July 2025 Wrap-Up: Free Hugs For Everyone

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 I was so busy this month. Y'all. I didn't do a ton of the reviews, which is coming back to bite me in the butt now that I'm trying to get my year end post worked on. It's fine. Past Fangirl hates Future Fangirl, and it's completely fine. 

July debuts! I only did a single review for a debut group this month, and it was for AHOF, who has been doing quite well for a rookie group. I may get 1verse reviewed because I still feel guilty about not reviewing them. Debuts I didn't cover: CrazAngel (girl group), Tomatomat (girl group), 1verse (boy group), 4X4 (girl group) and SEVENTOEIGHT (boy group).  Big Ocean JJ (subunit of Big Ocean) also debuted. And Kang Yuchan, the lovely maknae of A.C.E, debuted as a soloist!

Songs I was looking forward to:

  • BLACKPINK: Look, this was their first release as a group since I started listening to K-Pop. Even if I don't listen to the group a lot (though I do have a few songs I really like, which is unfortunately a high percentage of their group releases because their group releases is alarmingly low...YGE...)
  • BABYMONSTER: I can't listen to them, and I know that. But they have my attention and that's why I have an entire playlist specifically for groups I can't listen to, but run into their songs that I like
  • TWICE: TWICE has gotten even more popular with the release of K-Pop Demon Hunters, and I love the joke about them powering the Honmoon BECAUSE...
  • ATEEZ: ...these guys were releasing a song on the same day and from the teasers, and also from Lemon Drop the previous month, they were definitely in the role of the Saja Boys (also, please insert all of those jokes here)
  • Super Junior: This year is their twentieth anniversary, and Heechul was actually involved!
  • VIVIZ: I have a soft spot for this group, partially because of GFRIEND, partially because of Ice Queen SinB, and partially because of Seungkwan's friendship with her.
  • One Pact: Unfortunately I don't have the time or energy to expend a lot of it on these guys, but I do enjoy their music and it's a relief when they do release something
  • ZEROBASEONE: If they continue as a temporary group, eventually we're going to get their last album, so I'm treating every one of their albums this year as though it's their last, until we find out if they're another Wanna One or another Kep1er
  • Yoon Sanha (ASTRO): I really liked his debut mini album, and if ASTRO isn't going to be active as a group, then I'll celebrate them as soloists
  • TOMORROW X TOGETHER: Some of their songs I love. Absolutely adore. Thursday's Child Has Far To Go is hands down my favorite, and I'm forever chasing them to give me another song I love as well
  • Close Your Eyes: Another artist with a recent debut that I really liked, and another one that I've got my attention on
  • 1verse: It's not often that I'm actively excited for a debut, but these guys have been so active and their YouTube channel specifically has been so active that I can't help but be curious. Plus, their debut makes three known North Koreans to debut as idols
  • Changsub (BTOB): I'm almost more excited for my cat with every one of his releases because he adores Changsub's voice than I am excited about how much I love his voice
  • Purple Kiss: Exhibit G of why I don't want to get too attached to girl groups, but the reason why I realized that weird pattern of mine.
  • Minhyuk (BTOB): Is it closer to Tonight or Boom that he'll be giving us?
  • ASC2NT: Older idols getting a second chance? Yes, please. And their experience is being used for good with the younger men joining them
  • xikers: It's a Japanese release, but I genuinely don't care.
  • NOWZ: My patience will be rewarded.
  • KARD: I love the co-ed groups so much, and KARD is the most active of the older ones around.
  • DO (EXO): His first full album? Yes, please.
  • Forestella: I love their voices to an incredible degree and with them fully out of the military now, I'm hoping we get them all the way back
  • Ilhoon (BTOB): Ilhoon, my dude. 

Yo, I just realized that Jang Beom June and Park Je Up each dropped another album! How did I miss that? Well, I missed that because I was barely paying attention to what was going on in July even though that list up the is probably the longest I've had this year. Crap. Now that I'm actually looking at this list, I wish I'd been more on top of it, or that I'd done this sooner because July had an incredible month.

Music Show wins, the one consistent thing I post had. Younger groups, for the most part, swept this month, although there are a couple of notable outliers to that. July also starts the third quarter and the second half of the year, so it's kind of like a fresh start.

Week of 07/02 - 07/08

Week of 07/09 - 07/15

Week of 07/16 - 07/22

Week of 07/23 - 07/29

And now, I'm sure you can guess, it's my favorite time of this post, my favorite segment: my favorite new releases! This one is as short as the list of songs I reviewed, not because there were a lower percentage of songs I loved this month, but just because I didn't listen to as many of the new releases.

Top Releases of the Month:

  • AHOF "Rendezvous": If only the maknae was older so I could listen to it! The music video is gorgeous! The song is gorgeous! Wonderful debut for this group. Gold star!
  • ATEEZ "In Your Fantasy": This song is single handedly the reason why I nicknamed their tour this year the male burlesque show. I avoided watching any of the stages on purpose, and that was worth it to see it live the first time. But, even ignoring the choreography, there are so many good and interesting points to the song itself that it had my attention from the start.
  • W!TCHX "Run Baby Run": So this was a surprise. They're a recent girl group from a very small company, but you know what? This is incredibly solid and I love the choreography work here. It got added to my Halloween playlist too.
  • Super Junior "Express Mode": There is so much going on with this song vocally that I have to love it, but really it's the way the song and the members have settled down into just raw performance charisma.
  • BLACKPINK "JUMP": I was a little surprised that I'd put this on the list, but reading back through my review, it has to be the music video here and their voices being as well supported as they are. And there's an EDM dance break at the end of the song, and I love those.
  • TOMORROW X TOGETHER "Beautiful Strangers": That grind in the instrumental is my strongest memory of this song but it feels like a video game in the best way. 
  • Close Your Eyes "Snowy Summer": That music video is one of the funniest music videos I saw this year. Vocally, there is so much going on, and I love that. But this is definitely included here because of the music video.
  • NOWZ "EVERGLOW": MY PATIENCE HAS BEEN REWARDED. YES.
  • OH MY GIRL "Weather Diary": The song has some gorgeous runs in it that everyone needs to hear. That's all. It's absolutely gorgeous.
  • Purple Kiss "DOREMI": I'm so sad about this song, but if they were going to go out on a bang, a quiet bow was more appropriate. (Also, I'm glad that someone took me up on my request and gave me a Purple Kiss song to do a Greatest Hits post on for November.

Full list of July reviews: here

Reviews for other months:

Unfortunately, no Greatest Hits posts or Battle of the B-Sides posts were written this month. But! You're always welcome to recommend a song for me to do in a comment or a message somewhere, or you can always use The Form if you're shy for whatever reason. I have the two-year age limit on the Greatest Hits posts there so that I don't accidentally affect charts or music show wins and so that the song has time to mature and get some stages. Just me trying to be a conscientious and fair writer of these. But feel free to give me even b-sides that dropped yesterday.

Honorable Mentions:

  • ATEEZ "Now this house ain't a home": I listened to this album so much this month, so I had to pick one of the songs on it. This one fits the vibe of the other songs pretty well, I'd say. We apparently went for the melancholic and soothing this month.
  • After School "Shampoo": If you've never heard this song before, you need to take a listen to it. The music video is almost six minutes long, but it's a very familiar story for many of our groups. Great song, though.
  • MAMAMOO "Destiny": This was their Queendom finale song, and the funny thing is that even before I watched it, I already loved this song. So when that was the song they did? I was delighted. Everything that makes MAMAMOO MAMAMOO got boiled down into this song and it is absolutely stunning. 
  • xikers "Skater": I love their softer b-sides so much, you guys. It's the perfect song for a concert encore, and the intro? "xikers already here/I know you’ve been waiting for us/Shall we go?" Makes my heart soften and grow three sizes. Very youthful. Very summery. 
  • Wonwoo (Seventeen) "99.9%": Easily my favorite of the solo songs. It's so... so... I don't even know. But I fell in love with it in about two seconds at the very beginning and if it had been a title track, I'd have tossed this puppy into that "favorite releases of the year" playlist I've got, so fast, the 0s and 1s would have spun.
  • Seventeen "Candy": And speaking of the comfort songs, and for the record, Seungkwan and DK's voices literally make my knees buckle for this live, there's not much like the full might of the vocal unit focused on a hug song. Thank you, Woozi.
  • BTOB "Be Alright": And rounding off the month (I swear, I don't know why I was so upset and seeking the emotional support this month), we have the Healers of K-Pop: BTOB. It's a little bit upbeat, but it's still such a big comfort hug that I'm going to pass on my listening habits to you all.



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