Streaming forward | The Okay-pop calendar of 2025

Korean pop music, or Okay-pop, has continued its growth over the previous few years, and appears poised to rule 2025. Soloists and teams notched up spectacular achievements final 12 months, with Blackpink’s Rosé turning into the best charting feminine artist on the Billboard Scorching 100 (#5) and three Korean acts (Ateez, BTS’ Jin, and Enhypen) occupying the highest 10 on the Billboard 200 without delay.

With new teams debuting, contemporary albums introduced, tour dates dropping, and followers calculating potential live performance bills, 2025 guarantees quite a bit for the Okay-connoisseur.

Together with its leisure worth, Okay-pop incorporates distinctive firm buildings and alerts an attention-grabbing growth and demonstration of South Korea’s tender energy. Its fandoms are a cultural phenomenon unto themselves. With that in thoughts, Okay-pop in 2025 might important socio-cultural developments unrelated to the music itself.

A glimpse of this has already been seen in persevering with pro-democracy protests in opposition to Yoon Suk Yeol, which have acquired a singular flavour with the participation of Okay-pop followers. Koreans have used lightsticks of their favorite teams as protest symbols, whilst widespread Okay-pop requirements like Into The New World by Lady’s Era (SNSD) play throughout rallies.

File photograph: Protesters attend a rally calling for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial legislation, which was reversed hours later, close to the Nationwide Meeting in Seoul, South Korea, December 8, 2024.
| Picture Credit score:
Kim Kyung-Hoon

So the place is the world of Okay-pop headed this 12 months? We have a look at some important developments anticipated over the course of the 12 months.

BTS is reuniting

After finishing their army service, obligatory for all younger South Korean males, the seven members of the group Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) might be again in motion.

Kim Seok-jin (Jin), the primary to enlist, and the primary to be discharged on June 12, 2024, launched an album in November and is maintaining selection present appearances. Jung Hoseok (stage identify J-hope) was the second to be discharged in October has simply introduced the discharge of latest music in March, and is getting ready for a worldwide tour.

Okay-pop band BTS member J-Hope, heart, salutes as fellow member Jin holds microphones after being discharged from a compulsory army service exterior of a military base in Wonju, South Korea, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Picture/Ahn Younger-joon)

His first live performance might be held in Seoul, South Korea on the KSPO Dome on February 28. This tour will make him the second BTS member to tour solo, after Min Yoongi (who goes by the monikers Agust D and Suga) accomplished a well-received tour earlier than enlisting in 2023.

Announcement poster for J-hope’s international tour

As for the opposite members, lead Kim Namjoon (RM), Taehyung (V), Jungkook and Jimin are anticipated to be out of the army in June. The final member to finish his service might be Suga, who opted for different service as a social employee and is predicted to be out on June 25, 2025.

This 12 months additionally marks the ten 12 months anniversary of the landmark Hwayangyeonhwa (화양연화) (The Most Lovely Second in Life) sequence by the group, a bittersweet exploration of youth, and fan expectations run excessive for thematic extensions and new music releases. A tour in 2025-26 can also be on the playing cards.

File photograph: Members of Okay-Pop band BTS carry out on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ present in Central Park in New York Metropolis, U.S., Could 15, 2019.
| Picture Credit score:
Brendan McDermid

Blackpink: Lisa’s solo album and potential group comeback

YG Leisure, accountable for Blackpink’s group actions, introduced that an album and maybe a tour is within the works for the favored woman group, identified for its daring girl-crush idea and catchy tunes. Moreover, all of the members have ventured into solo work below totally different businesses, with some launching their very own labels.

Thai singer-rapper Lisa is releasing a full-length album referred to as Alter Ego on February 28, 2025 by way of her firm Lloud and RCA Data. There are additionally rumours of members Jennie and Jisoo releasing full musical tasks of their very own in 2025; Jisoo simply dropped an enigmatic trailer that includes the date February 14. Blackpink member Rosé put out her first full-length album Rosie on December 6, 2024; it was a runaway success, charting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Pre-release APT, a collab with Bruno Mars, continues to be charting on the Billboard Scorching 100, the place it peaked at no 5.

Performing tasks for Lisa (White Lotus Season 3) and Jisoo (Newtopia) are anticipated to premiere this 12 months as effectively.

GOT7 reunion

Third technology boy group GOT7, identified for hits like Laborious Carry, If You Do and Simply Proper, hasn’t launched a gaggle album since 2022. Now they return in time for his or her eleventh anniversary with an EP titled Winter Heptagon, which might be launched on January 20.

A promotional picture for GOT7’s upcoming album

Whereas the group has not been very lively after leaving their file label JYP Leisure in 2021 following the completion of a seven 12 months contract, the members have been lively as soloists. Members Jay B, Mark, Jackson Wang, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom have launched solo music and toured globally, with Jackson Wang even acting at Coachella in 2024.

Two members additionally made stops in India not too long ago. Whereas Jackson Wang carried out at Lollapalooza India in 2023, Thai rapper BamBam (Kunpimook Bhuwakul) was right here as a part of the KTown Competition in Mumbai in December.

Gfriend is again in motion

Gfriend followers, referred to as Buddies, have motive to rejoice in 2025. The six members of the woman group Gfriend have reunited to launch a particular album referred to as Season of Reminiscences for his or her tenth anniversary. The title observe Season of Reminiscences was launched on January 6, whereas its music video and the album itself dropped on January 13. The group carried out on the Golden Disk Awards and at music exhibits, and is predicted to carry just a few fan-meetings and concert events.

Followers had been dismayed when Gfriend, beloved in South Korea for hits equivalent to Tough, Time for the Moon Evening and Mago, immediately disbanded in Could 2021 after the completion of its first contract with Supply Music.

EXO might be collectively once more

After numerous group members being in army service since 2019, all members of the favored SM boy group EXO might be out this 12 months. Whereas member Kai is predicted to be discharaged in February, Sehun, who’s serving as a social service employee, would be the final member to be discharged, tentatively in September.

EXO put out an EP (Don’t Battle the Feeling, with an epynomous title observe) in 2021, and launched a studio album Exist in 2023, however promotions have featured lower than the entire 9 members. Members have, nonetheless, been lively as soloists. D.O launched his album Blossom in Could 2024, that includes the cheery Popcorn and Mars. and Baekhyun launched Hey, World, that includes the seductive Pineapple Slice, final September. In the meantime, Suho, Xiumin and Chen carried out in India on numerous dates in November-December 2024— the primary time any members from EXO held a live performance in India.

Seventeen subunits are releasing music

The extremely widespread group Seventeen had a profitable 2024, and now subunits of its members are again to please the general public. BSS, comprised of DK, Seungkwan and Hoshi, put out their second single album Teleparty on January 8, 2025, together with title observe CBZ (Primetime). BSS expands to BooSeokSoon, a portmanteau of the names of all three members— Boo for Boo Seungkwan, Seok for Lee Seok-min (DK), and Quickly for Kwon Quickly-young (Hoshi).

In the meantime, rumours have emerged that Hooshi and Woozi (Lee Ji-Hoon), each born in 1996, could have a comeback as a subunit later this 12 months.

In style artists are releasing new music

Chart-topping woman group IVE, identified for hits like Love Dive and HEYA, will launch its third EP Empathy on February 3. They’ve put out a cinematic trailer for the EP, and dropped pre-release single Insurgent Coronary heart on January 13.

Thai artist Minnie, who’s a member of woman energy group G-idle, will launch her first solo mini album Her on January 21. She has already dropped the pre-release single Blind Eyes Purple, on January 7.

ZEROBASEONE, a buoyant and boyish group shaped by way of a televised competitors titled Boys Planet, has acquired its personal legion of devoted followers, or Zeroses, who might be trying ahead to the group’s first Japanese EP Prezent on January 29.

Different bands, together with CIX and ONEUS, even have releases on the playing cards.

NewJeans and ADOR/Hybe authorized tangle

Hearings in a number of instances pertaining to a dispute between star rookie group New Denims and their firm ADOR/Hybe have kicked off in January 2025. The court docket proceedings are being adopted with intense curiosity by these curious in regards to the company machinations of k-pop. Defamation, plagiarism accusations, mistreatment allegations, a contract dispute and a prison investigation are all a part of a sophisticated authorized tangle.

Members of South Korean Okay-Pop group NewJeans attend a press convention to declare contract termination with the band’s label citing a number of causes together with unfair remedy, in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.
| Picture Credit score:
Ahn Younger-joon

Reactions from followers and netizens to the extended dispute, which kicked off with an inner audit by Korean leisure conglomerate Hybe of its sub-label ADOR in April 2024, have ranged from assist for the alleged mistreatment of the group to questions in regards to the validity of the claims and considerations over ex-ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin’s function within the matter.

Bystanders are watching the trajectory of NewJeans with curiosity; they rapidly shot to fame each at residence and overseas with songs like Consideration, Hype Boy and Ditto after their debut in 2022 because the second girl-group below Hybe, the mum or dad firm for BTS and Seventeen, amongst others.

New teams are debuting

The Okay-field is huge and continues to broaden at dizzying pace. Already this 12 months, JYP has launched a brand new boy group referred to as Kickflip, which launched its first album on January 6, 2025. Now SM has introduced the debut of a brand new woman group referred to as Heart2Heart. Supply Music, YG, and Pledis Leisure are additionally anticipated to debut new teams.

Extra army enlistments

Army enlistment is ready to quickly declare extra members of widespread Okay-pop teams in 2025. Seventeen member Hoshi is predicted to enlist over the course of the 12 months, becoming a member of bandmate Jeonghan who’s already within the army.

Doyoung of NCT may even be part of his bandmates Taeyong and Jaehyun for obligatory army service. Whereas Taeyong is already serving within the Navy, and is predicted to be launched in December, Jaehyun is serving within the Military band and might be out subsequent 12 months.

South Korean Okay-Pop singer Kang Daniel poses for a photograph name throughout 2024 Seoulcon APAN Star Awards at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Picture/Ahn Younger-joon)

Kang Daniel, soloist and ex-member of the mission group WANNAONE, can also be anticipated to enlist quickly.