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. October has officially ended, with all its new EPs and single albums. We’re excited to get into each one!
But before we do, you should first check out the group releases we have already covered, such as (G)I-DLE, NCT 127, Xdinary Heroes, tripleS, 82MAJOR, IVE, TXT, KINGDOM, ITZY, TREASURE, SUPERKIND, and LE SSERAFIM.
While you’re at it, we’ve covered a lot of solo comebacks, too: Jennie, DPR IAN, JINI, Sunmi, Chuu, Moon Jongup, Taemin, and Heejin of LOONA. How did we survive this month?
THIS MONTH’S NEWS
Not only that, but SEVENTEEN dropped their highlight medley less than a week before they released their 11th mini-album, Seventeenth Heaven! And we feel like we’re in heaven just by listening to the medley. Another no-skips EP from our kings, for sure. Don’t forget to check out our official comeback review here!
Our fave AleXa continues to set records, and now she makes history as the first Korean solo female artist to perform at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball! You can catch her appearances in Dallas/Fort Worth on November 28 and in Miami on December 16. We can’t wait to see her performance at the Jingle Ball!
OMEGA X just announced their new comeback! Set for release on November 7, their third EP, IYKYK will be their first comeback since signing with IPQ. We might be getting an edgy, bad-boy concept from OMEGA X based on their intro film, and we’re beyond ready!
We’re also only a few weeks away from ENHYPEN’s comeback on November 17! These boys will release their fifth mini-album called Orange Blood, continuing the story from their fourth mini-album, Dark Blood. We’re so excited to see their new concept with this comeback!
Okay, we think that’s everything so far. Now, let’s get into many more amazing comebacks and debuts in October’s K-POP HOTSPOT!
YESUNG
Kicking off this month’s K-Pop hotspot, more than two years since his last solo Korean comeback, Yesung of Super Junior, is back with his fifth mini-album, Unfading Sense! And before you listen to this EP, make yourself cozy because his vocals will soothe your mind and soul like no other! The title track, ‘Scented Things,’ is about remembering a past lover with everything that smells like them. His voice is so well-suited for ballads and love songs that we can’t stop listening!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YESUNG:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
EPEX
EPEX came back hard, and we’re not talking only about the title track ‘FULL METAL JACKET.’ The whole album Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 2. ‘Can We Surrender?’ brings forth messages about ending oppression, awareness of the dark side of humanity, and the effort people put into overcoming obstacles and feeling empowered to live a good and better life. Quite a serious topic that should not be overlooked; EPEX put a spin of hope to it, all the while giving us motivational music that is powerful in more ways than one.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EPEX:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
ONF
October marked the first comeback of boy group ONF, and we are thriving with their new album, LOVE EFFECT. The bright vibe from the title track of the same name fills us with warm feelings and brings all frowns upside down. Who wouldn’t be smiling listening to the main star of the album? And those parts near the end of the song? Highlights! But hold up, we’ve been obsessed with the rest of the songs as well. One of our favorite tracks has to be ‘Dam Dam Di Ram.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONF:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
JUSTB
JUSTB definitely knows how to pique our interest, with the punk rock ‘MEDUSA’ playing on a loop. We can’t get enough of the addictive melody and that pre-chorus being pure gold. And if that wasn’t enough, the beautiful music video has a hold on us as well. As for our favorite B-side, it’s a tricky question (as usual), but we recommend checking out ‘Coming Home.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JUSTB:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
BOBBY
iKON’s Bobby didn’t come to play with his new mini-album, ROBERT! The title track, ‘f,’ is a straight-up banger. It’s clear why he named the song ‘f.’ Bobby breaks down all the barriers holding him back in his music for a piece that’s such a bold statement against haters and fakers. And his brilliant b-sides feature JUSTHIS, Jung Sangsoo, and, huh, making this EP one for the record books! (And our K-Pop hotspot!)
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IKON:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
PENTAGON
PENTAGON moved us with a special single for their 7th anniversary, ‘With UNIVERSE.’ We got emotional listening to the song and watching the video filled with concert shots, behind-the-scenes footage, and recording moments. We’re in love with the lyrics, the harmonization, and the whole single, and how can we not be? Songs made for fans are always beautiful.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PENTAGON:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
AILEE
Hearing Ailee dropping a single gets us instantly excited. When a queen like her releases new music, there is no doubt it will be a banger, and ‘RA TA TA’ is exactly that. Our K-Pop hotspot thanks her! Leave it to Ailee to get us so hooked we can’t get that chorus out of our heads (not that we’d want to). You can feel the confidence flowing from the single, and we have Ailee and Lil Cherry to thank for that. A perfect collab!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AILEE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
LIGHTSUM
‘Honey or Spice,’ what’s your choice? We know ours is anything from LIGHTSUM. The girls hit hard with this album; by that, we mean they gave us banger after banger collected in one place for our convenience. From the fun bop ‘Honey or Spice’ to the gentle ‘Candle LIGHT,’ it’s a comeback you don’t want to miss out on! We’ve been especially vibing to ‘Not My Style’ and ‘Light it Up.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHTSUM:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
POW
We have new stars on the horizon. Have you heard POW’s debut yet? ‘Dazzling’ is a sweet track with a gentle and somewhat nostalgic tune that got us falling for them more. And we say more because we already anticipated their debut after hearing the pre-released track, ‘Favorite.’ And to get not two but three music videos for a debut, the third being for their song ‘Amazing?’ POW is coming strong and already giving us different vibes through their music. We’re quite excited for their future.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POW:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
WHEEIN
Wheein blesses this month’s K-Pop hotspot with her first-ever studio album, In The Mood! And we’ll always be in the mood to vibe with Wheein and her enchanting vocals. The title track, ‘In The Mood,’ is the groovy R&B song of our dreams, and we’re beyond addicted to Wheein’s soulful voice and high notes. And her collaborations with Hwasa and HAON are too good! No lie: we’re breaking the replay button for every song in this comeback. In The Mood is a certified no-skips album for us!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHEEIN:
INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
LEE HYORI
The one, the only, Lee Hyori is back with a brand new single, ‘Hoodie E Banbaji!’ In typical Lee Hyori fashion, she sings about rocking a hoodie and shorts confidently, regardless of the weather. It’s a relatable track about ignoring other people’s opinions of you and being comfortable in your own way. ‘Hoodie E Banbaji’ has a catchy melody that we’ve been humming along to since its release!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEE HYORI:
INSTAGRAM
HIGHLIGHT
We got another debut anniversary gift this month. This time, it’s from HIGHLIGHT! 14 years in, we’re still as in love with their vocals and music as we were when they first set foot in the industry. ‘Give You My All’ is a delight with a fun rhythm that makes us want to drop what we’re doing and just dance the day away.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIGHLIGHT:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
QUEENZ EYE
Queenz Eye returns with their third single called This Is Love, and we’re absolutely obsessed! These girls have found their signature sound, making their newest single even more high quality. We fell in love at the first listen, especially after seeing their energy in the ‘This Is Love’ music video! Queenz Eye didn’t disappoint; if we were you, we’d keep an EYE on them.
TO KNOW MORE ABOUT QUEENZ EYE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
JAY CHANG
Jay Chang has officially made his solo debut! He’s just dropped his EP, Late Night, and even blessed us with not one, but two music videos for the title tracks, ‘I’ll Be There’ and ‘Rockstar!’ And both of his b-side tracks are just as fresh and fun. Jay shows off how solid his vocals are; we’re in love with his sound already. What a debut! We’re thrilled to include him in October’s K-Pop hotspot!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JAY CHANG:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
YOUNITE
YOUNITE has returned with their fifth mini-album, BIT Part.2! And these boys are making it difficult to listen to anything else from our playlists! Everything about the title track, ‘Love It,’ is so addictive, from the chorus and the melody to the choreography. The whole EP is a vibe, as expected from YOUNITE. Our favorite B-side tracks are ‘Fizzy Soda Love’ and ‘A Star Called You.’ But we’re not skipping over any songs!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUNITE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
YOUNG POSSE
YOUNG POSSE really surprised us with this unique debut for October’s K-Pop hotspot! Their first mini-album, Macaroni Cheese, is a banger from start to finish. We can’t help bobbing our heads along with the beat of ‘Macaroni Cheese.’ And the quirky music video is everything we’ve been missing in K-Pop! These girls didn’t come to play with their fire rap verses and confident auras. They even switch it up with a chill slow jam as one of their B-sides: ‘Cooing.’ Don’t sleep on YOUNG POSSE!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUNG POSSE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
JINJIN
Hold up, we’re swooning, and we kind of can’t stop. ASTRO’s JINJIN put a ‘Wave in my heart,’ and the thumping in our chests is now for him AND YUNHWAY. This collaboration is so good you’d be stuck listening on repeat. The song is refreshing and upbeat, with vocals and rapping that make us ask for more. No, seriously, can we get more of this style?
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRO:
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NCT NEW TEAM
Put your ‘Hands Up’ for NCT NEW TEAM, a Japanese boy group and the final sub-unit of NCT! They’ve just released their new pre-debut single, Hands Up, and we’re here for it! ‘Hands Up’ is an upbeat title track that’s super easy to dance along to. It’s a solid club song, for sure. And the B-side track, ‘We Go!’ has the perfect chill rock vibes. We’re vibing and anticipating their official debut next year!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NCT NEW TEAM:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
CHANYEOL
It’s like Chanyeol just KNEW what we needed to hear for our hotspot! His new solo single, ‘Good Enough,’ reminds us that it’s okay to be where we are now. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same place as yesterday or last week. Hearing Chanyeol sing, “We will be fine,” instantly comforts us. He has our hearts, and we’ll support him no matter what! And we definitely appreciate the cameos by his fellow EXO members: Chen, D.O., and Baekhyun.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EXO:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
DO HANSE
Attention all emo bees, this is not a drill! Is there anything more disruptive and punk than love? If there’s one thing we’re sure of, Do Hanse and BIGONE have the sugar rush of punk with ‘Gummy Bear!’ This track is about how a dream girl looks: sweet and beautiful, just like a gummy bear! Between electrifying guitars, great style, and infectious choruses, this single album is a certified banger!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DO HANSE:
INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
BILLLIE
Billlie continues the Billlie lore with side-B: memoirs of echo unseen. This single album contains 4 tracks, ‘Dang (hocus pocus)’ and ‘BYOB (bring your own best friend)’ as well as their English versions, and we’re in love! We absolutely adore both, but ‘BYOB’ has our hearts; we think it’s the leading contender for SOTY. It’s a song you can scream and sing along to with your friends at karaoke. And y’all, we are loving the TikToks coming from this.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BILLLIE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
BRYAN CHASE
And if you haven’t started listening to K-hip hop artist Bryan Chase yet, there’s no better time than now! He joins forces with Okasian in a remix for the song, ‘Restart It,’ and both of them absolutely killed their verses. Their new music video is an action-packed masterpiece that kept us on the edge of our seats! It’s yet another bangin’ addition to our hotspot this month.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BRYAN CHASE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
ILY:1
ILY:1 continues their streak of having the cutest songs with their new single, ‘To My Boyfriend!’ Did we mention this is their third comeback this year? Or that they’ve also released an English version? They’re regulars on our K-Pop hotspot! This track is super catchy, and the sound makes us feel nostalgic! The girls get to show off their charms in the music video, and we’re obsessed with the choreography.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ILY:1:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
GHOST9
Wouldn’t Halloween be the perfect time of year to start stanning GHOST9? Challenging the established and reinventing themselves once more, they release their new mini album #Arcade0, which you can’t miss! 6 addictive songs, new beats, and a unique production will make every listener a Ghostie!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GHOST9:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
JESSI
Jessi is back with ‘Gum,’ another killer track that’ll have you feelin’ yourself in no time! Her songs always make us want to have a solo dance party, and ‘Gum’ is no exception. And do y’all see the outfits in her music video? She slayed this single from head to toe. There’s no question about it. Another solid comeback for our K-Pop hotspot!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESSI:
INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
B.I
Attention IDs: after being teased and knowing European IDs having already heard this song (we consider ourselves one of the lucky ones) during Hanbinnie’s EU tour, the song we’ve been waiting for has finally been released! ‘Loved’ has been on our most anticipated song list since the second part of Love or Loved was announced! We knew ‘Loved’ would not disappoint as it combines Hanbin’s smooth vocals with some hip-hop-led verses. He has never sounded this raw and vulnerable! We cannot wait for the whole EP to drop next month!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT B.I:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
RIIZE
Our new favorite boys are back! RIIZE may have dropped only one new single, but it holds so much power over us. ‘Talk Saxy’ is addictive and screams RIIZE, and that’s all we want. The boys hooked us as their fans with the first song they dropped, and they keep securing our hearts with every new release. We are simply in love with their sound and energy, and we’re beyond ready for more.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RIIIZE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
MARK TUAN
Mark Tuan has been feeding us so well with new music, which has been a joyous experience. But he’s not done yet! We got a whole digital EP to groove to for this month’s K-Pop hotspot. We are Fallin’ for Mark’s new solo music more and more, and if you aren’t too, you just haven’t listened yet. From the refreshing tunes to the upbeat and bright energy of the songs, there’s nothing we don’t like.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARK TUAN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
NIZIU
NiZiU officially made their Korean debut with the single album, Press Play, and we’re beyond impressed! The title track, ‘Heartris,’ is about when you find someone that’s a perfect match for you. It’s an upbeat and cute song with an equally cute music video. And Felix’s music video cameo did not go unnoticed! We’re also obsessed with the two B-sides, ‘Lucky Star’ and the Korean version of ‘Paradise.’ We can’t pick our favorite!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NIZIU:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
XODIAC
Did someone ask for bright and refreshing? XODIAC nailed the concept with ‘ONLY FUN,’ a song that gives off positive vibes, and it’s all we need to feel good. Do you also feel your body moving to the rhythm on its own? This group continues to raise the bar with every new release, and we are here to witness where they’ll go.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT XODIAC:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
What. A. Month. Our playlists keep growing with all new K-pop songs! And are we ready for November’s K-POP HOTSPOT? Absolutely.
What was your favorite comeback from October? Which ones are you most excited about in November? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!
Need more K-POP content? Don’t worry; we got you!
