[K-POP REPORT CARD] Dead or alive? K-pop chooses both in September, October

K-pop releases in September and October drew sharply different critical verdicts, from praise for NMIXX’s Strange Muse and A2O LITE’s NEON to criticism of other tracks. The releases included solo singles by BLACKPINK members Lisa and Jisoo, new projects from established acts, and debuts by new groups. The critic argued that A2O LITE stood out by emphasizing intensive training, harmonies and choreography built around teamwork. The reviews reflect one critic’s opinions rather than definitive judgments.

Kwon Eun-bi released the digital single DEJAVU on Sept. 3, her first release since changing agencies.

Lisa’s SaWaDiKa and Jisoo’s CLICK were both released on Sept. 4 as prerelease singles.

Soyeon’s full album What a Wonderful Life was released on Sept. 7, with I’m gonna TOESA featuring narration by Kian84 as its lead track.

NCT WISH released the I SPY EP on Oct. 12, the same day Sung Han-bin released the DEAD:ALIVE EP and MEOVV released GO HARD.

The critic described NMIXX’s MIXX-POP approach as blending different genres in one track and said Strange Muse marked the group’s third consecutive release to balance unpredictability with good music.

Published Nov 3, 2026 7:00 am KST

K-pop girl group A2O LITE performs during a showcase for its debut single, “NEON,” at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 12. Yonhap

K-pop report card is a bimonthly series that revisits the most talked-about releases of the months. Rather than ranking success by charts or streaming numbers, the focus here leans toward how these records sound, what they attempt to say and whether they actually leave an impression once the initial buzz fades. Disagreement is welcome. K-pop has always thrived on argument as much as through fandom.

Nobody expected September and October to be this much fun, at least for K-pop.

Over the same two months, one K-pop heavyweight confessed his belief that the genre had run its course, while another stormed back onto the scene with a shiny, wildly ambitious new project.

That's K-pop for you — just when you think you know which way the ball is bouncing, it ricochets somewhere else entirely.

In between, BLACKPINK members dropped solo singles back-to-back, three of the industry’s biggest names faced off on the same Monday, and a brand-new girl group topped Melon a day after its debut.

As always, these verdicts are just one critic's opinion, not a ruling. Please feel free to disagree, loudly if you must.

Kwon Eun-bi, “DEJAVU” (digital single) released Sept. 3

Verdict: Nearly there

Kwon Eun-bi's first release since switching agencies is a lovely gift for fans. It peels back the piercing high notes and flashy performances that usually steal the spotlight, letting you hear how softly she murmurs through each line and how pretty her tone really is.

The problem is that K-pop has far, far too many songs like this. I swear I’ve heard more than 5,000 songs that sound exactly the same over the past decade.

To the general listener, it will simply drift by. It has no real impact and nothing much to praise or pan.

BLACKPINK’s Lisa, “SaWaDiKa” (prerelease single) released Sept. 4

Verdict: Surprisingly good

I’d argue Lisa no longer quite fits in a K-pop column, but there’s no denying the aura she has built was born at YG, so in she goes.

Lisa sounds best with an honest, no-frills rap flow. She has proven it across countless BLACKPINK tracks and her solo cuts “MONEY,” “ROCKSTAR” and “New Woman,” and she proves it once again here.

I also love that she keeps shouting out where she comes from. Artists like this popping up in every corner of the globe make the world a more fun place to be.

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, “CLICK” (prerelease single) released Sept. 4

Verdict: Worth replaying

There are at least a thousand songs like this on the market already, so why does this one work? Probably because so few singers sing and deliver lines with a tone like Jisoo's.

She seems to have found a pop track that fits the persona she has settled into, one that’s a little clumsy, maybe, but confident and upbeat all the same. It just puts you in a good mood.

EVAN, “DEATH OF ME” (EP) — Title track “Death of Me” released Sept. 7

Was I the only one who assumed that leaving the group meant EVAN would make music wildly different from ENHYPEN’s?

Even setting aside the voice that carried the group for years, ENHYPEN’s DNA is all over this record, especially that gothic, vampiry synth organ running from the intro onward. Somehow that makes the R&B track hit a little sadder.

i-dle’s Soyeon, “What a Wonderful Life” (full album) — Lead track “I’m gonna TOESA (Narr. Kian84)” released Sept. 7

K-pop, like any art scene, has some self-replication problem, so simply chasing something that’s uniquely yours is already a huge plus.

Add a story every young office worker can relate to, a beat that's easy to sing along to and retro samples instantly familiar to Korean ears, and you’ve got a guaranteed hit.

Just picture being dragged from a soul-crushing company dinner to a private singing room and belting this at the top of your lungs. For Korea’s office workers, that alone is practically therapy.

BOYNEXTDOOR, “HOME: DELUXE” (repackaged album) — Lead track “ANIMAL” released Sept. 28

BOYNEXTDOOR already has its easy sing-along hit. Of the group's attempts to break away from that formula, this one suits them far better than the previous single "VIRAL," and the more you listen, the more cathartic it gets.

On first listen, the choppy lyrics, and then the barking, will have you wondering what on earth is going on. But isn’t the boy next door supposed to be a little annoying?

The beat switch that storms in right before the final chorus feels surprisingly sophisticated for a song called “ANIMAL.” It’s noise music that delivers just the right amount of release.

ALLDAY PROJECT, “CRASH” (EP) — Title track “CRASH” released Sept. 28

Each member’s color comes through clearly in the track, which is exactly why the gaps in skill among them feel a bit conspicuous. Other than that, it’s an easy-listening party anthem.

After a fairly long break, one might expect the group to come out swinging. Instead, the loose, let’s-just-have-fun vibe actually suits ALLDAY PROJECT.

CLOSE YOUR EYES, “256th Note” (EP) — Lead track “Drop That!” released Sept. 30

Bringing jazz, the art of improvisation, into K-pop, where every move is choreographed and everything goes according to plan, is in theory the perfect promo pitch. That’s why I had such high hopes when the prerelease single "Open Your Eyes" dropped.

But next to the quality of the backing track, the topline production is juvenile and predictable. The vocals of the members flirting freely with the melody are there, so why is this all we ended up with? All the ingredients were right there.

NCT WISH, “I SPY” (EP) — Title track “I SPY” released Oct. 12

Kids these days really don't do boring. For the first half, you get a futuristic, gender-neutral track with a Japanese flavor that plays to the members’ identity and a structure that doesn’t stray far from girl group grammar. Up to that point, the song stays in safe territory, doing what WISH does best — polished, up-tempo electropop.

But it only reveals its charm if you play it to the end. You stay for the bridge, where the tempo slows out of nowhere, and for that unmistakably NCT finish. If you know, you know.

ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Han-bin, “DEAD:ALIVE” (EP) — Lead track “UNDEAD” released Oct. 12

Easing off a little would have made the track way more stylish, but even flying solo, Sung Han-bin goes full throttle the whole way. It sounds like old-school, high-energy INFINITE.

Would make a very decent gym track, though.

MEOVV, “GO HARD” (digital single) released Oct. 12

The track borrows a range of musical elements, but the transitions between them are all that seamless. The intro, bridge and final chorus are the highlights, but sitting through the thumping club beat in between, already worn out, is a bit of a slog.

With a drink in hand and friends hyping you up, it’s music that would set you completely free. Otherwise, it's a pass.

A2O LITE, “NEON” (debut digital single) released Oct. 13 / A2O SOUL, “SUPERSTAR” (prerelease single) released Oct. 13

Before getting to A2O, we have to talk about NCT. The way NCT has been run splits neatly into before and after the departure of Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM.

Since NCT’s “Golden Age,” there has been virtually no true multi-unit activity visible to the public. Unless you’re a close follower of NCT, the group has been run in a way that leaves you thinking of 127, DREAM and WISH as entirely separate acts.

Back after the noncompete clause barring him from domestic activity expired, Lee didn’t just slip effortlessly back into the place he once held in K-pop. He staked a claim to even more ground.

K-pop boy band A2O SOUL performs during a showcase for its debut prerelease single, “SUPERSTAR,” at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 12. Yonhap

Much of K-pop now runs on a kind of fantasy — monotonous one-word choruses, and acts billed as free-spirited rebels and creative artists who still outsource every song. A2O’s two groups, LITE in particular, succeeded by bringing the exact opposite.

They brought back the grueling training that turns trainees into literal human weapons, the very thing that lifted K-pop to where it is today. They paired it with harmonies and choreography built to showcase teamwork, and it sent the whole country into a frenzy.

“SUPERSTAR” drew a comparatively weaker response, which only makes me more curious about Lee’s blueprint for a boy group. Will A2O SOUL reclaim the spot NCT left behind, or try something entirely different?

NMIXX, “Strange Muse” (EP) — Lead track “Birthday Wish” released Oct. 19

What makes NMIXX’s music compelling is that it never feels predictable, even within the formula of “good music.” Striking that balance seems incredibly hard; plenty of groups, even their own labelmates, can’t pull it off. NMIXX has now done it three times in a row.

It also earns top marks for going a step beyond simply being good music to conjure a particular feeling, a particular moment.

It’s moving, too, that the MIXX-POP elements, the group's unique concept of blending different genres into a single track, stand out more than on the last release. It’s a sign the group hasn’t traded its identity for mass appeal.

BABYMONSTER, “DESERVE” (digital single) released Oct. 23

However you slice it, this is undoubtedly a YG song.

The chorus, where they belt the lyrics on a single repeated note, feels a bit monotonous and is a letdown. Everything else, from the build-up into the chorus to the explosive finish, is great.

For ears worn out by autotune, it’s about time we got more singles like this one, bringing back band sounds and live instruments and stirring up such a range of sentiments.

IVE, “Looks Can Kill” (EP) — Title track “Looks Can Kill” released Oct. 26

You know it, I know it, and it’s been obvious for years — IVE has cornered the market on the "princess of K-pop" image and reigns on that image alone, no special vocal showcase or performance banger required.

Listening to this felt like eating kimchi jjigae (stew) at a kimchi jjigae joint famous across the nation. They’ve simmered up a song that fits the members’ attitude and mindset as snugly as it meets public demand.

ILLIT, “BREAK EVEN” (EP) — Lead track “You’re Under Arrest” released Oct. 26

Truth be told, my verdict on this song and its play count on my playlist are two vastly different things. For sheer addictiveness, it’s the best release of October, so I’m torn between top marks and bottom marks. Today, I’m not feeling all that generous.

Since "It's ME," ILLIT has picked catchy electro tracks as its title songs while hiding the real gems among the B-sides. I think that strategy earns the group a lot of public flak. I’d confidently urge anyone to give “Super in Love” or “Pop” a listen. The album spans genres so well — so why make “You’re Under Arrest” its face?

RIIZE, “Insomnia” (digital single) released Oct. 26

A sophisticated take on nostalgia. It proves otherwise to anyone who remembers RIIZE only as performers. RIIZE has a remarkably wide range, and a classy one at that.

九月和十月发行的K-pop歌曲引发了截然不同的评价，从NMIXX的《Strange Muse》和A2O LITE的《NEON》获得好评，到其他一些歌曲受到批评。这些歌曲包括BLACKPINK成员Lisa和Jisoo的个人单曲、知名艺人的新作品以及新组合的出道曲。一位评论家认为，A2O LITE的突出之处在于其强调了高强度的训练、优美的和声以及以团队合作为基础的舞蹈编排。这些评论仅代表一位评论家的观点，并非最终定论。

权恩妃于9月3日发行了数位单曲《DEJAVU》，这是她更换经纪公司后的首张作品。

Lisa 的《SaWaDiKa》和 Jisoo 的《CLICK》均于 9 月 4 日作为先行单曲发行。

Soyeon 的完整专辑《What a Wonderful Life》于 9 月 7 日发行，主打歌为 Kian84 旁白的《I'm gonna TOESA》。

NCT WISH 于 10 月 12 日发行了 I SPY EP，同一天，成韩彬发行了 DEAD:ALIVE EP，MEOVV 发行了 GO HARD。

评论家将 NMIXX 的 MIXX-POP 风格描述为将不同的音乐类型融合在一首歌曲中，并表示《Strange Muse》是该组合连续第三张专辑，旨在平衡不可预测性和优秀的音乐。

发布于2026年11月3日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

10月12日，韩国女子组合A2O LITE在京畿道高阳市KINTEX会展中心举行出道单曲《NEON》的发布会。（韩联社）

K-pop成绩单是一个双月刊系列，回顾当月最受关注的K-pop作品。它不以排行榜或流媒体播放量来评判作品的成功，而是更侧重于作品的音乐性、想要表达的内容，以及在最初的热度消退后是否还能给人留下深刻印象。我们欢迎不同的观点。K-pop的繁荣发展，离不开争论，正如它依靠粉丝群体一样。

谁也没想到九月和十月会如此精彩，至少对于 K-pop 来说是这样。

在同一时期的两个月里，一位韩国流行音乐界的重量级人物坦言他认为该音乐类型已经走到了尽头，而另一位则带着一个闪亮、雄心勃勃的新项目强势回归。

这就是 K-pop——当你以为你知道球会往哪个方向弹跳时，它却会完全弹向另一个方向。

在此期间，BLACKPINK 成员接连发布了个人单曲，业内三大巨头在同一周一展开了较量，一个全新的女子组合在出道第二天就登顶了 Melon 排行榜。

一如既往，这些评论仅代表一位评论家的观点，并非最终裁决。如果您不同意，请尽管畅所欲言，即使声音很大也没关系。

权恩妃的数位单曲《DEJAVU》于9月3日发行。

结论：接近目标

权恩妃转会后的首张专辑对粉丝来说无疑是一份惊喜。它褪去了以往她标志性的高音和炫技，让你得以聆听她轻柔的吟唱和甜美的音色。

问题在于，K-pop里这类歌曲实在太多了。我敢说，过去十年里，我听过的听起来一模一样的歌超过5000首。

对普通听众来说，这首歌很容易被忽略。它没有产生任何实际影响，也没有什么值得称赞或批评的地方。

BLACKPINK成员Lisa的先行单曲《SaWaDiKa》于9月4日发行。

结论：出乎意料的好

我认为 Lisa 已经不太适合放在 K-pop 专栏里了，但不可否认的是，她所建立的影响力是在 YG 娱乐公司建立起来的，所以她还是被列入其中了。

Lisa的嗓音最适合真诚、朴实无华的rap风格。她在无数首BLACKPINK的歌曲以及她的个人单曲《MONEY》、《ROCKSTAR》和《New Woman》中都证明了这一点，而在这首歌中，她再次证明了这一点。

我也很喜欢她不断强调自己的家乡。像这样的艺术家在世界各地涌现，让世界变得更加精彩。

BLACKPINK成员Jisoo的先行单曲《CLICK》于9月4日发行。

结论：值得重玩

市面上至少已经有上千首类似的歌曲了，为什么这首歌却能成功呢？可能是因为很少有歌手能像Jisoo那样用独特的音色演唱和演绎歌词。

她似乎找到了一首很符合她目前形象的流行歌曲，这种形象或许有点笨拙，但同样自信而乐观。这首歌能让人心情愉悦。

EVAN，《我的死亡》（EP）——同名主打歌《我的死亡》于9月7日发行

难道只有我一个人认为，EVAN 离开组合后会创作出与 ENHYPEN 截然不同的音乐吗？

即使抛开多年来撑起整个组合的主唱嗓音不谈，ENHYPEN的DNA也贯穿整张专辑，尤其是从开场就贯穿始终的哥特式、吸血鬼般的合成器风琴声。不知为何，这让这首R&B热门歌曲听起来略带一丝忧伤。

i-dle成员小娟的专辑《What a Wonderful Life》（正规专辑）——主打歌《I'm gonna TOESA (Narr. Kian84)》于9月7日发行。

和任何艺术领域一样，K-pop也存在一些自我复制的问题，所以追求独属于你自己的东西本身就是一个巨大的优势。

加上每个年轻上班族都能感同身受的故事、易于跟唱的节奏，以及韩国人耳熟能详的复古采样，这首歌就一定会大受欢迎。

想象一下，你被从令人窒息的公司晚宴上拖出来，带到一间私人歌唱室，然后扯着嗓子放声高歌这首歌。对韩国的上班族来说，这简直就是一种疗愈。

BOYNEXTDOOR，《HOME: DELUXE》（重新包装专辑）——主打歌《ANIMAL》于9月28日发行

BOYNEXTDOOR 已经有一首朗朗上口的热门歌曲。在他们尝试突破这种模式的尝试中，这首歌比之前的单曲《VIRAL》更适合他们，而且你听得越多，就越能感受到它的宣泄作用。

初听之下，断断续续的歌词，再加上狗吠声，会让你摸不着头脑，不知道到底发生了什么。但隔壁男孩不就应该有点烦人吗？

在最后一段副歌之前突然出现的节奏转换，对于一首名为“ANIMAL”的歌曲来说，显得出奇地精致。这是一种噪音音乐，却能带来恰到好处的释放感。

ALLDAY PROJECT，《CRASH》（EP）——同名主打歌《CRASH》于9月28日发行

每位成员的特色在歌曲中都展现得淋漓尽致，也正因如此，他们之间的技术差距才显得有些明显。除此之外，这首歌是一首轻松愉悦的派对金曲。

经过相当长的休息时间，人们可能会期待这个乐队强势回归。然而，ALLDAY PROJECT 却展现出一种轻松自在、尽情玩乐的氛围，这反而更符合他们的风格。

闭上你的眼睛，《256th Note》（EP）——主打歌《Drop That!》于9月30日发行

将爵士乐的即兴演奏艺术融入K-pop——一个每个动作都经过精心编排、一切都按计划进行的音乐世界——理论上来说，这是一种完美的宣传策略。正因如此，当先行单曲《睁开你的双眼》发布时，我才抱有如此高的期望。

但抛开伴奏的质量不谈，主旋律的制作显得稚嫩而缺乏新意。成员们自由奔放的演唱确实存在，但最终呈现出来的却只是这样吗？明明所有要素都具备了。

NCT WISH，《I SPY》（迷你专辑）——主打歌《I SPY》于10月12日发行

现在的年轻人可真不爱无聊。这首歌前半段是一首充满未来感、不分性别的日系歌曲，既展现了成员们的个性，又保留了女团歌曲的典型风格。在此之前，歌曲一直保持着WISH最擅长的风格——精致动感的快节奏电子流行乐。

但只有听到最后，你才能真正领略它的魅力。你会一直听到过渡段，节奏突然放慢，最后以NCT标志性的结尾收尾。懂的都懂。

ZEROBASEONE成员成​​韩彬的迷你专辑《DEAD:ALIVE》——主打歌《UNDEAD》于10月12日发行

如果节奏稍稍放缓，这首歌会更有格调，但即便单飞，成韩彬也全程火力全开。听起来就像是老派的、充满活力的INFINITE。

不过，它倒是很适合改造成健身房跑道。

MEOVV 的单曲《GO HARD》（数字单曲）于 10 月 12 日发行

这首歌融合了多种音乐元素，但各元素之间的衔接却并不流畅自然。前奏、过渡段和最后的副歌是亮点，但中间那段节奏强劲、略显单调的舞曲却让人难以忍受。

手里拿着酒，朋友们在一旁为你加油打气，这种音乐能让你彻底放松。否则，还是算了吧。

A2O LITE，《NEON》（首张数位单曲）于10月13日发行 / A2O SOUL，《SUPERSTAR》（先行单曲）于10月13日发行

在谈到A2O之前，我们必须先谈谈NCT。NCT的运营方式可以清晰地分为李秀满（SM公司的创始人）离开之前和之后两个阶段。

自NCT的“黄金时代”以来，几乎没有向公众展示过真正的多小分队活动。除非你是NCT的铁杆粉丝，否则你很难将127、DREAM和WISH视为完全独立的团体。

在禁止他从事国内活动的竞业禁止条款到期后，李并没有轻而易举地重返他曾经在韩国流行音乐界的地位，而是进一步扩大了他的影响力。

10月12日，韩国男子组合A2O SOUL在京畿道高阳市KINTEX会展中心举行出道先行单曲《SUPERSTAR》的发布会。（韩联社）

如今的K-pop很大程度上建立在一种幻想之上——单调乏味的单字副歌，以及那些被标榜为自由奔放的叛逆者和创意艺术家，却依然把所有歌曲都外包出去的组合。A2O旗下的两个组合，尤其是LITE，却恰恰相反，他们取得了成功。

他们恢复了那种将练习生训练成真正“人形兵器”的残酷训练，而这正是K-pop如今取得巨大成功的关键。他们将这种训练与旨在展现团队合作的和谐旋律和舞蹈编排相结合，令整个国家为之疯狂。

《SUPERSTAR》的反响相对平淡，这反而让我更加好奇李敏镐打造男团的蓝图。A2O SOUL 会重夺 NCT 留下的宝座，还是会尝试完全不同的风格？

NMIXX，《Strange Muse》（EP）——主打歌《Birthday Wish》于10月19日发行

NMIXX的音乐之所以引人入胜，在于它从不落俗套，即便在“好音乐”的既定框架内也难以预测。要做到这一点似乎极其困难；许多组合，甚至包括他们同公司的艺人，都难以企及。而NMIXX已经连续三次做到了。

它还超越了单纯的好音乐，营造出一种特定的感觉，一个特定的时刻，因此获得了最高评价。

令人欣喜的是，MIXX-POP元素——即该组合将不同音乐风格融合于同一首歌曲的独特理念——在这张专辑中比上一张作品更加突出。这表明该组合并没有为了迎合大众口味而放弃自身的特色。

BABYMONSTER 的单曲《DESERVE》（数字单曲）于 10 月 23 日发行。

无论从哪个角度来看，这无疑是一首YG的歌曲。

副歌部分，他们用一个重复的音符高声演唱歌词，感觉有点单调，令人失望。但除此之外，从副歌前的铺垫到爆发式的结尾，其他部分都很精彩。

对于听腻了自动调音的耳朵来说，我们早就应该听到更多像这样的单曲了，它回归了乐队的声音和现场乐器，并激起了人们各种各样的情感。

IVE，《Looks Can Kill》（EP）——同名主打歌《Looks Can Kill》于10月26日发行

你我都心知肚明，而且多年来也显而易见——IVE 已经垄断了“K-pop公主”的形象，仅凭这一形象就称霸一方，无需特别的歌唱技巧或精彩的表演。

听这首歌就像在一家全国闻名的泡菜汤店里吃泡菜汤一样。他们精心炮制了一首既契合成员们的态度和心态，又满足大众需求的歌曲。

ILLIT，《盈亏平衡》（EP）——主打歌《你被捕了》于10月26日发行

说实话，我对这首歌的评价和它在我歌单里的播放次数完全是两回事。就其令人上瘾的程度而言，它是十月份最佳新歌，所以我很难给它打高分或低分。今天，我实在没心情那么慷慨。

自从《It's ME》之后，ILLIT 就一直选择朗朗上口的电子乐作为主打歌，而把真正的佳作藏在 B 面歌曲里。我认为这种策略让他们饱受诟病。我真心推荐大家去听听《Super in Love》或者《Pop》。这张专辑风格跨度很大——那为什么非要选《You're Under Arrest》作为主打歌呢？

RIIZE，《失眠》（数字单曲）于10月26日发行

这是一种对怀旧的精致诠释。它向那些只记得RIIZE是表演者的人证明，RIIZE的音乐风格远不止于此，而且极具格调。