I’m so happy with what I’ve heard and seen so far with certain groups that I wanted to put that excitement on here. As a metal head, I only have time for “noisy” songs, so anything that’s doing too much is usually right up my alley. I also really love some good harmonizing and nods to 90s and early 2000s hip hop and R&B. 🥰

For anyone that doesn’t know, a “comeback” is basically when a K-pop artist or group releases new stuff. Also, long story short but I’m back into K-pop after…an extensive break. So now to dive right in. 🏊‍♀️

SHINee – Hard

While I thoroughly enjoyed the musical masterpieces that were Ring Ding Dong and Lucifer, that was around the time I gradually stopped listening to K-pop in general. 15 years later and these guys are still making hits. I was sooo happy to see how upbeat the title track and B side were. They didn’t hold back on the choreo. Surely this is an anomaly when it comes to idols at this point in their careers. Hard is a bit unconventional. I love the piano, the 90s hip hop sounds, the fits, all of it.

SHINee – Juice (Performance)

Honestly, I’m liking this song more than Hard!!!

Though this song just got made into a performance video, the quality is basically that of a whole music video.

XG – GRL GVNG

Not to be read as “girl giving” but “girl gang”!

Not exactly K-pop, but they’re in the space, I guess, where you’d call this a comeback lol I did hear their song Mascara when it first came out but wasn’t into it, so I totally brushed them off. Thankfully, this made me check out their other stuff. They’re super new, but in good hands with some serious backers (Avex).

This music video just got released a couple weeks ago, and it’s stunning! Extraterrestrial, robotic, aquatic, futuristic but feels reminiscent of Y2K. 👽🤖

I’m a fan of the lyrics and delivery. “We go hard everyday, me and my girls ain’t here to play 💁‍♀️” XG doesn’t have a ton of songs yet, but they’re going to be releasing more stuff pretty soon.

Ateez – Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers)

One reason why I love Ateez is that they do what they want with their music and don’t really follow trends.

The budget was budgeting when they shot Bouncy! KQ Entertainment isn’t on the same level as your SMs or your YGs or w/e, which is why I feel like even mentioning a budget – they’ve come a long way. It seems like with this release, they purposefully came out with choreo that was easy enough for others to be able to do – thus all the collabs and challenges. Their line dance said it’s over for all you other line dances. 💅

SLOW IT DOWN MAKE IT BOUNCY. 🌶️

I actually like the squeaky voice, and making it come from the parrot in the video was hilarious. Hongjoong leading the main chorus was an A+ choice.

Blackswan – Karma

Blackswan has been through…a lot, but it seems like they’re finally getting it together. I’m rooting for them because I want to see my girl Fatou shine. These members seem to work very well and they came back with some catchy songs!

I love how the video was shot in India and is so bright and colorful. Their live stage performances were also really good! 🎤

Sooo now that I’m back in the US I’m forcing my sisters to watch and listen with me. 😂 It’s more fun when there are others to talk with, but I’m not really a part of any online fan communities… It’d be nice to link up with others one day. Just like any genre, there’s a lot more to the music than just the big names (BTS), so maybe give some stuff a try and you might be surprised by how catchy/fun it is! Anyway, I’m loving a lot of new releases and catching up a bit on music I missed over the years. 👍