Best of September 2025

Photo: MONSTA X Official X

September 2025 was another incredible month of music for K-Pop fans this year. From long-awaited boy group comebacks to highly-anticipated solo debuts, September gave something for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of my favorites B-sides from last month.

“Tuscan Leather” - MONSTA X

On September 1, MONSTA X made their long-awaited comeback, celebrating their 10 year anniversary with the release of THE X. A mini-album containing an incredible tracklist from beginning to end, the fourth track, “Tuscan Leather,” stands out as my favorite and one of my all-time favorite tracks ever released by MONSTA X. Wearing a predominantly 1990's hip-hop style, “Tuscan Leather” dives deep into a place of nostalgia with elements of pop sewn into its beat, with immaculate vocals and intense rap sections. The line “우리 one for the M, two for the X,”* performed by Joohoney and I.M, adds to the songs addictive nature alongside the background vocal barks, with “Tuscan Leather” giving off a signature MONSTA X taste that I can't get enough of. The song shows MONSTA X to still be at the top of their game when it comes to making and delivering great music, with Joohoney being one of the masterminds behind its production. With title track energy, I can only hope MONSTA X have upcoming plans to release a music video for “Tuscan Leather” soon.

“Dancing Queen” - P1Harmony

In their first-ever English mini-album, EX, P1Harmony dive into a solid pop-rock sound with the second track, “Dancing Queen.” Expecting P1Harmony's infectious pop and R&B notes, the rock side of “Dancing Queen” is a pleasant surprise that highlights P1Harmony's musical versatility. The members' splendid vocals ride along a strong production beat that is heavily focused on band instruments, with an impressive electric guitar and addictive drum beat taking centre stage, as opposed to the electronic effects and programmed sounds we hear and love in pop music. Released on September 26, “Dancing Queen” also carries throwback tones, with it reminiscing the boy band and boy group sounds of the 2010s, think the 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction era of our teenage years. 

“WYN?” - HAECHAN, HAON

On September 8, NCT member, HAECHAN, made his long-awaited solo debut with his first album, TASTE. Consisting of 11 tracks that display his impressive vocals against different genres and sounds, the eighth track “WYN?” quickly became my favorite. Being the only collaboration single on the album, HAECHAN teamed up with rapper HAON for “WYN?,” with the two artists creating an enticing R&B track that I can't get enough of. HAECHAN's charming and smooth singing vocals and his rich, rap style tones excellently work alongside HAON's sharp rap flow allowing “WYN?” to standout as an incredible track that unites fans of K-Pop, K-R&B, and K-Hip-Hop together through song.

Edited by Cara Musashi