Summer is almost upon us, folks! But before that, we need to review this month’s K-POP HOTSPOT. May’s comebacks came through at the best time. Allow us to help you refresh your K-Pop playlists!
Have you caught up on the comebacks we’ve covered already? Make sure you check out group comebacks like RIIZE, XDINARY HEROES, The KingDom, &TEAM, Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, ZEROBASEONE, IVE, ITZY, New Jeans, ATEEZ, and ARTMS!
May has also been a great month for solo artist stans! Read our coverage for KINO, RM, and LOONA Yves!
THIS MONTH’S NEWS
Let’s kick it off with some absolutely exciting tour news. Are you ready bees? First up: NCT Dream, one of our favorite subunits, has finally announced more stops to their world tour! After finishing the Asia leg of their tour, the boys will hit Latin America, the US, and Europe for 2024 NCT DREAM WORLD TOUR <THE DREAM SHOW 3 : DREAM( )SCAPE>. For the US stops, you can get tickets here. For the European leg, you will be able to find tickets here. And for Latin America, make sure you check your local tour stop listing for ticket info!
Another group hitting the road is (you guessed it): A.C.E! The boys are hitting US ground in June with their A.C.E 2024 US Tour [REWIND_US]. We count ourselves as part of the lucky ones who have had the pleasure of seeing these boys live already! We can only recommend you go see them as well. You can find tickets and more info on MyMusicTaste directly right here.
Well, with tour news out of the way, let’s have a look at some upcoming releases we are especially excited about! SEVENTEEN‘s Jeonghan and Wonwoo are giving us a new subunit to be hyped about. The boys will be coming to us as a two-man powerhouse on June 17th with their first-ever single album THIS MAN. We have our Caratbongs ready, the pre-order placed, and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for us. Speaking of pre-orders, another comeback we can’t wait to get our hands on is cignature‘s new mini-album Sweetie but Saltie on June 10th! These girls’ comebacks are pretty rare but usually made of gold, so we cannot wait to see what summer bop they have in store for us!
Last but not least, we’d love to highlight one of our favorite soloists! Yup, AleXa treated us to a new single this month called ‘i’m okay’ and we absolutely felt that one! AleXa is reaching out to express her empathy and solidary with people who struggle with their mental health. We love this message even more with how good it sounds in the song. Make sure you listen to it right here!
Well, we are done yapping. Let’s get into this month’s comebacks!
YOUNITE
YOUNITE is back with their sixth EP (can you believe it?), Another! These boys can handle different concepts so effortlessly. Their hip-hop title track, ‘GEEKIN’,’ has such killer rap verses, and we’re so happy they’re getting the recognition they deserve! If we had to pick our favorite b-sides, they’d have to be ‘How We Do’ and ‘Poco Loco.’ YOUNITE has delivered a no-skips EP yet again with Another!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUNITE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
FANTASY BOYS
FANTASY BOYS are back with their third EP, Make Sunshine! And it might be the EP of the summer for us, even though it’s only May. We think it’s crazy that these boys are still rookies, considering how high-quality this EP is. The music video for the upbeat title track, ‘Pitter-Patter-Love,’ is refreshing and fun! And the b-sides ‘Make Sunshine’ and ‘Feeling’ give us the ultimate summer vibes. We loved it from start to finish!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY BOYS:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
KARD BM
Our king, BM, just dropped his first EP, Element, and we think it’s one of the most well-rounded solo releases this year. Is that a hot take? Because BM killed us with the title track, ‘Nectar (feat. Jay Park),’ alone! It’s refreshing to hear him sing just as much as rap in songs like ‘Embers’ and ‘Loyalty.’ And he has his signature jaw-dropping, suggestive lyrics that’ll leave you shook. To anyone who got to see BM perform live on his North American tour, how does being the luckiest person in the world feel?
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KARD:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | BM’S INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
EXO D.O.
D.O. has returned with his incredibly wholesome third solo EP, Blossom! And he didn’t come to play with the range of his songs. Starting with his pre-release single, ‘Popcorn,’ D.O. plays the perfect lovestruck goofball while singing about how his crush makes his heart explode like popcorn! Every song is a masterpiece for our ears. From ‘Mars’ to ‘About Time’ (one of our personal favorites), we’ve been replaying this mini-album all month!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EXO:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | D.O.’S INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
BAEKHO & BIGONE
We are deeply in love with BAEKHO and BIGONE‘s ‘Love or Die.’ And, really, who wouldn’t be? The way this track hits us off and stays strong the whole time! BAEKHO’s unique vocals fit so perfectly with BIGONE’s own distinguished rapping. There really isn’t anything lacking about this single. All we want to do is keep it playing on a loop and ask for more collabs! (Please?) We need more of this BAEKHO&BIGONE duo. Thankfully, we got a few songs to keep us satisfied with this collaboration single.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BAEKHO:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BIGONE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
TRIPLES
From their subunit debuts to now, tripleS has been setting the standard! And all 24 girls have united for the first time in their new album, <Assemble24>! It’s truly an Avengers-level comeback with their title track, ‘Girls Never Die,’ and nine other unskippable b-side tracks. And yes, the girls maintain their iconic “la la la la” line in multiple tracks. We’re obsessed with everything they’ve released so far, so it makes sense that we’d love this album even more! We don’t know what they put in songs like ‘Heart Raider,’ ‘White Soul Sneakers,’ ‘Chiyu,’ and ‘Beyond the Beyond,’ but they’re so addictive!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TRIPLES:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
KIM JAEHWAN
May is truly the month for solo artists! Kim Jaehwan blesses us with his seventh EP, I Adore. The title track, ‘Amaid,’ has a groovy R&B vibe while Kim Jaehwan sings to his ex-lover that no one can love them as he can. At the same time, he acknowledges how toxic their relationship can be. He takes a mature concept for this comeback, and we’re eating it up! We especially love the b-sides ‘What’ and ‘Truth or Dare!’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KIM JAEHWAN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
BTOB SUNGJAE
When a release is as good as BTOB Sungjae’s EXHIBITION: Look Closely, the only complaint we would have is: why is it so short? We did get three incredible songs, but we really can’t get enough of them. From the self-discovery title song ‘BE SOMEBODY,’ we continue to the pop-punk B-side that is ‘Without You,’ and end with the emotional ‘The Ghost.’ If you ask us about a recommendation, we’d have to say all of them. It is simply the only correct answer.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BTOB:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SUNGJAE’S INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
WHIB
Need a fun track to play out during your summer? WHIB‘s new single, ‘KICK IT,’ is giving us all the fresh vibes we’ve been craving. The group continues with its addictive title tracks, exploring a brighter vibe with this release. The entire single album screams bright energy, and we’re here for it. We just love songs that make us smile, and WHIB’s first comeback is it.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHIB:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
NCT MARK
NCT‘s Mark once again proves his versatility with his new solo single, ‘200!’ This pop-punk track tells the story of being wronged by someone he loved. We can hear how much care he took in writing, composing, and arranging this song. And the music video shows Mark acting as Spider-Man, which we didn’t know we needed until now. (Marvel, what’re you waiting for?) He even released a Minhyung version of ‘200!’ Mark, the multi-talented man that you are.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NCT:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
B.I
We can always trust in B.I to drop bangers no matter what time of year it is. His new single, ‘Tasty,’ is the perfect song to blast in your car this summer. His music video seems like it was so much fun to film! He and his dancers all killed the choreography, so we hope to see more dance content soon. We’re suckers for dance parties and B.I just started the hottest one this summer.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT B.I:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
MCND
MCND has returned with X10, and naturally, we were all over it. The title track of the same name has us vibing like we always do with the group’s main songs. The boys really hit the 10 with this one. And we can’t get enough of the game elements and all the fun in their music video. MCND are our “10, 10, 10.” A B-side we would claim as one of our favorites is ‘Out Louder.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MCND:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
ONEUS
ONEUS, we’ve missed you so much! Our fave boys came back with a tribute to Fin. K.L’s song, ‘Now.’ And it’s the best remake of a first-gen group we’ve seen all year. Maybe ever. The vocals and choreography surpassed all our expectations. ONEUS honored the original track so well while adding their signature flair. We have no notes! Both versions are on repeat as we speak!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONEUS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
SOOJIN
We’re getting fed so well from so many incredible K-Pop solo artists. Soojin has returned with her second mini-album, Rizz! Her title track, ‘Mona Lisa,’ is a work of art. All of her outfits ate! The visuals for the music video are insane, and we’re obsessed with all her looks. Soojin’s new EP has a song for every vibe, and our favorite b-sides are ‘Lime’ and ‘DROP TOP.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOOJIN:
INSTAGRAM | PERSONAL INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
AESPA
It’s time for Armageddon, and this time, we don’t mean a battle between good and evil – we’re talking about the new iconic album from aespa! We’ve had ‘Supernova’ on repeat since we first heard it. So, we already knew this entire album was about to knock us off our feet. The title track ‘Armageddon’ is also now officially on the list of our walk-out songs. The way we feel like we could take over the world when this is on could and should be studied in a lab somewhere. Our favorites from the album are ‘Long Chat(#♥),’ ‘Live My Life,’ and ‘Set The Tone.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AESPA:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
EXO CHEN
Another EXO member’s solo comeback in May’s K-POP HOTSPOT? Oh, we’re getting fed this month! CHEN has returned with his fourth mini-album, Door. His title track, ‘Empty,’ could be an OST for the most romantic K-Drama we’ve ever watched. Chen sings about an empty room and the memories you had with people no longer in your life. It isn’t always a negative feeling because your love for them is still there. Chen’s lovely vocals guide us through his EP, and our favorite B-sides are ‘PLAYLIST (feat. HAON, BE’O)’ and ‘Starlight.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EXO:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
TREASURE
TREASURE definitely found their inner ‘KING KONG’ and embraced it for this concept like pros. We’re mind-blown and honestly kind of obsessed with that music video. Not only did we get a powerful and immersive choreography, but the same could be said about all the effects, settings, and the members’ styling. Topping all this with such strong vocal and rap parts, ‘KING KONG’ is nothing less but a hit in our eyes and a favorite on our playlists.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TREASURE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
EXO SUHO
It is the best month ever to be an EXO-L. Why? Because the EXOs keep on treating us with new music! D.O. and CHEN already blessed us during the previous weeks, and now leader SUHO is up next! This man does not miss on the band vibes, and he knows how to deliver a bop. We got the first taste of the new mini-album through ‘Cheese’ featuring Red Velvet’s Wendy, but now ‘1 to 3’ is here, and it has everything we love about SUHO’s music. This man knows what he is best at and how to give us a pre-summer song!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EXO:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SUHO’S INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
A.C.E
We love it when we get a little end-of-the-month treat, and A.C.E definitely delivered on this in May! The boys gave us ‘Supernatural,’ a special single that couldn’t be more upbeat and fun if it tried. A.C.E never misses! And we will be bopping to this jam for the next few weeks!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A.C.E:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
Our summer is off to a great start with this month’s K-Pop comebacks! May’s K-POP HOTSPOT did not come to play, and we always love adding more bangers to our playlists!
What was your favorite May 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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