Best New Music: January 2025

A ranking and review of the 20 best new releases from Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai artists!

#20: Penthouse, “Nonsense”

Befitting a song with this title, “Nonsense” is an illogical but delightful frenzy! It starts with “No thank you, alright?” and ends with “So, shall we meet in the next life? See you again!” In between are plenty of other lyrics that fall between passive aggression and morbid humor. Moments when the song’s nature seems to be social commentary are just as easily interpreted as moments of pure rebel-rousing: “Tonight… the free-for-all will be carried out;” “We’re getting drunk on people’s grudges.” The music video is also peculiar. Long story short, an elf-like main character keeps evading punishment by convincing people to hypnotically copy her dance moves! “Nonsense” addresses a perceived arbitrariness to rules and norms in unforgettable ways!

#19: Ado, “Elf”

This anime release is a vibrant sensory blitz that also has substance to it. Video viewers feast their eyes on one marvelous work of art after another. But even when just listening to the song, it is easy to generate mental pictures full of detail and color. Ado paints pictures with her urgent words, setting the scene (“It was a millennium of homesickness”), calling for action (“Run… So that sorrow doesn’t catch up to you… Challenge it. Anything that dares harm your beauty or dignity”), and offering advice about letting one’s presence be known (“Cry out… Let it echo: ‘I was truly here’”). The uninspired theme of being oneself loudly and proudly is reinvigorated, thanks to all-consuming audio and artwork from which it is hard to look away. A nice finishing touch is the use of play-on words, as Ado bids “Adieu” to the memories she wants to erase!

#18: GOT7, WINTER HEPTAGON

WINTER HEPTAGON is a touching homage to GOT7’s roots and reassures fans that the members’ solo paths always eventually wind back to the same home base. After a years-long group hiatus, WINTER HEPTAGON could have easily seemed like a slapped-together attempt to restore relevance, but because the album simultaneously prioritizes classic GOT7 traits and individual contributions, it makes its genuineness apparent as a tribute to the band’s past, present, and future. After all, the title refers to the season of GOT7’s debut and the seven stars that shine the brightest during winter. Each of the seven members has a song on the album for which they took the singing and songwriting lead, although the individual-focused tracks are still imbued with classic GOT7 traits. (Lyrics in “REMEMBER” and “Our Youth” are especially reminiscent of early-day GOT7 songs.) The choice to give each member creative autonomy is not only admirable but logical, since the members have been promoting and making solo projects while in different parts of the world! WINTER HEPTAGON proves that time and distance do not have to shorten a group’s life span, and that groups benefit when no member shows a sense of creative superiority over the others. The refusal to make group or solo identity trade-offs makes this album a true gift for fans and versatile enough for non-fans to also enjoy!

#17: Boramiyu, clover #2

Fans of Younha will love this underrated artist! Across four songs, Boramiyu proves to be a natural at altering her voice for the specific qualities for which the moment calls. Her voice’s delicate side shines in the gentle, self-explanatory opener, “Go For A Walk.” The vocal emphasis shifts to power and volume for “SoulMate,” befitting the song’s heightened sense of yearning compared to the first song. Her voice melds into a fun groove and lands somewhere between the fragile tone of “Go For A Walk” and the powerful one of “SoulMate” in the third song, “Wish You Luck.” Lastly, in “Yesterday,” she lets her voice shine through an absence of distractions; instruments stick to supporting roles only. clover #2 makes a short but sweet argument for becoming a fan of Boramiyu.

#16: LIL LEAGUE from EXILE TRIBE, Shigeki-Saiyusen

Shigeki-Saiyusen is a volcanic eruption of energy! A lyric in the title track sums up the group’s mantra: “The top priority is stimulation”! Indeed, the music video is a relentless romp reminiscent of one of NCT DREAM’s videos, with contagious enthusiasm and surreal surroundings (not to mention the mid-song tonal shift reminiscent of NCT DREAM’s in “ISTJ”). “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” is just as electric and warp-speed. Although they calm down in the EP’s second half, neither “Homeboys” nor “Ichibanboshi” takes itself too seriously. They misdirect the listeners time and time again, although the best formula detours are definitely in the title track (both the mid-song pivot and the relatively melancholy intro). LIL LEAGUE are unpredictable spitfires that pop fans of all kinds ought to know!

#15: THE BACK HORN, Shinainaruanatahe

The ethos of Shinainaruanatahe is summed up right away on the first and main track: “I’ll put my overflowing feelings into music / And make the roar of life resonate now.” Indeed, each song screams its message, metaphorically, whether that is frustration at feeling like a cog in a machine on the job (“Junk Worker”) or relief at the dawn of a new day (“Hikari to Synergy”). While the songs have a commonality in their “no-holds-barred venting session” nature, they run a wide gamut sonically. “Shuraba” has the most personality, with an inflection that changes as the song does. “Toumei Ningen” stands out for the rising-action feeling in its guitar-playing. “Mayday” is memorable for its joyful chanting; rousing drums define “Sun Goes Down;” “Tsuki No Blues” is a piano-focused song apt for chill days at home; and the album has a two-part conclusion that returns to boisterousness, with “Timelapse” and “Asu Sekai Ga Owarutoshitemo.” The other song is “Saigoni Nokorumono,” which has the overall highest-quality production and greatest likelihood of getting stuck in listeners’ heads.

#14: M.O.N.T, Somewhere Out There

This four-track EP makes the most of every second and proves that M.O.N.T continue to one-up themselves. They thrive while performing the rollicking pop-rock jam “OMW,” a single about craving a fresh start. The restless desire to start anew remains in “Double Triple,” which uses a rolling-the-dice analogy to describe the rush they feel when taking chances. “SPEED” is a fitting acceleration of their audacity. They go from saying things like “Forget fear” to “Shut the hell up, don’t ask me where I’m going” and “I’m a pro / Don’t treat me like an amateur”!

While the final track, “When Winter Comes,” brings the energy down and turns the mood more serious, its momentum remains swift enough for the pacing of the first three songs to not take too jarring of a plunge. And while Somewhere Out There would feel complete if it only had three songs, “When Winter Comes” justifies its presence by practicing what the group preaches about being willing to take unexpected detours!

#13: Omoinotake, Pieces

As noteworthy as each song on Pieces is, the emotional core lies in “Better Half.” Its thoughtful flower metaphor finds a pragmatic way to frame the simultaneous joy and pain of having someone worth missing in one’s life: “Like a flower nurtured by water and sunlight / My love keeps growing / It shrinks with loneliness and warms up with memories.” “When the city you live [in] appears on the weather forecast / I can’t stop following it,” they admit, as they wait for the day that fate brings their paths back together: “Wait and see; fate connects us so strong[ly].” They encourage a loved one awaiting a reunion to “smile rather than [shed] tears,” because “After next spring, when cherry blossoms bloom in this city,” they will be physically together again. The song acknowledges that there is still a long way to go before the face-to-face reunion happens, but they make that long wait feel more exciting than daunting with the reminder of its finiteness. Knowing there is an end to the wait and trusting that it will come when it is meant to is a motivating and moving sentiment. JEONGHAN’s voice adds another layer of softness and sensitivity to this standout single.

The other songs on Pieces are original in their own rights, and they range from brassy and upbeat (especially “Whiteout”) to solemn and slow (“Tsubomi,” “Pieces”), while palpable feelings remain their shared guiding light.

#12: Kandis, Playground

Playground introduces people to Kandis without pretenses. Although this is not their debut release, it is their first full-length album, and they use its introductory potential well. They make their mindset clear; reading between the lines is unnecessary. “Trust yourself,” they say in “Faith.” “It’s time to open your eyes,” they assert in “Reality.” Even their sassier moments are still straightforward: “I ruined everything and I fixed it,” they announce in “Ruined”! As naturally appealing as an air of mystique is, there is also appeal in just telling it as one sees it, and this group does so countless times. As for the album’s instrumental components, they are heavily R&B and hip-hop influenced and often bring to mind second-generation K-pop girl groups, which is welcome! The group alternates between moments of harmonizing and singing solo, between sounding more conversational and more melodic, and between maintaining higher and lower tempos; this variety helps keep such direct songs interesting. The best song is “Be Humble,” which marks the moment on Playground when they fully hit their stride.

#11: STU48, Chiheisen wo Miteiruka? Special Edition

This J-pop album has perpetual liveliness and orchestral flair in spades. “Chiheisen wo Miteiruka?” is a case study in orchestral pop done right, and it has thought-provoking framing of its messages about perseverance and chasing dreams. The B-sides have similar strengths: relatable messages for younger generations accompanied by big, bold soundscapes. As they sing about wanting to make their mark on the world, their music does just that. Besides the title track, the best song is the one that offers the most fun time and the most personality, “Mafuyu no Pool”!

#10: CIX, THUNDER FEVER

This CIX era is all about contrasts. They prove to excel at two different types of ballads (“My name is shadow” and “My Everlasting Sun,” which obviously show a contrast thematically, too); to pull off two different pre-release single concepts (the danceable “THUNDER” being a follow-up to the moodier “Lovers or Enemies”); and to play up two different demeanors, depending on what the song warrants: a down-for-fun vibe (like in “Bad Moves”) or a calm, “Everything will be okay” one (like in “My Everlasting Sun”). Yet another example of their duality comes from this era’s visual components. The era’s trailer provokes interest without words, only the presence of a supernatural black cat. On the other hand, all eyes are on CIX in the “THUNDER” video, both for the choreography and extensive use of special effects. THUNDER FEVER uses thunder and lightning as analogies for the feeling of being suddenly struck by a new sensation, and they instill that feeling in viewers and listeners alike in skillful ways.

#9: Ian Chan, Interlude

After a surprisingly fast-paced and light pop song (“Lost at first sight”), Interlude prioritizes Ian Chan’s stirring and sincere balladry. He conveys just as much depth and earnestness when singing his gratitude to the deliverer of his love letters (“Thank You Postman”) as he does when crying out in pain and frustration during a relationship’s rough patch (“Sculp”). Yet Interlude ends with a new version of “Thank You Postman,” which sends the message that Ian Chan will always bounce back from the times when he regrets falling in love. His commitment to letting love back in again and again is represented by the EP’s title. The darkest moment of the love story, “Sculp,” is a mere intermission, not a curtain call.

#8: An Shinae, Dear LIFE

Dear LIFE is an uplifting ode to free-spiritedness. An Shinae frames her biggest “flaws” as her biggest charms. In “Unconditional,” her being single makes her realize how much she enjoys her own company: “I used to wander, in search of someone new / But being friends with myself feels so good;” “As long as I live, you won’t ever flee / Love that always fell short now complete.” In “South to the West,” she describes fully embracing the “power” of her individuality and her roots in multiple places as the “elixir” that creates her power (“Born in Seoul but raised in nature / It’s a good mixture, my elixir”). The “South to the West” music video shows her living it up in a range of roles; her love of life is unconditional.

Dear LIFE does have its more vulnerable moments, but a message of self-worth stays the strongest one, thanks to reinforcement. “South to the West” alludes to not always being so confident, but she reassures herself that she can quickly regain the pep in her step if she “Work[s] hard and recharge[s].” And in “Unconditional,” she spends a lot of time listing things she loves about herself, drilling down on the helpful reminder that feeling inadequate ought to be temporary.

#7: ONEW, CONNECTION

Previously, ONEW sang about rolling dice in the game of life and hoping he would be a “winner.” Now, he references “the dice of fate” while wondering who else can become a winner. The “Winner” music video and the album’s B-sides give the answer: anyone and everyone who finds “CONNECTIONS.”

In the “Winner” video, ONEW witnesses relationships’ highs and lows from afar. A young boy plays soccer alone but is later joined by friends, a mother tries to soothe a crying baby who eventually starts to giggle, an in-love couple gets into a fight but then reconciles… What they all have in common is a persistent desire to maintain connections. The lack of that for ONEW himself speaks volumes; he always looks either anguished or fiercely determined to change his life and more actively seek what the true “winners” have: each other.

Throughout the album, ONEW sticks to this theme. He promises to give all his love to someone in “Promise you;” he describes “small dreams” as being as important as big ones in “Boy,” since what matters more than a dream’s specifics is the ability to have and tell someone about that dream in the first place; he sings about someone filling his life with color in “Gradation;” he sings about leaning on someone and vice versa in “Conversation;” and he ends with “Yay,” in which he celebrates emerging from solitude. This emergence is literal in the “Yay” video: He digs himself out of his “cave of erosion” and starts a new life upon emerging! He then turns the site of his old home into a toy, throwing a fishing line down the chimney, watching bubbles come out of it, and doing other things that seem intended to get people to come play with him!

CONNECTION’s songs and videos use disparate ways to send the same universal message about a “win” in life coming not so much from a relationship’s particulars as from the presence of a relationship itself.

#6: Jeff Satur, “Ride or Die”

Just like how “Ride or Die” becomes more than just an average pop song with Jeff Satur’s irreplaceable voice, its music video becomes more than an average action/thriller story thanks to Satur’s and his partner-in-crime’s acting. In style and substance, Satur’s creative vision remains in a lane of its own, one that involves simultaneously telling different fictional stories and leaving it up to interpretation how much those stories are really intertwined versus warrant mental disentangling. This time, a black-and-white tale of regal betrayal is interspersed between in-color scenes in which a heist unravels.

Long story short, “Ride or Die” ends with both main characters getting away with it, but “it” remains unclear! There are times when the duo act like Romeo and Juliet, literally ready to ride or die as one. But other times, Satur’s love interest seems to be playing him like a fiddle, making him feel loved while actually just using him as a tool. In other moments, Satur appears to be controlling her. They both seem to emerge victorious at different times. Regardless of the conclusions viewers draw, the duo’s believable and nuanced chemistry is undeniable. In both the moments as dramatic as drawing a weapon and the ones as subtle as looking on with cold indifference, the two speak volumes with their mannerisms. Satur does some of his best acting in the “less is more” moments, like when there is pure lust in his eyes as a Rorschach test of sorts forms the shape of a crown, and when he coldly smirks into the camera at the end. The song “Ride or Die” is a thrill ride that suits its mini-movie of a must-watch music video.

#5: ONEUS, Dear.M

“Balancing act” defines this ONEUS era in several ways. The “IKUK” music video has agile choreography. Dear.M has both brand new songs and new versions of older ones. In terms of striking a thematic balance, songs like “DEVILISH LOVE” walk the line between over-the-top and not emotional enough. What deserves the most acclaim, though, is the “IKUK” music video, a personal best. With a black, white, and red color scheme and the pacing of a “walking theater” production, the mobile choreography takes the group and their backup dancers from place to place in a way that leaves no dull moments. One second, viewers are seeing what looks like a simple auditorium stage, and the next second, they are looking at deconstructed squares being wheeled in different directions, while the routine goes on unabated. The setting is reconfigured many more times, as are the group formations. They even perform part of the routine upside-down while on vine-covered bars!

Dear.M balances classics with new favorite songs, balances time spent playing a part with more genuine moments, and involves literal balancing in the dynamic “IKUK” music video!

#4: JENNIE, RUBY Pre-Release Singles

While JENNIE’s first full-length solo album, RUBY, is not out until March, she has already enraptured an audience with the singles that kick off this era. One is a commanding rap song with a stunning music video (“ZEN”), and the other is a “bedroom-pop”-adjacent number with a quirkier spin on the songs’ shared theme of endless rebirths.

What the “ZEN” video lacks in plot it more than makes up for in visuals. The sheer quantity of scenes and transitions brings to mind a movie trailer, and the scenes involve mesmerizing showers of sparks, multiple personas with head-turning looks, sweeping mountain views, changes from black-and-white to colorized scenes and vice versa, and performance scenes where dancers appear to move as if under JENNIE’s spell.

While JENNIE asserts the fact she calls the shots in “ZEN” directly, she does so in a knowingly teasing way in “Love Hangover.” She influences others’ behaviors not through a tone and gestures that are commanding, but through ones that convey deliberate passivity. She lets her love interest (played by Charles Melton) go the extra mile to rescue her, letting him jump and try to catch her as she refuses to let go of her balloon, letting him slide down a bowling alley lane as she refuses to let go of her bowling ball, and more! The final text on the screen reads “RIP Jennie & Charles: Lost But Never Forgotten,” which implies two things. One is that every time JENNIE lives another life, she drags Charles onto that roller coaster with her! Second, she enjoys this endless game that puts him through the ringer; she keeps getting “lost” on purpose, fully aware she told herself she’d “never do it again.”

“ZEN” shows JENNIE making things happen, while “Love Hangover” shows things happening to JENNIE and JENNIE willingly allowing that to be the case. Either way, the songs are both self-aware reminders that JENNIE remains the sole crafter of her own image.

#3: BSS, TELEPARTY

TELEPARTY proves that the sequel can be better than the original! Described as a direct follow-up to SECOND WIND, the self-proclaimed “mind-readers and happiness-leaders” are back in “Fighting” form! Their mission remains spreading joy and a permission structure to not postpone pursuing dreams. They inject levity and excitement into people’s mundane days. They facilitate a date between elderly crushes, take a young office worker’s shift so she can take the rest of the day off, and knock the power out at a school so that the students (and an incredulous but grateful teacher!) can also spend the rest of the day however they please.

While BSS have had this “Don’t wait until the work is done to have fun!” mantra since day one, the TELEPARTY era adds clever twists to its implementations. In both the “How is your youth?” preview video and the “CBZ (Prime time)” music video, they urge people to join them in wearing jeans. “Cheongbaji” means “jeans” in Korean, and they use it as an abbreviation of the phrase “Youth is right now.” The wordplay adds meaning to lyrics like “Everyone go change into your CBZ”! It also adds credibility to their mission, since they do not just tell people to act like it’s Casual Friday but walk the walk in their own jeans! And they lead the crowd in a denim-filled, confetti-featuring, flash-mob-style dance! TELEPARTY and “CBZ (Prime time)” build onto and personalize BSS’s goal of spreading love and light to as many people as possible.

Further proving this era represents an improved BSS are its new musical influences: “CBZ (Prime time)” has swing jazz and country elements; B-side “Happy Alone” has an expected message about discouraging overthinking but an unexpected New Jack Swing style; and the other B-side, “Love Song,” celebrates the joys of loving and living in a new-to-them, early-aughts-inspired way.

#2: indigo la End, MOLTING AND DANCING

With a natural ease and catchy hooks, this band delivers perfectly-paced pop and rock that insightfully explore what goes unseen yet deeply felt. Like their sound, their words thrive in thematic gray areas and the topic of transitions. Rather than indicate a desire to find solutions or cling to a simpler time, there is a radical acceptance of living each moment simply as it is. For instance, in “Ramune,” they express feeling a “hidden synergy with nostalgia” and a sense of “[a] limited future and an infinite past.” Yet they remind themselves to keep putting one foot in front of the other: “I’m becoming an adult… Making today worth it.” Elsewhere, they sing, “No matter what, time will still pass,” and “I prefer to cry out than keep it inside.” They equally embrace life’s good and bad times by not wasting the present trying to predict the future. As they put it in “Change Of Heart,” “There’s never a premonition / The next page could be torn / And you’ll never know it.” They do not necessarily find bliss in the present, but it sure beats looking for it anywhere else! In “Night Calm,” they sing, “I still want to be with you a little longer… But the more time passes, the unhappier it feels.” They decide to “Let winter’s mischief bind [them] together” and “hold off on saying goodbye until winter ends;” by prolonging the current moment, they hope they can learn to cherish it more fully, yet that goal is unquantifiable, so their success level stays unclear.

MOLTING AND DANCING shines because of how it praises “dancing” through all “molting” phases instead of waiting for them to maybe subside. The weighty nature of this theme is done justice through streamlined yet subtlety-filled instrumentals, equally well-handled lyricism, and messy relationships in the “Night Calm” music video.

#1: MINNIE, HER

Stay tuned for a separate article all about this release!

For many more music recommendations, check out this “Best of 2024” roundup!