This summer has been a big one for K-pop with world tours from groups like Stray Kids and BLACKPINK, Twice becoming the first girl group to headline Lollapalooza and many great songs released over the past three months. This summer has also seen the release of the movie “KPop Demon Hunters,” a movie that has taken the world by storm and brought K-pop as a genre more into the mainstream.
Given the importance of K-pop this summer, here are some of the best songs released between June 1 and Sept. 15.
JUMP by BLACKPINK
“JUMP” was the latest release from BLACKPINK. This track was released as a digital single on July 11. “JUMP” marked the first time since 2022 that the group released music, though each member has released solo projects in between. BLACKPINK began their DEADLINE world tour on July 5, where they previewed the track before its official release.
The track itself has some big names attached to the production, such as Diplo and Teddy Park — the former being the group’s long-time writer. The music is different from the typical BLACKPINK sound. “JUMP” implements elements of dance pop and European electronic sounds, including hardstyle. The song has been very successful both globally and in the US, reaching number one on the global Billboard 200 and peaking at 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This Is For by Twice
“This Is For” is the title track of the album of the same name, which is the fourth studio album from the group. “This Is For” is the group’s second fully English single following the release of “Strategy” in the spring. The track is a classic pop song from Twice that features themes of empowerment. Along with the announcement of the album was the announcement of their sixth world tour — This Is For World Tour.
Notably, this track came out on the same day as “JUMP” by BLACKPINK. The two groups are the biggest girl groups in the K-pop industry. On the charts, BLACKPINK’s release did better than Twice. Twice performed “This Is For” as well as “Right Hand Girl” from the album during their Lollapalooza set where they became the first K-pop girl group to headline the event.
Bomb by ILLIT (Album)
“Bomb” is the 3rd EP by the group ILLIT, and it consists of five tracks with an overarching theme heavily inspired by the magical girl anime trope. The group has had several viral songs, the most famous of which being their debut song “Magnetic” released in early 2024.
The title track of the EP is “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance),” a fun and whimsical track which implements a mix of French house and Eurodance. The song heavily samples the song “Yuuganaru Dassou,” from the 1989 anime film “The Five Star Stories,” giving the song a city-pop feel. Fans noticed that Huh Yunjin of LE SSERAFIM was involved with the writing for the song, adding to the appeal.
The second highlight from the EP, and arguably the best K-pop song of the summer, is ”Jellyous.” The song has gone viral online for its difficult choreography, with people attempting to recreate it and sharing admiration at the skill and detail of the original. Alongside the impressive choreography, the song itself is a fun and bubbly pop tune, matching the style of ILLIT while incorporating the 8-bit sound that they have previously experimented with on songs like “Tick-Tack.”
STYLE by Hearts2Hearts
“STYLE” is a digital single and the first comeback of SM girl group Hearts2Hearts. The song is a classic bubblegum pop-like song with a cute and cheerful vibe. It is a simple song with a well-used sound, but the group manages to execute it well. The visuals paired with the song are reminiscent of Purikura, Japanese photo booth culture, further bolstering the bubblegum pop elements of the song.
Hot Sauce by BABYMONSTER
“Hot Sauce” is a fully English summer single from YG’s newest girl group, BABYMONSTER. The song only had six of the members on it, with one member being on hiatus since early May for health reasons. The song itself is very late 80s hip-hop, reminiscent of the female hip-hop duos and trios of the late eighties and early nineties — so much so that hip-hop trio JJ Fad made a TikTok accusing the group of interpolating their hit song ”Supersonic” without permission, and the caption hinted that legal action would be taken. However, no legal action has been taken as of the writing of this article, and the claim of interpolation is still up for debate, with some arguing that the flow is not identical and is more so a staple of the genre and time period. The visuals and branding surrounding the song are very heavily inspired by the late 80s and early 90s, with promotional logos recreating the font used by Seo Taiji and Boys — one of the first K-pop groups from the early 90s.
Lemon Drop by ATEEZ
“Lemon Drop,” a vaguely tropical R&B and hip-hop track, is a great summer song. The song is quite mature — more so than some of the group’s previous songs. The track was originally released on their EP “Golden Hour: Part.3.” On July 11, the group released another edition of the EP “Golden Hour: Part.3 ‘In Your Fantasy Edition’” which included “Lemon Drop” and the songs from the original release alongside a new title track and a solo song from each of the eight group members.
R U OK? By IFEYE
IFEYE is a relatively small group from a relatively unknown company, but during the summer, the group released their second EP and first comeback, “Sweet Tang,” to much fanfare. “R U OK?” is the title track for the EP and went viral online for its fun and unique sound. The song is a dance track with lots of sharp elements and quick changes. The song’s chorus is fun, very addictive and has a great summery energy.
Go! and FaSHioN by Cortis
Cortis is the new boy group from BIGHIT — the company behind BTS. The group debuted in August with the song “What You Want.” Cortis consists of five members, including James, a member of the viral trainee group Trainee A, who also has an established record with production, having worked on songs such as “Deja Vu” by TXT and “Magnetic” by ILLIT.
“Go!” is the pre-debut single from the group released with a colorful music video that aims for a candid and down-to-earth vibe featuring shots of the group just being themselves and having fun. The song itself feels very inspired by artists like Travis Scott, with a light trap beat and some very strong synths. The song matches the music video with a fun and cool energy.
“FaSHioN” is one of the title tracks on the group’s first EP, “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES.” This song is also a hip-hop track, but it leans more into the dark trap and rage sound commonly associated with Opium — Playboi Carti’s record label. People online have pointed out that the chorus of the song seems to pay homage to A$AP Rocky’s flow on the chorus of his song ”Praise the Lord (Da Shine).” This style of song is not very common in K-pop; the only other notable examples are “Truman” by Stray Kids or “Blue Dot” by Young Posse, making this a welcome addition.
Dirty Work by Aespa
“Dirty Work,” a single, is the first piece of music released by the group following their most iconic release to date, “Whiplash”. “Dirty Work” is a grittier hip-hop style track that still maintains the typical Aespa sound. The song peaked at number one in Korea and at number five on the global Billboard charts. “Dirty Work” received mixed reviews online, with some expecting more from the group and others enjoying the new style.
Soft Error by Yves (album)
“Soft Error” is the third EP from soloist Yves. She is a former member of the disbanded girl group LOONA. Her current work is more detached from the typical K-pop scene, and her songs fall heavily into the indie, electronic and alternative sounds. It is debated whether or not Yves is still considered K-pop. Some of Yves’ previous work has gone viral, such as the song “DIM,” which was the audio for the “She doesn’t know it yet but…” trend on TikTok.
“White Cat” is the first song on the album and was released prior to the rest of the EP. The song is electro pop with some subtle hyperpop influence. The song captures the vibe of her music very well — hypnotic vocals mixed with electronic instrumentals alongside surrealist lyrics. The song sets the tone for the album well.
“Soap” is the title track of the album and features British artist PinkPantheress. Yves’ vocals mix well with Pink’s — both capturing a Y2K sound. The track is hyperpop-esque with a hint of liquid drum and bass commonly seen in PinkPantheress’ music. The song features a sample from Rebeca Black’s 2025 song “Sugar Water Cyanide.”
Creed by Stray Kids
“Creed” by Stray Kids is a B-side on the group’s fourth studio album “Karma.” The song is a dark trap style more similar to some of their earlier works, which were very heavy with dark trap, hip-hop and EDM. The song, like most other Stray Kids releases, had heavy influence from the producing trio 3RACHA, which consists of members Bang Chan, Han and Changbin. This was a busy summer for the group as they hit the North American leg of their current world tour from late May to late June before heading to Europe.
Yes by Hyo
“Yes” is a single by Hyo, also known as Hyoyeon. She is a member of the iconic second gen girl group Girls Generation — one of the biggest girl groups of the 2000s. In 2018, she began her career DJing along with her other musical endeavors. You can hear the DJ influences in the track. The song dabbles with UK garage and house sounds reminiscent of songs from the album “brat” by Charli XCX. The choreography, seen briefly in the music video, is influenced greatly by ballroom culture with lots of expressive vogueing. This song is unique in the K-pop space, where it can be hard to find music that pulls from such unabashedly queer influences.
FREESTYLE by YOUNG POSSE
“Freestyle” is the title track from the fourth EP by the girl group Young Posse, who are known for their hip-hop music that dabbles in different styles across the genre. “Freestyle” captures that hip-hop and punk style of the Beastie Boys with very loud and punchy elements that overload the listener in a satisfying way. The track also features a brief jazzy interlude that brings the energy back down during the middle of the song only to launch you back into chaos. The whole album is very good and dabbles across several other sub-genres of hip-hop, like the group tends to do.
LIL FANTASY vol.1 by Chaeyoung (album)
“Lil Fantasy vol.1” is the first full studio album from Chaeyoung of Twice. Her album differs from Twice’s typical sound and the style of the other members’ solo projects. Chaeyoung’s album has a cozy, mysterious and retro vibe dabbling in dream pop and R&B.
The first song on the album is “Avocado,” featuring the Japanese alternative rock band GLIICO. The song was released shortly before the rest of the album and is fully in English. It has that indie dream pop sound seen across the whole album, with this song having somewhat psychedelic elements as well.
The title track of the album is “Shoot (Firecracker)” — a fun and chill retro-style song. It is definitely more upbeat than the other songs on the album. The music video pairs well with the song. Its surreal visuals match the playful vibe of the song.