10 Of Our Favorite K-Pop Debuts Of 2025

From rookie groups to some of the most-established idols finally going solo, K-Pop was full of iconic debuts in 2025. We saw record-breaking sales, one-of-a-kind concepts, and more idols getting hands-on in the production process than we could’ve dreamed. It was really hard to narrow down our favorite K-Pop debuts from this year, but here’s our top 10 in 2025!

MARK

Considering it sometimes feels like MARK debuted 802 years ago and is in more groups than we can count, it feels kind of strange to think that he hadn’t had a solo debut yet. But all that experience led to one of the most versatile and fully-realized K-Pop debut albums, not just in 2025, but ever. The concept of The Firstfruit, led by the title track ‘1999,’ is built around the four cities that made MARK who he is today: Toronto, New York City, Vancouver, and Seoul. We’d love this debut for the concept alone, so the tracks being that good just feels like a bonus.

Hearts2Hearts

Hearts2Hearts’ 2025 has been so strong that it’s kind of hard to believe it’s their debut year. ‘STYLE’ might be the group’s biggest hit of the year, but there’s no denying the statement that their debut, ‘The Chase,’ which was written by fellow THP faves FLO, made. ‘The Chase,’ and Hearts2Hearts concept so far, is a pure embrace of pop in all its open-hearted, bright, “sparkle, sparkle,” glory.

CORTIS

CORTIS was arguably the most-anticipated K-Pop debut of 2025, and the rookie group seemed to take that all in their (very tall) stride! BIGHIT’s third boy group, after BTS and TXT, CORTIS was always going to be under scrutiny. However, not dissimilar to their predecessors, CORTIS jumped onto the scene with an anarchic attitude, determined to do their own thing. Their debut track, ‘What You Want,’ and pre-debut release, ‘GO!,’ show off this energy perfectly, as well as their commitment to a hands-on approach to their music.

JURIN ASAYA

In 2025, leader JURIN ASAYA became the first member of XG, a Japanese group based in South Korea, to have a solo debut. Collaborating with Rapsody on the track ‘PS118,’ JURIN ASAYA put her skills on display perfectly, with her quintessential delivery and lyrical wordplay. The track was a great example of what a solo debut should be: a clear statement of individual identity with just a lil’ sprinkle of the group’s character, too.

XLOV

Four-member K-Pop group XLOV had a truly unique debut in 2025. They promote a genderless concept, spotlighting their intricate choreography, decadent styling, and impressive production skills instead. Of course, this has earned them a lot of attention, both positive and negative, and shines a light on how gendered the expectations but on boy groups and girl groups can sometimes be. But, even putting all of that aside, XLOV would still be one of our fave debuts this year, thanks to how great ‘I’mma Be’ was. And they’ve just gotten better since!

YEONJUN

Does this count as a debut? Technically, yes, so we’re gonna talk about it. TXT’s Yeonjun released his official solo debut album in November, and we’re already anticipating a NO LABELS: PART 02 in 2026…maybe? Taking the stage by storm, as always, Yeonjun brought his quintessential power and charm to the record. NO LABELS: PART 01 deftly balances the opulence of K-Pop with the grit of Yeonjun’s other musical influences blending, hip-hop, hard rock, and more, seamlessly.

BEOMGYU

Ok, so we might be contradicting ourselves just a teeny-weeny bit. Like Yeonjun in 2024, Beomgyu didn’t have an official solo debut this year, but he did release his debut mixtape track, ‘Panic.’ The indie-pop song grows from a gentle intro to a searing anthem, with one of the sweetest concepts in any 2025 debut. The track came to life thanks to Beomgyu’s personal experience of music’s healing powers and how he’s been comforted by his own favorite artists. In turn, Beomgyu wanted to pass that hopeful energy onto MOA, and so, ‘Panic’ was born!

YEJI

ITZY’s formidable leader, YEJI, finally had her solo debut in March 2025. Air is all about embracing excitement, and there were few releases more exciting than this one! A mix of synth-pop and dream-pop, this EP had exactly the energy we had dreamed of for a YEJI debut, but it still exceeded all our expectations, with killer performances and fairytale references. YEJI’s intention with this solo debut was to showcase her aura, and she definitely achieved that!

HUNTR/X

You knew we had to include our girls, HUNTR/X, right? In 2025, the girl group that stars in K-Pop Demon Hunters had a debut year that most idols couldn’t even imagine! ‘Golden’ has topped the Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) chart for a record-tying 19 weeks, and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks, too. And all of that success is before we even mention their other songs, like ‘How It’s Done’ or ‘What It Sounds Like!’

Saja Boys

Where HUNTR/X go, the Saja Boys will follow! Just like HUNTR/X arguably became the world’s favorite girl group in 2025, Saja Boys became a top boy group, in our hearts as well as charts all over the globe. From ‘Soda Pop’ to ‘Your Idol,’ there are few debut tracks that have gotten stuck in our collective heads like the ones from K-Pop Demon Hunters!

And that’s our ten! Do you agree with our picks for favorite K-Pop debuts of 2025? Anyone you wish we had included on this list? Hit us up! You can find us at @thehoneypop on Twitter, or by visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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