Every new year brings an assortment of exciting debuts, comebacks, and special releases from our favorite K-Pop artists. Sometimes, however, one year feels more special than the rest. Depending on which artists you keep up with, this could be because of several different factors.

Maybe your favorite group hasn't put out music in a little while. Maybe they're an older group currently completing their mandatory military service. Maybe they're a younger group who've built up a lot of anticipation between releases, making you that much more anxious to figure out what they're going to do next.

No matter the circumstances, 2025 is shaping up to be a year filled with memorable K-Pop comebacks from the industry's leading names as well as its rising stars. Below are just 10 of what I believe are some of the most anticipated comebacks of the year.

10 LOOSSEMBLE

Re-debuting Under A New Company

Since terminating their contracts with BlockBerry Creative in 2023, the former LOONA have embarked on separate paths, including HyunJin, ViVi, Go Won, HyeJu, and YeoJin, coming together to form LOOSSEMBLE later that same year. The group's name derives from "LOONA" and "assemble," a clear statement of these five ' unity that shines in their music.

The group's name derives from "LOONA" and "assemble," a clear statement of these five ' unity that shines in their music.

With three solid releases under their belt, LOOSSEMBLE is set to add to that with a re-debut sometime this year. Their exclusive contract with their label, CTDENM, ended in November, leaving fans to wonder if that was it. Recently, though, there's been talk from YeoJin and Go Won about continuing to make music with the group, making it a clear possibility that LOOSSEMBLE will return later this year under a new company. The girls of LOONA have been through so much, so it's only fair that they take the time to find agencies that feel right for each of them.

9 TWS

3rd Mini-Album

TWS burst onto the scene with their charming debut, "plot twist" in January 2024. Since then, they've garnered plenty of for their refreshing, youthful concept that many felt had been missing from K-Pop boy groups. Their debut year included two mini-albums, one single album, and an impressive number of awards, including the coveted Rookie of the Year trophy at the Asia Artist Awards.

In 2025, it'll be interesting to see if TWS sticks with their successful concept or chooses to venture into something different. Many groups find long-term success by doubling down on the concept they debuted with, and I believe that theirs is an easy one to find longevity in. They're poised to stake their claim as one of the leaders of K-Pop's 5th generation, following a highly successful K-Pop 4th generation, so there's no doubt that their next release is highly anticipated by both casual and dedicated fans. Keep an eye out for their comeback, due out on April 21.

8 BOYNEXTDOOR

Confirmed May Comeback

BOYNEXTDOOR is my personal favorite 5th generation group, so I've been wondering when they'll make their next comeback. In January, they released the single, "IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU," but they haven't made a full comeback since their 19.99 mini-album in September 2024. Nothing has officially been posted on their social media s yet, but KOZ Entertainment confirmed that they're working on new music and are aiming for a May comeback.

Their last mini-album was an examination of the final days of being a teenager, something that the of BOYNEXTDOOR experienced together. They felt inspired by those feelings enough to create a cohesive album that is widely relatable to most listeners. This also introduced fans to their first foray into rap-centered music with "Dangerous." It's difficult to guess where the group's music will go next, but it's easy to assume that it'll be a sound that the are ionate about, and one that fans should be looking forward to ahead of an official announcement.

7 RIIZE

Full-Length Album

Amid all the controversy surrounding RIIZE, they continue to dominate the star-studded 5th generation roster. Their undeniable vocal, dance, and live performance abilities placed them into a category akin to their SM peers, NCT 127, setting themselves up as a force to be reckoned with before they even debuted in a performance of "Siren," a song that wasn't officially released until last year.

RIIZE continues to dominate the star-studded 5th generation roster.

Since their debut in 2023, they've faced a series of blows that are unfortunately common for K-Pop groups, including the removal of one member for fairly innocent reasons (from a Western perspective) and the uproar that came from Seunghan's removal (both positive and negative). Despite all of that, they released their RIIZING mini-album, as well as their first Japanese single, "Lucky," to relative success. Now, with the second quarter of 2025 underway, RIIZE is adding their name to the May comeback lineup with their first full-length album, almost a year after their last comeback.

6 ENHYPEN

Digital Single & Post-Coachella Comeback

ENHYPEN is a group that, in my opinion, never misses. Every year, I wonder when they're going to release new music and count down the days until I get to stream a new ENHYPEN album. On March 31, BELIFT LAB announced that the group's next digital single would be out on April 4, marking their first new song since the release of "No Doubt" in November. Described in the statement as "a seductive track with a cutting-edge pop sound," fans can start predicting what the song and the choreography will be like.

The group is also set to perform at Coachella this month. If their company is thinking along the lines of last year's Coachella performances by ATEEZ and LE SSERAFIM, it's likely that fans can expect a more complete comeback after the festival. They may even tease new music in their performance or announce the comeback on stage.

5 ATEEZ

Summer Tour & Expected Full Album

K-Pop's performance masters are gearing up for another busy year after just wrapping up their Towards The Light: Will To Power world tour last month. On March 31, KQ Entertainment announced another tour, this time being the IN YOUR FANTASY world tour, with dates in North America, Japan, and South Korea already booked. With this announcement, my gut feeling of an ATEEZ late spring/early summer comeback feels pretty accurate.

Their last comeback was GOLDEN HOUR: Part 2, released in November 2024, with its title track, "Ice On My Teeth." According to their usual comeback schedule of two Korean comebacks per year (one in the first half, one in the second), an ATEEZ comeback is on the horizon. The GOLDEN HOUR era has been one which sees the cooling off a bit from their typically dominating choreography. They've exchanged their exhausting dance breaks for choreography that asks for complete control and confidence, while the lyrics on their last two title tracks convey much of the same.

4 KATSEYE

First Comeback Since Last August

KATSEYE is HYBE's first global girl group under their American label, HYBE UMG. They haven't been widely considered K-Pop since they were scouted in the United States and their music is exclusively in English, but I believe they deserve a spot on this list. KATSEYE was formed on the K-Pop survival show The Debut: Dream Academy after an extensive training period in Los Angeles. They officially debuted on June 28, 2024, with the appropriately titled single "Debut," and later released "Touch," their most widely-known song so far.

After the success of those singles, they dropped their first EP in August 2024, SIS (Soft Is Strong). As the one-year anniversary of their debut and their first EP approaches, it's fair to assume that new music is coming. This span of time between releases is where KATSEYE differs from K-Pop groups who typically offer new music on a pretty consistent schedule. It's best to stay patient, but with the hinting at new songs and their hairstyles undergoing some changes recently, I'm positive that new music is coming.

3 KAI

4th Mini-Album

Many of the industry's biggest male idols have recently enlisted to complete their mandatory military service, including all of BTS and the youngest of EXO, KAI and Sehun. KAI's enlistment came as a surprise to fans and the idol, with him being in the middle of promotions for his third mini-album at the time. It's now been almost two years since his enlistment and nearly two months since he completed his service. In that short span of time, fans have wondered how long it would be until he released new music.

On March 31, which is proving to be a hefty day for K-Pop news, SM announced that KAI's fourth mini-album, Wait On Me, will be released on April 26. The first teaser image was included in the announcement post, featuring two different versions of KAI sitting on a bench. It's difficult to predict what his new music will sound like, but it's certain to tie into the R&B style he's adopted since his solo debut. Either way, it's time to finally look forward to the return of one of K-Pop's best soloists.

2 BLACKPINK

World Tour & Expected Comeback

The past six months have been relatively owned by BLACKPINK. With each BLACKPINK member now signed to a separate company and pursuing their solo careers, fans have been unsure about whether to hope for a group comeback anytime soon. Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa have all released solo projects by now, with incredible success, so what's next?

Fans have been unsure about whether to hope for a group comeback anytime soon.

For starters, a BLACKPINK world tour has already been announced. The girls will travel across North America and Europe this summer, with Japan shows planned for January 2026, but they haven't released music as a group since 2022's BORN PINK. If there was ever a reason for them to release what would somehow only be their third album, surely a world tour is enough. Even without new music, I love the possibility of every member having an extended solo portion on the tour in between group performances. Let's cross our fingers for at least an EP by then, though.

1 BTS

Summer Reunion & Endless Possibilities

BTS needs no introduction. Whether you're a massive K-Pop fan or pride yourself on avoiding the genre at all costs, you know who BTS is. You've probably even listened to a couple of their songs without even knowing. As a group, BTS hasn't released anything since 2023, when they dropped the single, "Take Two," just after their first , Jin and J-Hope, enlisted in their mandatory military service. Before that, the group celebrated their 10th anniversary a bit early with Proof, a compilation album of their music that included several new tracks.

With Jin and J-Hope already releasing new solo music after returning from their military training, the possibilities for what to expect when the group is finally reunited are endless. By the end of June, every member will have completed their service. That thought alone is enough to make any fan tear up. Maybe, just maybe, we can expect new BTS music by the end of 2025. At the very least, it's likely that we'll have more solo music from every member.