Korean pop music, or K-pop, has continued its expansion over the past few years, and looks poised to rule 2025. Soloists and groups notched up impressive achievements last year, with Blackpink’s Rosé becoming the highest charting female artist on the Billboard Hot 100 (#5) and three Korean acts (Ateez, BTS’ Jin, and Enhypen) occupying the top 10 on the Billboard 200 at once.
With new groups debuting, fresh albums announced, tour dates dropping, and fans calculating potential concert expenses, 2025 promises a lot for the K-connoisseur.
Along with its entertainment value, K-pop incorporates unique company structures and signals an interesting expansion and demonstration of South Korea’s soft power. Its fandoms are a cultural phenomenon unto themselves. With that in mind, K-pop in 2025 may significant socio-cultural developments unrelated to the music itself.
A glimpse of this has already been seen in continuing pro-democracy protests against Yoon Suk Yeol, which have acquired a unique flavour with the participation of K-pop fans. Koreans have used lightsticks of their favourite groups as protest symbols, even as popular K-pop standards like Into The New World by Girl’s Generation (SNSD) play during rallies.
File photo: Protesters attend a rally calling for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law, which was reversed hours later, near the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, December 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Kim Kyung-Hoon
So where is the world of K-pop headed this year? We look at some significant developments expected over the course of the year.
After completing their military service, mandatory for all young South Korean men, the seven members of the group Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) will be back in action.
Kim Seok-jin (Jin), the first to enlist, and the first to be discharged on June 12, 2024, released an album in November and is keeping up variety show appearances. Jung Hoseok (stage name J-hope) was the second to be discharged in October has just announced the release of new music in March, and is preparing for a global tour.
K-pop band BTS member J-Hope, center, salutes as fellow member Jin holds microphones after being discharged from a mandatory military service outside of an army base in Wonju, South Korea, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
His first concert will be held in Seoul, South Korea at the KSPO Dome on February 28. This tour will make him the second BTS member to tour solo, after Min Yoongi (who goes by the monikers Agust D and Suga) completed a well-received tour before enlisting in 2023.
Announcement poster for J-hope’s global tour
As for the other members, group leader Kim Namjoon (RM), Taehyung (V), Jungkook and Jimin are expected to be out of the military in June. The last member to complete his service will be Suga, who is doing alternative service as a social worker and is expected to be out on June 25, 2025.
This year also marks the 10 year anniversary of the landmark Hwayangyeonhwa (화양연화) (The Most Beautiful Moment in Life) series by the group, a bittersweet exploration of youth, and fan expectations run high for thematic extensions and new music releases. A tour in 2025-26 is also on the cards.
File photo: Members of K-Pop band BTS perform on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ show in Central Park in New York City, U.S., May 15, 2019.
| Photo Credit:
Brendan McDermid
YG Entertainment, in charge of Blackpink’s group activities, announced that an album and perhaps a tour is in the works for the popular girl group, known for its bold girl-crush concept and catchy tunes. Additionally, all the members have ventured into solo work under different agencies, with some launching their own labels.
Thai singer-rapper Lisa is releasing a full-length album called Alter Ego on February 28, 2025 through her company Lloud and RCA Records. There are also rumours of members Jennie and Jisoo releasing full musical projects of their own in 2025; Jisoo just dropped an enigmatic trailer featuring the date February 14. Blackpink member Rosé put out her first full-length album Rosie on December 6, 2024; it was a runaway success, charting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Pre-release APT, a collab with Bruno Mars, is still charting on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at no 5.
Acting projects for Lisa (White Lotus Season 3) and Jisoo (Newtopia) are expected to premiere this year as well.
Third generation boy group GOT7, known for hits like Hard Carry, If You Do and Just Right, hasn’t released a group album since 2022. Now they return in time for their 11th anniversary with an EP titled Winter Heptagon, which will be released on January 20.
A promotional image for GOT7’s upcoming album
While the group has not been very active after leaving their record label JYP Entertainment in 2021 following the completion of a seven year contract, the members have been active as soloists. Members Jay B, Mark, Jackson Wang, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom have released solo music and toured globally, with Jackson Wang even performing at Coachella in 2024.
Two members also made stops in India recently. While Jackson Wang performed at Lollapalooza India in 2023, Thai rapper BamBam (Kunpimook Bhuwakul) was here as part of the KTown Festival in Mumbai in December.
Gfriend fans, known as Buddies, have reason to celebrate in 2025. The six members of the girl group Gfriend have reunited to release a special album called Season of Memories for their 10th anniversary. The title track Season of Memories was released on January 6, while its music video and the album itself dropped on January 13. The group performed at the Golden Disk Awards and at music shows, and is expected to hold a few fan-meetings and concerts.
Fans were dismayed when Gfriend, beloved in South Korea for hits such as Rough, Time for the Moon Night and Mago, suddenly disbanded in May 2021 after the completion of its first contract with Source Music.
GFRIEND Special Album ‘Season of Memories’<우리의 다정한 계절 속에> RELEASEhttps://t.co/8uAJnvEGOw#여자친구#GFRIEND#Season_of_Memories#우리의다정한계절속에 🧭 pic.twitter.com/VArhmxjSnl
After various group members being in military service since 2019, all members of the popular SM boy group EXO will be out this year. While member Kai is expected to be discharaged in February, Sehun, who is serving as a social service worker, will be the last member to be discharged, tentatively in September.
EXO put out an EP (Don’t Fight the Feeling, with an epynomous title track) in 2021, and released a studio album Exist in 2023, but promotions have featured less than the complete nine members. Members have, however, been active as soloists. D.O released his album Blossom in May 2024, featuring the cheery Popcorn and Mars. and Baekhyun released Hello, World, featuring the seductive Pineapple Slice, last September. Meanwhile, Suho, Xiumin and Chen performed in India on various dates in November-December 2024— the first time any members from EXO held a concert in India.
The highly popular group Seventeen had a successful 2024, and now subunits of its members are back to delight the public. BSS, comprised of DK, Seungkwan and Hoshi, put out their second single album Teleparty on January 8, 2025, along with title track CBZ (Primetime). BSS expands to BooSeokSoon, a portmanteau of the names of all three members— Boo for Boo Seungkwan, Seok for Lee Seok-min (DK), and Soon for Kwon Soon-young (Hoshi).
Meanwhile, rumours have emerged that Hooshi and Woozi (Lee Ji-Hoon), both born in 1996, will have a comeback as a subunit later this year.
Chart-topping girl group IVE, known for hits like Love Dive and HEYA, will release its third EP Empathy on February 3. They have put out a cinematic trailer for the EP, and dropped pre-release single Rebel Heart on January 13.
Thai artist Minnie, who is a member of girl power group G-idle, will release her first solo mini album Her on January 21. She has already dropped the pre-release single Blind Eyes Red, on January 7.
ZEROBASEONE, a buoyant and boyish group formed through a televised competition titled Boys Planet, has acquired its own legion of dedicated fans, or Zeroses, who will be looking forward to the group’s first Japanese EP Prezent on January 29.
Other bands, including CIX and ONEUS, also have releases on the cards.
Hearings in multiple cases pertaining to a dispute between star rookie group New Jeans and their company ADOR/Hybe have kicked off in January 2025. The court proceedings are being followed with intense interest by those curious about the corporate machinations of k-pop. Defamation, plagiarism accusations, mistreatment allegations, a contract dispute and a criminal investigation are all part of a complicated legal tangle.
Members of South Korean K-Pop group NewJeans attend a press conference to declare contract termination with the band’s label citing multiple reasons including unfair treatment, in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Ahn Young-joon
Reactions from fans and netizens to the prolonged dispute, which kicked off with an internal audit by Korean entertainment conglomerate Hybe of its sub-label ADOR in April 2024, have ranged from support for the group for the alleged mistreatment to questions about the validity of the claims and concerns over ex-ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin’s role in the matter.
Bystanders are watching the trajectory of NewJeans with interest; they quickly shot to fame both at home and abroad with songs like Attention, Hype Boy and Ditto after their debut in 2022 as the second girl-group under Hybe, the parent company for BTS and Seventeen, and girl groups Le Sserafim and IILIT among others.
The K-field is vast and continues to expand at dizzying speed. Already this year, JYP has launched a new boy group called Kickflip, which released its first album on January 6, 2025. Now SM has announced the debut of a new girl group called Heart2Heart. Source Music, YG, and Pledis Entertainment are also expected to debut new groups.
Military enlistment is set to temporarily claim more members of popular K-pop groups in 2025. Seventeen member Hoshi is expected to enlist over the course of the year, joining bandmate Jeonghan who is already in the military.
Doyoung of NCT will also join his bandmates Taeyong and Jaehyun for mandatory military service. While Taeyong is already serving in the Navy, and is expected to be released in December, Jaehyun is serving in the Army band and will be out next year.
South Korean K-Pop singer Kang Daniel poses for a photo call during 2024 Seoulcon APAN Star Awards at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Kang Daniel, soloist and ex-member of the project group WANNAONE, is also expected to enlist soon.
Published – January 13, 2025 06:16 pm IST
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