Midweek New Music Roundup :: December 31st - January 7th

[hitokage]

Shh, Thursday is still the middle of the week. 😅 This week's roundup is especially short, mostly because of the holiday season. It was a nice way to ease back into my schedule, but I don't expect it to last. On the other hand, I'm also completely prepared to be a bit more ruthless/selective about who all gets into my roundups in the coming year. We'll see how it goes.

This week's listing leans decidedly indies, even with comebacks from such majors as Apink, Monsta X's Joohoney, and another OST from ATEEZ, so a lot of names you may not recognize. On the other hand, the listing is so short, no reason not to just go straight down the list and try them all? Who knows, you, too, might find a surprise new favorite!

Banner artist slots this week went to HEIZE and Joohoney for publicity reasons, with my additional picks marked out by 💚s.


Releases for the week of December 31st - January 7th:
Heize - Even if 🔤 * 💚
BIG Naughty - Sincere Lies (feat. GARY) 🔤 💚
O.WHEN - My Gift (Once We Were Us OST) (audio only)
ATEEZ - Your Journey (SEALOOK 2 OST) 🔤 💚
HANA - After Time (Once We Were Us OST) (audio only)
Ahn Heesu - Foolish Heart * ⚠️
Willy Wally - Tap Tap (audio only)
Jang Pill Soon - 향기로운 추억 (audio only)
Ran - Why Goodbye (The Grace of the Teacher OST) 🔞 * ⚠️
YoonDo - Stone *
Kassy - Do you know *
Seonghwa (ATEEZ) - Skin 🔤 * ⚠️ 💚
Owlpenny, Lady Owl - Just the Two of Us (audio only)
ISHA, E.SO - Between You and I (audio only) *
eunseo - Drop
Kyoung Seo - Like a movie (Love me OST)
Placebo Junkies - Gangwon State (feat. Jambino) * ⚠️
Anlee - My Love (Love me OST) (audio only)
Synthprint - Happy (audio only)
kursor - 90's 💚
Heo Hyunji (hyON) - Colorless Season
Im Yoonseong - Don't Step on my Heart (Surely Tomorrow OST) (audio only)
Utopi, Rubatov - Lighthouse
Analog Summer - Losing Myself (audio only)
KUGØ - Rainy Day (audio only)
xeom boi - Midnight Radio +
ROSESIA, StoneSoWavy! - Sleep well, my love
JOOHONEY (Monsta X) - Sting (feat. Muhammad Ali) 🔤 * 💚
Apink - Love Me More 💚
Kwon Jin Ah - Universe (Surely Tomorrow OST) *
H1-KEY - Not Like a Movie *
idntt - Pretty Boy Swag *
gonjang - honey i'm home! ❌
IONA - Lovesick (audio only)
Jane B - Mystery (audio only)
OSEMIN - Will Comfort Us (audio only)
MOONLIGHT- DFL (Die for Love) *
Park T.T - Love Bye + *
Kim daeyeon - illusion (audio only)
XIoVI - Love villain (feat. AISH) (audio only)
H7KD - Shooting Star (audio only)


key:
* content warning
+ includes “disappearing” hard subs
🔤 includes CC in English
⚠️ elevated content warning
🔞 age-restricted by YouTube
🚩 other warning
❌ did not complete
🌟 special note
💚 picks of the week



Heize - Even if 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/9qe8gYCbuWk
genre: R&B
cw: lens flares, blood/injury
note: CC in English and Korean. Oh the things we do in the claim to love.


BIG Naughty - Sincere Lies (feat. GARY) 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/PJOlpiEueM8
genre: rock
note: CC in English, Japanese, and Korean. Potential hanky warning for those lyrics, woof


O.WHEN - My Gift (Once We Were Us OST) (audio only) https://youtu.be/OXk-WX2GqAA
genre: folk rock


ATEEZ - Your Journey (SEALOOK 2 OST) 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/dkGdPw34wK0
genre: pop rock
cw: animated physics, animated fireworks
note: CC in English, Japanese, and Korean. Video is half clips from the animation and half staged recording at KQ, so beware handsomest boyfriends Wooyoung, Yunho, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong.


HANA - After Time (Once We Were Us OST) (audio only) https://youtu.be/etImB9A6eg8
genre: folk rock
note: sweet, even a bit wistful


Ahn Heesu - Foolish Heart ⚠️ https://youtu.be/p_yjuXBaedI
genre: adult contemporary
cw: horribly obtuse ML, blood/self-injury (sort of)
note: ... what a nightmare oh lord. Guys, don't be like this. Elevated warning for this being practically a horror short


Willy Wally - Tap Tap (audio only) https://youtu.be/S89OMtAv5mE
genre: EDM
note: not actually 8-bit, but kinda has that sound


Jang Pill Soon - 향기로운 추억 (audio only) https://youtu.be/bISbQZvbgTc
genre: adult contemporary
note: the song's a bit eerie over all, but not in a bad way?


Ran - Why Goodbye (The Grace of the Teacher OST)🔞 * ⚠️ https://youtu.be/qxVjwUYkrtQ
genre: adult contemporary
cw: supernatural elements (ghosts, ghost possession, ghost psychosis, occultism/seance), blood/injury, implied suicide, bullying
note: video is entirely clips from the movie, which is a supernatural horror film, hence the age-restriction. The song really does not match the visuals. 😅


YoonDo - Stone https://youtu.be/LkPnDwJO0FE
genre: pop rock
cw: flashing effects (dark)
note: the flashing "artifacts" aren't horribly obnoxious, but still felt worth mentioning


Kassy - Do you know https://youtu.be/R13u6VmhRrk
genre: adult contemporary
cw: lens flares
note: aside from the lyrics, there's not a whole lot of motion going on here and even the lens flares are in slow motion


Seonghwa (ATEEZ) - Skin 🔤 ⚠️ 💚 https://youtu.be/XP7zqLMu-mM
genre: EDM
cw: (briefly) shirtless Seonghwa, aggressive flashing, blood, supernatural elements (spectral creatures, giant snake)
note: CC in 10 tracks, including English. Insert gif of Wooyoung saying all men do is lie here. The bloody chunk is too big to be a (human) pineal gland, so there goes those theories. A lot has been said about this MV being the lovechild of Taemin's MOVE and DPR IAN's [Don't Go Insane | Limbo | his entire videography] and now that I've said that, you won't be able to unsee it.


Owlpenny, Lady Owl - Just the Two of Us (audio only) https://youtu.be/D19bO0JiQNY
genre: R&B
note: genre whiplash say what? 😅 sweet and gently romantic


ISHA, E.SO - Between You and I (audio only) https://youtu.be/bhb4_hXsFhE
genre: R&B
cw: f-bombs
note: more of the same sweet/romantic feel, with a bit more bass... and a couple f-bombs


eunseo - Drop https://youtu.be/ZbgLiaXYvi0
genre: R&B
note: it says "visualizer" but the only motion is the rather small bar EQ under the cover art


Kyoung Seo - Like a movie (Love me OST) https://youtu.be/QFI8C6_STTc
genre: R&B
cw: drinking (social), implied sex
note: video is entirely clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers.


Placebo Junkies - Gangwon State (feat. Jambino) ⚠️ https://youtu.be/VvqOjpJcMQU
genre: pop-rock
cw: severe camera jitter, surrealism, full-body fur suit (bear)
note: when the camera gets really wild, it gets REALLY wild. It's not constant, but could still be an issue that may not be worth it even with the very brief pupper cameo.


Anlee - My Love (Love me OST) (audio only) https://youtu.be/rjQFemcplN8
genre: jazz
note: border case - some might argue this is R&B, but I'm filing it under smooth jazz for the use of piano and strings and smokey vocals.


Synthprint - Happy (audio only) https://youtu.be/LPngrnnGgZo
genre: pop-rock (ballad)
note: more mournful sounding than I would have expected from that title, but it's fine, everything is fine


kursor - 90's 💚 https://youtu.be/ERGWbS-GGsc
genre: funk rock
note: not something I was expecting, but here we are, enjoying a funky good time.


Heo Hyunji (hyON) - Colorless Season https://youtu.be/lm6KfdAyrOw
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
note: potential hanky warning. I'm kinda disappointed the MV didn't just stay in B&W the whole time?


Im Yoonseong - Don't Step on my Heart (Surely Tomorrow OST) (audio only) https://youtu.be/razWHZar7tk
genre: folk rock


Utopi, Rubatov - Lighthouse https://youtu.be/B2068gKIuQ0
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
note: marked as a lyrics video, but the lyric crawl is the only motion. Font is terrible, le sigh.


Analog Summer - Losing Myself (audio only) https://youtu.be/SuTwKiluCYI
genre: rock
note: song's entirely in English...I think, I lost attention in the middle


KUGØ - Rainy Day (audio only) https://youtu.be/fO2GbpixDVY
genre: R&B
note: background lofi crackle wasn't completely horrible, but still a thing, so use your best judgement?


xeom boi - Midnight Radio https://youtu.be/nuYQLBu66Bg
genre: R&B
note: you know, when you call your video a lyric video, the least you could do is put in Actual Effort in separating the white lyrics from the white background, oh em eff gee. And no, a little bit of drop shadow is not a serious effort, ugh. Other than that, song's entirely in English, so....


ROSESIA, StoneSoWavy! - Sleep well, my love https://youtu.be/oZOiMH40RB8
genre: R&B
note: the separation between video and lyrics is a little better in this one, but still not great. Song's entirely in English


JOOHONEY (Monsta X) - Sting (feat. Muhammad Ali) 🔤 💚 https://youtu.be/D7D_0aQ6hwo
genre: hiphop
cw: aggressive flashing, surrealism, giant bee, full body fur suits (gorillas?), arson
note: CC in 6 tracks, including English. Please don't kill honey bees, they're just doing their humble best. I was curious about that featured artist, can't say I'm disappointed.


Apink - Love Me More 💚 https://youtu.be/25uP3oOPP6g
genre: dance pop
cw: surrealism, full fur suits (multiple animals)
note: did you have this reunion comeback on your 2026 bingo card? (Should have, they announced it last year) Feels both modern and nostalgic at the same time.


Kwon Jin Ah - Universe (Surely Tomorrow OST) https://youtu.be/EPb1zyNhXHw
genre: folk rock
cw: lens flares, carnival lights
note: video is entirely clips from the drama, so may contain spoilers. The number of hugs in these clips have me feeling touch starved. 😅


H1-KEY - Not Like a Movie https://youtu.be/GLqn-KvRTEM
genre: pop-rock
cw: unsteady cam, lens flares
note: silly and cute


idntt - Pretty Boy Swag https://youtu.be/oRin1D1sIOE
genre: dance pop
cw: sharp camera cuts, lens flares
note: def some pretty boys with swag, idntt continues to be a rookie group to watch out for


gonjang - honey i'm home! ❌ https://youtu.be/5-MP-IogiCc
genre: R&B
note: the video was unsettling me, I only made it about halfway through before noping out, so lack of CWs may not be entirely accurate, proceed at own risk


IONA - Lovesick (audio only) https://youtu.be/GTbbr3LhhAA
genre: R&B
note: surprise male vocal was a surprise


Jane B - Mystery (audio only) https://youtu.be/Nw8rHWbADFA
genre: R&B


OSEMIN - Will Comfort Us (audio only) https://youtu.be/kvsdT79h4pU
genre: soft rock
note: cute cover art is cute and the song is pretty sweet too


MOONLIGHT- DFL (Die for Love) https://youtu.be/yB4nMm9XmkY
genre: hiphop
cw: aggressive flashing, camera sway
note: not great hard-coded subs, mostly because that combo of fonts and size make them hard to read on my screen


Park T.T - Love Bye https://youtu.be/DX73hYGbJAk
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
cw: lens flares/brightness
note: hard coded subs really suffer from the background "noise" of a busy set, they're about half useless.


Kim daeyeon - illusion (audio only) https://youtu.be/8tp_jQA_Ofs
genre: adult contemporary (ballad)
note: kinda feels like a trot ballad, but not quite? But close


XIoVI - Love villain (feat. AISH) (audio only) https://youtu.be/HphluyCo2qc
genre: R&B
note: not sure what that food is on the cover, hmm


H7KD - Shooting Star (audio only) https://youtu.be/evAoJ_5kiX8
genre: EDM
note: a bubbly way to end the listing, whichever way you've navigated it


Look at that, you made it to the end! What were your favorites of the week? Any surprises? Let's chat!



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