We’re halfway through the year, which means it’s time to check in and see how K-pop is doing in 2026. If I were grading the year in comparison to others, we’d be in trouble. There have been brief spikes of excitement, but overall 2026 has been characterized more by its many missteps than its few successes. Some trends (club beats, rock guitar) hold a ton of promise but too many others (sing-talk, catchphrasey hooks, short song lengths) spell trouble for the industry’s output.
This year, I chose ten standout songs to post alongside a few honorable mentions. Not all of these songs have the juice to compete for a spot in my year-end top ten, but they’re the ones that have stood out most to me this year. As usual, I’ll post them in alphabetical order rather than rank them. Only title tracks or follow-ups/pre-releases with music videos are eligible.
Readers, what were your favorite singles during the first half of 2026?
TOP SINGLES
Honorable Mentions:
AND2BLE – Curious
Close Your Eyes – Pose
CORTIS – REDRED
STAYC – 2 L0VE
UNCHILD – UNCHILD
ZEROBASEONE – Top 5
ITZY – Motto
This boasts the kind of pinwheeling pop chorus we’ve heard so little of this year and offers an exciting new route for ITZY’s sound. (full review)
KickFlip – Eye Poppin’
KickFlip has developed a core sound that fits them so well. I’m loving their youthful pop/rock energy and this is another hit within that lane. (full review)
KickFlip – Twenty
Even better than Eye Poppin’, Twenty takes their sound in a more sentimental direction with a surging chorus that stands as one of their most potent musical moments. (full review)
NEXZ – Mmchk
A total revelation after Beat-Boxer‘s promise last year. NEXZ bring the funk and offer plenty of musical scope within this tight, hard-hitting pop package. (full review)
SHINee – Atmos
K-pop royalty returned with a new song that lives up to their many classics. This is such a rare occurrence and deserves all the praise one can muster. It’s the rare 2026 knockout, delivered with incredible panache. (full review)
TWS – All The Possibilities
Hazy house tracks have hardly been unique this year, but TWS continue to deliver the highest quality with this sneaky little earworm. (full review)
TWS – You, You
We’ve got a few repeat artists this year, and it’s no surprise that TWS find themselves on this list twice. You, You is an ebullient piece of dance pop with wickedly catchy hooks. (full review)
Xdinary Heroes – Voyager
A sprawling rock epic that makes most of 2026’s two-minute ditties feel like commercial jingles in comparison. Xdinary Heroes hit their stride by expanding their ambition to celestial levels. (full review)
XngHan&Xoul – Glow
Club music has been all the rage this year but Glow shows what happens when you tie a series of explosive melodies to chugging dancefloor production. (full review)
Yena – Catch Catch
A pitch-perfect throwback to a quirkier K-pop time with bubblegum hooks to spare and its tongue lodged firmly in its cheek. This feels like a breakthrough moment for Yena. (full review)