Welcome back, K-Pop lovers! We know you look forward to THP’s K-POP HOTSPOT every month, and we’re here to deliver!
Have you seen the comebacks we’ve covered already? Be sure to check out new group releases from TXT, Catch The Young, RIIZE, KISS OF LIFE, Loossemble, ONF, IVE, SEVENTEEN, 82MAJORS, XDINARY HEROES, and The KingDom!
April has also been a busy month for new debuts, collabs, and solo comebacks! NOWADAYS, BIG OCEAN, and TIOT made their highly anticipated debuts. We also got a collab with Bang Yedam and Winter, along with solo releases from (G)I-DLE’s Yuqi, I.M, and Lay Zhang (Did someone say “icons?”)
Coachella also blessed us K-Pop fans this month! Read up on our coverage of ATEEZ, The Rose, and LE SSERAFIM.
THIS MONTH’S NEWS
Yes, this month was stuffed but it wouldn’t be a K-pop HOTSPOT by yours truly if we didn’t have other news for you! First up, we got some tour news for you! Two of our beloved boy groups are going to hit the US. VERIVERY are going to go on the VERIVERY US TOUR [GO ON] starting on June 14th in New York and touring through five other cities. You can get your tickets here! Another group hitting the states this spring is no one else but CIX! We love these boys so much and this is already their third tour, time goes by so fast. This time they are coming to us with 0 or 1 also kicking the tour off in New York but on May 12th, so act fast and get your tickets right here.
This is as far as tour news go! Now, it’s time to highlight two releases that deserve some extra love. First up, is the fact that NCT Dream’s ‘Smoothie’ is a gift that keeps on giving as the boys released a remix version of the banger through the iScream project. Make sure you listen to it here. And last but not least we want to tell you about one of the hottest surprise performances that had us ascending during Coachella! BIBI and Jackson Wang gave us one of the hottest single of the month with ‘Feeling Lucky’ and after their performance, they finally hit streaming sites with it last month so make sure you listen to it here.
BABYMONSTER
Kicking off our April comebacks, the BABYMONSTER girls once again managed to make K-Pop trendy. With a single like ‘Sheesh,’ they showed the authenticity of their impressive rhythms, vocals, and rap lines. Being one of the most talked-about comebacks, we know that anyone who sees them will be left speechless and wanting more. We are witnesses. ‘Sheesh’ is an addictive comeback in every way: visually, aurally, and sonically, a work of art.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BABYMONSTER:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
DRIPPIN
DRIPPIN making a comeback was one of our wishes for this year, and it came true! The boys always succeed in surprising us, delivering music that we instantly fall in love with. ‘Beautiful MAZE’ once again taps into a new sound for the group and shows us how talented they are. We love watching them grow and experiment with new concepts, and this is easily one of our favorite ones.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DRIPPIN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | TWITTER (JAPANESE) | YOUTUBE
ILY:1
Fans and bees were nervous about the transition to a new era for ILY:1, but after ‘IMMM,’ we know there’s nothing these girls can’t do! With a brand new style and new concept, this comeback has shown us how great it is to be a girl-group stan. And well, as their latest single tells us, the world is ILY:1’s, and they are winning it one song at a time!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ILY:1:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
WOO!AH!
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and April comebacks are straight bops! Woo!ah! is back with their second digital single, ‘Blush.’ It’s an addictive and catchy track perfect for the season. The girls sing about a special crush that makes their hearts flutter. And the music video is just as cute and loveable as the song! Woo!ah! absolutely slayed this comeback.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WOO!AH!:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
EPEX
If EPEX’s pre-release single ‘Graduation Day’ was any indicator (and it was), their first full-length album would be a captivating release. And it really was. Youth Chapter 1: YOUTH DAYS shares a variety of fresh vibes and nostalgic sounds that match the album’s concept. And the title track, ‘Youth2Youth?’ We’re big fans of its positive and encouraging message. We especially love how it prepares us for the whole hype experience. The reassurance that all our sides, the flaws and the good, are all part of us, and we should accept and go forward one step at a time. Make sure you don’t miss out on this EPEX release.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EPEX:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
DKZ
DKZ kicks it into gear with their second mini-album, Reboot! Their upbeat title track, ‘Like A Movie,’ inspires us to make every day even more exciting than a movie. We’re all for romanticizing life, so we obviously loved this EP! Our favorite b-side tracks are ‘We’re Together’ and ‘Our Tomorrow,’ but Reboot has no skips for us!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DKZ:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
BOYNEXTDOOR
‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ has been the phrase constantly playing in our minds all April, and we have BOYNEXTDOOR to thank for this addictive banger. Not only did the song grab our attention from start to finish, but so did its fun and chaotic music video. And let’s not forget about all the other tracks on the boys’ latest EP, HOW? ‘So let’s go see the stars’ is definitely one of our fave pieces from it.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BOYNEXTDOOR:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
ONEWE
ONEWE’s music never fails us. It always manages to touch us and get us emotional. The band portrays the intense emotions of ‘Beautiful Ashes’ so perfectly that listening to this new title track is truly exciting. When it comes to their B-sides, all of the songs on Planet Nine: ISOTROPY are a good pick if you are curious about their most recent ones. Some of our favorite titles would be ‘Shoot It Out’ and ‘Meteor Shower.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONEWE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
APINK
How has it been 13 years with Apink already?! Our second-gen queens are back with a special anniversary single, ‘Wait Me There.’ They never disappoint with their vocals and meaningful lyrics! Their music video is our favorite kind, with recording and behind-the-scenes clips. Apink will always have a special place in our hearts, especially during the April comeback season.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT APINK:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
NCT DOYOUNG
NCT DOYOUNG’s solo music is the ‘Little Light’ we all need in our lives to see the bright side of the gloomy days. His honey vocals soar high, and our spirits follow, feeling charged with all the positivity we need. His solo debut album, YOUTH, has much to offer, showcasing DOYOUNG’s range and sweet voice through different genres. Picking favorites is somewhat tricky when the release is this good. Still, we definitely recommend you check out ‘Beginning,’ ‘Lost In California,’ ‘Rest,’ and ‘Dallas Love Field’ from the B-sides.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DOYOUNG:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | DOYOUNG’S INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
LEE JIN-HYUK
After a year and a half since his last solo comeback, Lee Jin-hyuk is back with his sixth mini-album, New Quest: Jungle! His title track, ‘Relax,’ is a banger paired with killer music video visuals. We can see ourselves relaxing with a dance party to ‘Relax.’ Lee Jin-hyuk also features JUNNY in ‘Good Boys’ and Jo Gwang Il in ‘On Your Head.’ Both collabs killed it!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEE JIN-HYUK:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
ZEROBASEONE
Even though it’s only April, ZEROBASEONE started preparing us for the hottest season (and their upcoming mini-album) with ‘SWEAT’ and its special clip. Is anyone else feeling the heat and the summer breeze? Addictive, refreshing, and fun, ‘SWEAT’ may as well be our new summer anthem. Our excitement for ZB1’s You had me at HELLO is only growing stronger after such a cool sample of what’s to come.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ZEROBASEONE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
ZICO
ZICO really came out with the collab of the year, AKA his new single ‘SPOT! (feat. JENNIE).’ There’s something so groovy and addictive about this track that it makes us want to party with our friends all night! JENNIE’s vocals and rap verse shine brilliantly, and we love her and ZICO’s harmonies. And we can already tell the ‘SPOT!’ TikTok challenges are going to be fire!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ZICO:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
U-KISS
We weren’t expecting a comeback from U-KISS so soon, but we definitely aren’t complaining! Their new single, ‘Morse Code,’ has such a lighthearted and fun vibe. U-KISS is a breath of old-school K-Pop that we won’t get tired of anytime soon. They bring us so much comfort, and ‘Morse Code’ gives us that burst of energy we need to make every day a good day!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT U-KISS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
SOLAR
Mother Solar is back! We repeat: Mother Solar is back! And just in time for the April K-Pop comeback season. Her second mini-album, Colours, has the range and talent we can always trust Solar to deliver. The title track, ‘But I,’ is a breakup anthem Solar poured her whole heart into! And she absolutely slayed the music video visuals. Solar also gave us a dance-pop anthem with ‘Colors.’ Now, we’re waiting for her to drop the choreography video. ‘Honey Honey’ and ‘Blues’ are our absolute favorites. Solar really did her one with this no-skips EP!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOLAR:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SOLAR’S INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
CHANGSUB
It’s been too long since we’ve gotten a solo single from BTOB’s Changsub, but ‘As Always’ was worth the wait! There’s no competition for Changsub’s vocals, and this ballad showcases his range perfectly. ‘As Always’ is the comforting hug we need at the end of a long day, and we hope Changsub can continue releasing music like this forever!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHANGSUB:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | CHANGSUB’S INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
We absolutely loved the K-Pop comebacks this month! April’s K-POP HOTSPOT did not disappoint, and we’ve got our playlist on a loop at this point!
What was your favorite April comeback? Which ones are you most excited about for next month? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!
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