a new single later this week. The singer will be returning with the digital single “NO DAY” on September 3 at 6 p.m. KST, and you can check out his first teaser for the song below! Watch Kang Daniel’s documentary film “KANG DANIEL: MY PARADE” on Viki below: Watch Now

ガルバト -GIRLS BATTLE AUDITION Contestants Profile and Factsガルバト -GIRLS BATTLE AUDITION (ガルバトオーディション), also known simply as GIRLS BATTLE (ガルバト), is a Japanese girl group audition project managed by the company LDH JAPAN, and produced by Sato Harumi. The show features 26 contestants and began airing on Nippon TV and Hulu on August 23, 2025, at 2:30 PM (JST). The final group will be managed by LDH JAPAN.Show Premise:After the disbandment of E-girls in 2020, Sato Harumi , driven by her desire to pass on their spirit and skills, directly approached EXILE HIRO to launch a new girl group. With the…

Just three months after their first-ever comeback, KickFlip is already gearing up for another return! On September 1 at midnight KST, the rookie boy group from JYP Entertainment announced the date and details for their upcoming comeback later this month. KickFlip will be returning with their third mini album, “My First Flip,” on September 22 at 6 p.m. KST. In addition to announcing their comeback date, KickFlip has released a music video teaser for their upcoming song “Band-Aid,” along with blurred image previews of the different versions of “My First Flip.” Check them all out below!

It took awhile before members of Twice embarked on solo careers, but we’re now at a stage of their career where that feels like an appropriate extension of their brand. I can’t say I have any particular allegiance toward one member or another, but Nayeon’s solo work has been most suited to my pop-loving taste. Next on the docket is Chaeyoung, whose debut album is scheduled for September. Prior to unveiling that project, she’s teased us with pre-release Avocado. Someone needs to study how and why K-pop has become so much slower and subdued these past couple of years —…

ILLIT made a sneaky Japanese debut with a soundtrack song, though their 2024 mega-hit Magnetic was also omnipresent in Japan. Like fellow HYBE artists TWS and BOYNEXTDOOR, their sound feels tailor-made for J-pop so it’s nice to hear them leaning into that on new single Toki Yo Tomare. After being somewhat hesitant about ILLIT last year, I fully boarded the train with this June’s Do The Dance. The group functions much better in a frothy, upbeat soundscape with higher tempos and sugary hooks. Thankfully, Toki Yo Tomare builds on this approach. While it misses the addictive French house influence of…

Each time Stray Kids release a new album, they tend to film music videos for multiple tracks. As my interest in their music has waned over time, I haven’t always written about these follow up songs — especially now that I have a weekly post where I can spotlight any notable b-sides. Album opener BLEEP (삐처리) was not among those spotlighted b-sides, though it seems to be a favorite of many fans. By now, you all know that one of my least favorite aspects about Stray Kids’ songs is their reliance on novelty and schtick. This is not unique to…

Stray Kids has snagged a fourth music show trophy for “CEREMONY”! On the August 31 episode of SBS’s “Inkigayo,” the candidates for first place were Stray Kids’ “CEREMONY,” aespa’s “Dirty Work,” and ALLDAY PROJECT’s “FAMOUS.” Stray Kids ultimately took the win with a total of 5,804 points. Congratulations to Stray Kids! Watch their performance, win, and full encore below: Other performers on today’s show included IVE, Sunmi, CORTIS, TEEN TOP, Kep1er, Red Velvet’s Joy, Jeon Somi, AB6IX, AtHeart, iii, idntt, MADEIN S, AMPERS&ONE, Juniel, 8TURN, Queenz Eye, and Jo Jung Min. Check out their performances below! IVE – “XOXZ” Sunmi…

At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. August 2025 Overall Thoughts In the immortal words of BABYMONSTER: “Sheesh!” Based on recent history, I’ve decided the month of August is either feast or famine for K-pop. If you were curious how the past few years have stacked up, here’s what I’ve got: 2020: Famine (ish)2021: Feast!2022: Major Feast!2023: Feast!2024: Famine2025: Major Famine… If my somewhat arbitrary pattern holds up,…

Each week, I’ll be taking a listen to the newest K-pop releases and giving my thoughts. Check back frequently for new reviews and commentary on everything K-Pop! Where to Buy K-Pop Albums Online Top 3 K-Pop Songs of August 2025 BEST OF 2024 MASTERPOST

In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in what’s new in J-pop. With that in mind, here’s where you come in: I’m one person with one set of musical preferences, so please embed any other new J-pop tracks you’ve enjoyed in the comments so we can get a fuller spectrum each week. *And…