It’s not so often that you see a K-pop idol dancing on your office terrace. On a breezy, overcast, autumnal afternoon in Midtown, Manhattan, WONHOfilms a video where he effortlessly shows off his moves with a stunning view of the Empire State Building in the background.
Just the day before, WONHO stood atop the New York City landmark as one of his promotional activities in honor of his first full-length album, Syndrome. It was a jam-packed schedule with press and special fansigns, but the 32-year-old artist takes it in stride. “I’ve been here often, and it’s pretty familiar to me,” WONHO says. “But this time I got to do many new things, so it felt very special.”
It’s only been a couple of days after the release of Syndrome when WONHO lands in the U.S. During his spare time, he reflected on the hard work put into this album. “Overall musically, I really wanted to make an album that was of high quality,” WONHO reminisces. “I feel like I made an album that’s very easy and good to listen to, and I saw fan reactions that said that it was, even without a full performance or a video for all the songs.”
The lead single from the album “if you wanna” did have one of those alluring visual accompaniments, and the hypnotic choreography immediately went viral upon release. A sexy ’90s-inspired hook lures you in when WONHO uses his lower register to rap a swirl of lyrics that indulge in deep desires, intimacy, and luxury. Cue WONHO’s silky vocals in the chorus that flow side to side like the dancers’ arms in choreography.
It’s a memorable impression as an introduction to the album. To make the album appeal to audiences everywhere, Syndrome is almost entirely sung and rapped in English. When recording, it was sometimes difficult for WONHO to articulate, but he was always determined to get it right. “Just working on getting the pronunciation right and also just the process of recording all 10 songs was pretty long,” he acknowledged. In the end, the fruits of his labor were bountiful.
With every music project, WONHO’s creative process lies within a certain theme, and for Syndrome, it was the complex feeling of love. To anyone, love doesn’t pin itself down to only one meaning. “Before, my idea of love was more focused on just the happiness of the relationship between two people,” WONHO says. “But I think through this process, I was able to learn that there are many different types of love and there are many genres that I can show that with.”
Though exploring genres could be an exhausting journey and could be tripped up easily, WONHO put immense thought into deciding how the tracklist flowed for the right sound and vibe. “Scissors” delves into the timid heartbreak and betrayal of a loved one with steady beats in the chorus, and it immediately launches into “At the Time,” where the vocalist roars about the good times with a former flame with a country twang. Other standouts include the heartwrenching serenade of “Beautiful” and “DND,” which is teeming with rich R&B vocal runs.
Rounding out the album is “Better Than Me,” which is a song that could be plucked out of an NSYNC* discography (“Good Liar” does have a nod to “Bye Bye Bye” in the background vocals), but WONHO makes the declaration loud and clear: “No one does it better than me.”
After an intensely busy year of recording, WONHO feels like the album is complete as it is, and that he made it well in the direction he wanted. ”I do feel like a certain weight has been lifted after releasing this album,” he says. “I did feel some pressure because I wanted to really hurry and release this album for my fans who have been waiting for a long time, but the preparation process was pretty long. At first, I worried that my fans wouldn’t like it. But, I think looking back now, I wasn’t that worried because I believed that they would like it and I trusted myself.”
WONHO was set to perform the album on his Stay Awake tour in the U.S. in mid-November, but operational issues and unforeseen issues caused by the promoter caused the leg to be canceled. He’s been relishing time meeting up with his fans, WENEES, during hello82 fan signs in New York and LA. “ In the future, I want to do as much as I can to meet WENEEs more often,” he muses. “And after I met them at the fan signs, I’ve been really thinking and planning ways in which I can do that.”
Even though WENEEs will have to wait to see WONHO live again, the singer never misses an opportunity to keep in touch with his fans while showing off his true, authentic, silly self—whether it’s posting thirst-trap-like or adorable photos on Bubble, or even cosplaying as a scarily accurate Abby Saja from the wildly popular Kpop Demon Hunters.
Fans continuously see WONHO as a source of inspiration, and it’s a reciprocal relationship. He shifts his 2026 goals quite clearly: “I used to really rely a lot on visuals or the performance aspect part, but then I think more and more — I want to become a singer who is able to touch my fans with just the music and really reach them through my songs.”
With WONHO, he feels on top of the world with WENEEs, no matter what walk of life they come from. “In my eyes, everyone is the same fan to me and has the same thoughts,” he says while grinning. “I feel like all my fans look very cute.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Did anyone else feel like this month flew by? Because it’s already time for another round of our K-Pop Hotspot! We’re sailing toward to end of the year, and our K-Pop playlists have never looked better. We hope you’ve enjoyed some of our seasonal content this month, from ITZY and aespa to Baekhyun and 4th Gen fall playlists.
But before we get into our roundup of October K-Pop comebacks, be sure to catch up on our full reviews for NMIXX, 82MAJOR, KANG YUCHAN, TXT, LE SSERAFIM, and LUCY!
ONEWE
Our beloved ONEWE kicks off the October K-Pop Hotspot with their fourth mini-album, MAZE: AD ASTRA! Dare we say it’s one of our favorite ONEWE EPs? We didn’t skip through a single track. Each song has such high-quality production that we can rely on ONEWE every time. The title track, ‘MAZE,’ is so fresh and fun, paired with a charming music video we can’t stop replaying. ‘Hide & Seek’ and ‘Beyond the Storm’ are just a few of our favorite B-sides.
Everyone say, “Happy 10th Anniversary, TWICE!” We can’t believe how quickly 10 years passed us by with our fave K-Pop girlies. Their special album, TEN: The Story Goes On, is nothing short of perfection. With the super sweet group title track, ‘ME+YOU,’ and nine solo songs, we’re fed to the fullest! The ‘ME+YOU’ music video recreates so many TWICE moments. The iconic ‘Like Ooh Ahh’ bus and outfits give us a blast from the past. And don’t ask us to pick our favorite solo songs; we love them all and can’t wait to see them on tour next year!
Is anyone in need of a hype song? Tune into BABYMONSTER’s second mini-album, WE GO UP! The high-energy title track, ‘WE GO UP,’ will get you out of your seat and on the dance floor (or wherever you need to be) in no time. The rap verses are straight fire, and we can’t stop singing the chorus. Their action-packed music video only seals the deal for this EP. Don’t sleep on their B-sides either! We especially love ‘PSYCHO’ and ‘WILD.’
A JISOO and Zayn duet was NOT on our 2025 K-Pop bingo card, but we’re not complaining one bit! Their new single, ‘EYES CLOSED,’ is about letting go and falling in love blindly. Not in the sense that you ignore someone’s red flags, but that you leave the past behind. Letting go of ex-lovers and people who have hurt us. The space-themed music video adds to the romantic vibe, and we’ve been obsessed ever since.
What a time to stan K-Bands. Hi-Fi Un!corn just released the Korean version of their hit, ‘Teenage Blue!’ It sounds like it could be the opening soundtrack of a coming-of-age anime. We’ll use it to give ourselves daily morning motivation. Their vocals never disappoint and sound great no matter how many times we hit replay. And if you haven’t heard of Hi-Fi Un!corn before this track, prepare to stan pure talent!
Next on our October K-Pop Hotspot is Bae Jinyoung’s first-ever solo mini-album, STILL YOUNG! His title track, ‘Round&Round,’ gives old school hip-hop vibes. He shows off his main dancer energy with killer choreography. And those B-side tracks? What a debut EP! Our favorite songs are ‘Playlist’ and ‘Click.’ We can’t wait to see what direction his solo discography will take.
This fall is heating up, and we have MEOVV to thank. With ‘BURNING UP,’ they don’t explode out of the gate. They ignite, slow and steady, until you realize you’re fully pulled in and burning with them. It’s that cool-headed fire: youthful confidence, sleek rhythm, and a vibe that doesn’t need to shout to dominate. MEOVV show us that a comeback can glow and scorch at the same time, and ‘BURNING UP’ proves they’re stepping into this season not just ready, but unstoppable.
And the award for most beautiful music video goes to…Hwasa’s new song, ‘Good Goodbye!’ It’s a breakup ballad that deserves so much love. Hwasa gets real about her love life and breakup experiences that we desperately need more of in K-Pop. ‘Good Goodbye’ offers an authentic look at the bittersweet ending of a relationship. Even though it hurts, what they had was beautiful and deserves to be remembered fondly.
BM AND B.I ON A TRACK? Everyone, this is not a drill! We had to keep pausing the ‘Freak’ music video because we kept freaking out (haha) over every scene and frame. We’re still fanning ourselves thinking about it. ‘Freak’ absolutely lives up to the hype, and we’re living for the adult K-Pop concept. Scratch that, we’re living for BM’s entire solo EP, PO:INT. Trust us: it’s a THP-certified, no-skips album! We refuse to pick our favorite B-side tracks; each one is *chef’s kiss*.
We cannot ‘FOCUS’ on anything but how amazing Hearts2Hearts’ new comeback is! Their first mini-album, FOCUS, is absolutely mesmerizing from start to finish. ‘FOCUS’ is the perfect title track with an addictive sound and music video. We can’t help but be obsessed! These girls seriously have such dreamy vocals and charisma. There are no skips in sight for this mini-album. It’s a must-listen EP, from ‘Apple Pie’ to ‘Blue Moon.’
From BOYNEXTDOOR’s latest comeback, we see that they’re rewriting what youthful chaos feels like in K-Pop once again. Their newest mini-album, The Action, delivers everything we love about them: sincerity wrapped in playful energy. And the title track (you’ve seen the MV for ‘The Action,’ right? If not, you’re definitely missing out) proves why they’ve become the boy group everyone is watching. Catchy hooks, effortlessly cool storytelling, and that boy-next-door charm you can’t help but root for. BOYNEXTDOOR make growing up feel fun again, and honestly, this era is giving us all the sweet-nostalgia feels. If you want to feel all the soft emotions and giggle a little, go watch the fanchant for ‘As Time Goes By.’ It’s sweet, a tiny bit chaotic, and impossible not to smile at.
Xiumin’s heating up our October hotspot with his seductive new single, ‘Overdrop!’ It’s a mature and moody concept that has us in a chokehold. We’ve been waiting to see this concept on Xiumin, and it was everything we needed and more. We can especially appreciate the music video (and Xiumin’s) visuals all day, every day! And that electric guitar solo and dance break? We’ve ascended at this point. ‘Fireflies’ is just as incredible, and we’ll have both songs on repeat for the rest of the year.
Lee Changsub’s solo discography needs to be studied for how healing and calming his voice makes us feel. His second mini-album, ENDAND, gives us the sense that we’re entering a new era alongside Changsub. The title track, ‘Trickle Down,’ is part breakup song, part yearning anthem. It reminds us that life moves on and time continues to pass even after heartbreak. ‘In Between Love and Farewell (With Lyn)’ is definitely our favorite B-side.
TEMPEST keep living up to their name! Their continuous exploration of genres and concepts sweeps us into various experiences, and their October comeback with As I Am is another new one we didn’t see coming. ‘In The Dark’ is a different title track, which, while not a powerful song, still carries an impactful message. Even the song’s music video immersed us with its storytelling. We highly recommend checking this comeback if you haven’t already, as it carries so many feelings in each of its songs.
We’ve been in our feels, and it’s all because of WEi‘s ‘HOME.’ A song that so effortlessly makes us feel like we belong and we will never be alone? We are stanning the right group! So in love with the emotional and dreamy atmosphere, and the way WEi make us feel like we are exactly where we need to be: home. This comeback, the group created the perfect Wonderland, and we truly hope you feel all the warmth poured into it.
We LIVE for all the solo comebacks on our October K-Pop Hotspot! WONHO’s first full album, SYNDROME, holds a special place in our hearts. ‘If You Wanna’ is a killer title track with seductive lyrics that made our jaws drop! (Doing WHAT all day?!) Did we mention the album is entirely in English? It makes us so proud to see how far he’s come as a solo artist, and we hope this album means it won’t be too long before he goes on tour again!
You bet we screamed over DKZ having a comeback. It felt so long since the last one, so our anticipation was high. And it was met with absolute musical reward! ‘Replay My Anthem’ is now definitely one of our favorite titles from them! And when it comes to their B-sides, we’re having a different song at the top of our list for TASTY every day. But let’s try to give you a suggestion or two if you feel like you need a direction on where to start. We think ‘Appetite’ and ‘Best Friends’ will easily become anyone’s fave tracks!
Our monthly hotspot is going out with a bang with xikers’ new EP, HOUSE OF TRICKY : WRECKING THE HOUSE. These boys have such high-energy releases that never fail to get us up and moving. We can’t stop listening to the title track, ‘SUPERPOWER (Peak)!’ The rap verses are peak, if we may say so. From the cinematic music video to the un-skippable B-sides, this xikers comeback is another winner!
That’s all for our latest K-Pop hotspot! What was your favorite October K-Pop comeback and debut? Which comebacks are you most looking forward to in November? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!
