K-pop Report Card What landed, what didn't and what to skip from Jan.-Feb.

BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Entertainment

K-pop wasted little time setting the tone for 2026. January and February arrived packed with heavyweight comebacks from the genre's biggest names alongside ambitious debuts from new acts eager to claim their place.

LNGSHOT — "Moonwalkin'" from "SHOT CALLERS," released Jan. 13

Verdict: Surprisingly good

While the rookie boy band's predebut release, "Saucin'," made it easy to assume that LNGSHOT would fall neatly into a hip-hop rivalry narrative with HYBE Labels' CORTIS, “Moonwalkin’,” the official title track of the four-member band's debut album "SHOT CALLERS," arrived and quietly refused that storyline.

Where CORTIS leans playful, LNGSHOT chooses a more grounded, groove-heavy lane, almost like rookies deciding they would rather age well than trend fast.

Handling accessible R&B and hip-hop without sounding like an industry plant is harder than it looks, and the group clears that bar with ease. There are also obvious nods to pop icons Michael Jackson, Destiny’s Child and even early Justin Bieber, especially in one member’s vocal tone that feels tailor-made for global pop ears. The producer behind the group, rapper Jay Park, clearly knows the assignment.

Dropping a song that reaches beyond fans of K-pop already feels like a small rebellion in today’s fandom-first landscape. Jay Park’s instincts as a producer suddenly feel worth watching again. The members show real promise, though it is fair to ask whether people are excited about "LNGSHOT" the group or "LNGSHOT" the Jay Park project.

Or maybe that's just part of being new.

ENHYPEN — "Knife" from "THE SIN : VANISH," released Jan. 16

Verdict: Overhyped

For veteran boy band ENHYPEN, trying rage hip-hop in the current K-pop landscape was not a mistake. The execution, unfortunately, feels unfinished.

For a group with ENHYPEN's scale and lore-heavy identity, “Knife” sounds oddly small and underwhelming. The looping beat never fully evolves, and the repeated “it’s a knife” hook feels almost like placeholder line from the demo that never got replaced.

If the word "knife" is meant to carry weight inside the group’s long-running vampire narrative, the song does little to explain why. Instead, it comes off like a half-finished attempt at Travis Scott energy, or maybe even an effort to emulate labelmate act CORTIS' virality.

The song is neither an easy listen nor an explosive one, and it never quite lands either. At just over two minutes, it ends before anything actually starts. For a group known for fantasy and lore, “Knife” feels surprisingly directionless.

Calling the song a "blunt knife” is not just a pun — it's a summary.

KiiiKiii — "404 (New Era)" from "Delulu Pack," released Jan. 26

Verdict: Worth replaying

Alongside SM Entertainment's new girl group Hearts2Hearts, Starship Entertainment's KiiiKiii helped push the house genre back into the K-pop conversation. The track locks into a clear Y2K identity while still feeling fresh for playlists today.

What stands out even more about the track is how closely Starship appears to be watching fan reactions behind the song's promotions.

Onstage styling, choreography and presentation all hint at a feedback loop between the group and its audience. While this responsiveness from a K-pop label can either feel calculated or genuinely collaborative, in KiiiKiii's case, it leans more to the latter.

The next step feels obvious. The music has introduced the group. Now it's time for the personalities to follow before the public starts treating KiiiKiii as just another concept.

ATEEZ — "Adrenaline" from "GOLDEN HOUR : Part.4," released Feb. 6

Verdict: Nearly there

"Adrenaline" lands safely in ATEEZ’s comfort zone. High intensity, performance-first structure, and the kind of explosive energy they still execute better than most of their peers. Few groups in today's K-pop landscape deliver this level of aggression.

That said, the new track's chorus lines about adrenaline "rushing," "running" or "flushing through the veins" feel just a little repetitive.

The track also leans heavily on metallic EDM textures, which practically screams "concert highlight," but ATEEZ's catalog already has a plenty of those. The mid-2010s' sonic habits of the boy bands then creep in occasionally, leaving parts of the song feeling borderline dated. The beats sound strong, but pushing the EDM experimentation further feels like it could add more edge.

Hongjoong and Mingi, the producing members within the group, feel capable of expanding their sound just a little deeper. Right now, the track plays like a well-executed routine rather than a new chapter.

Hearts2Hearts — "RUDE!" single, released Feb. 20

Verdict: Worth replaying

Girl group Hearts2Hearts continues building a discography that feels tightly aligned with the eight members' age and image, leaning into bright teenage energy without forcing maturity too early. It is classic SM pacing, controlled, calculated and very intentional.

The only minor concern is overlap. The group's previous tracks like "Focus" and "STYLE" carry a similar gentle sparkle that risks blending together if the group stays too comfortable in this lane. Consistency can quickly become predictability if left unchecked.

That said, SM rarely loses the long game, so this feels more like a little note than a real warning sign.

NCT JNJM — "BOTH SIDES" from "BOTH SIDES," released Feb. 23

Verdict: Nearly there

Upon multiple listens of NCT JNJM's unit debut track, "BOTH SIDES," a question starts to linger: "We get that you’re hot. But what else?"

On paper, “BOTH SIDES” checks every box — sleek hip-hop production, punchy drum patterns and a confident mix of NCT's Jaemin and Jeno's rap and vocals. The teasers hinted at a magnetic, somewhat sultry-leaning unit debut, but the finished track lands with noticeably less impact.

The unit seems to be chasing a laid-back, effortless cool, the kind of energy that suggests they do not need to try too hard. The problem is that the song itself never quite reaches that aura. Instead of feeling mysterious, it comes across slightly underdeveloped. The style is there, but substance feels delayed.

IVE — Double title tracks "BANG BANG" and "BLACKHOLE" from "REVIVE+," released Feb. 23

Verdict: Essential

This album feels like the moment IVE finally stops negotiating with its past. Earlier attempts at redefining its identity hinted at some will to change, but this time both Starship, the girl group's agency, and the IVE members seem fully committed to it.

Other than the song actually landing with its racing pace and cathartic drops, “BANG BANG,” the prerelease track of the new studio album, stands out because it shifts attention toward members who were not always in the spotlight.

For instance, Gaeul’s rap verse lands with surprising weight, Rei effortlessly trades sharp delivery with her softer image and Leeseo' daring transformation signals genuine growth. Beyond the familiar star power of Jang Wonyoung and An Yu-jin, the album quietly reminds listeners that IVE has always been more than two icons.

“BLACKHOLE” goes even bigger. The scale is cinematic, the sound polished and the performance energy undeniable. It echoes the spirit of early hits like “ELEVEN,” “LOVE DIVE,” “After LIKE” and “I AM,” but the growth feels genuine rather than cosmetic.

Some groups talk about evolution by switching concepts — IVE demonstrates it through subtle refinement and renewed confidence. Elegant visuals and attitude of its members remain intact, but the internal upgrade is impossible to ignore.

If anything, the new album suggests IVE still has another level left to reach.

BLACKPINK - "GO" from "DEADLINE," released on Feb. 27

Verdict: Iconic

The sonic range in BLACKPINK's long-overdue title track, "GO," feels worlds apart from the girl group's earlier, more direct title tracks like “How You Like That” and “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du.” Fully in English and largely stripped of elements of "typical K-pop," for this reporter's ears, it lands as something refreshing.

Up until the bridge, the track moves like a full-body immersion. The bass and surrounding production feel like something pulsing through your favorite club at peak hour. This is not easy-listening, a trend K-pop leaned into heavily in recent years. The beat pounds, metallic textures grind forward and the members’ rapid-fire rap and vocals leave no room for passive listening.

Then the bridge arrives and subtly shifts the emotional temperature. Jennie and Rosé’s vocals soften over a nostalgic guitar line, paired with the unexpectedly tender “Are you good?” In the background, the members’ laughter surfaces, including Jisoo’s memorable line, “Mu-ya-ho,” before the final “BLACKPINK” chant closes the track. For all its intensity, the song carries an unexpected sentimentality. It might be a stretch to say you can sense the members’ enduring affection for the group, but the emotional pull is undeniable.

At the same time, the track never sacrifices BLACKPINK’s signature coolness. Whether that comes from the music itself or from the members’ now-iconic aura as global stars is difficult to separate.

Admittedly, the sound may feel unfamiliar or even messy on first listen. But before settling on that conclusion, it is worth hearing the album’s B-sides and then returning to the title track. While this series focuses primarily on title releases for the sake of consistency, the broader context matters here. Across the full, five-track album, what emerges is not just another “growth” narrative — a term too frequently recycled in K-pop — but something closer to a living chronology of BLACKPINK itself.

In that light, YG Entertainment's decision to push forward with “GO” as the centerpiece begins to make immediate sense.