Three girl groups from Kpop or inspired by Kpop were mentioned in the “50 BEST SONGS OF 2025” ranking by the British music magazine NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS (NME): KATSEYE, NMIXX and HUNTR/X.
The song by KATSEYE, “Gnarly”, ranked 5th on the chart, revealed Monday, followed by NMIXX with “Spinnin’ on it” at 43rd place and HUNTR/X with “Golden”, a track from the Netflix hit animated film “KPOP DEMON HUNTERS”, at 46th place.
“When KATSEYE debuted in 2024, they seemed to take a soft and cute approach to reach the girl group superstardom. In April, they ceremoniously discarded all that softness with the attitude and sharpness of “Gnarly”.”
For NMIXX and “Spinnin’ on it”, NME praised the complexity of the song, stating that its “bittersweet pop-rock journey” exploring toxic romantic relationships was “intensified by textured percussion and bass lines.”
For “Golden”, NME complimented “the pop excellence” of the song, which “stems from its melodic power, setting it apart in the sea of TikTok hits of 2025.”
“Add to that the vocal finesse of EJAE, REI AMI and AUDREY NUNA, and it becomes a cathartic anthem that defeats demons, breaks records, seals the Honmoon and enters history,” the magazine wrote.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS Artistes, NME website
