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  • K-Pop Hotspot: September 2025 Comebacks & Debuts Roundup

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    Welcome back to one of THP’s most-loved monthly columns: the K-Pop Hotspot! September’s comebacks and debuts did not come to play, and neither did we!

    Have you been listening to all our fave K-Pop comebacks this month? Check out full comeback reviews for MONSTA X, ZEROBASEONE, DAY6, and P1Harmony! You can also keep up with K-Pop tours like LE SSERAFIM’s setlist, KAI’s recent Chicago show, and KEY’s upcoming KEYLAND: Uncanny Valley tour!

    But enough chit-chatting for now! We’ve got a hefty September K-Pop hotspot, so let’s get into all the comebacks and debuts you may have missed.

    NCT WISH

    We’re holding on to the last bit of summer with this September hotspot, and NCT WISH are on the same wavelength! Their new mini-album, COLOR, is a breath of fresh air. The title track ‘COLOR’ is bright and fun, with a chorus that has been stuck in our heads all month! We even got music videos for ‘Surf’ and ‘Baby Blue!’ Don’t sleep on the rest of their b-sides like ‘Videohood’ and ‘WICHU.’  

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NCT WISH:
    INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    TREASURE

    TREASURE brought us to ‘PARADISE’ with their September K-Pop comeback! Who says summer is over? We’ll be back to those fun days with this funky title track—a star for any party. We fell immediately for this song, and how could we not? It’s so fun and makes us feel like we’ve traveled to a special, magical place. It was the perfect start to the month, and a beautiful way to say goodbye to the hot season while still keeping it alive in our hearts through music. Who else is grooving to the sounds of TREASURE’s new music?

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TREASURE:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    HYOLYN

    Our K-Pop queen is back to serve and slay! We’re living for HYOLYN’s unapologetic new single, ‘SHOTTY.’ She sings about moving on from a breakup, knowing her ex will grow to regret losing her. The choreography has our jaws on the floor, and we expected nothing less from our fave K-Pop baddie. HYOLYN gave us everything we needed with just one song, and we hope she’ll bless us with more soon!  

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HYOLYN:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    AESPA

    In the words of the legendary Cher, “I am a rich man.” aespa embodies this self-assured and confident energy in their sixth mini-album, Rich Man. The title track, ‘Rich Man,’ is an explosive track with a cinematic music video masterpiece. aespa inspires us to be the rich man in our lives, beyond having money to sustain our lifestyles. We didn’t skip through any of their b-sides, and our favorites are ‘Angel #48’ and ‘To The Girls.’

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AESPA:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    NCT HAECHAN

    We never thought we’d see the day NCT DREAM’s Haechan would release his first-ever solo album! TASTE fully exceeded our expectations, especially the title track ‘CRZY.’ His vocals and rap skills immediately hooked us, and we stayed for the choreography. Haechan proves his all-rounder talents with this album. We especially love the b-sides ‘ADRENALINE’ and ‘WYN?’ with HAON!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NCT DREAM:
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    CIX

    Next on our September K-Pop hotspot is CIX’s new EP, GO Chapter 1: GO Together! They’re entering a new era, and we’re here for it. Whoever edited the ’WONDER YOU’ music video knew exactly what they were doing with the thumbnail. It definitely worked on us, though! The title track is groovy and too catchy to skip. Speaking of skips, this mini-album doesn’t have any! Each b-side is worthy of being the title track, and we don’t say that lightly.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CIX:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    CHAEYOUNG

    TWICE Chaeyoung’s solo debut is finally here! LIL FANTASY vol. 1 is easily one of our favorite September K-Pop releases. ‘SHOOT (Firecracker)’ is a dreamy title track with such a creative concept and music video. The music video for ‘AVOCADO’ (feat. Gliiico) is so kooky yet so Chaeyoung. She knows her strengths, and we’re in love with the indie and R&B sound of the album. Every song fits her vibe, and we especially love ‘BAND AID’ and ‘BF.’

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHAEYOUNG:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PERSONAL INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    JUNHEE

    After getting a taste of JUNHEE‘s solo music with the pre-release of ‘Supernova,’ we’ve been so eager to hear more. And now we’re hooked on the whole The First Day & Night mini-album. Ever felt spoiled by a music release, because this is how we feel. Not only did the album give us double title tracks in ‘Umbrella (10:00)’ and ‘Too Bad (15:00),’ but it also fed our CHOICE hearts. We yelled after seeing the B-side ‘Tattoo (12:30)’ featuring all of the A.C.E members, instantly knowing it would be one of our favorites on the album. We also find it interesting and quite a fun choice to match each song with a time of day, emphasizing the title of the release, The First Day & Night. Now we have a JUNHEE song to listen to throughout the day, yes, even at 2 AM.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JUNHEE:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE 

    TAEMIN

    Are we ever ok when TAEMIN releases new music? The answer is a definite no. ‘Veil’ has us in its clutches, and it’s not letting us go any time soon (not like we’re even trying to escape, anyways). The song draws us with its dark atmosphere, creating an alluring charm. TAEMIN’s artistry always leaves us in awe, with jaws dropped and words lost. This special digital single captured our hearts with all three of its tracks, which also include the absolutely enchanting ‘FINALE,’ and the equally captivating Japanese version of ‘Veil.’

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAEMIN:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PERSONAL INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE 

    PLAVE

    PLAVE blessed us with the Korean version of ‘Hide and Seek,’ and we couldn’t be happier! This version feels like the bittersweet feelings that come at the end of summer. We’re sad to see it go, but we’re hopeful of the promise that it will return. ‘Hide and Seek’ is such a beautiful and uplifting song about finally finding the one and announcing it to the whole world.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PLAVE:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    IDID

    New boy group alert! IDID finally dropped their official debut, and we’re too busy dancing to their title piece, ‘CHAN-RAN.’ It gives off a refreshing feel and spreads so much positivity that we can’t help but love this for the boys’ entry into the K-Pop music scene. It matches them extremely well, and honestly, we can never have too many songs with a message of hope. We highly recommend checking out their B-sides as well. We have a feeling you’d like the variety they prepared for this special start of their idol careers.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IDID:
    INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    BADVILLAIN

    September is full of new K-Pop singles! BADVILLAIN came back with ‘THRILLER,’ a self-empowerment anthem that’ll get you hyped! If you ever need some morning motivation, this is the song you need. These girls eat up every concept they get, and we need to see them on our playlists more often!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BADVILLAIN:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    YUQI

    YUQI is back with a new solo single album, Motivation! Her title track, ‘M.O.,’ is giving us old school hip-hop vibes. The instrumental is absolutely a banger, and YUQI’s voice and rap pair with it so well. No one’s doing it like her! On the flip side, she also blessed us with Korean and Chinese versions of ‘Gone,’ a pop-rock track we can blast in the car with all the windows down!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YUQI:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PERSONAL INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

    LUN8

    Is anyone else a fan of the dark and mysterious vibes? LUN8‘s ‘Lost’ gave us exactly that through this latest focus track and its music video. And after listening once, we have to say we are ABSOLUTELY obsessed! The boys did it again with a new concept that slayed and showed a more mature side to them, which took our hearts with its dreamy sound. The boys also made sure to include only bangers in the single album, so you’d better be all over ‘Bad Girl’ and ‘Nauty’ already! LUN8 outdid themselves, making this one of our top releases from them so far.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LUN8:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    EXO SUHO

    EXO’s solo comebacks this year are healing all of us. Next is SUHO with his fourth EP, Who Are You. The title track is a rock masterpiece about moving on from an ex after a breakup. He also gave us the English version, which we’re hoping is a hint at a future solo tour. We absolutely adore SUHO’s classic sound, and his discography has only been getting better and better. Our favorite b-sides are ‘Birthday’ and ‘Fadeout.’

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUHO:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PERSONAL INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    KICKFLIP

    KickFlip has just dropped their third mini-album, My First Flip! These boys are booked and busy this year. We’ve been obsessed with the title track, ‘My First Love Song.’ It carries a freeing energy that comes with being a teenager in love. We really hope to see KickFlip perform this song live one day. Their b-sides deserve all the love, and we recommend listening to them all!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KICKFLIP:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    THE KINGDOM

    Did you also scream a little (or a lot) after hearing the news of The KingDom‘s special album? And then did the realization that we’re going back to their iconic sound and roots make you lose your minds as well? Yes, we can fully relate! With ‘Last Flower’ first making an appearance a couple of years back, we’re absolutely rejoicing that the song finally got its long-awaited official release. We’ll be playing this track, along with the rest of the B-sides on the album, and crying a little from how happy we are over them.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KINGDOM:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    YERIN

    Everyone, wake up! Stop sleeping on Yerin because she has released her first digital single, Awake, and we couldn’t be more obsessed! It’s a pop-rock track that motivates us to chase our dreams. ‘Awake’ is the type of freeing song we’d play running through a field of flowers, slowing down and stopping for no one! Yerin brings out this side of us with every new release.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YERIN:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    WOODZ

    MOODZ, we’re so back! Our favorite rockstar is finally here and releasing his absolutely captivating music again, and we couldn’t be happier. WOODZ has us locking onto his latest two-piece release, and if you’re not joining us, you’re already missing out on so much. ‘I’ll Never Love Again’ hits so hard; it reminds us why we love everything WOODZ drops our way. From the deep meaning to the calmer yet gradually building verses of the song, to how it explodes during the chorus. We’re absolutely lost in the music!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WOODZ:
    INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    EXO CHEN

    We are living for the rock vibes in so many EXO members’ solo comebacks! Chen has just released his fifth EP, Arcadia, and we find it to be refreshing yet uniquely him. The title track, ‘Arcadia,’ is a breakup anthem for when you finally feel ready to move on from your ex. While Chen opted for a simpler music video setup, we can feel his rocker energy straight from the screen. His talent never ceases to amaze us, and we can’t get enough of his B-side tracks! Trust us when we say you won’t want to skip through any of them.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHEN:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    SEVENTEEN CxM

    The latest unit by SEVENTEEN is here! S.COUPS and MINGYU brought us quite the title track.  ‘5, 4, 3 (Pretty woman) (feat. Lay Bankz)’ inserts the instantly recognizable hit ‘Oh, Pretty Woman,’ infusing it into the duo’s song and sound, bringing forth a different yet still funky appeal while also making it their own. The song is already ruling our playlists. But that’s not all we love from CxM (SEVENTEEN). We’ve been excited for this unit, and you can easily tell why through their sound. We’re having a ‘Fiesta’ with the entirety of the HYPE VIBES album, and yes, we’re having trouble picking a fave track. They’re all just THAT good.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEVENTEEN:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    POW

    POW continue to explore their musical colors, and their new single, ‘Wall Flowers,’ shows us a different side of the boys yet again. The song has a smooth and captivating sound that keeps our attention glued. We love when idols experiment and test out new styles and sounds, and we’re already giving ‘Wall Flowers’ much love. We can’t wait to see what’s next on their release plan.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POW:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    IZNA

    izna brought out their powerful presence with ‘Mamma Mia’ and gave us a confidence-boosting end of September. Not Just Pretty is a comeback we encourage everyone to take a listen to. And if you loved their single ‘SIGN,’ which dropped earlier this year, then you’d be happy to hear that this album comes with its remix version! A new way to enjoy one of our favorite releases from the girls. And because we love giving suggestions, make sure you check out the B-side ‘Racecar.’

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IZNA:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    That’s all for our newest K-Pop hotspot! What was your favorite September K-Pop comeback and debut? Which comebacks are you most looking forward to in October? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!

    Need more K-POP content? Don’t worry; we got you!

    Authors: Julie Dam, Marty.

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    Julie Dam

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  • The KingDom Reigns For One Night at Warehouse Live Midtown

    The KingDom Reigns For One Night at Warehouse Live Midtown

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    K-pop visited Warehouse Live Midtown last night in the form of The KingDom.

    The KingDom, a seven-member boy group under GF Entertainment, debuted as simply Kingdom on February 18, 2021, with the song “Excalibur.” The members are Dann, Arthur, Mujin, Louis, Ivan, Hwon, and Jahan. The names might cause a curious head tilt but not immediately jump out at you, so let me explain. Each member adopted the name of a historical monarch – Arthur, King of Britain and wielder of Excalibur; “Sun King” Louis XIV of France; Shah Jahan, Mughal emperor and Taj Mahal builder; etc. Thus, their name (and names).

    Appropriately, their fans became known as “Kingmakers,” and, in the interest of full disclosure, I am one. I’m a Kingmaker. KingDom’s Houston gig marks the sixth time I’ve seen the group live in the past year. I go to shows, I go to cup sleeve events, and I’ve participated in enough fan calls that I’ve lost count. And if you don’t know what a cup sleeve event or a fan call is, well, consider yourself normal.

    I’m pretty sure my introduction to The KingDom (then Kingdom) was a tweet that essentially called them K-pop for the Dungeons & Dragons-loving crowd due to their concept. Each of the group’s first seven albums was named for a member, each album’s title track cleverly referenced if not directly used instrumentation of that member’s era, and each title track’s music video featured a well-realized world gorgeously stylized according the era. Officially, the group is referred to as “cinematic idols,” and it’s not unwarranted. They’ve built a deep lore and have incorporated things like cliffhangers and post-credit scenes like major franchises.

    That’s where we started, the history-based first season of an originally planned four seasons comprised of 32 albums (you read that right), but where we are now is back in modern times, a parallel dimension we’ve been told, where the members are working to prevent an apocalypse. It’s a rebrand. The upside to rebranding to a much more standard K-pop concept with the group’s eighth mini album Realize, released in April, is that it makes the group more accessible (and familiar) to a wider audience of K-pop. And on Wednesday night, the group leaned right into it, opening their set with the title track off Realize, “Flip that Coin,” an energetic start that led right into another track from the album, aptly titled “ENERGY.”

    Though the rebrand is a big jump for existing fans, it allows the group to try and capitalize on the strength they’ve already shown in their B-sides. The more contemporary tracks that have filled out their mini albums, the ones not heavy with historical artifice, are often quick to become fan favorites, like “X-GAME” and “Blinder,” both of which made the 16-song setlist. It will also, hopefully, allow more growth from lyricists/composers Dann and Mujin, who seem to find ways to shine with their contributions to the group’s albums.

    “X-GAME,” an addictive banger if ever there was one, and the catchy-as-hell “GUNDAM” were next before the group left the stage to Mujin, who performed “Attitude” with Dann. It’s a new song (only ten days old today, according to Mujin’s SoundCloud) that, as far as I can tell, made its premiere on tour – and lucky us. It’s a fun, braggadocious song with an easy-to-sing chorus.

    Dann, Ivan, and Hwon showed off their vocals on a cover of Imagine Dragons’ “Believer” next (Dann and Ivan especially shined, with Ivan later effortlessly showing off his ability to hit a high note on command) before the whole group finally dove into the royal part of their catalog, grouped by release order and a little geography: “Excalibur” and “Long Live The King,” followed by “Ascension” and “Dystopia,” and then “COUP D’ETAT.” It’s worth noting that even stripped down, without the elaborate costumes and props — no swords, no fans, no ribbons, etc. – these songs still slap. The members are excellent performers and bring the songs to life through each song’s compelling choreography. Each song is blessed with memorable point choreography that all the just members ate up, though Arthur, in particular, seemed to be on the attack.

    click to enlarge

    K-pop group The KingDom bring their second U.S. tour to Houston’s Warehouse Live Midtown.

    Photo by Deborah Rodriguez

    Arthur brought a lot of power to his sharp gestures, which we got to see again on a dance cover of NCT U’s “Baby Don’t Stop” with Louis. The two complemented each other well, bringing their own unique style to the choreography. An irresistibly bubbly and bouncy cover of “Just do it” by Seventeen sub-unit BSS was next (performed by Dann, Arthur, and Jahan) before the whole group covered One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” I don’t know whose idea it was to do 1D but give them more money. The energy was fantastic, and the singalong vibe was contagious. The KingDom then closed their set with the ooo-along “Best Thing” and the joyful, jumptastic “Blinder.”

    Note No. 0: Fresh from Chicago and Atlanta and shocked by the Texas heat, Dann asked, “Is this the same America?” Unfortunately, yes.

    Note No. 1: I usually can’t stand the yee-haws that seem to be required at Texas shows, and though they were still present, it was less annoying than usual.

    Note No. 2: There was plenty of banter between the crowd and English-speaking Dann. He seems like a natural emcee, but the highlight is always that, as other members continue to improve their English skills, they find new ways to troll him – especially Mujin.

    Note No. 3: Anyone who said their feet didn’t hurt was a damn dirty liar.

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    Natalie de la Garza

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