On the finish of every month, I look again at my three favourite title tracks by Okay-pop artists. I take my very own scores under consideration, however there’s a little bit of wiggle room as sure songs are inclined to develop or fade.
June 2025 Total Ideas
We’re now on the midpoint of 2025, which suggests I’ll be publishing my mid-year countdowns this week and can have extra to say in regards to the 12 months total. For June particularly, the month kicked off in a really underwhelming trend however grew a lot stronger because it went on.
Refreshingly, this was the primary month in a very long time the place lady teams launched a few of my favourite songs. I actually loved songs by fromis_9, Hearts2Hearts, H1-KEY, ILLIT, ITZY and Primrose. That’s extra lady group tracks than I’ve loved all 12 months, all condensed into the area of 1 month! I really like how these songs every sound completely different from each other. A sure subdued vitality has plagued so many latest releases and it’s good to lastly hear extra numerous genres. We even had a brief string of summer-themed tracks in the course of the second half of June. You know the way a lot I really like a very good summer season track!
With that mentioned, June 2025 nonetheless pales compared to June 2024, which single-handedly delivered 4 of my high ten songs of 2024… together with primary! That positively wasn’t the case this 12 months. As an alternative, these previous few weeks resulted in lots of songs rated within the 8.5 – 8.75 vary, making my high three fairly aggressive. It’s nice to have a wholesome assortment of 8’s and so they are inclined to get a variety of play from me, nevertheless it’s the 9+ rated tracks that actually get me excited. We simply haven’t had a lot of these this 12 months and most have been lacking the “+” — simply barely edging into that high tier score quite than surging as much as legendary standing. Sigh. I actually desire a track to completely knock my socks off… and never simply because it jogs my memory of one thing else I’ve loved prior to now.
I actually struggled selecting my high track of this month. The highest two are basically a tie. I’ve switched their locations backwards and forwards time and again and my favourite adjustments a number of instances a day. It’ll be fascinating to see which finally ranks greater on the year-end chart, as that is usually a extra correct reflection of a track’s longevity. For now, I’m simply pleased to have each in my library (together with my improbable third place alternative!).
J-pop was high-quality this month. It’s been “high-quality” all 12 months, which has prompted me to disconnect from the trade in a means I haven’t in a very long time. Only a few songs have caught out to me in any significant means, even from artists I typically love. I’m not fairly certain what’s happening, however I’ve hardly ever been this apathetic about J-pop’s standing earlier than. In the meantime, world pop was on fireplace… a lot in order that I needed to publish three separate round-ups to incorporate all of the highlights.
Trying ahead, this July already appears extra stuffed than final 12 months’s. I suppose we are able to thank the absence of the Olympics, which prompted a particular slowdown of releases on the midpoint of 2024. I’m pleased to see so many full albums scheduled (Twice, TXT, Tremendous Junior, D.O, VIVIZ, NCT Dream, Chanhyuk, EPEX) and there are a number of debuts (AHOF, 1VERSE) and first comebacks (Shut Your Eyes, ifeye) I’ve acquired my eye on. Then there’s that mysterious little bit of funk guitar ATEEZ teased on the finish of their Lemon Drop music video and The Boyz’ observe up to their finest ever single. Between all these scheduled releases and those which have but to be introduced, there needs to be a minimum of a number of standouts, proper? Hope springs everlasting.
Month Cumulative Score: 7.7
(compiled by averaging the scores of each Okay-pop overview from this month)
J-Pop Highlights
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week One
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week Two
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week Three
New & Noteworthy J-pop: Week 4
TOP J-POP SONGS OF THE MONTH
3. TWS – Hajimemashite (Good To See You Once more) (overview)
2. Fujii Kaze – Hachiko (overview)
1. Ado x Jax Jones – Keep Gold
Honorable Mentions
ALLDAY PROJECT – Well-known (overview)
ATEEZ – Lemon Drop (overview)
Catch The Younger – Perfect Kind (overview)
H1-KEY – Summer season Was You (overview)
ILLIT – Do The Dance (overview)
ITZY – Women Will Be Women (overview)
J-Hope – Killin’ It Woman (ft. GloRilla) (overview)
JAESSBEE – My Summer season Guide (overview)
NouerA – N (Quantity Of Instances) (overview)
NOWZ – Fly To The Youth (ft. Yuqi) (overview)
n.SSign – Itty Bitty (overview)
ONEUS – X (overview)
OX:N – You (overview)
Primrose – Cinema (overview)
QWER – Expensive (overview)
XLOV – 1&Solely (overview)
This Month’s Risers and Fallers
This Week In Okay-pop: Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4
This Month’s World Pop Spherical-Up: Pt.1 / Pt.2 / Pt.3
TOP THREE SONGS
3. CRAVITY – SET NET G0?! (overview)
2. Hearts2Hearts – Model (overview)
1. fromis_9 – Like You Higher (overview)
Prime Three Okay-Pop Songs Of Might 2025
Prime Three Okay-Pop Songs Of April 2025
Prime Three Okay-Pop Songs Of March 2025
Prime Three Okay-Pop Songs Of February 2025
Prime Three Okay-Pop Songs Of January 2025
Prime Three Okay-Pop Songs Of December 2024