Every week, the Korean music scene delivers outstanding songs across various genres and styles, and the past week was no exception, with a heavy-hitting selection of hits with global and crossover potential, satisfyingly nostalgic duets and some of 2024’s most promising new artists.
A slew of major solo stars have returned to the scene lately, with NAYEON of TWICE dropping her sophomore solo effort, NA, Friday (June 14), hoping to make history again after becoming the first-ever K-pop soloist to score a Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 with 2022’s IM NAYEON. Meanwhile, Kim Jae Joong and XIA — who come from legendary groups TVXQ! and JYJ — signaled exciting returns to the industry with their new tracks, while Sunmi, SAAY, BOL4 and GISELLE of aespa all have new material for fans.
On the group front, beloved acts like Super Junior and INFINITE are celebrating important milestones with anniversary singles. Meanwhile, A.C.E, ATEEZ and WayV are all proving how universal their latest releases are with new singles in multiple languages and/or getting different treatments through new remixes.
As the K-pop industry moves at a rapid pace, it’s important to pause and appreciate the innovation and diversity it offers across its different acts. Previously, Billboard readers rallied behind ONEUS’ “Now” as the top K-pop pick of the week as well as Jung Kook’s “Never Let Go” as their favorite new music in all genres last week.
Take a moment to explore these 13 gems that embody the spirit of the scene and deserve a spot on your playlist. Then, cast your vote in our poll for the top of K-pop for the past week.