Intro
And the last of the new articles for my end-of-the-year…stuff. I’m pretty much over making a wishlist, prediction-style article each year. They were fun at first, but now the longer I do them, the sadder they make me. This is my tenth year as a Kpop fan. Things aren’t always perfect in Kpop, I’d say there’s more BS going on than not, but things kinda suck compared to how things used to be.
I love seeing more diversity, but we’re losing many things that made Kpop so much fun as a new fan, like The Show being cancelled. And somehow idols are getting more freedom but having their privacy and rights more policed by fans and companies, not really doing much to stop it.
It’s very “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So to combat this, I think it would be more fun to talk about some of my highlights this year and talk about confirmed things happening like album drops, tours, etc. Moving forward, these kinds of articles will be a brighter snapshot of the year and be much more entertaining to come back to, I think.
As for content in 2026, I’ll be blogging less. I’m currently working on a video for TikTok. Follow me here for that. I was happy with the interactions I got on my Spotify Wrapped post over there, so I really want to go 100% in on video content and posting on there. I’ll have some articles on ATK still, but I’ll be shifting to posting content on there. One of my goals for 2026 is to focus on my other hobbies I’ve been neglecting because ATK takes up so much time. Plus, I want to write other things. I’m still working on my book, and I want to have at least one published story next year.
So unlike previous years when I set goals for posting more frequently on here, y’all will see me when you see me. You better follow me on socials for updates. You can also follow the newsletter that’s not really a newsletter anymore. I’ve been emailing out new articles when I have new articles up. Eventually I’ll figure out something else to do with this email list. I’m mostly trying to weed out the folks who don’t actually keep up or interact with the blog. If I can get the list down, I can go back to my free version of MailerLite, lmao.
2025 Wishlist
EXO World Tour ❌
- No, but we kinda have EXO back for a full-length album? I’m counting it as a sub-unit. EXO is 9 💁🏾♀️.
Baekhyun Full-Length Album ❌
- We did get a new album, but it wasn’t a full-length one, 10+ songs.
Chungha World Tour ❌
- Imma stop asking for this so it happens faster💅🏾
TXT & ENHA In The SOOP ❌
- …I don’t think either group really had much of a break this year 😅
Confirmation that Loossemble ❌ and fromis_9 ✅ will still be active groups
- Still not really sure what’s going on with the former Loossemble girls. But fromis_9 is thriving 🥰 need this to happen to Loossemble in 26′ too.
Wonho Tour, 1st Music Show Win, Brand Ambassadorship, etc. ✅❌
- We did get a tour, and I bought tickets, but it got cancelled due to visa issues or something. So here’s to hoping we can finally make it happen in 2026 🤞🏾 Same with Wonho getting music show wins and some brand deals.
ENHYPEN Daesang, Bonsang, & Other Accolades For Their Talent ✅
- I’m so happy about this one. Enha got these awards according to Google Gemini (yuck lol but effective):
- VISA Fans’ Choice of the Year (Daesang)
- Telasa Favorite Global Artist (Special Award)
- Fans’ Choice Male Top 10 (Bonsang)
- Other Major Awards (2025): D Awards: Black Label Album of the Year (Grand Prize) and ASEA (Asia Star Entertainer Awards): Album of the Year (Grand Prize)
ENHYPEN Break Like TXT’s Break ❌
- Lmaooooo they’re about to be even busier in 2026 I think.
KOLO, Huening Kai Solo ❌
- I’m putting a no because I meant a solo single album like “GGUM” and “Panic”.
TXT Album with member solos and subunits ✅
- Not so much subunits but this was basically The Name Chapter: TOGETHER and I loved that for us.
Jihyo second album, Chaeyoung rock solo, Jeongyeon solo, & Dahyun solo ✅❌
- Similar to the Huening Kai one, I meant solo albums, but we did get a solo song from each member, and Chaeyoung did release a solo album. It wasn’t rock, but it was alternative. So half credit to myself on that one, lol.
Haechan R&B solo ✅
- Finally!!!
Hyunjin (SKZ) Solo ❌
- I’m feeling good about this coming in 2026
2NE1 World Tour & New Album ❌
- Unfortunately, it looks like we’re far from an OT4 2NE1 tour and album. Bom’s health is more important, and I hope she gets better soon.
Recap of Kpop related Events in 2025
I did a loooot of things this year. Concert wise, I think I did pretty well, minus missing Taemin and Baekhyun 😪. I was putting my hauls on my Insta, but I get more interactions on Twitter, so I’ve been posting things on there as I get them. Some months I had more things going on than others. But let’s get into it!
January
- Was pretty boring since it was the start of the year. I posted some pics of my fromis_9 haul. I panic-bought fromis_9 and Loossemble albums because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find the reprints once they stopped carrying them in my Kpop stores. I also finally broke down and bought an NCT lightstick because my 127 concert was in February.
February
- NCT 127 was so much fun despite some members absence due to military service. Met up with one of my best friends at the show, and we got KBBQ afterwards.
March
- I don’t remember why I took this photo of my bookshelf… But I think this was the start of me realizing I need to get this mess organized, lmao.
April
- ENCHELLA was a total highlight for me. I miss Enha so much, and I reeeally want them to come back to Atlanta for a show. I bought a copy (finally) of Yeonjun’s GGUM single album. I also saw Kylie Minogue live, but she’s not Kpop, lol.
May
- May was mostly celebrating my 31st birthday and preparing for my Stray Kids concert in June. Bought a shirt from ARTMS Lunar Theory tour, Yuta’s Depth album, Chuu’s Howl album, Yeji’s Air album, Enha’s Romance Untold album, Seventeen’s Happy Burstday album, and TXT’s Santuary and Freefall albums.
June
- I had mixed feelings about my Stray Kids concert. I mostly had fun, but I wasn’t impressed with the setlist, and I hated the venue. I don’t think I’ll be going out of my way to see SKZ again in the near future. I just wasn’t as into it compared to my other concerts this year. SKZ sounded much better than when I saw them back on the Maniac tour.
- They’ve grown greatly as performers, but Seungmin and Lee Know’s reactions to us ‘not knowing’ the lyrics to their unit song rubbed me the wrong way, especially when I saw on TikTok they went on multiple dates and did this to Stays. It gave me the ick. First of all, y’all are the performers, not me. Can’t I just vibe while y’all sing? Second, these idols don’t even like all of their songs, so why should I be obligated to love all your songs? The ones I do go hard for, like “Collision,” y’all didn’t have on the setlist.
- And third, it’s not my fault y’all conditioned Stays to only know the upbeat songs like “5 Star”. Maybe if y’all released other genres for title tracks, Stays would know the slower paced songs. Because when I saw TXT, Moas knew the words to the upbeat and the ballads because TXT isn’t afraid to switch things up. But idk maybe a lot of people at the show weren’t really there for the music. But Seungmin and Lee Know clearly felt some kind of way about it; it wasn’t a jokey reaction at all. Soooo yeah, imma spend my money elsewhere. Sorry, Hyune and Felix, I guess I’ll catch you when I catch you 😭.
- Also, I think it’s funny my SKZ lightstick died on me during the show. It was a sign, lmao.
July
- More merch items like my Jiniret SKZ shirt arrived along with my SHINee keychains. The main highlight this month was celebrating San’s birthday at the Atlanta concert. One of my favorite concerts of the year. Really brought a resurgence for my love and appreciation for ATEEZ. Met up with one of my best friends again at that show. I also bought TXT’s Together album.
August
- So much Gongcha and Felix stuff, lol. I really wanted that cup sleeve and I got it. I went to my first Kpop club night with one of my best friends. It was so much fun dancing with other Kpoppies to second gen to new gen music. I bought my EXO lightstick to prepare for Kai’s concert in September. I bought that TXT Caseify case. I do love it and recommend it if you have, like, $40 to spend. I got complimented on it at my TXT show in September when I was waiting in line for merch.
September
- Because I had two concerts this month, I put Kai for September and TXT for October because that show was at the end of the month. Both shows were fantastic. I’ve always been an EXO girlie and Kai has been my bias (even through some bs he was on, lol, I’m over it now). So seeing Kai again (saw him when SuperM performed at what’s now Gas South) was soul cleansing.
I could say the same about ATEEZ as well.I had forgotten how much that man loves performing and being on stage. I really hope he tours the US again soon. - TXT’s concert felt like coming home. I didn’t see them in 2024 because I was out of town when they were in Atlanta, and my trip had me going the opposite direction from where TXT was going. But this 2025 tour was phenomenal. I enjoyed it more than the Temptation tour in 2023. This year just solidified TXT as my number 3 Kpop group. I love them so much.
- Oh yeah, and I got that cheetah print GGUM hoodie.
October
- Not just October, but the last couple of months have been so &TEAM focused for me. It’s crazy how a group I’ve been casually listening to for, like, 3 years now, just suddenly skyrocketed up my faves list. I’m so excited to see what they do in 2026. Hopefully we get that world tour.
November
- Bought a few more albums: Yeonjun’s solo No Labels part 1, CIX’s Hello Stranger, and &TEAM’s Back to Life.
December
- Really slowing down on the purchases. I started recording and editing my multi-part series that’ll go up on TikTok about me reorganizing my Kpop collection. When I went up to St. Louis to visit family, I found that Starkissed album at one of the stores up there in West County Mall. I was so surprised to see anything Kpop/Jpop related like that up there.
What I’m looking forward to in 2026
- I’m seeing TWICE (missed my girls so much 😭) February 27th. Right now that’s the only Kpop concert ticket I’ve bought. I’m keeping an eye out for BTS. I feel like that might be a 2027 thing, though, because they gotta spend time in Korea and Japan first.
- I know Junhee from A.C.E is coming to Atlanta in a few weeks. I’m undecided on if I want to go to that.
- I also just discovered UNIS will be in Atlanta in February as well. So maybe I’ll go to that??
- Onew is also going to be in Atlanta… I think in January too.
- Chuu’s first album is releasing, so I’m super excited about that.
- ENHYPEN’s new album is dropping in January. Super hyped for that.
I think that’s it for now. I’m gonna keep this section pretty short since I’ve talked so much already, lol.
So what do y’all think of this new format? I had more fun putting it together. I’ve posted about these things as they happened throughout the year on Twitter, so if you don’t follow me on there, you should. I hope y’all had a pretty good 2025. I’ll see you in 2026 ✨
Ash💫