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. June not only brought summer vibes but the perfect tunes to cool us down. 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 SHINee, DKB, ATEEZ, VAV, THE NEW SIX, P1HARMONY, fromis_9, TAEYONG, STRAY KIDS, and B.I.
Okay, sit down for a second because we have some fun news to share with you before we jump into the roundup. First of all, if you need a fun K-Pop event to attend soon, then we got you! K-Pop Mixtape: The Ultimate Dance Party Experience Coming to Your City Soon, and you can get tickets here. Get down to the latest K-Pop bops mixed by talented DJs!
With this fun summer activity brought to you, let us focus on a release we were especially excited about this month. Bryan Chase released his EP 2U with the title song ‘A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE’ via The Black Label in June, and it bangs. Make sure you listen to it here. Since we have been waiting for this one for a while, make sure you share your love for it with us on our socials as well.
And now, let’s get to more juicy news. First of all, the Boys Planet formed boy group ZEROBASEONE is set to finally debut on July 10th, and we cannot wait to see the boys we were rooting for finally hit the big stage. Don’t know what we are talking about? Catch up here! In even more exciting news, we’d like to share that ENHYPEN is about to treat us! They teamed up with Pokémon Music Collective to release an exclusive new single called ‘One and Only‘ on July 12th with the music video and all. We are counting down those days as we speak! This is going to be so good. We just know it.
Okay, we are done. Now, let’s get into many more amazing comebacks and debuts from June.
ZHOUMI
Everyone, say welcome back to Zhou Mi! He’s dropped a new single after three long years, and it’s such a bop! ‘Mañana (Our Drama)’ features his fellow Super Junior-M member Eunhyuk, and we already knew their voices would sound so good together. And they even released a Chinese version with all the right vibes. ‘Mañana (Our Drama)’ is a soothing song about reaching the end of a relationship. To this day, Zhou Mi’s vocals and Eunhyuk’s verses still make us swoon!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ZHOUMI:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
2PM WOOYOUNG
While we’re aboard the welcome back train, 2PM’s Wooyoung is back with a special Japanese EP called Off The Record! This mini-album is his first solo comeback in five years and his first Japanese comeback in almost six years! Off The Record is a solid release from beginning to end. The groovy title track, ‘Off The Record,’ is top-notch! And he ate the choreography and retro music video concept right up, as per usual.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 2PM:
INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | YOUTUBE
EXO
EXO-Ls, we have had to go on multiple rollercoaster rides when it comes to EXO this year already. But fear not; we are still getting our long-awaited comeback this upcoming month! But first, EXO treated us to their first pre-release single. ‘Let Me In’ is a soft ballad with the EXO winter album feel that we love so much. It felt a bit out of place to get it in June, but still, it was a good one!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EXO:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
NU’EST REN
We’re LIVING for all of NU’EST going solo, and Ren’s solo debut is yet another amazing one! His first mini-album is titled Ren’dezvous, and we absolutely love the wordplay here. The title track, ‘Ready To Move,’ truly feels like a breath of fresh air! It has the sound and feel of a new beginning, and we couldn’t be prouder of Ren for such a high-quality, no-skips EP. Trust us when we say his b-sides have range. Our favorite ones are the pop rock track, ‘Autofill,’ and the groovy ‘My Story.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT REN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
DIA BAEK YEBIN
Baek Yebin has just released her first single album, Contrail! This song feels like it was written for her sweet voice. The song ‘Contrail’ is about finding your way back to the one you love. It’s dedicated to a love that opens your eyes to a new world. And the music video pairs with this track beautifully. The instrumental has an amazing, summery feel, and the lyrics are as lovely as they sound! It’s official: we’ve fallen in love with Baek Yebin.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BAEK YEBIN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
JUNG SEUNGHWAN
With a month left before his military enlistment, Jung Seunghwan blesses us with a new single album, Epilogue! He takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions, but we’re not mad about it. The title track, ‘Epilogue,’ is the type of song you’d listen to when you’re leaving a place or relationship for the last time. It feels bittersweet but also freeing, knowing you did your best. The b-side, ‘To Me,’ is a love letter to your inner child that definitely made us cry at our first listen. Rounding out the single album, ‘I Will’ is a rock ballad about staying by your true love’s side no matter what. Seunghwan’s voice makes us feel like we could do anything!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JUNG SEUNGHWAN:
INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
LUN8
You should’ve seen the way our jaws dropped at LUN8’s debut with #CONTINUE? and their title track, ‘Wild Heart!’ It almost didn’t feel like a debut. ‘Wild Heart’ has a fun sound and energy about it, and the music video is a whole party with LUN8! If we had to pick, ‘Voyager’ and ‘Live In The Moment’ are our favorite b-sides. These boys have officially stolen our hearts and taken over our playlists.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LUN8:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
KANG DANIEL
We are sending out our ‘SOS’ as Danity because this man just keeps on delivering all the goods for us! Kang Daniel made his return with his fourth mini album, Realize, this past month, and it was a good one. ‘Wasteland’ had us already more than excited for it, but ‘SOS’ was the cherry on top with the Mad Max meets hip-hop music video; we were even more sold. No one combines r&b music and rock music as Daniel does!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KANG DANIEL:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE
NCT DREAM
To celebrate their upcoming third full-length album NCT Dream released their single ‘Broken Melodies,’ and y’all, it made us even more hyped for ISTJ! ‘Broken Melodies’ is all about going through a long-distance relationship and the struggles that come with it. We think this would’ve been a perfect track to release during quarantine times, but at the same time, no matter when they decided to release it, we would still feel the same about it: we love it! The harmonies mixed with the guitars make it such a perfect song. We can’t wait to see what ISTJ has in store for us.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NCT DREAM:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
KIM JAEHWAN
Leave it to Kim Jaehwan to drop the most groovy and danceable songs of the summer! His newest mini-album, J.A.M (Journey Above Music), makes us want to do exactly what the title says: JAM! The title track, ‘Lucky!’ featuring BOBBY, is an upbeat collab that has us on our feet immediately. And we love all the references to Kim Jaehwan and BOBBY’s songs in his verse. You do not want to sleep on the rest of this EP, especially not ‘My Ocean’ and ‘Sleep!’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KIM JAEHWAN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
IKON JAY
Jay from iKON has officially made his solo debut with the single album Paradise! The title track, ‘Paradise,’ is a catchy song about a passionate love that feels like paradise at any moment. His dance performance for ‘Paradise’ takes our breath away. And Jay’s jazzy b-side ‘Magnet’ featuring Moon Sujin is a duet we didn’t know we needed until now! The fact that this is only part one of his debut is crazy. He’s exceeded all of our expectations, and we’re looking forward to part two in just a few weeks!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IKON:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
LAPILLUS
Lapillus have us in their grasp with this June comeback. We are singing as loud as we can to ‘Who’s Next,’ the song just lifts our spirits and fills up our self-esteem meter to the max. Ok, but if you think that’s the only song we’ve been obsessed with, you’re wrong. We are loving the whole mini-album GIRL’s ROUND Part. 2. We recommend you check it out, especially ‘Marionette,’ something about this track has us weak. We can’t wait to see how far Lapillus will go. We’ll be very surprised if the girls don’t make it big. Like, have you listened to them?
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LAPILLUS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
HI-FI UN!CORN
If you’re looking to “have a good time” and rock out to the newest boy band on the scene, Hi-Fi Un!corn is for you! The 5 member band officially made their debut under FNC with their track ‘Over the Rainbow,’ and it does not disappoint! FNC is known for putting together incredible bands, and after being formed by their seniors CNBLUE, we know we have a lot to look forward to. This song highlights each member’s instrument strengths and is a lighthearted, feel-good tune. Oh, and let’s not forget about the mind-blowing guitar solo in the bridge; more of this, please!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HI-FI UN!CORN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE
8TURN
8TURN truly ‘Excel’ in everything they do. (Not sorry for the pun!) ‘Excel’ marks 8TURN’s latest release, and we absolutely adore the pop-rock vibe of this song. It’s quickly becoming our new anthem that lives up to the lyric, “We go hard 24/7!” Their latest music video is a dream come true for any editors out there – the visuals are bold, and the editing is on point! We also have to discuss the choreography because it’s packed with powerful moves. The ending is a huge party, and we’re inviting everyone to check out the music video and join in on the fun! It’s also full of humor; it’s hilarious how 8TURN have to take responsibility for cleaning up after hosting their party. We stan humble kings!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 8TURN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
CHOI YENA
Once again, YENA proves just how much of an all-rounder she is with her second single album, HATE XX! This comeback has three tracks for every mood, and it’s too difficult to pick our favorite. ‘Bad Hobby’ is a badass and unapologetic revenge song. Her title track, ‘Hate Rodrigo’ featuring Yuqi, is an upbeat track that embodies teenage rebellion, which we absolutely love! It’s about being inspired by your favorite artists and role models (Olivia Rodrigo, in YENA’s case) and later finding your personal style. And ‘Wicked Love’ is a dark and dreamy song about finally cutting off a no-good lover. YENA’s songs on this new single album are on point, and we’re stuck replaying all of them!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YENA:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
HAN SEUNGWOO
Two years after his last solo comeback, Han Seungwoo is back with his third EP, Frame! The title track, ‘Dive into,’ is a smooth R&B track with an even smoother choreography! And all of his b-sides show off his versatile vocals and rap, from the edgy ‘Intro’ to the soft ballad, ‘Dawn.’ We’ve missed Seungwoo, and this mini-album was well worth the wait! He truly never misses, especially not after this incredible comeback.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAN SEUNGWOO:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
T5
Okay, but this one is one for the books, everybody. It’s been a hot minute since we got treated to new Treasure music, but the day has finally come! The group’s first sub-unit, T5 – consisting of the members that think they are the most handsome (we support the confidence) – is here with their pre-release ‘Move.’ This comes in anticipation of Treasure’s long overdue comeback Reboot, and the guys have never sounded slicker or more confident. ‘Move’ shows off all of the group’s strength, and it has been on repeat!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TREASURE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
U-KISS
It’s happening, people! U-KISS is back with a new mini-album, PLAY LIST, and it’s just in time for their 15th anniversary! We can’t talk enough about how happy we are to see U-KISS make a comeback with six members again. They really dropped the song of the summer with ‘The Wonderful Escape’ and thought we wouldn’t notice! The whole EP has nostalgia and U-KISS’s signature sound written all over it, and we couldn’t ask for anything more. There are no skips whatsoever! We will always hold a special place in our hearts and our playlists for U-KISS!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT U-KISS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
WEi
No summer playlist of ours is complete without a WEi song on it! The group knows how to cater to the seasons. Their last comeback ‘Spray’ was perfect for winter, and ‘Overdrive’ is the ideal soundtrack for our hot summer days. The soft pop sounds and upbeat music put a smile on our faces and brought the sun into our hearts. WEi never misses.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WEI:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
EXO
The month finished off with another EXO pre-release! This time the veteran group offers us an r&b track that feels like a light summer breeze. It’s the EXO harmonies and vocals we have been missing so incredibly much from the scene, and ‘Hear Me Out’ is the perfect song to finish June with. We are excited for EXIST now, that’s for sure.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EXO:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
How did we make it through this month of bangers without collapsing, right? Are we ready for July’s comebacks to come at us in full force? Of course! What was your favorite comeback of June? Which one are you most excited about in July? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!
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