K-Pop New Year’s Resolutions: 10 Things I Want To See Happen In 2026

Happy 2026! As we transition to a new year, it’s Bias List tradition to unveil some wishes I have for K-pop going forward. I tend to go for broke with my resolutions, which more often than not leads to disappointment. But if you’re going to dream, why not dream big?

I usually stop at ten resolutions each year but this time I’m going to add a bonus one because I̶’̶m̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶p̶i̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶d̶u̶s̶t̶r̶y̶ I feel so passionate about the industry. Plus, a few of these are holdovers from last year.

Readers, make sure to chime in in the comments. What are your K-pop wishes for 2026?

1. Less talking, more singing

I’m probably setting myself up for disappointment by wishing for something the industry is clearly not interested in, but my number one wish is that great melody will find its place back in K-pop. For this to happen, songs must start relying on great singing again. Actually, the singing doesn’t even have to be great. I won’t be picky!

What I’m most tired of in K-pop is spoken word hooks. I can’t even call this rapping because it’s usually delivered in a monotone catchphrasey way that doesn’t capitalize on rhythm or flow. Too many recent title tracks have been allowed to get away with this and it’s made topliners lazy. My favorite tracks of this year tended to put melody and singing front and center. I’d like more of that in 2026, please. In fact, why doesn’t an agency try launching a new group where “killer vocals” is their entire concept? And, I don’t mean some boring ballad group. I want high-energy dance music with equally robust vocals. It can be done, I swear!

And while we’re at it, what about harmony? Vocal harmony used to be the bread and butter of boy bands and girl groups, but we hardly ever hear it anymore in K-pop. Let’s bring that back, too. It adds such depth to the sound of a song.

In short, I need the K-pop industry to remember that vocals and singing are every bit as important as dance, visual and rap. Right now, they feel like a distant fourth place for most groups.

2. Push past that three minute mark (or offer extended versions)

This is another holdover from past resolutions, but it feels even more pertinent this year.

I. Am. Sick. Of. Two. Minute. Songs.

Two minutes is rarely enough for a modern song to feel complete. Structural elements like bridges, intros and outros contribute to making a song feel full and satisfying, and too many otherwise solid K-pop singles end prematurely. I get why the industry is giving into this temptation, but hear me out. If you must promote a “short version” of a title track, at least give us music lovers an “extended album version” the way the music industry used to do in the 90s. This could either be available as a bonus on streaming or be an exclusive to physical copies of the album, but it needs to happen either way. I’m sick of cobbling together my own extended versions for songs I love.

3. A successful year for my top 2025 rookies

Other than a couple of reliable favorites, 2025 was all about rookie groups for me. In particular, rookie boy bands ruled the year. AHOF, NouerA, Close Your Eyes, KickFlip and IDID all made the year much more colorful with their specific brands of K-pop and I really hope they all thrive (and release great music) in 2026. The industry moves so quickly onto the next shiny thing, so none of these groups can rest on their laurels. I want multiple comebacks with great promotions and new milestones. And while we’re at it, Hearts2Hearts needs their first mega-hit that fully establishes their sound.

4. A girl group I can stan

I miss stanning a girl group, but I just haven’t been able to work with the material we’ve been getting over the past few years. Girl group tropes seem to fall into just a couple of musical categories nowadays and I find myself largely left out of these sounds. I won’t be greedy. I just want one group with a different sound that rekindles the love I used to have for acts like GFriend, Lovelyz, SNSD, Kara, Oh My Girl, WJSN, etc. Just one, please!! No current group fits within this musical realm — at least for longer than a single comeback.

I want next year’s “rookie of the year” or “artist of the year” to be a girl group, but the music has to be there for me to rekindle excitement. Right now, NMIXX come closest to this brief, but time will tell how things will develop.

5. Move on from Y2K (or at least pick more interesting sounds from it)

We’ve been stuck in this Y2K nostalgia for years now and it’s time to move on. I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear another song that sounds like Justin Timberlake’s Like I Love You.

The thing is, I can’t believe we’ve gone through this whole Y2K resurgence without a single artist attempting the slamming Cheiron Studios sound that was so emblematic of the era. Where’s my BSB/Nsync/Britney redux? Instead, we’ve gotten endless variations of the era’s more subdued, “tasteful” sounds. I could go all of 2026 without another UK garage or Jersey club beat. Give me the over-the-top cheese of the Y2K era or just move on to different sonic touchstones (may I suggest early 2010s EDM?).

6. A resurgence for SM Entertainment

This year marks the first “Top 50 singles” countdown in the history of this blog not to feature an SM artist in the top ten. This isn’t for a lack of trying, as the agency continues to churn out content. However, their cultural dominance seems to have waned (along with the general music quality). There were some bright spots this year (RIIZE’s Odyssey), but overall the songs just weren’t hitting the way they used to. For me, SM Entertainment is a towering presence in K-pop history. I’d like them to rise to the top again. They can start with some brilliant new Hearts2Hearts singles and a killer debut for their upcoming boy group. PLEASE don’t simply make be “NCT version 5.0.” Let’s get back to those dramatic dance bangers of the past.

7. More focus on the Asian market

I’m American myself, but I’m not interested in hearing what K-pop agencies think American listeners might like. My favorite acts tend to be ones focused more on the Asian market and I’d like this to become even more prevalent in 2026. Let Western audiences adapt to cultural touchstones they might not be familiar with. That’s what makes global music exciting and fun. Please don’t simply flatten your music to appeal to the widest possible audience. That approach is why I had such a hard time with K-pop Demon Hunters while everyone else seemed to adore it.

8. More cross-industry interaction in variety content

Dance challenges are really fun to watch, but I fear they’ve taken the place variety used to hold in K-pop. As someone whose fandom casts far and wide, I love to see different groups and artists interact with each other and I wish there were more venues for them to do so. This also applies to inter-agency projects. I know scheduling is tough, but I wish agencies would mix their artists more often for content, special stages or even promoted units. We could start with that much-requested HYBE Game Caterers and go from there.

9. The return of legacy producers

I would rather have an emergence of new producers with unique musical voices, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards so I’ll wish for the next best thing. The industry always wants to move onto the next thing, but I’d love to see 2026 deliver comebacks from the K-pop producers who shaped my fandom in the first place. Let’s get new music from Sweetune, Brave Brothers, Duble Sidekick, Yoo Young-Jin and the like.

10. A better way to showcase idols from small companies

Now that The Show is caput, the industry needs a new way to spotlight its nugu idols. The K-pop ecosystem can’t thrive on its big four agencies alone. We need the diversity these smaller groups bring and they need an avenue to gain fans. This doesn’t even have to be a music show. Back in the day, there were fun programs like Let’s Go Dream Team that would often invite under-the-radar acts. Fandom has become so siloed now, so I’d like to see a popular program or showcase that could introduce new voices to its viewers.

11. A new “idol group formation” series with a unique format

Back in 2016, the Produce 101 franchise launched and changed the way survival series work forever. Ten years later, it’s seen countless rip-offs and the formula is feeling very stale. I’d like to see a legitimately fun and different series launch in 2026 that spawns a new idol group that can compete with MNET’s many projects. I’m not sure what this would look like (maybe similar to the UK’s old X-Factor format?) but I’m hungry for something new that breaks up the monotony these shows have become.