K-POP HOTSPOT: February 2023 Comebacks And Debuts Roundup

Hello, honey bees who have a taste for the best honey, aka K-POP. It is time for another installment of your favorite THP feature – our K-POP HOTSPOT. February is the month of love and celebration! Of course, a lot happened this last month, from debuts to comebacks and more, so this K-POP roundup is packed as per usual! Before we dive in, make sure to check out the comebacks we already covered, such as E’LAST, STAYC, PURPLE KISS, SHINee KEY, pretty havoc., BSS, TNX, THE BOYZ, STRAY KIDS, TNX, WOODZ, LUCY, and FIFTY FIFTY.

Before we get into it, though, let us just tell you one of our fave boys is going on tour soon! SHAUN is finally taking his music across the US and Canada on the On The Road tour, and you can purchase tickets here and here! So be there with us or be square is all we are saying. That’s all for tour news, though… just one, but very impactful!

For another exciting announcement, one of our favorite girl groups, aka aespa, just released something revolutionary! They teamed up with PAPER MAGAZINE and THE DEMATERIALISED to release a digital capsule collection you can try on and enjoy! Intrigued? Us, too – let’s check it all out here. We know this is about to make a lot of noise!

Okay, we are done, promise! Now, let’s get into many more amazing comebacks and debuts from February.

EPIK HIGH

Our kings Epik High turn the page to a new chapter of their lives with their latest release, Strawberry. And we’re living for this new era! From the lo-fi ‘Strawberry’ instrumentals to Jackson and Hwasa’s features, Strawberry is simply epic! ‘Catch’ featuring Hwasa is filled with vibes, and ‘God’s Latte’ is another one of our favorites from this album. Epik High’s lyrics and composition are unmatched, and the world should know this by now!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EPIK HIGH:
FACEBOOK | TABLO INSTAGRAM | MITHRA INSTAGRAM | TUKUTZ INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

HA SUNGWOON

Even while he’s in the military, Ha Sungwoon has released a new digital single as a gift to his fans! ‘Snowy Stars’ is a sweet R&B track paired with his angelic vocals and a piano melody that’s suitable for the cold winter. And the message is even sweeter the more we listen to it! Through this song, he says that he’ll stay by our side even when we’re far apart. (BRB, we’re going to cry in the corner.)

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HA SUNGWOON: 
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

NCT DREAM

This past month, NCT Dream treated us to a new Japanese album, and it makes us feel like their ‘Best Friend Ever.’ We were thrown back to NCT Dream’s beginnings with the sound of this new song, as we got all the melodies and youthful fun that made us fall in love with the boys in the first place. In our book, this comeback was a total success.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NCT DREAM:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

HAN DONGGEUN

Han Donggeun is back with ‘Without Me,’ AKA another beautiful ballad we’ll be replaying from our in-our-feels playlist! The song is about remembering someone on their birthday after a breakup (their first birthday without you). It’s a bittersweet moment trying to wish them well while you still miss them. And even though you parted ways, you can’t help but wonder if they’re spending this birthday happily with someone else. Han Donggeun’s beautiful vocals always bring us to tears, especially after we read the lyrics to ‘Without Me.’

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAN DONGGEUN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

TRIPLES

TripleS have made their much-anticipated debut with their mini-album, Assemble. And we just have to say: it’s been a long time since we’ve fallen in love with a group so quickly! The title track, ‘Rising,’ is phenomenal and so fun to watch. The b-sides are all solid tracks, especially ‘Beam,’ ‘Colorful,’ and ‘New Look.’ We’ll be keeping up with these talented girls from now on! You’ll understand once you take a listen.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TRIPLES:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | WEBSITE

TRI.BE

TRI.BE are back with their second mini-album, W.A.Y (We Are Young), and it’s a stellar comeback! How could we expect anything less from these girls? The title track, ‘We Are Young,’ is super catchy, and it’s definitely a party anthem! Tthe b-side ‘Witch’ is one of our favorites on the EP by far, and the performance video only seals the deal for us. TRI.BE even choreographed their routine for ‘Witch,’ showing just how multi-talented they are!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TRI.BE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

ALEXA x JUST B

A collab between JUST B and AleXa wasn’t something we would’ve even dared to dream of – and here we are. ‘MBTI’ combines AleXa and Just B’s charisma and talent to create a youthful, sweet, bright song. This one is fun yet chill and sweet. The combination of this boy group with one of our favorite solo artists is just perfect and brings something refreshing to the table. ‘MBTI’ is the perfect example of why collabs in K-Pop are just superior and why we need more of them. This being the first part of JUST Be with you only makes us more excited for what’s next.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JUST B:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALEXA:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

ONF HYOJIN

The day is almost here! Only a couple of months until we get ONF back. And while we wait, Hyojin gave us the greatest gift: a new song. Words cannot express just how much we missed his powerful sweet and unique voice. ‘Love Things’ is a beautiful ballad and the perfect comfort song. This is perfect to keep us together until ONF comes back.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONF:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

BRAVE GIRLS

It’s the end of an era, and Brave Girls’ farewell song, ‘Goodbye,’ has us in tears at their disbandment, especially with the compilation of photoshoots and behind-the-scenes clips. The soft piano paired with Brave Girls’ emotional vocals make for a perfect ending, however sudden it felt. Thank you to Minyoung, Yujeong, Eunji, and Yuna for giving us bops and great memories all these years, and we wish them the best!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BRAVE GIRLS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

LIMELIGHT

We’ve been seeing so many incredible comebacks and debuts this month, and Limelight’s debut is certainly one of those! The trio’s debut EP, Love & Happiness, has been on replay since its release. The title track, ‘Honestly,’ gives us those romantic summer vibes we’ve been craving for months now. And we were pleasantly surprised with a cameo from iKON’s Jinhwan in the music video! The two b-sides, ‘Blanc Noir’ and ‘Crystal,’ are equally impressive, and it’s impossible for us to pick our favorite track!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIMELIGHT:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

N.SSIGN

We didn’t expect to be so hooked on a PRE-debut mini-album, but here we are! n.SSign’s Salty is truly amazing from start to finish, especially the title track ‘Salty.’ It’s groovy, the harmonies are heavenly, and we were vibing the whole time. (We aren’t kidding!) These boys are bound to make us stan, so we’ve already accepted our fate before their official debut. You’ll join us soon enough!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT N.SSIGN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

CLASS:Y

Class:y finally released more original Japanese music for us! With their first single, Target, and the title song of the same name, they offered us more of their bop-worthy music. ‘Target’ combines everything we love about the girls’ music. Melody, vocals, and high energy! We are so excited about each and every Class:y release and can’t wait for what else is to come this year.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASS:Y:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

HAWW

Okay, K-poppies, we got another stellar debut on our hands here! The group HAWW (Heal All The World Wide) finally made their debut last month with their first mini album, HOW R U, and the title song ‘How Are You.’ And what can we say… the song is super healing. The boys really know how to make a slow banger and make it sound so good and smooth. The vocals in this track are absolutely insane, and we can’t stop listening if we are being honest!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAWW:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

PARK WOOJIN

We can’t believe it but one of our favorite Wanna One members, and now Ab6ix rapper, Park Woojin finally made his solo debut this last month. The idol dropped ‘Top Tier’ along with an entire EP called oWn. Woojin really outdid himself with this, because ‘Top Tier’ is exactly that and so much more. The rap parts hit hard, and when the more melodic chorus, hits we are levitating! We also spied a little Wanna One reunion on ‘Self-Portrait,’ which is a must-listen.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AB6IX:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

HWANG MINHYUN

Anyone else still in denial over NU’EST disbanding? Not just us? Good, but thankfully the members keep us fed individually, as Hwang Minhyuk just made his solo debut in February with ‘Hidden Side!’ It sounds like the music NU’EST used to bring to us and it suits Minhyun so well. The sensual and mature tones of ‘Hidden Side’ are hypnotizing, along with the stunning music video. The rest of the album offers a lot of other hidden gems and we can only recommend it to you!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HWANG MINHYUN:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SUPER JUNIOR YESUNG

We really thought Yesung’s January album was where he peaked, but he rounded our February off with the release of the special version of his full album and outdid himself. This version includes the stunning track ‘Floral Sense,’ which features no one else but aespa’s Winter. The song is an indie pop track containing lyrics that compare the feeling of love to blooming flowers, which means to continue to grow despite life’s difficulties. And if that’s not a must-listen, we don’t know what is! The new album version also includes a solo version of the song and ‘Mother,’ which made us cry on the first note. Yesung never disappoints.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPER JUNIOR:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

How did we make it through this month of bangers without collapsing, right? Are we ready for March’s comebacks to come at us in full force? Of course! What was your favorite comeback of February? Which one are you most excited about in March? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!

Need more K-POP content? Don’t worry; we got you! You can also find more on our K-Pop playlist: