If you’ve been in the K-Pop music world at all this month, then you’ll know just now many new releases we’ve got in store! From girl groups and boy groups to the solo releases and group reunions, our May K-Pop Hotspot truly has it all.
Have you been keeping up with us? Check out all our comeback reviews for NMIXX, GOT7 Jinyoung, ZEROBASEONE, ITZY, YOON SAN-HA, AND2BLE, and aespa. Once you’re all good there, feel free to jump right into this month’s roundup of K-Pop comebacks and debuts!
BABYMONSTER
Kicking off our May K-Pop Hotspot, BABYMONSTER continues to raise the bar with every comeback! Their third EP, 춤 CHOOM, has four tracks you won’t be able to skip. No, really. We kept replaying the whole mini-album. ‘CHOOM’ is the perfect title track with its high energy and the girls’ killer verses and vocals. The line “I know we’re seven, but we ate” hits so hard. We’re beyond obsessed!
CORTIS
Throughout the month of May, CORTIS has been truly inescapable. Their amazing 2nd EP, GREENGREEN, dropped, but it’s the pre-release, ‘REDRED,’ that everyone can’t stop talking about! It got them their first win at the end of April, and another eight since then! The super addictive track is so good that they’re still promoting it on music shows a month later. With their debut, CORTIS came out of the gate running. And now, with their first comeback, they proved they’re here to stay!
NAZE
Have you heard of NAZE yet? They’re the new boy group you’ll be blasting on your playlists! ‘People Talk’ is bringing a refreshing sound to the K-Pop scene, and it’s so catchy that you’ll love it with your first listen. It’s on replay for us since it came out! And we have the guys keep that fun going in their B-sides too, so make sure you check them out.
BILLLIE
We’ve been saying that it’s the perfect year for albums, and Billlie’s comeback only proves it! Their first full album, the collective soul and unconscious, chapter two, is a masterpiece from top to bottom. Not that we expected anything less from these icons! ‘WORK’ and ‘ZAP’ work together as the lead tracks, bringing all the heat. And their B-sides and remixes slayed, per usual. We especially love ‘$ECRET no more,’ ‘B’yond me,’ and ‘OFF-AIR.’
TIFFANY YOUNG
A Tiffany Young comeback in 2026 is everything we could’ve asked for! 2026 really is the new 2016 if this song is any indication. ‘Summer’s Not Over’ marks 10 years since Tiffany Young debuted as a solo artist. It’s a groovy R&B track about how one person can make it feel like summer is never-ending. The instrumental is just incredible. And the best news is that it’s only the first taste of more new music from our fave.
BOYNEXTDOOR
BOYNEXTDOOR hasn’t come to play in 2026! Ahead of their first full-length album next month, BND dropped the pre-release single ‘ddok ddok ddok,’ and we’ll never get those lyrics out of our heads. It’s a more mature iteration of BND, but it still has their wit and charm! Even as they develop their sound, they stay true to their core group identity, going so far as to reference all their releases to date! Y’all, it’s time for you to “RSVP” to this fandom, ASAP.
DRIPPIN CHADONGHYEOP
DRIPPIN‘s first unit is here! ChaDongHyeop captured our hearts with their lively and cheerful concept! We absolutely needed ‘Doogeundae’ in our lives. It feels like the perfect song to listen to this summer and even beyond. It brings such a bright atmosphere, and we’re so here for it! ChaDongHyeop are fresh, and we are just so happy with the sound of this unit! Our new feel-good sound!
WOOAH
Next on our May K-Pop Hotpot is our beloved WOOAH! They’ve released a song in celebration of their sixth anniversary, and it’s making us so emotional. ‘WXW (Wish With W)’ gives off the exact vibes we need on late-night drives. With the summer almost here, we’ll be blasting this gem nonstop. No matter what happens to WOOAH, we’re happy to support these girls in all their future endeavors.
TAEYANG
They said BIG BANG is officially back at Coachella, and they meant it! Taeyang has just dropped his new album, QUINTESSENCE. With back-to-back bangers and an addictive title track, Taeyang doesn’t disappoint! ‘LIVE FAST DIE SLOW’ brings his signature infectious energy and a dance break that will get you out of your seat. Our favorite B-sides include ‘LOVE LIKE THIS,’ ‘NOW,’ and ‘4U!’
NCT TAEYONG
The next comeback in our May K-Pop Hotspot is NCT TAEYONG’s first full album. This solo comeback is another one for the books. WYLD is fully TAEYONG to the core. And the title track, ‘WYLD,’ has an avant-garde music video style we couldn’t stop watching. He’s more than a talented rapper; he can sing and dance just as well! His B-sides are just as iconic, especially ‘Skiii’ and ‘Run.’
I.O.I
A 10-year I.O.I reunion?! May has been blessing us ALL month. In case you didn’t know, I.O.I is the blueprint for project girl groups. And their third mini-album, I.O.I : LOOP, has filled the hole in our playlists. The title track, ‘Suddenly,’ brings back nostalgic K-Pop vibes with a silly, relaxed music video to match. They knew one song wouldn’t be enough, so they released five more B-sides to tide us over until we get all 11 members back together!
XIKERS
Is it just us, or is xikers making sure our playlists are way more than just ‘OKay’? ROUTE ZERO : The ORA proves that the boys know exactly how to stay true to their signature intense energy while experimenting with fresh, new sounds we are absolutely loving. The title track perfectly blends that distinct sample into a hard-hitting, addictive beat. This whole EP is fun, fresh, and shows off insane growth. Plus, knowing Minjae, Sumin, and Yechan have writing credits all over this makes the hard-hitting raps and clever lyrics hit even harder. Every single song brings a completely new vibe to the table, yet the album flows so seamlessly from track to track while still staying uniquely them.
MONSTA X SHOWNU X HYUNGWON
Do you love them? Do you love them a lot? The only correct answer is YES! Monsta X’s SHOWNU X HYUNGWON stole our hearts with their debut as a unit in 2023, and we can’t express how loud we yelled when we heard about their comeback. Their style keeps our whole attention: from the catchy, outstanding songs to the performances we can’t look away from. Their album is once again peak! With Hyungwon working on a handful of the tracks, we already knew this release was going to eat. And amongst these bangers of unit songs, we even got solos for each member. Honestly, how lucky are we? We can’t even pick a favorite; we are simply left breathless after listening to LOVE ME. And two of the songs on the album are called ‘Breathe’ and ‘NO AIR.’ Coincidence? We think not!
LE SSERAFIM
Our May K-Pop Hotspot is a gift that keeps on giving! LE SSERAFIM dropped their second studio album, ‘PUREFLOW’, Pt. 1, just in time for the summer. Their pre-release track ‘CELEBRATION’ got us hyped for the comeback, but we weren’t ready for the energy these girls would bring in this album! ‘BOOMPALA’ is already such an iconic title track, blending different cultures in the music video. It even includes moves and samples from the anthem, ‘Macarena!’
AHN HYO-SEOP X KHALID
A special collaboration between Ahn Hyo-seop and Khalid was not on our 2026 K-Pop bingo card. But we’re in love all the same! ‘Something Special’ is a vibey R&B slow jam that truly is something special, a duet that transcends language. It also marks Ahn Hyo-seop’s debut single as a solo artist. Their vocals pair so well together. We can’t stop listening!
TAEMIN
Halloween feels like it came early with Taemin’s new single, ‘PERMISSION!’ We can already imagine the haunting intro being used for costume transition videos. This song is another iconic track in Taemin’s flawless discography. He seriously doesn’t know how to make a bad song. The instrumental is groovy and absolutely danceable, of course. And we don’t need permission to replay this song all day and night.
KARD J.SEPH
With J.seph’s first solo EP, every KARD member has now successfully debuted on their own! The entirety of Spin-off shows off J.seph’s ability not only to deliver fire rap verses, but also to sing addictive choruses. ‘EASY’ is the perfect title track about trying to impress your crush and making everything look easy. Add on his acting and dancing in the music video, and J.seph really can do it all! Don’t go sleeping on his B-sides, either.
XLOV
XLOV is back with their second mini-album, and they came to ‘SERVE!’ I,God joins the group’s incredible run of songs and EPs since their 2025 debut. Everything about the title track, ‘SERVE,’ had our jaws on the floor. The acting, the styling, the choreography, the lyrics, the set, and the visuals all ATE. Our expectations were already sky high, but XLOV continues to blow us away. We’re also so in love with the unit B-sides, along with ‘BACK 2 BACK’ and ‘Masterpiece.’
ONEWE
ONEWE knew we’d been missing them, and The Quiver is just what our playlists needed! With four songs, this single album has everything we love about ONEWE’s signature sound. With beautiful imagery and instrumentals, ‘ICARUS’ makes for the perfect title track. It reminds us of one of our all-time favorite ONEWE songs: ‘Parting.’ As with any of this K-Band’s comebacks, their B-sides make their own mark. We just can’t pick our favorites!
UNIVERSE
We all know him as Tag, a member of Golden Child, a talented rapper, songwriter, producer, and performer: basically an all-rounder! Now we are going to see more sides of him as he kicked off his career as a soloist under a brand new name: Universe. You’d better be ready because you are about to love his sound! The title track from THE SO-CALLED LUCK, ‘Unlove,’ is a beautiful and heartbreaking piece about the end of a love story. And here’s our suggestion for you to absolutely check out: ‘Flawless!’ This B-side captured us instantly with its sound and message, and now we can’t stop listening to it.
BOA
This next comeback is the perfect closer to our May K-Pop Hotspot. After establishing her own agency, BoA delivers us a brand new single! ‘Ain’t No Hard Feelings’ is a song that belongs in the dance club. It’s freeing and authentic, the type of vibes we need going into this summer. Her visualizer is minimalistic, showing BoA on an old-school camcorder as she dances around a park and just has fun. We can’t wait to get even more new music from the Mother of K-Pop soon!
What an incredible May K-Pop Hotspot! What was your favorite comeback or debut? Which new releases are you most looking forward to in June? Let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter @TheHoneyPOP!
Need more K-POP content? Don’t worry; we got you!
