BTS and BLACKPINK took K-pop to new heights in the 2020s when they broke through to the mainstream and went global with their pandemic-era-defining hits. This year, an unlikely new force expanded the scene’s cultural footprint further, with Netflix sensation KPop Demon Hunters taking over our screens – and hits from its soundtrack, like ‘Golden’ and ‘Soda Pop’, dominating streaming and music charts.
But as inescapable as KPop Demon Hunters was, the last 12 months also saw lots more from the world of K-pop. There were the stunning debuts of exciting new groups such as CORTIS and Hearts2Hearts, fresh solo music by beloved veteran idols (SHINee’s Key, ARTMS’ Kim Lip, and more), as well as a well-deserved comeback story by a once-divisive girl group. Here are the songs that made 2025 a blast for K-pop.
Ziwei Puah, Associate Commissioning Editor (Music)
Words by: Carmen Chin, Daniel Anderson, George Yang, Ivana E. Morales, Mika Chen, Rhian Daly, Sara Delgado, Tamar Herman, Tássia Assis and Ziwei Puah