K-POP HOTSPOT: May 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. May brought us flowers and the sun. So, 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 DREAMCATCHER, N.FLYING, SECRET NUMBER, MX JOOHONEY, ENHYPEN, MIJOO, LE SSERAFIM, AESPA, CIX, and SEVENTEEN.

Before we get into it, we have some mega news for you! First of all, VAV have finally answered our prayers and will make their long-awaited comeback with their seventh mini album, Subcönscióu, on June 12th. We are absolutely hyped for this one, mark your calendars. Additionally, our favorite boy Mark Tuan teamed up with Elephante and BEAUZ to bring us a megawatt collab! Make sure you listen to it here.

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

BTOB

After a year since their last group release, our vocal kings BTOB are back with their twelfth mini-album, Wind and Wish! The title track, ‘Wind and Wish,’ is a ballad and dance song that BTOB can pull off no matter what. It’s about sending your regards to a past lover and hoping they’re in a good place in their lives. While the feeling is bittersweet, it’s a good sign that you’re able to move on. Their b-sides are all solid, showcasing how much of a powerhouse they are! Our favorites are ‘Day & Night’ and ‘Your Love.’

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BTOB:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

BANG YONGGUK

After the release of THE COLORS OF LOVE, one thing is for certain, and it’s that we are absolutely ‘Ride or Die’ for Bang Yongguk. We have loved him ever since 2012 when he came on the scene as the leader of B.A.P, but after releasing THE COLOURS OF LOVE, we can’t help but fall even more in love with him. The title track, ‘Ride or Die,’ is a masterpiece in our eyes, but what really got us has to be ‘Green,’ the pre-release single that had BABY worldwide weeping with their matoki head lightstick. A six-song EP just isn’t enough for us to get our Bang Yongguk fix, so we will just have to see him on his upcoming solo tour and we urge you to do the same.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BANG YONGGUK:
INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | YOUTUBE

TripleS +(KR)ystal Eyes

+(KR)ystal Eyes, the latest tripleS unit, have made their debut with [AESTHETIC]! And this talented quartet has the fresh and cute concept down! The title track, ‘Cherry Talk,’ has such a refreshing instrumental, and we’ll be replaying it as we head into the summer. We’re beyond impressed with the high-quality songs and vocals on this mini-album! The b-side tracks, ‘Touch’ and ‘Deja-Vu,’ have our hearts.

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

iKON

iKON takes us to the middle of the hottest summer party with their third studio album, Take Off! This album is iKON’s first comeback under 143 Entertainment, and we’re so excited to see them thrive as a group. The title track, ‘U,’ is super catchy and fun, with a music video that feels so freeing to watch. There are classic iKON bangers like ‘Tantara’ and ‘RUM PUM PUM.’ We even get solo songs by Song, DK, and Ju-ne in the last three tracks of Take Off. It’s a certified no-skips album from us.

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

VIXX HYUK

There aren’t enough words to describe how proud we are of VIXX’s Hyuk and his newest single, ‘Be Myself (feat. NERD MAN).’ First of all, Hyuk wrote the all-English lyrics about trying to figure out who you are and where you want to be. Second, he was the creative director of the accompanying music video! This track has a funky rock feel that’s gone above and beyond all of our expectations. Let’s all give Hyuk his flowers because he deserves them!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VIXX HYUK:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

WAYV

WayV is already known for having bop after bop in their discography that already spans a number of languages. ‘Welcome to My Paradise’ is just another member of an already-upstanding collection of WayV songs that we just can’t stop listening to! The group’s first-ever Japanese single debuted at their sold-out Japanese fan-meetings and swiftly became a fan favorite. The song’s lyrics translate to one more romantic, a love letter to the members’ beloved WayZenNi and NCTzens alike, but the upbeat instrumentals have us dancing in our seats whenever we listen to it. We can always gush over this song for so long, but you should just buzz on over to your preferred streaming platform and give it a listen.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WAYV:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | VLIVE | YOUTUBE

ONEUS

ONEUS have done it again with their incredible new EP, Pygmalion! This release is their ninth mini-album and their first comeback since their Reach For Us tour. ‘Erase Me’ is a killer title track with amazing visuals, choreography, and instrumentals. Everything from the regal-sounding ‘Intro: LETHE’ to the anime opening-esque ‘Halley’s Comet’ is a masterpiece. And if ONEUS could compile full versions of all their iconic intros, we’d be set for life. They never disappoint, and we never expect them to!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONEUS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

IVE

It’s no secret that IVE have been making waves on the K-Pop scene ever since they debuted in December 2021, but they’re taking that pretty literally with their second Japanese song, ‘WAVE!’ This track has such a unique sound, blending everything from airy acoustic guitar to groovy basslines without missing a beat. It continues the confident themes we heard on ‘I AM’ while also bringing us something fresh and new – dare we say this might be our song of the summer? Yeah, we dare, because it’s IVE after all! We’ll happily ride this wave well into the fall.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IVE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | JAPAN TWITTER | YOUTUBE

GI-DLE

(G)I-DLE, AKA our role models, is hands down the best group making waves in K-Pop right now! And no, you can’t change our minds. Their pre-release track ‘Allergy’ hits us so hard. It’s the type of song that we could blast in our rooms and have a full-on dance party with. But the message makes it even better. The lyrics are about constantly comparing ourselves to other people on the internet and in real life. We want to be and look like others, when we’re more than enough being ourselves. Our queens sing about struggling to find self-confidence, which is so real in today’s society.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GI-DLE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

BABYMONSTER

BABYMONSTER haven’t even officially debuted yet and they’re already stealing hearts all around the world! We’ve had our eyes on Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Haram, Rora, and Chiquita over the past few months thanks to their various covers and Last Evaluation competition series. This is such an incredibly talented group, and we get to see them shine together for real on ‘DREAM,’ their pre-debut single that we’ll definitely have on repeat until their proper debut later this year. ‘DREAM’ is a gorgeous ballad-style song that reflects on how much the girls have grown since becoming trainees, and if that isn’t enough to get your eyes all teary, just watch the video they released alongside the track. They’re officially “waking up in [their] dream” and we’re so here for it – welcome to our stan lists, BAEMON!

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

THE WIND

AHH, they’re here! Highlight’s agency, Around Us Entertainment, has debuted their first-ever boy group, The Wind! We loved their pre-debut single last month, and the rest of their mini-album did not disappoint. The title track, ‘Island,’ is a fresh and healing track filled with everyone’s impressive vocals and bright visuals. Beginning: The Wind Page is a wonderful debut EP, and we didn’t skip a single song! We know it’s just the beginning for these boys, but we can already tell how much we’ll enjoy listening to their sound!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WIND:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

GI-DLE

A pre-release and an amazing mini-album we’ve had on a constant loop? May was truly the month of (G)I-DLE, and for good reason. After shaking things up with ‘Allergy,’ a statement on how social media affects our thoughts about ourselves, the girls bring us to the next episode of I feel with the bold, fiery ‘Queencard.’ It’s all about owning who you are and accepting that you’re a queen no matter what your insecurities (or all the pretty selfies you scroll through on Instagram) tell you. At the end of the music video, the “nerdy” Soyeon who wanted to get plastic surgery in the ‘Allergy’ video decides she wants to stay true to herself, and as she walks down the street with a new confidence, her phone is blowing up with notifs from people who love her energy for what it is.

What makes (G)I-DLE such a special group is their commitment to changing not only the idol industry but also how fans engage with the media they love. With their previous two title tracks, ‘TOMBOY’ and ‘Nxde,’ Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua challenged listeners to rethink their views of women in media and the real world. Now, with ‘Queencard’ and I feel, they’re challenging us to rethink our views of ourselves and to love who we are right now, rather than loving the idea of who we would be if we had a million followers and the “perfect” face.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GI-DLE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

VERIVERY

In continuation of their last EP, this month VERIVERY brought us Liminality – EP. Dream. If you know VERIVERY then you know the title track, ‘Crazy Like That,’ is much different than other releases. ‘Crazy Like That’ is very chill, and y’all, the high notes are out of this world! We were in love with it from the start. And the whole album includes a variety of genres, with our favorite track being ‘Raincoat.’ It reminds us of an end-credit song, their voices are so soft and lovely. We can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VERIVERY:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

YOUNITE

Are you feeling the summer vibes? If we’re honest, we’ve been catching them since YOUNITE’s comeback!! YES, the boys are back! It felt so long since their last comeback, so we’re very happy to have new music from them. In particular, ‘WATERFALL’ is giving us such summery feelings, we’re ready for a break and to take a ‘Trip’ to the beach. See what we did there? Yes, we’re that ready, and that hyped over YOUNITE.

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

ATBO

You know who you need? ATBO, especially when they are ‘Next to Me!’ (or you, in this case). The boys finally made their comeback last month with the new mini album, The Beginning : 飛上, and it was filled with banger after banger. ATBO are really a rookie group to watch and ‘Next to Me’ just put a smile on our faces.

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

BLACKSWAN

Man, we love BLACKSWAN so much, and they always reinvent themselves with their comebacks. This time around, they added new members and switched up the lineup, however, our girls still rocked it though with ‘Karma’ and the absolutely stunning music video. The only complaint we have is when will we get more from these girls?!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BLACKSWAN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

KARD

If KARD’s pre-release single, ‘Without You,’ told us anything, it’s that their next comeback would be a banger. And their sixth mini-album, ICKY, is exactly that! The title track ‘ICKY’ is IT! The music video visuals and lyrics made our jaws drop, especially BM’s rap! (You know what we mean.) And each duo slayed their unit songs, as they should. KARD killed this concept. What more can we say?

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

TRI.BE

Tri.Be vida loca are back with one of our favorite songs and an English version of it! ‘Wonderland’ just reminded us how much we missed the girls on the scene. Their vocals are none to mess around with and ‘Wonderland’ takes us right there to wonderland and beyond with these beautiful girls. We want more!

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

AB6IX

You’d be a ‘loser’ if you’re not listening to AB6IX’s new album, just saying. These boys came back with a bang, and we can’t stop obsessing over THE FUTURE IS OURS: LOST. ‘LOSER’ in particular has us in its clutches and it feels wonderful. No need to save us from anything, we simply found what we’ll be listening to for the rest of the year, and we’re on cloud nine about it. We also plan on re-watching that music video over and over, and who can blame us? Those sceneries, those visuals… we’re making heart eyes at the boys and their incredible vocals! AB6IX truly dropped a sensational album and we encourage everyone to give it a listen. You’ll be hooked after one listen, bet.

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

BOYNEXTDOOR

The debut we have all been waiting for is finally here! BOYNEXTDOOR have been teasing us for the past month with two pre-releases, and ‘But I like you’ and ‘One and Only’ are straight-up earworms. They ended the month with their official debut, ‘Serenade,’ and that we are: serenaded. The guys have won us over with their bright and youthful concept, catchy tunes, and vocals for days. Zico’s impact can definitely be felt in these boys’ sound!

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

TWICE

Our girls TWICE are back with a new Japanese single! We have been listening to ‘Hare Hare’ for the past month, since it was around digitally long before the music video dropped. But that music video makes this release extra special. They look so, so good. TWICE don’t know how to miss, really! Their mature pop sound is everything to us and ‘Hare Hare’ proves yet again how enjoyable and solid TWICE’s music is!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TWICE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

NINE TO SIX

Oh, oh, we love being surprised, and a new DKZ sub-unit is something we did not see coming. NINE to SiX is the group’s second unit and they made their debut to finish off May! ‘Don’t Call Me’ is a dark and alluring hip-hop-focused banger that caught our attention right away. We recommend you to check out the entire GOOD TO YOU single album as it is definitely worth it. We love to see DKZ thrive no matter how! The music video for one is a sight to behold!

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

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

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