Many who are versed in K-Pop would agree that 2015 was one of the all-time best years for the genre. Numerous SM legends dropped some of the most notorious K-Pop songs to date, BTS were blooming, and TWICE, MONSTA X, and SEVENTEEN made their debut. Though the former and Red Velvet were doing great, it’s undeniable that boy groups were absolutely thriving back then. Though the music still holds up, ten years have turned everything right around.

Boy groups have slightly lost the plot. A handful have tossed out sufficient feed for their chickens, like Stray Kids’ perfectly fine “DO IT” and P1Harmony’s “EX” helped by its sincere B-sides. Others, like ATEEZ, have veered off from what we all know and love them for – at least in the promoted title tracks. One of the most performance-driven groups, widely respected for their artistic integrity, transformed into substanceless sexymen with “Lemon Drop” and “In Your Fantasy”. Don’t get us wrong, sexymen have their place. ATEEZ’s own “Deja Vu” and “Cyberpunk” work for their own reasons. But what makes the likes of TVXQ’s “Mirotic” work so well is its non-abrupt place in their discography; its believability is etched into the crusts of its 480p-definition music video. 

We say they’ve only slightly lost the plot because we know they’re fully capable of returning to greatness. 

2025 was also a pretty diluted year for NCT, which saw a couple of clunky albums and the news of now ex-member Taeil’s horrendous crime tainting whatever enjoyment fans could’ve garnered from his sub-unit NCT 127’s activities in leader Taeyong’s absence. Hopefully, now that the latter’s return from mandatory military service, who the group can’t seem to function without, means better days for NCT are just around the corner. 

Male soloists did much better than their penguin-huddling industrymates. A.C.E’s Junhee debuted with a fabulously written album designed around a 24-hour day, while SHINEE’s ONEW and KEY individually released two fantastic albums, which neither stray from their established styles nor produce the samey songs we’ve heard from them before. 

Gender norm-shattering pioneers XLOV have got the spirit, but they need a higher budget and a better team backing them with good music put out consistently that will keep people listening. Though a few gems like &TEAM’s “Back To Life” emerged as well as Enhypen’s “Bad Desire”, it’s clear that the girls are still winning. One word: NMIXX. The JYP girls were doomed to fade into oblivion with a debut that no one liked at the time, but post 2023, they’ve somehow defied destiny and built a sound people keep coming back for. Early this year, their EP Fe304: FORWARD brought trap soul hit “KNOW ABOUT ME” as well as fantastic B-Sides “High Horse” and “Ocean” that made it clear their producers got their heads down and went to work after whatever happened with “O.O”. Their October album Blue Valentine is arguably even more loved. It seems that everyone’s paying attention to NMIXX these days, and there’s another 4th Gen girl group we’ve been pleasantly surprised by this year.

LE SSERAFIM have managed to climb their way out of all the negative discourse regarding their singing ability (or proposed lack of) post Coachella last year, with two fabulous comebacks that tap into their talents and flair much better. “HOT” gave us a summery title track of the same name and JUNGLE collab track “Come Over”, while the elegantly synthed-up “Ash” is simply one of the best K-Pop songs of the year. “SPAGHETTI (feat. j-hope)” feels like the pinnacle of LE SSERAFIM’s fruition. 

BLACKPINK spent a world tour conserving all their energy for… wait, why aren’t they even trying to perform in sync? We get it. The girls are over being a team, and it’s evident that they’re all trying to distance themselves from the K-Pop idol label in their solo ventures as well. LISA released a divisive album that received criticism for trying to be too many things; JENNIE followed with a record that the people deemed much more cohesive. Of this, “Seoul City” and “F.T.S.” were gentle gems, but her predecessor’s “Rockstar” and “New Woman (feat ROSALÍA)” made a decent case for LISA. 

ROSÉ released a collab with Alex Warren that no one seems to remember. Her much more popular “APT.” with Bruno Mars from last year has two billion numbers on Spotify, and with people still streaming it to death, it was always going to be a difficult feat to one-up. JISOO and ZAYN’s “EYES CLOSED” also had less impact, but it’s still an enjoyable pop mush. Its only flaw is not totally utilising JISOO’s vocal abilities. 

TWICE and aespa both tried something new this year, with the former’s well-received “THIS IS FOR” solidifying that they’re still able to freshen things up every three years. Longevity beats the shiny and new. Aespa’s entire era post Dirty Work has had a lot of people talking, but the fact that this grungier style takes longer for listeners to digest is completely by design. You will catch yourself musing about the production choices, and how on Earth the girls’ voices still manage to frost a sweet layer on top of any piece of music. 

5th Gen K-Pop had been wobbly for a couple of years, struggling to find its core, but 2025 was the year it found its identity. With a perfect debut, Hearts2Hearts were the butterflies of hope emerging out of Pandora’s box. The 5th Gen girls explored numerous house subgenres, always in a fabulous way. Hearts2Heart’s “FOCUS” will likely outlive “The Chase”, though both are great songs. STAYC’s “BEBE” is still on our playlists, and ILLIT’s megahit “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)” is just another reason they’re killing it right now. We also find ourselves keeping the latter’s “NOT CUTE ANYMORE” on repeat, completely disintegrating any hype the poor 5th Gen boy groups and single co-ed group could’ve hoped to garner.

Which brings us to ALLDAY PROJECT. Their infamy has turned K-Pop into a cesspit of gossip they’re able to stay afloat in. Somehow gaining a Daesang award after less than a year since debut, regarded as blatantly undeserved by many, has been a slap in the face to those who never had the means to buy their spots in the industry. This is not to say the win is illegitimate by any means. There’s simply a bad taste surrounding the group that they’re going to need to work hard on to dissipate. 

It makes us look back on 2015, misty-eyed, with the knowledge that the prestigious award used to mean much more. To the groups that worked themselves from the bottom, that turned tiny companies into giant monopolising corporations, and earned every single nugget of praise ever bestowed upon them. 2025 has brought uncertainty to K-Pop. But amidst this amalgamation of played-safe boy group comebacks, annoyingly catchy two-minute mush, endlessly danceable bangers from the girls, and the odd earworm here and there, we know that it’s all still alive and well. 

Written by Maddie Armstrong

Featured image courtesy of SM Entertainment

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a special focus on the Asian entertainment industry. Alongside in-depth features on emerging and established musicians, we provide thoughtful coverage of cinema, from independent films to international releases, exploring the stories and work that bring them to life. Through interviews, reviews, and features, we connect our audience with the voices and visions driving the cultural landscape today.}