Rolling into the second week of September, releases from K-Pop, K-Hip-Hop, and K-Indie artists have been trending and shaking up the charts amidst the new season. This week’s charts are a perfect blend of heart-stealing, up-tempo beats, inspiring fire raps, and bittersweet ballads that are a must listen for fall.

LETHAL LADIES

Queens of K-Pop, Girls’ Generation returned with a new sub-unit, OH!GG, with “Lil’ Touch” on September 5. This quintet diverge from their energetic pop that branded them as the nation’s girl group to showcase a more dramatic image. Adorning edgy black lace and regal attire, the ladies become femme fatales, ready to seduce and destroy the hearts of men through a simple, yet lethal, touch. Taking the number five spot on MelOn’s daily chart, Girls’ Generation still remain as the girls on top 11 years in the making with no signs of slowing down.

BACKWARDS KID WITH A FORWARD FUTURE

Get your K-Hip-Hop fix with HAON’s “NOAH” from his first album, TRAVEL: NOAH, released on September 5. The winner of Mnet’s High School Rapper 2 teams with the musical stylings of GroovyRoom to produce this Latin-influenced hip-hop track, accompanied by AOMG’s Jay Park and Hoody as a final touch to the song’s inspirational lyrics. On the rise at only 18 years old, HAON shares his story of living a life backwards from others—hence the song title—in hopes of fulfilling his dreams with no regrets. While Hoody’s harmonies raise the question “Why is it hard to live the life that I want?” in the chorus, Jay Park encourages us to chase after our wild dreams, rapping about the hustle that led him to the barrier-breaking CEO he is today. As number four on Instiz’s weekly chart and number two on Mnet’s daily chart, HAON makes his mark in the K-Hip-Hop scene as an artist to anticipate with this collab-rich track.  

GUIDED BY HEARTBREAK

As the brisk fall weather rolls in, so do frigid emotions in the case of Standing Egg’s “Have You Ever Had Heart Broken?” released on September 7. While K-Drama fans may be familiar with the heart-fluttering “How Would It Be” from the Strong Woman Do Bong Soon OST, their newest track from the RECODE single will have past emotions resurfacing. The melancholic ballad features past lovers crossing paths at a bus stop that triggers the woman reliving her memories of their past relationship. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she returns to the same bus stop the next day, waiting to reunite with her old beloved in hopes of reviving their flame. Currently topping Bugs! music chart at number two, the indie band touches the hearts of those who still feel their beloved’s presence long after their relationship and longing to relive their days once again.