Best of January 2026

Photo: LNGSHOT Official X

A new year means a whole new month of music, and what a month it has already been! January has started 2026 off with a bang, with an abundance of incredible comebacks and debuts delivered to our eyes and ears. With so much to listen to already this month (with more to come in this next week), here are some of my favorites that have been released so far. 

“FaceTime” - LNGSHOT

Having made their debut on January 13, LNGSHOT are one of the newest groups on the K-Pop scene, and the first boy band to be formed and managed by Jay Park’s label, MORE VISION. Quickly taking the industry by storm, LNGSHOT's debut EP SHOT CALLERS stands out as a phenomenal debut, consisting of five tracks that favor the R&B and hip-hop genres with a fresh approach to music. From these five tracks, “FaceTime” immediately became my favorite B-side with its light R&B tones that breathe nostalgia through the members’ vocals, the beat, and the song’s arrangement. LNGSHOT are ones to watch, and if SHOT CALLERS is anything to go by then LNGSHOT are destined for so much success and greatness and I can’t wait to continue watching them grow. 

“Moonlight Shadows” - EXO

K-Pop icons EXO are back with a brand new album, REVERXE. Although sadly missing the stellar vocals of Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen (due to ongoing legal disputes with SM Entertainment), REVERXE sees the exciting and long-awaited return of LAY who participates in each one of the album’s nine song tracklist. EXO are incapable of creating a bad R&B track and “Moonlight Shadows” is one of the latest songs to prove that, with it immediately becoming my favorite B-side on the album. As sung by EXO in the song’s lyrics, “Moonlight shadows got me hypnotized,” with the members' mature, dulcet vocals and its lo-fi, R&B beat casting a sensual and warm ambience that feels romantic and peaceful to listen to, becoming the perfect song to listen to during the upcoming Valentine’s season. 

“When you’re close to me” - ONEUS

ONEUS deliver dreamy, sensual vibes with “When you’re close to me,” the closing track to their single album, 原 (Origin). From beginning to end, “When you’re close to me” instills a sense of heaven with the members’ delicate vocals gliding across the song’s gentle arrangement. The song is soft yet impactful, highlighting another side to ONEUS’s versatile nature that is deserving of more praise and attention from K-Pop music fans. When feeling down or in need of some relaxation, “When you’re close to me” can provide that much needed musical relief, with ONEUS gifting listeners with a beautiful, serenading song.

Edited by Cara Musashi