December 2025 Wrap-Up: Winter is Ahead, But So Is Spring
Okay, everyone! Last one of the year! Whoo! Let's finish this off strong. Since it's likely that everyone will be reading this after we've hit the new year, no matter where we are, I'm just going to say Happy New Year! May your days be merry and bright! Make sure that you drink enough water and get enough sunlight! Unless, of course, you live somewhere that doesn't have a lot of sunlight right now, in which case, make sure you get your recommended dose of vitamin D to help compensate for that since your natural synthesis is more or less offline right now.
Okay, December debuts! I actually covered four soloists who debuted this month. We had Yim Siwan from ZE:A, Chuei Li Yu, Choi Sungyun from Golden Child, and Lee Sungyeol from INFINITE. I have no idea who else debuted as soloists, but I'm delighted to share these guys. Groups that debuted are MEP-C (a multinational girl group) and BEWAVE - Jiun & Yunseul (BEWAVE subunit that tells me I need to add another song to the Christmas post). Oh, and also GPP, SM's new J-Pop girl group, debuted as well.
Songs I was looking forward to:
- fromis_9: I'm a simple Fangirl. There's a connection to Seventeen and NU'EST, therefore I will support them. It doesn't hurt that I really like their songs
- VERIVERY: This is their first release in years, and the first one I've been able to cover, and I'm incredibly excited for it. I need more VERIVERY in my life
- Eunkwang: Eunkwang's first full album? Eunkwang with his gorgeous voice? Yes, please
- Forestella: Oh, what's that? The full line-up with the bass back? I'm going to love this just because of how amazing their voices are
- Yoona: She's such a sweetheart
- ASC2NT: What's funny about their debut song? I still think that they're saying "sweet denim". I know what they're saying, and yet my ears hear it anyway. But I love that song despite that. Hopes are high
- SAY MY NAME: Look, I know that I can't actually listen to them, but I've been impressed by them so far. I want to see how well they do in the future
- Daesung: His voice is incredible. I'm always happy to get more of it
- EXO: Oh, you mean their first (almost...) full group release since I started listening to K-Pop? And I get to cover it? Also, they're one of my 2012 groups
- EPYHTYMiA:
The last batch of music shows for the year! Whoo! We were low on live stages and we got low on wins there, but still! Here you go!
And my last favorite segment of the year! It kind of feels like I loved half of the songs that were released this month. And, well, looking at that list down below here, it kind of looks like it. But I'm excited to share them with you.
Top Releases of the Month:
- VERIVERY "RED (Beggin')": The song has so much drama and vocal layers and the music video is amazing. I'm delighted by this song. Love it.
- Taeyeon (Girls' Generation) "Panorama": This song quiets that loud and busy brain of mine. That's not that easy to do.
- Eunkwang (BTOB) "Greatest Moment": He sounds incredible. And the music video! And the lyrics! And how funny he was in the thing he did with Minhyuk about this. The whole album is amazing and the range there!
- The Boyz "Still Love You": It's a comfort song, and I love fan songs, which this obviously is.
- Lunedi (Weeekly) "FACE MYSELF": A good solid rock sound that I just liked more and more every time I listened to it.
- Jay Chang (One Pact) "Runaway": He knows his voice so well. The ending is incredible. Such a good song.
- Daesung (BIGBANG) "HANDO-CHOGUA": This music video is so weird and I get the second-hand embarrasment every time I think about that beginning. "Ohhh! Saka!" Oh, and the song itself is great. His voice is perfect for trot.
- ASH ISLAND "MIDNIGHT SKY": I've got a huge soft spot for rappers who decide to take a break from the rapping and sing instead. I'm still laughing a little bit that I said he'd make a great rock band leadman, and then the music video is that.
- LOVEONE "시간을 건너서": This is an OST, but it's also a fairytale in a song. This is gorgeous.
- Forestella "Still Here": This is a pre-release for their album coming out next year, and I just want to bask in this thing. Plus, the lyric video is gorgeous.
- GPP "Bring It Back" {Japanese} {Debut}: I was expecting neither the group nor how bomb this song is. And the choreography? SM really needs to have a bigger budget for them.
- Kim Sejong (I.O.I/gugudan) "Solar System": It's a super short review, but this is a lullaby of a song. Beautiful.
- Secret Number "Bitter Sweet": This song is the coolest blend of traditional and modern. I got a bit rambly in the review, but don't let it fool you. I adore this song.
- Catch the Young "FOOTSTEPS": I'm so proud of how far they've come in the last two years. There's so much I love about this song and everyone needs to take a listen to it. Every single instrument gets some time to shine and there's an absolutely gorgeous guitar solo.
- Bang Yongguk (B.A.P) "nanana": This song is gorgeous and very masculine and weighty. I love his voice. Again, when rappers sing, I'm over the moon.
- ASC2NT "Replay": The whole song is layered so well. Instrumentally. Vocally. And the music video had an amazing job done with the lighting.
- In A Minute "Credit": The song was a little bit of a surprise vocally, but they're shown off so well that. Love this.
- Hyolyn (Sistar) "Standing On The Edge": What a way to end the year. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.
- Boyamiyu "The Moment My Heart": Yo, I was not expecting this song, both because it wasn't on my radar and because I'd never heard of her. But this is incredible. No seriously. You need to take a listen.
- SAY MY NAME "UFO (ATTENT!ON)": Just because I can't listen to them yet, that doesn't mean that I can't acknowledge when a song is great. And this one is great. Also, the music video is funny.
Full list of December reviews: here
Reviews for other months:
- Jungwoo (NCT) "SUGAR" {Debut} (November 2025)
- VVUP "House Party" (November 2025)
- NOWZ "EVERGLOW" (July 2025)
- Moon (tripleS) "Cameo Love" (November 2025)
- RESCENE "Bloom" (November 2025)
- Onew (SHINee) "Silky" (July 2025)
- BIBI "Apocalypse" (May 2025)
- WayV (NCT) "Big Bands" (July 2025)
- Baekhyun (EXO) "Elevator" (May 2025)
- 82MAJOR "TAKEOVER" (April 2025)
- HxW (Seventeen) "Stupid Idiot) (March 2025)
- Kai (EXO) "Wait On Me" (April 2025)
- Wonho (Monsta X) "Better Than Me" (October 2025)
We actually have batches of Greatest Hits and Battle of the B-Sides posts again this month! What?! I know! I actually had my crap together this month.
First up, the three GH posts. First, TraxX "Oh! My Goddess". Second gen band from SM, and I loved getting to know this song. And I love the hyping up of Jungmo the guitarist during the performances. I found a performance where Jay messed up the lyrics a little and his response was so charming and adorable. Next up, KARD "YOU IN ME", which was a submission I got from the Halloween/spooky request I made from y'all. I know it's not a lot like their later stuff, but the psychological element of the music video is enough to make me giddy. Last up, we had IVE "Love Dive". This one was a double request, so it was a little bit different compared to the normal posts, but I hope you like it anyway. Plus, it was good timing considering how many end-of-year awards they've gotten already this year. A good celebration, that.
I got through more of the BBS posts this month though. First up, GFRIEND "Rainbow". This is such a gorgeous song, with some beautiful choreography. I've also got a big soft spot for the promise that it makes. Next up, NCT 127 "Vitamin". I basically ignored You-Know-Who, and this song was also a submission that scared me a little bit from the comment. Still! This is a very good song. Very jazzy. I like that. I decided to post this one out of the submission bank because Taeyong was discharged! And speaking of discharges, Minhyun got discharged so I posted the request of NU'EST "Thank You (evening by evening)" to celebrate his discharge. It's a very sappy, lovey song, and I love that. Also! Minhyun was one of the writers! Last, but not least, my last post of 2025 was the BBS post for ATEEZ "UTOPIA"! It's a lovely message to go into the New Year with, as well as having some insane vocals from the entire group. And many of you will recognize that ending and expect a certain song to follow it immediately.
My Christmas post for the new releases of 2025, which had quite the list on it, is available for your perusal. If you're looking to build your own playlist a little bit more, well, this one can be a good starting point and there's no reason you can't start on it now.
I can give you my posts for the MAMAs as well as the the AAAs. Of course, the hub for the end of year award shows can be found here, but you can find Day 1 and Day 2 of the MAMAs at those respective links, as well as the AAAs here.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Honorable Mentions:
- V (BTS), Park Hyo Shin "Winter Ahead": I love jazz, especially in the winter, and even though this is really kind of a sad song, I deeply love V's voice. His timbre is gorgeous.
- N. Top "Stay With U": The only non-Christmas or winter related song here, but this was a genuinely solid debut song. I also had the thought while I was listening to it in the car the last time that it's got a similar flavor to NCT songs.
- Girls' Generation TTS "Dear Santa": This is such a Christmas playlist staple. And the music video is just so pretty too. Great pairing.
- Weeekly "Happy Christmas": The fun thing is that I think this sampled the John Lennon "Happy X-Mas", but then it goes into singing about smiling yes, crying no. A very bright and upbeat song, perfect for good moods and soothing sad ones.
- Brown Eyed Girls "Must Have Love": Another of the staples of any Christmas Playlist. I'm a little surprised that the B.D.U version wasn't higher that I was listening to, nor the crossover version with SG WANNABE, but this one is good on its own too.
- GOT7 "Confession Song": The music video for this song is adorable.
- Bang&Jung&Yoo&Moon (B.A.P) "Christmas With You (Unplugged)": Technically that link goes to the title track, but they're mostly the same song. This version is absolutely gorgeous. The piano that takes up nearly all of my attention? It's not the same as the instrumental version, but it is only instruments. Still gorgeous though.
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