BLOG: T.O.P was the lead rapper of the legendary K-pop group BIGBANG; he left the group at the end of May 2023. The reason of his departure isn't fully explained, but BIGBANG's image or public perception started deteriorating after the Burning Sun Scandal involving Seungri, the maknae(youngest) of BIGBANG. "V.I.P", the fandom of BIGBANG, have made in-depth speculation and predictions that the group would disband or fall apart after the scandal in 2019. Anyway, I won't be discussing T.O.P's controversies since all the information has been thoroughly explored and dissected through many forums. Let's talk about what he is presently doing with his new full length album "Top Spot - Another Dimension", which has 11 total tracks of mostly old school rap/hip hop, as well as dance and vocal-oriented tracks. The best way to describe his new album is raw, unfiltered, unsanitized, and gritty. It felt like T.O.P held his breath ever since his departure from BIGBANG in 2023, and then he finally exhaled in 2026. The result of his exhalation is this excellent album, which contains his true feelings and perspective after his departure from BIGBANG. All there is needed to know about T.O.P's state of mind is found in his new album, or at least, the information that he is willing to give out to his fans, or to the public.
Surprisingly, within the music video, we are blessed with a special appearance from NANA, a member of AfterSchool. Here's a refresher of NANA: After School - Flashback. Studio54's music video is actually shared with another track called ADHD from his album; both tracks blend and work well together as one song. It's well mixed. Without putting words into T.O.P's mouth, I will only explain the song from my perspective; mainly, it is a song that is open to interpretation, but it requires a bit of context of his time with BIGBANG. The true meaning of the song can only be explained from T.O.P himself, so the provided interpretation on my blog is from an audience's perspective. The only information that the audience has access to is T.O.P's history with BIGBANG. From my interpretations of the lyrics, T.O.P is mainly comparing his old self to his new self. T.O.P's old self is the manufactured Korean idol, which was a facade created by an unknown or mysterious character, who is depicted as a dark figure wearing a mask, which hid their identity. As for the new self, it is an authentic version of himself, or his true self without any disguise. Through his lyrics, you will find that he disliked his former life as a K-idol, and feels a lot better being his authentic self, who is not confined in the parameters of the K-idol industry. So, who does NANA represent in the music video? I've wondered about this for quite some time, but I'm willing to guess that NANA represents a naive version of T.O.P; the purpose of NANA was to show a juxtaposition between T.O.P's former(naive) self and newer(authentic) self. Throughout the video, obviously, there is a huge emphasis on eyeballs; you'll find a bunch of eyeballs strewn throughout the music video. I'm theorizing that the eyeballs represent the media or authority figures trying to create a false perception or narrative of T.O.P. If you take a gander at South Korean news outlets, then you'll notice that the media has only shown T.O.P under a bad light; in other words, the media, or authority figures, tried misrepresenting T.O.P. As a response to the media's allegations towards T.O.P, T.O.P and NANA, within the music video, are chewing the eyeballs to show that the media's perspective is not the truth, or, dare I say, not relevant; rather, it is propaganda, lies, or a smear campaign to damage T.O.P's reputation. Hilariously, you'll find T.O.P and NANA dancing together in a wacky fashion; this scene is very reminiscent of the scene from the movie Pulp Fiction, where the actors John Travolta and Uma Thurman are dancing together. By the way, the music video shouldn't be taken as a literal interpretation, or explained on a surface level; the music video is meant to be figuratively interpreted. If you took it literally, then you'll find that the music video would not make any sense what-so-ever, and it would look, overall, super weird.
T.O.P's Studio54 and his album "Top Spot - Another Dimension" is a must-listen. For fans, especially V.I.P.s, this album is a must-buy because it showcases his true feelings after his departure from BIGBANG. As for newcomers and K-pop audiences, you are in for a wild ride with T.O.P being back in K-Pop. Although he doesn't consider himself a K-idol, his artistry far exceeds that of the manufactured or molded K-pop releases that is normally released from entertainment companies in South Korea. You'll be drawn into his dauntless lyricism, out-of-this-world style, and fluid/versatile rapping; overall, T.O.P's creativity is unmatched in South Korea because he thinks outside the box. If you aren't into his career as a K-artist, then you'll find his acting to be superb, and of your liking; in fact, he did star in Netflix's Squid Game 2(2024) as the rapper Thanos or Player 230. Anyway, T.O.P is my favorite K-Pop of April 2026!
BLOG: Back in 2024, P1Harmony released a heavy hitter: Killin' It. Last year, in 2025, they've caught my attention with their hit song: DUH. Now P1Harmony has dragged me back, without any sort of resistance, to listening to their new album; specifically, I enjoyed their track "L.O.Y.L.". "L.O.Y.L." is a blend of R&B with samba‑style rhythms; this samba-style rhythm is influenced by Brazilian‑funk percussions. Additionally, the track is textured in electronic and synth sound effects. Not only is the instrumental a delight, you'll notice a lot of subtle vocal techniques scattered throughout their song, such as, and not limited to, Falsetto and Melisma. In other words, "L.O.Y.L" is a banger! Like I said in previous blogs, they are consistent in churning out hit track after hit track. So far, they're unstoppable in providing ear-gasms, and never seem to fail or disappoint; hopefully, I'm not jinxing it because this boy group is actually reaching their 7th year as a K-pop group. P1Harmony debuted on October 28, 2020; October 28, 2027, marks their 7th year. Will they surpass the 7-year curse, where K-pop groups disband, and contracts expire? Does P1Harmony have what it takes to continue beyond that point? Since I don't have psychic abilities, I can't provide the reader of my blogs any accurate premonitions or cautionary advice on whether P1Harmony will continue. As disbandment is a possibility, P1Harmony has what it takes to surpass the curse to create a new era in the future. Naturally, I do worry that situations may go sour before becoming pleasant because the time frame for any group's disbandment within the K-pop industry is fairly predictable. With P1Harmony's track record, the chances are highly unlikely that they will disband next year; however, I would expect the unexpected. Instead of ending my blog with a doom post, I would like to wish good fortune, success, and happiness to Theo, Keeho, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. Throughout the 6+ years, P1Harmony has given the K-pop audience and their fans an extremely wonderful experience. Also, let's not forget to give credit to FNC Entertainment for harboring one of the best boy groups of all time. If they make it past the 7-year mark, then P1Harmony can be shouted from the rooftops as official K-pop veterans.
BLOG: Hearts2Hearts is 2025's K-pop Rookie Group of the Year. I'm not trying to be "rude", but they are going to win everyone's hearts, and, figuratively speaking, melt it. This may be an unpopular opinion, but my favorite part of the song is the interlude when Stella says: ""You know what he said to me? (What?) He was like, "You are so rude" And I was like, "Boy, does it look like I could care? I couldn't even care less" (Ha-ha)."" I guarantee that Hearts2Hearts will continue to capture our hearts with their house bops! Remember, Hearts2Hearts is only at the beginning phases of their career, and with utmost confidence, I can say that we will be showered with bops and possible nostalgic tracks. If SM Entertainment allows it, then we can possibly get experimental tracks from them in the future. Oh, my heart is anticipating something familiar, yet exciting with Hearts2Hearts!
BLOG: If you are looking for K-pop to enhance your showering, jacuzzi, or bathing experience, then add Apink's "Love Me More" to your playlist. You won't regret it! It is the best "sing-a-long" K-pop song for January 2026, especially for those who love singing while they are in the bathroom!
Although losing 2 members through differing circumstances, APINK impressively stayed together as a 5 member girl group for 15 years without being signed under the "Big 4" entertainment companies of South Korea. While many groups went through their K-idol careers with relative ease by the help of bigger companies, APINK was on the hardest difficulty, doing their best to stay relevant in a competitive and fast-paced industry. APINK is best described as a "diamond in the rough"; through time and experience, their talent has undergone refinement and polish. Currently, they are simply just "diamonds" or top tier at this point in time, but they had to go through fire and pressure to become who they are now. Metaphorically speaking, APINK have the fighting spirit of a gusang namu(구상나무) or a Korean fir, which is adaptively flexible against destructive winds and snow. Throughout their career, APINK are known for releasing music that is best described as "Bubble-gum Pop", "Cake-Walk Pop", or "Cotton-Candy Pop"; however, time has passed, and we are now witnessing a mature and fabulous side of APINK. Unabashedly, APINK still performs their older releases within the modern era; admittedly, many fans still enjoy their old-fashioned, love-themed discography, and don't regret ever publicly singing, and dancing along to the catchy tunes. Anyway, APINK has come a long way, and brought us a new album called "Re : Love" with 5 new tracks. Can we not say that APINK is a testament of perseverance, reaching the pinnacle of K-pop excellency? Certainly, I feel this way about APINK, and so does many of their fandom "Panda". A long-lasting legendary group like APINK is a rarity, which should be cherished as much as possible. It is such a privilege to witness and experience authentic K-pop from APINK! My best wishes to Chorong, Bomi, Eunji, Namjoo, and Hayoung for continuing their journey as APINK, providing everyone with bops and entertainment for more than a decade!
By the way, there are delusional social media users, who say South Koreans can't sing live. To prove these social media users wrong, all you have to do is show them APINK! APINK's live vocals will leave these haters, naysayers, and K-pop tourists speechless; not only will they be speechless, but they will either silently slither back into their fissure, regretting ever uttering a single word, or they'll simply become a dedicated APINK fan. Hopefully, newcomers can come to the realization that South Korean Idols went through intensive vocal training while they were children.
2026 K-pop Rookie Group Blog/Reviews
Hover over the buttons to view a brief description. Click a button to read a desired blog.
Blog Start: 4/1/2026 Blog End: ~1/1/2027
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Table of Contents
Below are 2026 K-pop Rookie Group Debuts/Comebacks in Chronological Order(Older at the Bottom/Newer at the Top)
Table of Contents(You are on this page right now.)
Disclaimer
2026 Late Bloomers
Pre-Debuts and Pre-Releases
Debut Criteria For Review
Scoring System(Gamma Version)
[Disclaimer] Please Read Before Continuing...
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Disclaimer
The reviews that I provide are for entertainment purposes only. I'm not a professional critic, nor do I possess some special license to review content on the internet. Simply, I'm just some random spectator surfing the web, reviewing K-pop related videos/media, and offering my opinions about them. I do not have any personal connection, affiliation, or relationship with any k-idol, group of k-idols, or company that I review. Overall, my opinion is subjective and is also subjected to change in the future depending on many circumstances. The rating that I bestow unto groups is reflective of my experiences, thoughts, and feelings at the moment of publishing. Generally, you should only take my opinion as a grain of salt and not to be taken as the be all and end all opinion. In other words, please do not get butt-hurt or offended because of my unpopular opinions. In the grand scheme of things, my opinion does not play a significant role in determining the success of a k-idol, a group of k-idols, or a company. A review on a defective or unentertaining k-idol group only speeds up the inevitable decline in their merchandise/admission sales; a review saves the consumer their time and money from purchasing a faulty product in the first place. Eventually, a bad product, regardless of whether it is reviewed or not, always results in low sales, high return rates, or no sales at all(it is only a matter of time). Also, a review can help bring awareness(helpful information) to a k-idol group's weaknesses and strengths; a review is mainly served as some sort of reminder or note on what needs to be done to improve future material/content. Although criticism may be harsh or come out as abrasive/negative, it should help prevent a k-idol group from repeating the same mistakes. If applied accurately, criticism should refine a k-idol's abilities. My criticism is debatable and open for discussion; I do not claim that my perspective is a hundred percent correct, so you can accept, ignore, or throw away my opinions as you see fit. As you know, there are opinions, like mine, that are scattered throughout the internet, offering different perspectives, so it is only wise that you do your own due diligence on all material online. It is best to wear your "investigative thinking cap" at all times when you read online content, especially when the internet is filled with gossip, rumors, speculations, hearsay, false claims, etc. If you are an ultra sensitive person, who is easily triggered or offended, then please look no further and exit my website. My blog is not to please everyone, nor is it intended for everyone.
[2026 Late Bloomers] K-pop Rookie Groups That Did Not Reach The Deadline.
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2026 Late Bloomers
2026 Late Bloomers is mainly for K-pop Rookie Groups that did not debut before the autumn deadline. Particularly, the deadline for 2026 is the date: 11/25/2026. If I do create a blog for 2027, then I will include 2026's Late Bloomers in my reviews.
NOTE: I might remove this by the end of the year because my scoring system has drastically changed; my scoring system has been refined and polished that "Late Bloomers" might be obsolete.
Pre-Debut, Pre-Releases, ETC.
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2026 Pre-Debut, Pre-Releases, and ETC.
Below are 2026's K-pop Pre-Debuts and Pre-Releases. Usually, K-idol groups tease, prepare, or "warm-up" the K-pop audience with Pre-Debuts or Pre-Releases before their actual debut. Mainly, this is to establish an initial fan base and grab potential fans at the starting point of the group's career. As well as pre-debuts and pre-releases, I will include questionable, incomplete, and delayed debuts.
NXMERCY - BURN THE BLUE[Mar 16, 2026] NXMERCY revealed that they are debuting; however, they ended up debuting with artificial intelligence instead. This could be misleading for fans because they already revealed each human member of NXMERCY. Why the sudden change? I have no clue. As well as their debut as A.I. avatars, there were no showcases at all, so I won't be reviewing this debut.
QQQ - Uncool[February 26, 2026] After OnlyOneOf's contract ended with 8D Entertainment, KB, Nine, and Love(former member/leader) decided to create a project subunit called "QQQ". Their album is a nice listen; however, I will not be reviewing this debut because it is considered a project, as well as a subunit of OnlyOneOf. Although OnlyOneOf's contracts have ended with 8D Entertainment, OnlyOneOf did not announce their disbandment. Two members are enlisted in the military.
Savvvy - Don't Cut Off My Vibe[February 13, 2026]Savvvy is a "rotational project girl group" with an A.I. member. Their title track "Don't Cut Off My Vibe" is for their Debut EP "New Age New Gen-Z". I will not be reviewing rotational project groups with an A.I. member; usually, project groups are temporary. Additionally, the entire debut lacks a lot of content, especially crucial showcases, performances, and music videos. Overall, their entire debut period was confusing because their promotional cycle was disorganized with no clear direction/vision. Here's their youtube channel: SAVVVY Channel.
Savvvy - Simple Day[February 4, 2026]Comment: Savvvy is a "rotational project girl group" with an A.I. member. This is a pre-release for their EP: "New Age New Gen-Z". Midway Label or Nextlevel Entertainment's rotational project group has a strange way of debuting. "Simple Day" is their debut; simultaneously, they stated that it was a pre-release to their upcoming EP. With "Simple Day", they only introduced a subunit: Yujin, Soohyun, Gayeon, and Kiri(A.I. member). This debut is excluding the other members.
CODA - IYWO Comment: I.M(MONSTA X), YOONSEOK, WOOKI, and OF'F. This was a stealth/under the radar collaboration. For a moment, I thought this was a start of a new group.[Feb. 20, 2026]
KISEO[LIVE DEBUT: January 9, 2026] Here's the link for their LIVE DEBUT. Their discography is unreleased. They did release a music video of their older song(when they were formerly IHOTEU): KISEO - Nonfiction. So far, their debut is vague and lacks information. "Feel the Force" seems to be their title track/album name, but the information lacks clarity/sources.
This section is for the types of K-pop Rookie Debuts that I do not review. For the most part, I accept all K-pop Rookie Group Debuts except certain ones that I state below.
⌀Exclusive Debut Content⌀ Although I'm not against rookie groups releasing exclusive content for their fans, I believe that debuts, especially from rookie K-pop groups, should be inclusive; debut content should be available to everyone. It is understandable for veteran K-pop groups to release exclusive content because they've already gathered a fan base, which may or may not be thriving. On the other hand, K-pop rookies, who are starting from scratch(the beginning phases of being a group), are still in the process of establishing their initial fan base.
⌀Re-Debut⌀ There are times that groups transfer to a brand-new company; the reasons of the transfer varies from bankruptcy, disagreements, legal issues, et cetera. As well as a change of company, members leave and new members join the group, creating a new dynamic within the roster. Often, I have noticed that K-pop fans mistaken Re-debuts with rebranding; a rebranded group changes their name while a re-debut group keeps their name. An example of a re-debut group is Fifty Fifty, where members left and new members joined. An example of a rebranded group is (G)i-dle, who changed their name to i-dle. In my blog, I do review rebranded groups as a newly debuting group.
⌀Solo or Duo⌀ Solo or Duo debuts are usually for experienced(under-gone years of training) k-artists or k-idols who may have an established fan-base.
⌀K-Bands⌀ K-Bands have always been a pet peeve of mine. Usually, K-Bands have a solo singer as well as sub-vocalists. Sometimes, K-Bands offer light choreography. There's a wide range of instruments that a K-Band uses; however, typically, a K-Band has a drummer, guitarist, bass-guitarist, and a main vocalist. Personally, I considered reviewing K-Bands; however, I'm still in the process of understanding musical theories. There's an enormous amount of information to unpack when it comes to K-Bands.
⌀Lack of Information⌀ There are groups who lack online content, videos, media coverage, discussion/rumors/gossip, and/or information. There are groups that leave out their identities, such as members in "Furry" or costume-oriented groups.
⌀*insert language here* Debuts⌀ I only review groups debuting with Korean lyrics as well as a mix of languages; as long as the lyrics contain Korean, then I will review the debut. To ensure authenticity in K-pop, my scoring system has become a lot stricter, only rewarding and incentivizing Korean lyrics. Please read my "Scoring System" to find out the changes. The "K" in "K-POP" is Korean.
⌀Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Idol, CGI(Computer Generated Images)⌀ Although computer-related music/Idols are interesting, I don't find it to be authentic to what South Korea has established. The human aspect of K-pop is what stands out to me the most. A K-idol who has rigorously trained their life in singing, dancing, and modeling is admirable compared to a robot, which was manufactured and programmed within a day. I do make exceptions though. Certain groups may have a full roster of about 3 or more human members while the other members are A.I./CGI members. This is fine as long as there are humans actively singing, dancing, and modeling within their debut. Now, if the A.I. member or members does all the singing, dancing, and modeling, then I will not review the debut.
⌀Subunits⌀ A subunit is part of a k-idol group who have already debuted or about to debut in the future. An example of subunits are from a girl group called TripleS, who have multiple amounts of subunits.
⌀Temporary Units(Project Groups)⌀ Temporary units are groups created for a small project; once the small project is completed or the contracts expires/terminates, then the group simply disbands. An example of a temporary/project group is ZEROBASEONE, who had a contract for 2.5 years; however, the contracts were extended because of overwhelming fan demand. Temporary units usually last for a season. There may be confusion between "Temporary Units" and "Long-term Temporary Units" who have a contract for a year or more. Units with a year contract aren't "temporary"; rather, they are intended to last longer depending on the results of their progress/work. Sometimes, I accidentally review temporary units because I might have skipped a crucial detail. Usually, companies announce ahead of time whether the group is temporary or a "project group", which is a detail that I sometimes over-look. Although "Super groups" are considered "temporary", I do review them. "Super groups" consists of a member or members from other k-idol groups to form a new group with a whole different name. These groups sometimes last as long as a year or more, depending on how successful they become. "Super Groups" disband and all members return to their original group. An example of a "Super Group" is the group called "SuperM", where they combined the groups EXO, WayV, NCT 127, and SHINee to form one group.
⌀Collaboration⌀ There are times that a member or members from K-idol groups collaborate with soloists and other groups. Sometimes, this ends up being long-term. Usually, I take the time to analyze this to ensure if it might end up being an official group. Most of the time, it is temporary like a fart in the wind. This can actually classify under "Temporary Unit"; however, there might be a chance that it can be long-term, depending on the situation.
⌀Fictional Groups⌀ I never really talk about "fictional groups" because there aren't many examples of this. A "fictional group" is often only put together for a movie or short film. Often, I find online users actually thinking these "fictional groups" are actually a "real life" k-idol group. I find people who actually think "fictional groups" are real to be either hilarious, sarcastic, or delusional; however, "fictional groups" may come back together after the project to create an actual group under a label. In theory, this can actually happen and I would consider this a debut. Nothing like that has happened just yet...
⌀Korean Broadcast Jockey or KAVA(Korean Adult Video Actresses/Actors)⌀ Although I'm not against adult content/fan service, I will not review nudity for my blog. Nudity has its place in the adult entertainment industry, but not in the K-pop industry. There are K-idols that explicitly express their sexuality through their music videos/showcases, which is perfectly fine; however, there is a fine line between expression and offensive/crude. There was a time a K-idol was singing and dancing on a private livestream; all of a sudden, she stripped down to her birthday suit. Everyone was shocked! To be honest, I was laughing throughout the entire stream; however, I can tell that everyone, especially her fans, weren't having it. I will not identify or "DOXX" this K-idol that did this; you'll be completely shocked because you'd suspect someone entirely different would attempt this. Under K-pop standards, I don't see the general audience embracing nudity(even as a form of expression), especially in the modern age.
Scoring System Gamma Version AND KRGHOF Qualifications
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Scoring System(Gamma Version)
My scoring system changed from Beta to Gamma Development. The Gamma Version is far from perfect; however, it is about 50% more refined than the Beta Version, which is progress towards a fairer, authentic, and expansive scoring system. Although I've completed a lot with my Beta version, there are still a lot that I have left out. In other words, there are still many things to learn within the K-pop industry that I previously didn't know. Here's my current criteria that I use to judge/critique K-pop Rookie Groups. Each criterion has sub-criterion, detailed sections, and quite possibly subsections. Basically, the main/major scoring criterion are "Music Video Score", "Title/Main Track Score", "Choreography Score", "Visual Score", "Live Performance Score", and "Discography Score". Overall, the way I rate/judge K-pop is unorthodox because there are many aspects of K-pop that are subjective, requiring subtle observations and abstract thinking patterns to determine the score; obviously, there are easily identifiable elements of K-pop that are objective, which doesn't require much analysis in the first place. Most online critics view K-pop from a social media/collective/community point of view, a fan's opinion, or simply viewing K-pop as a music enthusiast. Personally, I view K-pop groups as sports teams like baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, and other sports; however, simultaneously, I do look at K-pop content as an expression of art, a performance, and an ideological movement. Anyway, one of my goals of this blog is to simply quantify or calculate K-pop Rookie Group scores with my unorthodox perspective, avoiding popular or mainstream critique as much as possible. This blog is simply not for you if you are looking for the popular opinion or shared perspective; if you want the socially accepted consensus on a particular K-pop group, then it is best for you to exit my website and just watch K-pop Award Shows/Ceremonies to figure out everyone's favorite group.
NOTE: I only score groups with a comeback. Also, I add more details to groups who have done a comeback. Scores may be adjusted for accuracy.
🟑Music Video Score[Total: 33]🟑
🞖Production[Sub-Total: 10]🞖 has these main components: 🞋script 🞋direction 🞋design 🞋cinematography 🞋sound 🞋editorial 🞋cast 🞋budget 🞋promotional/managerial 🞋post-production
🞖Story[Sub-Total: 8]🞖 has these main components: 🞋plot 🞋characters 🞋setting 🞋conflict 🞋theme 🞋point of perspective 🞋structure 🞋tone/mood
🞖Concept[Sub-Total: 8]🞖 has these main components: 🞋definition 🞋characteristics 🞋context 🞋examples 🞋principles 🞋relationships 🞋implications 🞋limitations
🞖Acting[Sub-Total: 7]🞖 has these main components: 🞋talent/skill 🞋presence/charisma 🞋empathy/vulnerability 🞋preparedness 🞋adaptability 🞋professionalism 🞋connection
🟑Title/Main Track Score[Total: 115+]🟑
🞖Studio Recorded Vocals[Sub-Total: Varies]🞖 are mainly demonstrated vocal techniques within their track. Although not limited to these techniques, examples of vocal techniques are: 🞋breath control 🞋vocal range 🞋pitch 🞋dynamics 🞋vibrato 🞋legato 🞋staccato 🞋falsetto 🞋head voice 🞋chest voice 🞋mixed voice 🞋nasality 🞋phrasing 🞋articulation 🞋resonance 🞋coloratura 🞋sostenuto
I did not forget that there are rapping techniques as well. The major rapping techniques are: 🞋flow 🞋rhyme schemes 🞋delivery 🞋cadence 🞋punchlines 🞋storytelling 🞋wordplay 🞋ad-libs
Note: This is not the complete list of vocal and rapping techniques. I'm certain that there are more undiscovered, hidden, or unknown vocal techniques, such as opera singing techniques and unorthodox techniques that many producers over-look. Usually, there are techniques that don't have defined terms or the technique is simply a minor detail that it is brushed off. Funnily, there are occult groups who have discovered that certain vocal techniques can manipulate the psychology of certain individuals or groups to doing certain tasks without them knowing. These vocal techniques are forbidden to listen because it unlocks or locks certain parts of the brain. There's a reason that they kept these vocal techniques a secret, which I will not discuss here. If you are curious about these vocal techniques, then send me an e-mail.
🞖Instrumental[Sub-Total: 7+]🞖 are these different placements: 🞋Intro 🞋Verse 🞋Chorus 🞋Bridge 🞋Interlude 🞋Outro 🞋Solo
Note: This score can go a lot higher depending on certain aspects, such as quality, creativity, mixing, et cetera. I did not include this aspect of it because this can be infinitely produced since musical structures/compositions can vary.
🞖Lyrics[Sub-Total: 8]🞖 has these main components: 🞋theme 🞋structure 🞋imagery 🞋rhyme 🞋rhythm 🞋emotion 🞋tone 🞋cohesion
🞖Korean Lyrics[Sub-Total: 100]🞖 is a newly added part of the scoring system. This rewards or incentivizes groups who actually use Korean lyrics in their title track. Mainly, this ensures the authenticity of the Korean language within a debut. I'm fairly certain that fake K-pop fans will hate this part of my scoring system. These K-pop tourists must be having a temper tantrum looking at my authentic and fair scoring system. LOL! Again, I'd like to emphasize that the "K" in "K-pop" is "Korean".
🟑Choreography Score[Total: 10]🟑
🞖Quality of Movement[Sub-Total: 2]🞖 are dynamic moves done with speed, weight, and energy. Secondly, moves that are precisely executed. 🞋Dynamic Movement 🞋Execution
🞖Structure and Form[Sub-Total: 2]🞖 is relative movement within space. Secondly, this includes phrasing, where structured movement is aligned with music sections. 🞋Relative Movement 🞋Phrasing
🞖Timing and Rhythm[Sub-Total: 2]🞖 is musicality(matching sound and dance) and syncopation(complex movements outside of the beat). 🞋Musicality 🞋Syncopation
🞖Style and Expression[Sub-Total: 2]🞖 are unique techniques specific to the genre, emotional movement, and moves that tell a narrative. 🞋Style 🞋Expression
🞖Technical Transitions[Sub-Total: 1]🞖 are smooth and creative transitions between moves. In short, transitional movement are usually called innovatively or aesthetically pleasing moves, which dwells more into advanced difficulty in movements.
🞖Technical Formation Switching[Sub-Total: 1]🞖 are various formations, which encourages engagement. This dwells more on advanced difficulty in movements.
🟑Visual Score[Total: 8]🟑
🞖Physical Attributes[Sub-Total: 2]🞖 The harsh reality is companies usually pre-select trainees by their physical appearance. Everyone knows that good looks is profitable. Unfortunately, talented individuals/trainees without top-tier physical appearances are not chosen to debut. From the perspective of foreigners, Koreans are seen as the most handsome and beautiful throughout the world; however, within Korean society, the standards are so much higher. What most foreigners think as "extremely beautiful" are usually "average" in South Korea; the beauty/handsome standards in South Korea are on a competitive level, which may seem impossible to reach unless you've won the genetic lottery. For this part of the scoring, I give the 2 points as a default. 🞋Facial Structure 🞋Body Structure
🞖Versatility/Aesthetics[Sub-Total: 4]🞖 is basically: 🞋fashion 🞋art/cosmetics 🞋facial expressions 🞋body language
🞖Confidence/Comfortability[Sub-Total: 2]🞖 is mostly about creating a performative perception and ease to attract the audience. 🞋Confidence 🞋Ease
🟑Live Performance Score[Total: 36+]🟑
🞖Live Showcase[Sub-Total: 20]🞖 The Live Showcase is a demonstrated choreography in front of a live audience. Synonymously, the live showcase and the live visuals/modeling may be interchangeable due to the fact that they share the same nature in environment. This score is the doubling of the Choreography Score.
🞖Live Visuals/Modeling[Sub-Total: 16]🞖 Live Visuals/Modeling is a second demonstrated choreography(mainly to show visuals) in front of a live audience. Synonymously, the live showcase and the live visuals/modeling may be interchangeable due to the fact that they share the same nature in environment. This score is the doubling of the Visual Score.
🞖Radio Live Vocals[Sub-Total: Varies]🞖 Radio Live Vocals are mainly demonstrated live vocal techniques within their track. This score is the doubling of Studio Recorded Vocals, which varies depending on vocal technique. Sometimes, a K-idol group does not use their title track to demonstrate live vocals. In this case, the score may vary depending on the track that is used. It is preferable that groups use their title track; however, I know that certain groups are comfortable in singing/rapping certain tracks from their album than their title track, especially in a live performance.
🞖Live Vocals with a Live Band[Sub-Total: Varies]🞖 This score is the doubling of Studio Recorded Vocals, which varies depending on vocal technique. Sometimes, a K-idol group does not use their title track to demonstrate live vocals. In this case, the score may vary depending on the track that is used. It is preferable that groups use their title track; however, I know that certain groups are comfortable in singing/rapping certain tracks from their album than their title track, especially in a live performance.
🞖Live Vocals with an Audience[Sub-Total: Varies]🞖 This score is the doubling of Studio Recorded Vocals, which varies depending on vocal technique. Sometimes, a K-idol group does not use their title track to demonstrate live vocals. In this case, the score may vary depending on the track that is used. It is preferable that groups use their title track; however, I know that certain groups are comfortable in singing/rapping certain tracks from their album than their title track, especially in a live performance.
NOTE: I'm well aware of pre-recorded vocal technology used in many so-called "Live Vocals". There are many articles/blogs/journals that will help you identify lip-syncing or manipulated vocals. I will not dwell into the topic of lip-syncing; however, I will name a few technologies involved in lip-syncing: Digital Audio Workstations, Playback Systems, In-Ear Monitors, Lip Tracking Technology, MIDI Controllers, Video Projection Systems, and Latency Compensation Tools.
NOTE 2: I do not evaluate live vocals with "MR" or "Music Removed" content. It is well known that the technology is still experimental and inaccurate.
NOTE 3: I do not include vocal snippets/samples/teasers as a form of live vocals. In my scoring system, snippets/samples/teasers don't count because of the short length; it simply is not enough to analyze and evaluate to show a group's true capabilities.
🟑Discography Score[Total: VARIES]🟑
Each track within the discography can score one of the three:
🞖Low Quality Track[Sub-Total: 1]🞖 Media such as Audio, Instrumental, Lyrics are the bare-bones of their debut.
🞖Medium Quality Track[Sub-Total: 2]🞖 Dance Practice, Visualizer, and Performance are recorded media, which is often recorded multiple times to display quality.
🞖High Quality Track[Sub-Total: 3]🞖 Live Performances shows a group's talent in real time. Music Videos show the Label's capabilities in terms of production.
NOTE: I do not include remixes and language versions in the scoring process because this can be infinitely reproduced and in many different languages.
K-pop Rookie Group Hall of Fame
A K-pop group is placed in the K-pop Rookie Group Hall of Fame by simply having the highest score in a category. Scores may be adjusted for accuracy.
🟑Best Music Video🟑
🟑Best Title Track🟑
🟑Best Choreography🟑
🟑Best Visualization🟑
🟑Best Live Performance🟑
🟑Best Discography🟑
🟑Wild Card🟑 A group attaining a high total score. A "Wild Card" is a K-pop group not nominated in the major categories; however, they've managed a high score. Many groups that initiate multiple comebacks may fall under this category.
🟑Most Viewed Video🟑 A music video from a K-pop rookie group that has gone viral.
🟑Most Accumulated Views🟑 For this particular category, I only accumulate the views of the 5 most viewed videos from each rookie group.
🟑Most Discussed🟑 For this particular category, I only accumulate the amount of comments from the 5 most viewed videos from each rookie group.
🟑Most Liked🟑 For this particular category, I only accumulate the amount of "LIKES" from the 5 most viewed videos from each rookie group.
2026 K-pop Rookie Groups
Quick Info./Review
SCORE
AFuture 에이퓨처 4X4 Creative
Jisoo
Minji
Seoyeon
Yire
Youngeun
QUICK BIOGRAPHY
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Quick Biography
Group Name: AFuture(에이퓨처)
Label: 4X4 Creative
Members: Jisoo, Youngeun, Yire, Seoyeon, Minji
Digital Single: 4X4 Project 3
Debut Date: March 14, 2026
Comeback Digital Single: 4X4 Project 4
Comeback Date: March 21, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Discography Score[Total: VARIES]
Track 1: Spring Shower[Music Video]
3
Comeback Total
Debut
152.43
Comeback
186.95
Comeback 2
0
Comeback 3
0
GRAND TOTAL
Grand Total Score:
339.38
Grand Total Percentage:%
Blog And Summary
Close(X)
Blog
4x4 Creative is a newly established record label and entertainment agency, which was founded in late September 2024. In 2025, they debuted, as well as disbanded, their first girl group "4X4". If you remember Limesoda's Jangmi, then she is signed under 4X4 Creative as a soloist. Now, in 2026, they've decided to create their second girl group called "AFuture", which consists of members from 4X4 Crew. Mind you, the disbanded group "4X4" is also members of 4X4 Crew, which consists of 15+ members. Everyone in 4X4 Crew, including AFuture, is visually stunning. In my honest opinion, they could really just debut all the members to form a giant squad. Instead, 4X4 Creative is releasing group units after group units as project groups. It could be cost-efficient if 4X4 Creative just released the whole group as one; however, I think they are cooking something interesting in the future. Who knows? 4X4 Creative could be just "test-running" their members in projects until they create an ultimate group. In my 2025 K-pop blog, I've mentioned that 4X4 Crew can rival TripleS in terms of dancing, and I still stand firmly on this statement to this very day. If they release 4X4 Crew as a 15+ member squad, then it will definitely grab everyone's attention. Instead, 4X4 Creative seems to be "turtling" or doing this slow process of introducing each member of 4X4 Crew. I do understand this slow and meticulous process, which actually helps each member become more experienced or exposed to the standards of debuting. My theory is that 4X4 Creative has a grand plan for 4X4 Crew, but hopefully, they don't let their audience wait too long.
MUSIC ANALYSIS
Dream Land's instrumental is synth-pop with mild electronic textures; mostly, it is dance-friendly. The ambiance of the instrumental provides the audience with a "dreamy" feeling.
As for the vocal techniques of Dream Land, you'll find that the lead singer has a strong chest voice. Falsetto, light high notes, can be found in certain phrases. The vocal transitions between chest voice and falsetto are smooth like butter. The chorus and refrain are stacked with backing harmonies(if you listen closely) and double-tracking(a thicker sound). The ad-libs are there, but it is slightly hidden and brief. There is melisma, small decorative notes, strewn here and there within the song. You can find portamento, which are also called "vocal gliding" between adjacent pitches. The overall tone is "airy", meaning that you can hear soft breathy sounds from their vocals. Here and there, you'll find subtle vibrato.
Overall, Dream Land is a cute song.
Spring Shower's instrumental is mainly synth, which is made for contemporary R&B. The ambiance is fairly Lo-Fi with subtle Hip-Hop beats, which is mixed for the rapping sections.
There are a wide range of vocal techniques found in Spring Shower, such as Falsetto, Belting(Chest Voice), Breathy Tones, vocal frying(vocal transitioning), Melisma(decorative notes), Portamento(vocal gliding), Vibrato, layered harmonies(stacked backing vocals), dynamic contrasting(soft to loud vocal shading), speech-like delivery, and Staccato(rhythmic clipped phrasing).
Overall, Spring Shower displays a lot of vocal techniques compared to their previous track Dream Land. In other words, Spring Shower is an enjoyable vocal treat!
339.38
AMBIO 엠비오 E Entertainment
QUICK BIOGRAPHY
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Quick Biography
Group Name: AMBIO(엠비오)
Label: E Entertainment
Members: Tetsu, Jeesoo, Ruone, Kiwon, Seungsang
Mini Album: Boys Be Ambitious
Debut Date: March 18, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Live Performance Score[Total: 36+]
Showcase: MNET MCOUNTDOWN Showcase 2: MBC MusicCore Live Radio/Studio: NA
Live Band: NA
Live Audience: NA
0
Discography Score[Total: VARIES]
Track 1: Showtime[Music Video]
Track 2: Runnin'[Pre-Debut Performance]
Track 3: I Wish[English Pre-Debut Music Video]
Track 4: Click[Pre-Debut]
Track 5: こころ (코코로)[Live Clip]
Track 6: First Love (첫사랑)[AUDIO]
0
Debut Total
Debut
0
Comeback
0
Comeback 2
0
Comeback 3
0
GRAND TOTAL
Grand Total Score:
0
Grand Total Percentage:%
0
STRITZ 스트리츠 Black Spoon Production
QUICK BIOGRAPHY
Close(X)
Quick Biography
Group Name: STRITZ(스트리츠)
Label: Black Spoon Production
Members: Sehun, Yuchan, Junseo, Hyunjae, Sehyun
Digital Single: "Hope (We Got This)"
Debut Date: March 17, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Group Name: S2IT(에스투잇)
Label: Monster Brain
Members: Yeonsoo, Haru, Sea, Hyobin, Seungbi
Digital Single: What I Want
Debut Date: March 14, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Discography Score[Total: VARIES]
Track 1: What I Want[Music Video]
0
Debut Total
Debut
0
Comeback
0
Comeback 2
0
Comeback 3
0
GRAND TOTAL
Grand Total Score:
0
Grand Total Percentage:%
0
SUCTION 석션 HYRU Entertainment
QUICK BIOGRAPHY
Close(X)
Quick Biography
Group Name: SUCTION(석션)
Label: HYRU Entertainment
Members: Jin E, Hyuk E, MJ, Yeong E
Digital Single: Still Hurts
Debut Date: March 5, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Discography Score[Total: VARIES]
Track 1: Still Hurts[Music Video]
0
Debut Total
0
Debut
0
Comeback
0
Comeback 2
0
Comeback 3
0
GRAND TOTAL
Grand Total Score:
0
Grand Total Percentage:%
0
TUNEXX 튜넥스 IST ENTERTAINMENT
QUICK BIOGRAPHY
Close(X)
Quick Biography
Group Name: TUNEXX(튜넥스)
Label: IST ENTERTAINMENT
Members: Inhu, Donggyu, Taira, Sungjun, Zeon, Sihwan, Arctic
Album: "Set By Us Only"
Debut Date: March 3, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Group Name: DAILY:DIRECTION(데일리디렉션)
Label: ODDWAVE
Members: EN-KIM, Kim Joo Hyoung, Lim Ji Hwan, E-VAN, Lee Won Woo, Jang Yoon Seok
Album: "First:Delivery"
Debut Date: February 23, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Group Name: NAVILLERA(나빌레라)
Label: Troy Entertainment
Members: Saya, Rila, Melody, Enny
Digital Single: No Limit
Debut Date: February 3, 2026
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Group Name: FIVE O ONE(파이브오원) formerly known as SS501
Members: Kim Hyun Joong, Heo Young Saeng, Kim Kyu Jong
Label: Henecia
Debut Date(as SS501): June 8, 2005
Rebrand Date: April 30, 2025(Announced May 1, 2025)
Unreleased Tracks: Fast Fast, Exciting Song(신나는 노래), Flower, and 7 Days.
20th Anniversary Digital Single(Debut as FIVE O ONE): Last Christmas
Debut Date: December 18, 2025
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Note: FIVE O ONE is considered as a "Late Bloomer", debuting at the end of 2025. Please read my "Late Bloomers" blog post back in 2025 to figure out the reasoning behind reviewing late debuts.
Group Name: MEPC(맵시)
Label: GBK Entertainment
Members: Miho, Solmi, Kkekke, Hara, Ann, Zaylie, Anika
Pre-Debut(1): Where Is The Love
Pre-Debut(1) Date: August 29, 2024
Pre-Debut(2): My Red Face(내 얼굴 빨개)
Pre-Debut(2) Date: November 12, 2025
Album: First Fragment
Debut Date: December 8, 2025
SEASON:⚀⚁⚂⚃
Note: MEPC is considered as a "Late Bloomer", debuting at the end of 2025. Please read my "Late Bloomers" blog post back in 2025 to figure out the reasoning behind reviewing late debuts.
5/15/2026[IMPORTANT NOTICE]: This is for my followers, or anyone who is interested on what my webpage provides. Anytime before August, send me a message on https://tox.chat instant messenger. My TOX ID will change after August.
4/23/2026:Scoresheet is still buggy. The total score keeps changing and disappearing. It is because "document.addEventListener" disappeared! Could it be that I left it out this whole time? The logic of my programming must be off as well. Sometimes, I wonder if the semantics are all located in the wrong section. I keep leaving out important functions as well. Whenever I fix something, a new problem arises. From looking over my coding, I've noticed huge amount of mistakes, such as using browser exclusive programming. There are codes that only work for specific browsers; this is something I need to avoid at all cost! It drives me crazy sometimes...
4/21/2026: It is estimated that I drank about 40 cups of coffee while creating my 2026 website. These Romanian coffee shops have pilfered my piggy bank; I swear that I unnecessarily spent over $160 in the past month, and that is not including all the snacks like cakes, donuts, finger foods, et cetera. My 2024 and 2025 websites will be renovated. When I have time, I will be working on the archives.
4/2/2026: The GIFs and artwork for the website was made with J-FOSS(Japanese Free Open Source Software with a compilation of scripts to create effects), as well as Krita. It uses doll-like models, and the doll-like models can be custom designed(i.e. you can add hair, dresses, and facial expressions). Krita was used to create fantastic objects, backgrounds, and foregrounds.
Note: By hovering your mouse-cursor over the menu categories(the black animated boxes on the left side), you are visiting separate sections of the blog.
ARCHIVES
2024 Blog[Unavailable!]
2025 Blog[Unavailable!]
Website Requirements
❶You'll be able to view most of my website with a display width of 1075px; with a 1366x768 display resolution, you'll be able to see everything intact. While "Zooming Out" may stretch out the website, "Zooming In" with your web-browser may disorderly change the layout of the website. It is not recommended to "Zoom In". Although you can view my website with a smart device, it is not recommended because of compatibility issues. For example, if you were to view my website with a smart device, then you'll notice irregular sized fonts and the structure/layout of the website will look unusual, parts of the website will be displaced. By viewing my website with a smart device, you will also notice missing objects/elements within the website, such as embedded YouTube videos and HTML meters not appearing within the website. In other words, my website is not "responsive", and not designed to be displayed on smart devices.
❷A functional mouse, mouse ball, pointing-stick/track-point, and/or touchpad. Recommended: A mouse with a scroll-wheel. Although I do not recommend using a smart device to view my website, there are applications on smart devices that emulate mouse cursors, which work on this website.
❸HTML, CSS, and JavaScript must be enabled on your web browser.
❹Web-browsers, such as Firefox, fades scroll bars. Toggle "always show scroll bars" in your settings.
❺A modern web-browser that interprets Unicode Character Set UTF-8. Certain web-browsers might require you to configure the settings or install packages to view foreign characters.
Tested and working web-browsers(non-smartphone): LibreWolf, Waterfox, Floorp, Chromium, Brave Browser, Vivaldi, Midori, Falkon, and Epiphany. Tor Browser's integrated extensions seems to block a lot of elements of websites; I partially recommend Tor Browser because it can be configured to view websites. If you find that you are restricted from viewing my website, then an alternative method is to search for a website that uses proxy servers to view restricted websites. There are other workarounds; however, it may take time to find a suitable proxy server.
Currently, I'm on the fence about Firefox. Firefox and many other web-browsers have become an "A.I. Browser", browsers that have integrated artificial intelligence. The A.I. feature is a useful tool; however, there could be unknown security breeches and threats that could eventually happen within the application. Like I said, I'm on the fence about the A.I. topic. I can see this going two ways: mass security breech/threat or a tool that sets the internet free. Artificial Intelligence should be an optional feature on a web browser, not a mandatory one.
Not Recommended: Google Chrome and Opera.
The reason that I don't recommend Google Chrome and Opera because these applications sell your private data to third-party companies.
❻In order to view one of my webpages, you will need at least ~234MB of RAM(Random Access Memory) or more.
Warning: Crashes, freezes, and slow performance is due to viewing one of my websites with a device with less than ~234MB of RAM.
About
I'm a blogger. Particularly, I blog about K-pop. Mainly, my website is sort of like a secret love letter or long-winded admiration to South Korea as well as a review of the K-Pop industry. You may also notice that my opinion or perspective may be unpopular, overly critical, and alien. All the things that I write are from a rare perspective, so be wary that the opinions or perspectives expressed in my blog does not reflect the general audience, or, even as far as 98% of the earth's population.
In order to be up-to-date with my website, the best way is to simply "bookmark" it, or save the URL.
Contact Me
The only way to contact me is through an instant messenger application called "TOX".
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2026 K-pop Rookie Group of the Year
You silly person! This is empty because it is not the end of the year yet. One of the main purposes of my blog is to find 2026's K-pop Rookie Group of the year through careful analysis. 2026's K-pop Rookie Group of the Year will be revealed once the countdown(below) is finally completed:
?
SUMMARY
Nothing here yet!
2025's K-pop Rookie Group of the Year: Hearts2Hearts
2024's K-pop Rookie Group of the Year: BabyMonster
2026 K-pop Rookie Group Hall of Fame
You silly person! This is empty because the year is not over yet! Another purpose of my blog is to find 2026's best K-pop Rookie Groups through careful analysis. 2026's K-pop Rookie Group Hall of Fame will be revealed once the countdown(below) is finally completed:
?
SUMMARY
Nothing here yet!
ANALYSIS/CALCULATIONS
Nothing here yet!
Upload Bulk KPOP Rookie Group Photos:
Below are ".json" files that contain bulk K-Pop Rookie Group photographs. You can download the file by right clicking a hyperlink, and "Save Link As" to download the file.
After downloading the ".json" file, upload the ".json" file to the tier list by clicking the "Upload .json file" button(above).
