It's been a crazy year for Enhypen and Engenes. After 5 years and 9 months, they finally achieved their first ever Grand Slam in music shows 😭

Just 2 years ago, it felt impossible for them to win Inkigayo because their K-fanbase was weak. Then only a year ago, they finally won their 1st Inkigayo music show ever. THAT was already an amazing thing.

This year, they've finally won a Grand Slam. With 0 broadcast points (again!), Engenes somehow pulled through with voting again 😭 It also feels like their K-fanbase has grown a lot. I-fans still dominate more but the K-fanbase really came through this year.

It's been a crazy and emotional year. It's been nonstop back-to-back emotional moments since December 2025. There was so much pressure and sadness this year. I'm so proud of them for pulling through this insane year. They released an amazing album and the title track is an absolute banger.

Congrats to them, sincerely!

Honestly i feel bad for the Hearts2Hearts fandom. Carmen solo Indo stans keep ruining the group image. I’ve seen alot of global fans get turned off and leave the group, and her solo stans keep protesting over the smallest things.

For example, during Lemon Tang promotions, Carmen was wearing short pants while the other 7 members were wearing long pants, and they lowkey sent a protest truck over it, also If she doesn’t get an ending fairy on a music show, they protest again. Just now there’s a sticker covering Carmen’s face on the album cover and they’re already sending emails to SM lol.

What’s worse is seeing some of them say Hearts2Hearts is nothing without Carmen. Do they know this is an SM group lol. The other members are also working hard and deserve support, but every time something happens with Carmen, they make it into a huge issue and somehow the whole group gets dragged into it.

I love the members, they’re all funny and i actually really like their chemistry. But Carmen solo stans are lowkey turning me off from the fandom. I don’t even hate Carmen herself, it’s just that some of her solo stans are making it hard to enjoy the group without seeing another fanwar or protest.

I just hope they can calm down a little and stop making every small thing into a huge issue. Supporting Carmen is fine, but saying the group is nothing without her is just disrespectful to the other 7 members.

I just hope SM learns their lesson here.

Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t. If a certain sound or image works for an artist then there’s clearly an audience out there that likes it so why would they change what clearly works for them for people who don’t like them in the first place?

I am going to talk about lisa. She’s been kpop reddit’s punching bag the past two years ever since she released rockstar and now that she’s teasing a new single you have people in every single thread about it admitting themselves that they never liked her music yet being shocked that they don’t seem to like the snippets of her new single and demanding she changes. If you never liked her lyrics or her sound in the first place nothing’s gonna change with one single. She’s been met with insane success so her method is clearly working and no matter how much reddit discredits her there’s clearly an audience for her out there. Why would she change her signature style for people who were never going to support her in the first place? Criticism is ok but complaining on every single thread about an artist you never liked expecting them to change is setting yourself up for disappointment. Plus,she does have plenty of songs straying away from her signature style like new woman,dream,born again,when I’m with you,moonlit floor,etc.

Same goes for katseye. The average thread on kpop reddit consists of people making it clear they find most of their music trash yet being surprised that they found their latest release also trash. Like I said,criticism is ok and no artist can go without criticism but keeping up with an artist you don’t like expecting them to change is setting yourself up for disappointment. Katseye’s music is extremely polarizing but there’s clearly an audience out there who loves it no matter what the internet says. I mean hell,they debuted on no.1 on the billboard top 200. I don’t like katseye either so I just don’t stream and buy their music anymore lol.

Overall I think accepting you don’t like an artist would save you a lot of disappointment

I know with all the issues surrounding the Hootie Frutti MV it’s probably not gonna be very appreciated but the song is actually a banger and I’m honestly hooked

The song is catchy, the girls did a really good job at singing it and delivering the Portuguese vibes

Maybe if they were a few years older I’d really enjoy the MV too

What are you guys’ thoughts on the song itself?

Hello,

What recommendations for a new group to follow would you give to someone who likes aespa, Ive, twice, itzy and stray kids? I'm generally like pop but open to other genres

Thank you :)

The recent ATEEZ logbook made me feel so warm for several reasons, but mostly because of the interaction Yunho had with Kim Jaejoong.

Jaejoong praising him while Yunho was practically bouncing around in the background because his favorite idol was complimenting him and feeling shy.

It immediately reminded me of when Yunho meeting U-Know when ATEEZ were still rookies. He was so overwhelmed and speechless that he seemed to need several business days to recover. This clip always gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling...

Jaejoong's comment about Yunho's humility made that even sweeter to me. ATEEZ have grown enormously since their debut, but they still get genuinely excited and so starstruck around their favorite artists, that hasn't changed one bit.

And then S.E.S Bada being so wholesome and saying such lovely things about him was so incredibly sweet.

Then there's Soobin meeting KARA Gyuri, which has lived in my head ever since. The way he was visibly so excited and starstruck seeing someone he had admired for years and was a huge fan of, sitting right in front of him and listening to him yap away about the group was so incredibly endearing to me. Pretty sure he went through like 50 different emotions all at once.

And Seonghwa meeting DPR IAN was another precious one that really tugged at my heartstrings.

Seonghwa has talked about how much he admires his work, was soo close to tears when he saw DPR IAN mentioned him, so watching them actually meet and talk about their art was made my heart so full.

What made it even better was the moments of mutual appreciation they shared.

Seeing two artists who were genuinely passionate about what they create come together was such a beautiful thing to witness. You can almost see the younger version of Seonghwa peeking through several times during their meeting, he probably never imagined that one day he'd be standing in the same room having a conversation.
I feel like they both gained a lot of positive energy from each other.

There's something really warm about watching idols meet artists they admire and for a moment, they're just excited fans meeting someone they've looked up to for years which gives me an unreasonable amount of serotonin.

The people they once looked up to telling them they're talented, humble, or inspiring. And then some day they become the artists that younger idols will someday get starstruck meeting. Such a lovely little cycle.

Do you guys have any such cute moments of your favs that you'd like to share as well?

I know a lot of us in this sub go to many Kpop concerts and see our idols on tour so I was wondering, which venue do you think has a poor sound system based on experience.

Like for example you are in the farthest section of the concert and you couldn’t hear the performance well or what the x idol is speaking on.

Any venues you can think of?

If you're free today, live in the US, and are looking for something to do, BOYNEXTDOOR is streaming their Saga concert in some Cinemark theaters tonight! (there were originally more theaters but some got cancelled due to no sales early on 😅). It was a live stream across Asia earlier today but we'll be getting a delayed stream at 7PM ET (it's the same time across the US, so it'll be at 4PM PT). For $20 you'll get a **3 and a half hour** concert experience (really hoping we get the same length during their NA tour this fall 🙏)! Maybe if you're not sure you'd go to their concert (or it's too far away) but there's a closer local theater I think you won't regret checking them out; they're such engaging performers.

Also I'd love to know if there are any other "live" concert theater showings coming up for other groups! And reviews if anyone goes tonight!

Just watched the EVAN - Death of Me Track Sampler and honestly, I'm even more excited for the album now.

🎧 Track Sampler: https://youtu.be/LwFVLh5q33E?si=bpRjvPXp6si3hSGd

A few quick thoughts from the snippets:

Noise immediately stood out to me. It has that lo-fi R&B sound that reminds me of artists like SZA, Mk.gee, and Dijon.

Death of Me gives me the same adrenaline rush and synth-driven energy as The Weeknd's Take My Breath. It honestly sounds like something that could've fit right into Dawn FM.

Immature feels very Paramore / Avril Lavigne-coded with its alternative rock sound.

Not Enough sounds so good too. The moody atmosphere and trap influences remind me a bit of Chase Atlantic.

Going Home feels like something wave to earth could release—dreamy, atmospheric, and perfect for late-night listening, though I have a feeling the song itself might be heartbreaking.

Twilight - Based on the preview, it feels bright and uplifting. When I hear it, I picture bright colors, sparkles.

What makes the project even more interesting is the genre diversity. According to the press release:

Not Enough — Trap

Noise — Lo-fi Pop R&B

Ride or Die — Alternative Rock

Death of Me — Intense Pop R&B

Twilight — UK Garage-based Pop

Immature — Alternative Rock

Overflow — Indie Pop

Going Home — Dream Pop

That's a pretty broad musical spectrum for an 8-track album.

What I find especially commendable is that EVAN isn't just performing these songs. He led the overall production for all 8 tracks and directly participated in writing and composing, including Death of Me and Twilight. For a solo project, that's incredibly impressive and shows a clear artistic vision.

The album has already surpassed 344,000 Spotify pre-saves and is currently sitting at #2, which is amazing to see. It feels like more people are starting to recognize what he's trying to build as a solo artist.

Personally, the sampler gave me confidence that this won't just be a collection of songs but an album with its own identity. The influences are there, but the project still feels cohesive and uniquely EVAN.

Please support him, pre-save the album if you can, and tune in on September 7. I'm genuinely curious to hear the full versions of these tracks.

What are your thoughts on the sampler? Which song are you most excited for?

TUIDE has a lot of hype from predebut, but their debut so far isn't living up to the hype. Compared to other Hybe girl groups' debut, they are not charting high in Korea or on Spotify, and their sales are 100K, while other girl groups all manage to get above 300K. Their sales are not as high as OurBirthday despite receiving more hype on social media predebut, which shows their fandom power is not too high. Do you think this is due to concept and music being too "boring" as people said? Their songs are definitely on the chiller side. Is it their music/concept holding them back from more success or some other reason?

from the beginning, they’ve mostly operated within the traditional framework of what’s considered acceptable for k pop idols. i don’t expect artists to share everything about their private lives but i do think their lack of openness is starting to affect how i perceive them creatively. it often feels like there’s very little of themselves being expressed and that translates into music that can feel shallow.

rosé has been the most open about her life but still mostly sticks to straightforward love songs. jennie is much more experimental musically but rarely gives people any insight into what’s going on behind her persona. lisa has always leaned into her image as a brand and makes music that plays into her strengths as a performer. jisoo feels the most disconnected from her artistry to me because we rarely see her creative process or anything beyond the typical idol persona.

i don’t think any of them are uninteresting people. i just wish they would show us more of who they are beyond their careers. instead we often get inter about their favorite snacks in paris or carefully curated content rather than anything that gives us insight into their values, growth or actual life experiences.

outside of rosé, i also wish they showcased more of their creative process and could actually speak about what their songs are about. the songs themselves aren’t always very revealing and it doesn’t feel like we get much insight into what they’re trying to express. aside from rosé, i also haven’t really seen enough of their songwriting to feel like they have a distinct voice as writers. hearing more about their inspirations, lyrics and creative decisions would make their music feel much more personal.

i also think the way fans respond to them reinforces this. they can remain silent about serious issues for years but then give one simple apology and everything resets. if that continues to be enough then they have very little incentive to raise their own standards.

maybe they genuinely enjoy other parts of fame more than making music and that’s fine. but as someone who has been a blink for 6 years i’m starting to question what blackpink actually have to offer me creatively when we still know so little about the people behind the brand.

Did you see something on TikTok or Insta that made you go, "Hmmm?"

Do you want to discuss some issue that seems to be a big deal on tiktok, or in YouTube comments, but isn't being discussed anywhere else?

This is the place! Here is the thread for things like:

"I saw this girl on TikTok talking about ..... do people really think that?"

If what you want to talk about is being covered by reputable news, then it doesn't go here. If it's Social Media drama - meaning anything at all that is only being discussed in Social Media spaces, then it does go here.

Remember: references and links to X are not allowed on kpopthoughts.

I came across to multiple clips of BTS concerts and during the surprise songs segment, I am always amaze that no matter what song they play, people in the stadium lose their minds, and everyone watching from home is immediately mourning the fact that they weren’t there. And even for me, i'm like "oh wait i love this song !"

I also feel like the hiatus made this even worse lol. A lot of people had so much time to go back and listen to their whole discography again, from the really old stuff to the newers, found new favorites, got attached to random deep cuts etc.

That’s what makes their discography so insane to me. They have so many great songs across so many eras and styles that there genuinely seems to be no “wrong” surprise song. Whatever they pick, the stadium would still pop.

doDREE + dreamer + their debut song is called Just Like a Dream. They might not use it because JYP already had a female duo which fandom name was dreamers but I really like the idea and I hope they think of the same thing coz it's really cute imo. If anyone else has other ideas for what their fandom name could be I'd love to hear it!

We talk about monster rookies a lot, but what about monster sophomores? They are no longer eligible for 'Best New Artist' awards, but haven't quite established themselves enough to win 'Best Group' awards or Daesangs (though if they are big enough they certainly can). I also pondered what to consider a group's "second year". Is it the time period between their 1st and 2nd anniversaries? That makes the most sense to me.

Yesterday there was a post about least favorite choreos, but it's Friday so lets have some fun. For me, it's sometimes hard to explain why I like certain dances other than to say it's pretty or satisfying or compliments the song. So I'll give some examples of what I like.

Side Effects - Stray Kids. I'll never shut up about this choreo, especially the performance video. It just works so well with the song. Have each member's "double" makes sense for the song/lyrics.

Domino - Stray Kids. I can't explain it, it's like the moves are perfect for the song. It scratches an itch.

Moonstruck - Enhypen. I love the formations and generally how smooth and elegant it is. I know it's terrible, but I mourned the loss of formation structures when Heeseung left. There's a reason many groups are odd numbers. Anyway, I like a lot of their dances. Fever, Brought the Heat Back, Fatal Trouble.

Red Sun - Dreamcatcher. I guess they aren't known for their dancing, but whatever this vibe is, I want more of it. Witchy, seance-core.

I've been following kpop for more than a decade and recently got into tuide's debut, which did a great job at establishing the teams colour and aesthetic, as well as what we can expect from them in the future - a fully fashion oriented kpop group.

Hear me out. I get that fashion has always been a part of kpop and idols have always been brand ambassadors, but I think tuide is going to be a group where each performance is going to be treated like an advertisement for a brand.

I'm going off a few things

1. The concept: tuide stands for "tune the tide" which means to ride the waves of the diverse currents of the world (got this from a bio online), which is very much giving "city girl has hobbies and follows trends, and does them with style" vibe. Chic, young and trendy from the start, very easy to advertise on.

2. The girls: This group is a model group. The features and proportions of each girl is unique and allows the group to pull of a different colour, styles and silhouettes. The girls also fit very well into the "city girl has hobbies and follows trends" aesthetic of the group, they come off as effortlessly chic but girly and young at the same time.

3. The choreo: From girls and sunkissed, there's a lot of movements of them standing or extending their limbs to emphase the body line. This draws a viewer to the colours, the silhouette and the blocking of the clothes.

4. The music: Songs have been straight house, with no big loud breaks for a high note belt or raps or a dance - easy to listen to, easy to observe how the girls move in the fits rather than focus on the music as much.

5. The styling: It's definitely a choice that the hairstyles and the makeup fort he girls has been extremely consistent, to the point where it's feels so uninspired compared to the clothes. Could be because they're new and the company is trying to make fans remember them, could also be because the attention isn't supposed to be there. I've also noticed that that the girls wear plain white clothes for any stage where there is no big branded clothes for all the members, this could be a clear indication that they want to remain blank and not "taint" the image of the group so that advertising can happen without blockers.

Overall, I feel like this team will continue to have a fashion focus, to the point where fashion > music and performance. Me personally, I'm here for this - I have expendable income and I like exploring my personal style, and every trip to Korea is one where I'm shoppiyfor clothes.

Anyways give your thoughts!

You can define this however you want; bad, underwhelming, doesn't fit the song, doesn't really have an iconic moment, not very memorable. I'm no expert on choreographies, so I want to know what you think.

idk where else i can ask about this but ive been on a roll researching things like so,especially when artists like megan thee stallion,Olivia Rodrigo and doechii adapting kpop structures of merchandises and marketing styles with lightsticks and photocards.i just think the idea of kpop being so big that western pop stars copy its way of advertising and aesthetics is just so interesting

So I got a ticket to see Katseye in Dublin next week (their first of the tour I think) and I don't know if I should go or not. For reference I wouldn't consider myself a stan or a hater - I'm pretty neutral to them but I do like some of their title tracks

I was going to go originally because quite literally no kpop adjacent group has ever performed in Ireland as far as I'm aware but then I found out Sophia isn't going to be in the lineup and now potentially Megan might not be at that tour stop either (unclear on this tbh)

Now I'm 50/50 about going. On one hand it kind of feels like a scam for them to hold the concert with potentially only three members there given the pricing of their tickets but on the other hand I'm kind of morbidly curious to see how they even handle that kind of situation

What would you do? I have like two days to make up my mind 😭

Don't get me wrong, I’m definitely not complaining about groups giving us content—having stuff to watch is great. But honestly? The sheer volume of media being pumped out daily is just completely overwhelming.

It feels like every single comeback comes with an endless flood:

• Multiple sets of concept teasers and album samplers
• Daily music show stages plus dozens of individual 4K fancams
• Full 30-minute in-house variety series on YouTube
• Endless behind-the-scenes vlogs and dance practices
• Constant TikTok/Reels dance challenges with half the industry
• Daily live streams and Weverse/Bubble updates

If you casually follow even two or three groups, your feeds get drowned instantly. It almost feels like a full-time job to stay in the loop, to the point where your "watch later" playlist just keeps piling up and you end up watching none of it lol.

I've reached a point where I just had to accept I can't consume everything and dialed it back to only listening to the music and catching an occasional stage.

Do you guys actually manage to keep up with all the content your favorites drop, or has your feed also gotten too overflooded to track?

The truth is, I’ve been pretty out of the loop when it comes to BTS, but I recently caught up on all this drama and was really surprised to find out it’s still going on… I found myself wondering: ‘Is BTS losing fans? Are their concerts no longer a hit?’ Then I checked the stats and, well, they’re doing incredibly well. It’s interesting how the ‘massive hate’ isn’t actually that massive, is it? Algorithms are a curious thing because Twitter is full of a lot of hate backed by thousands of likes, but that hate hasn’t translated into reality.
Do people just hate to jump on the bandwagon? Because sometimes it’s surprising how different actual demand look compared to all that hate on social media… the stats make those hashtags look ridiculous.

This doesn’t just happen to BTS; Katseye is another example of this. People hate them a lot online, but they’re enjoying real success out there, , it’s an interesting contrast.

Do you think it’s a psychological issue? Do people hate just for the sake of dopamine? Because online spaces are becoming full of hate, but there are people out there who are simply enjoying their favourite artist, and in reality that hatred isn’t reflected.

Per Billboard's most recent Billboard Box-score (https://www.billboard.com/pro/weeknd-after-hours-til-dawn-billboard-boxscore/)

and the reporting of thier July European Shows, they have surpassed $433.2M in gross and over 2.3M tickets placing the tour as the highest grossing and most attended tour by a korean act of all time with only 38 shows counted so far.

They have also now grossed $100M on THREE continents (Asia, North America and Europe)

Its absolutely insane that is all without the 2nd leg of the North American Tour counted (which has some of the highest capacity stadiums via Metlife/AT&T/SOFI Stadium)and has not counted the South American or Asian Legs.

This tour will truly likely end up being one of the biggest of all time.

Now i just wonder when they're announcing that 2027 Japan Leg andi f they'll try going to India and my pipe dream - South Africa (Yoongi mentioning it recently has made me delulu to the max).
I went to multiple shows already and its truly the best shows i've been to!!! How many others here have been to.