[2025 Music Scene] A New Leap Amid Generational Change and Full Group Comebacks

BTS Full Group Comeback, BLACKPINK World Tour, SM 30th Anniversary Festival
New Leap Forward Amid Industry Structural Changes

The year 2025 marks a period of transition and leap for K-POP. Major changes set to reshape the K-POP market include the full-group comeback of BTS scheduled for June after all members complete their military service, SM Entertainment's 30th-anniversary festival with an audience of 50,000, and BLACKPINK's comeback after two years.

Group BTS. [Photo by Big Hit Music]

SM Entertainment is preparing a spectacular celebration for its 30th anniversary on February 14. The 'SMTOWN LIVE 2025' concert at Gocheok Sky Dome in January will be a large-scale event held over two days, on the 11th and 12th. Confirmed performers include BoA, TVXQ, aespa, as well as first-generation stars like Tony An of H.O.T. and Bada of S.E.S.

SM has led the development of K-POP by producing era-defining artists such as H.O.T., BoA, TVXQ, EXO, and aespa. Through innovative systems like songwriting camps, global auditions, and online concerts, SM contributed significantly to the globalization of K-POP. This year, the company plans to take a step toward the future by debuting a new rookie girl group for the first time in five years.

The Return of BTS and BLACKPINK: The Suns of K-POP Finally Reunited

BTS will kick off their full-group activities with the completion of all members' military service in June. Marking the 10th anniversary of their 'Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa' series, they are reportedly preparing a new full-length album and a world tour. BTS's comeback is expected to boost HYBE's revenue and provide fresh momentum to the global K-POP wave.

Group BLACKPINK. [Photo by YG Entertainment]

BLACKPINK will reunite after two years of individual activities, releasing new music in May and embarking on a world tour spanning Asia, North America, and Europe to captivate their global fandom once again. Jennie and Lisa's unique solo activities have already achieved great success, while Ros? swept various global charts with her hit 'Apartment,' reaching syndromic-level popularity. BLACKPINK's full-group comeback is anticipated to make new history in K-POP upon release.

Stray Kids have established themselves as K-POP leaders by achieving six consecutive No.1 albums on the Billboard 200. They surpassed 3 billion streams on Spotify in the U.S. in 2024 and plan to target the global market with a large-scale world tour in 2025, including a North American stadium tour.

Seventeen will celebrate their 10th anniversary by meeting global fans with a new album and world tour. Some members are scheduled to enlist in the first half of 2025, which will likely limit full-group activities for a while. The agency has announced strategies to minimize the gap through unit activities such as BSS and the Hoshi-Woozi unit.

Image of JYP Entertainment's rookie boy group KickFlip. [Photo by JYP Entertainment]

The Emergence of Rookies Leading K-POP’s Future

JYP Entertainment will debut a six-member boy group called 'Kickflip' in January, combining street dance and skateboard culture. All members possess professional-level skateboarding skills, promising performances that differentiate them from existing idols.

SM will launch a rookie girl group for the first time in five years since aespa. Given aespa's success in 2024 with hits like 'Supernova' and 'Armageddon,' industry attention is focused on the new group's potential for success.

YG Entertainment is also preparing new idols. Following the success of the girl group Baby Monster, which debuted in 2024, a new group based on hip-hop and R&B is expected to solidify YG's position.

Group NewJeans. [Photo by ADORE]

Unresolved challenges remain in the music industry. These include the ongoing dispute since April last year between HYBE and former ADORE CEO Min Hee-jin, as well as the contract termination of NewJeans. HYBE, Min, NewJeans, and ADORE are involved in legal battles. This issue arose as the long-standing connections among agencies, producers, and artists within the vast K-POP ecosystem loosened after nearly 30 years, making it one of the notable issues to watch this year as well.