Welcome to the next Weekly KPOP Chart post for Week 1 of November 2025, which spans from November 2 to November 8, 2025.
If you haven’t noticed, this post is a few days late. That is because I am currently on break. But don’t worry, a few reviews are coming out this week (one for each day) before I return to my desk to review more songs, albums, and prepare some end-of-year content.
But until then, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts for Week 1 of November 2025.
What else am I listening to?
Each week, I spotlight a song not on the Weekly KPOP Charts that I’ve been listening to over the past week. This week’s song is XIA’s Incredible.
Non-Korean Song of the Week
Each week, the top-ranked non-Korean Song on the Weekly KPOP Chart is spotlighted (as this is an area I haven’t been focusing on as much on my blog lately). The non-Korean song of the past week is TWICE’s ME+YOU.
The Chart
xikers’ latest comeback single, SUPERPOWER (Peak), ranked in the top spot this past week. Congratulations to xikers!
One of the songs released last week that caught my attention was xikers’ comeback single, SUPEROWER (Peak), which serves as the lead single off their 6th mini-album, House of Tricky: Wrecking the House. Their last comeback, Breathe, was released in April this year, as part of their 5th mini-album, House of Tricky: Spur.
There were a few things that caught my attention within SUPERPOWER (Peak) whilst I was tuning into the new releases last week. However, ultimately, the song’s boldness was the most prominent and noteworthy aspect to discuss. The electro hip-hop background, from the hollow tinny beats at the start to the range of textured synth work in the verses, made this entire instrumental piece extremely appealing. Yes, it was loud, and I can understand why some might find it even obnoxious. But I really liked it. Even the instrumental break inserted at the end of SUPERPOWER (Peak) was very cool, and interestingly, it brought a touch of 2010s nostalgia to me. As for the members, they did exceptionally well with their aggressive and powerful raps and vocals. All the raps in the verses were super engaging, with each rapper bringing their own style to SUPERPOWER (Peak). As for the vocals, the autotune during the pre-chorus felt reminiscent of vocals from other electronic-based songs, while I really liked HYUNWOO’s powerful showing during the bridge. SUPERPOWER (Peak)‘s chorus sees xikers deliver the song’s centrepiece as a powerful shouty chant. While I don’t mind it, I do think it is a bit typical in the current landscape of boy-group music. But overall, SUPERPOWER (Peak) really excelled, and I really enjoyed it.
SUPERPOWER (Peak) is about how the members are in their most powerful form, which gives them the power to break down the walls and boundaries in their current form. This itself is essential context, as well as the fact that this album is the last in their House of Tricky series, which has been a consistent part of their album names since their debut. If you fast-forward to the end of the video, you will see the House of Tricky collapsing as the members leave the building, symbolising the closure and departure of the House of Tricky era. For some reason, xikers and the SUPERPOWER (Peak) conceptually fit in well with the industrial and underground setting, with the cyber cityscape in the background. Definitely a cool video, overall.
I really liked how the performance for SUPERPOWER (Peak) was both an intense routine and a hype routine. It was definitely a powerful routine, with xikers putting their all into the different ranges of intensity and building up the hype. I love how the dance break at the end of the routine (which coincides with the club vibe instrumental break of the song) was the peak moment of the entire performance, and it left me very satisfied and gratified with the routine.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
The last time we heard from xikers was through their WITCH era from their House of Tricky: Watch Out mini-album. A review for WITCH is long overdue, as is the mini-album. But that is not why we are here today. This past week, xikers released their 5th mini-album, House of Tricky: Spur, with the lead single BREATHE. As you can tell by the title of this post, that is today’s focus.
I might have a theory as to why I haven’t gotten around to writing a review for WITCH just yet (aside from time being a factor). BREATHE seems to confirm this theory – xikers’ output hasn’t been the same as in their earlier days. BREATHE is a loud and textural hip-hop dance track. While crunchy, it lacks personality, something xikers’s music featured a lot of in their debut year. Instead, I find it now just feels like any other song from a male group. BREATHE‘s instrumental conforms similarly. I did like the boisterous instrumental break we get in the bridge. Some of xikers’ rapping in BREATHE is powerful and prolific. But for some of the other rappers and the entirety of the vocal line, I don’t even remember anything from them. The repetitive ‘Breathe, Breathe‘ chant also doesn’t do much for me. Overall, BREATHE is not xikers’ best foot forward, especially since we know what they are capable of.
The music video opens with a scene showing HUNTER becoming possessed by the other members, passing on their fiery charisma. From then on, everyone is literally on fire (a visual representation of that fiery charisma). We see some members developing superpowers and being on fire (which might explain why SEEUN is holding a BBQ lamb chop). Set-wise, I think the exhaust set looked cool. The plain green background also looked good, especially with the black outfits – a classic pairing.
The accompanying choreography for this comeback looks super cool. I liked the intensity and robust nature of the choreography. With the energy going into it and how it never let up, the routine looked like a workout. My favourite bit has to be the dance break we get in the bridge, serving as the peak of the entire routine.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
xikers is gearing up for another comeback early next month. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to finally review their last album, House of Tricky: Trial and Error. Released in March of this year, House of Tricky: Trial and Error features the title track We Don’t Stop, the second promotional single, Red Sun, and 3 additional side tracks. Per usual, the link to the full review for the title track is below, as well as my thoughts on the 4 other songs the mini-album also features. Overall, another positive mini-album from xikers, proving to me (once again) why they should be on our radars.
House of Tricky: Trial And Error Album Cover
1. Trial and Error (whereabouts) – The mini-album starts with an instrumental piece that lasts just over 30 seconds. The electronic synths and breathy vocalisation create a haunting vibe that builds tension towards the first full track.
3. Red Sun – Red Sun was selected as the second promotional track from this era. Unfortunately, I will not be reviewing Red Sun separately despite it having its own performance video. Hearing the instrumental end of the song and considering the energy that Red Sun exudes, it is clear to me that this track is more of a performance piece. However, that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the rest of Red Sun. Hip-hop returns in Red Sun, but with more of a hype intent to it. Every time the chorus of Red Sun pops on my playlist, I find myself really getting into MINJAE and SUMIN’s punchy rapping and its flow. SUMIN, in particular, reminds me of BOBBY from iKON in both a visual and rapping sense in the song. Aside from the rapping, the song also features some good vocal moments. They provide some stability, but I wish they did this in a way that maintains the hype energy from the rapping rather than slowing down the song. (8/10)
4. Supercalifragilistic – The rush of energy that Supercalifragilistic gives is what kept me repeating this side track. The heavy bass, groovy beats and intense EDM backing have the adrenaline coursing through my body. It’s bold and super-defined, never letting up at any moment during the track. Definitely, a track you would be expecting at the height of a night at the club or a rave. But if there was any moment in which Supercalifragilistic did let you down instrumentally, the members were there to pick it right up. Their vocals and rapping were top-notch. Yechan’s rapping in the second verse is one of the best examples of this top-notch delivery. Seeun, Junmin, Yujun and Jinsik’s flow when it came to the ‘Get up on the flow… You know what you want? …’ part of the chorus is definitely another. While the anthem ending is done regularly in KPOP nowadays, Supercalifragilistic’s anthemic ending was just the icing on the cake for me and maintains the adrenaline-inducing energy throughout the track to the song’s end. (10/10)
5. Every Flavor Jelly(온갖 맛이 나는 젤리) – Every Flavor Jelly’s placement after Supercalifragilistic was not ideal, especially since I tend to expect the succeeding song on any album to exceed the song prior. Unfortunately, this expectation impacts my thoughts (and this review) of Every Flavor Jelly. I thought the song’s arrangement was a bit messy. I’m unsure why, but Every Flavor Jelly could have been a little tighter to achieve a cleaner and tidier profile. The members continue to be energetic and intense as per the previous tracks (which I like), though they could have been clearer in their delivery and not slur their words as much as they did in this song. That energy and intensity the members put into the song became lost during Every Flavor Jelly’s choruses. The central piece felt paced, holding the members back from realising their full potential in this song. (7/10)
6. Break A Leg – Closing out the mini-album is Break A Leg, a rock-influenced track that takes you back to the early 2000s. A great throwback, with guitar riffs that bring out some great textures and forward propulsion. The vocal work was solid. JINSIK’s part in the bridge was awesome and was a perfect peak for this track. For the most part, the rapping was solid, as well. I wish the members with a whinier rapping style didn’t sound as whiny in this song. Some of it was warranted, but I felt there was too much of it. I do think Break A Leg had the potential to go further. But it was still pretty good as it is. (8/10)
xikers made their comeback on the final day of the week with the single We Don’t Stop and their 3rd mini-album, House of Tricky: Trial and Error. It is their first comeback of 2024, after their debut with TRICKY HOUSE and first comebackDO or DIE.
There is a whole lot going on in We Don’t Stop and you never know where the song was going next. But despite being a lot, We Don’t Stop always revisits a common denominator in all its sequences – 90s hip-hop. And true to the song’s title, xikers don’t stop in We Don’t Stop. They constantly delivered throughout the track, particularly impressing me with their expressive rapping style. This, in combination with an ongoing rock influence in the instrumentation for We Don’t Stop, creates a promising start to the song and brings out an even more profound hip-hop influence. The chorus ends up being less memorable, with the instrumental overpowering the group’s delivery in a few regards. I wished this was not the case, as a more prolific chorus could have made We Don’t Stop unstoppable. The post-chorus soft ‘Break it, Break it down‘ was a really nice palate cleanser and provided some much needed relief from the robust energy that comes off We Don’t Stop, yet it doesn’t stray too far from the rest of the song. A heavier dose of synths come into the play in the second verse before the rock style comes back into the play for the chorus and bridge. Finally, We Don’t Stop ends with a slower paced but energy packed hip-hop anthem sequence, which really emphasised the 90s influence and formed a dramatic and impressionable end to the song. Yeah, a lot going on as I have already mentioned. But this lot is pretty great, minus a hiccup or two.
Just like in the song, xikers and the production team for this accompanying music video leans into the 90s hip-hop style strongly via the members’ outfits. There is also some cool set designs and some cool effects in the video (like the bouncing buildings in the second post-chorus sequence). Apart from that, it is a rather straight forward video that complements well with the song and the group’s youthful energy.
Two things stand out from this routine for me. The first is how fun it looks. This sells the choreography and reflects the energy of the song quite well. The second, which might also contributed to the first one, is the group’s expressions throughout the routine. They were really into it and made the entire choreography even more expressive and memorable, as a result.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
xikers is nominated for Best New Male Group and their single ROCKSTAR is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support xikers and ROCKSTAR by clicking here to vote for them and your other favourite artists, songs and performances today.
Today’s album review focuses on xikers’ second mini-album, House of Tricky: How To Play, which was released at the beginning of August this year with the title tracks DO or DIE and HOMEBOY. This is the group’s first comeback, following their debut in March 2023 with House of Tricky: Door Bell Ringing, which featured the title tracks Tricky House and ROCKSTAR (the latter is nominated for Best Rock Song of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED in case you forgot to the read top part of this post). This latest mini-album really consolidates the rookie group’s presence in the KPOP industry this year amongst some very high profile male group debut acts. Pretty much all the songs on this mini-album are powerful, loud and noisy in their own way, which is pretty much on par with the rest of the industry. However, xikers keeps it interesting and has me coming back for more.
House of Tricky: How to Play Album Cover
1. Skater – If you are looking for a track that is filled to the brim, look no further than Skater. I like the brightness that the track exudes, which is thanks to its pop energy that the synths in the instrumentation form and the dynamic flair that the members give off throughout Skater. I particularly enjoyed the soaring effect of the vocals towards the end of the choruses and the rapping leaves a strong impression. I did feel Skater was slightly overwhelming, given how everything felt like it was piled onto one another. But I can also see it as a potential charm which might get listeners interested. (9/10)
4. Koong – Koong was actually the first song to be unveiled from this album via the release of a performance video a week before the mini-album and first title track dropped. I was going to review it separately, but have shelved that plan in the interest of time. Koong takes a serious turn, with powerful hip-hop beats and intense energy that packs a punch. This is heightened by the autotune and vocal processing applied to the members’ vocals and rapid rapping, and the piano work etched into the synth soundscape in the background at some parts of Koong. The track has a punchy hook in its chorus, but I like the shoutier delivery of the song title the most as it just has so much character to it. As a teaser to the new mini-album, Koong actually sets the bar up quite high. (8.5/10)
5. Run – Moving away from intensity is the brighter Run. After a powerful track like Koong, Run does come off as refreshing and I like that aspect. I am not entirely keen on the squirrely synths we hear in the choruses, and like the first track, Run does feel very full to the brim. But the rest of the song is solid work for xikers. I just felt more memorable hooks and melodies could have made Run even better. (7.5/10)
6. Sunny Side – Old school hip-hop comes into play for the final track on the mini-album, which is a different sound compared to the rest of the mini-album. Sunny Side still maintains xikers’ EDM profile, showing off some pretty cool synth choices that works really well with the old school hip-hop style. I found the “Sun is coming up” to be quite catchy. Likewise with the chorus melodies. Even the rappers felt just right in the song with their sequences. It is a definite step away from the rest in the mini-album, but I see that as a nice way to ease off a very energetic and full-on mini-album. (8.5/10)
xikers is nominated for Best New Male Group and their single ROCKSTAR is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support xikers and ROCKSTAR by clicking here to vote for them and your other favourite artists, songs and performances today.
xikers returned back in August of this year with their first comeback and second mini-album, House of Tricky: How To Play. Leading the charge of this mini album was one of two title tracks from the mini-album, DO or DIE. A little more than a week on from the release of both the mini-album and DO or DIE, xikers also released the music video for their second title track, HOMEBOY, which is the focus of today’s song review.
HOMEBOY steps away from the likes of rock that has featured heavily in their title tracks thus far, going with a more lighter dance track instead. HOMEBOY also features a mildly slower change of pace, which was refreshing for the group, especially since their tracks that I can remember from them have been of a high energy manner. This allows the group to explore a sound that is more sentimental, which tends to lend well towards a showcase of vocals. While I don’t think we necessarily get that showcase in HOMEBOY, it does give us better opportunity to focus on and appreciate xikers’ vocals. That whole bridge, including the high note, was probably the closest we got to a “showcase” of vocals. It was nice and all, but I would have liked some really more profound moments. The rappers did a nice job of holding themselves back to not overwhelm and contrast too differently from the lightness of the track. Their parts definitely gave bite to HOMEBOY and also made the song interesting to listen to. That being said, the only part in which I felt could have used a do-over is Yechan’s rapping in the first verse, as I felt the autotune was a bit too thick there. His part in the second verse, along with Minjae and Sumin’s, was a lot clearer and easier on the ears. In addition to that, I would have liked stronger hooks and melodies to really remember HOMEBOY by, along with some vibrancy to the instrumentation, which would have helped make HOMEBOY feel more refreshing, offset the heftier beats and break up the instrumental a bit to make it not feel as overly consistent as HOMEBOY does at the moment. Overall, a neat change to what I am used to from xikers.
We see the members hangout and have fun in each other’s company in this music video. This works well with the song’s message of living life without any worries. There isn’t much else to the video, aside from some cool visual effects like the changing daytime/nighttime skies and the massive paper plane. I also really like the bridge scene, with all the members looking forward (see the featured imaged for this post). This part for some reason felt very stilling and profound for me, and their gazes really brought out that sentimental feeling of the tender kind.
On stage, xikers’ performance looks very fun and endearing. Despite the slower pace, I like how upbeat and cheerful the performance looked. The start was very interesting, and I liked how well timed the members running in the circle was. The airplane-like move was a nice addition and made sense as the lyrics do mention flying, although it became less airplane-like as the performance went on and become wavey-like instead.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
The next album to be reviewed on the blog is xikers’ debut mini-album, House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing. This was released back in March of this year, and features the title tracks TRICKY HOUSE and ROCKSTAR. Alongside those tracks are 3 side tracks and two instrumental tracks that serves as an intro and interlude to the mini-album. The seven track mini-album successfully kicks off xikers’ career with a strong setlist of songs, and immediately introduces the group as one that embraces intensity and powerful sounds. Each track on this mini conforms to that description. So if you like your intensity and powerful sounds in your music, then do check out the tracks below.
House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing Album Cover
1. The TRICKY’s Secret – Creating suspense from the very first second is the intro track, which runs for just under 2 minutes. The TRICKY’s Secret begins with some haunting music box twinkling and some eerie yet captivating narration that introduces the xikers’ debuting concept. From there, the synths build into the song and we are given an intense rush of synths that feels euphoric. No score will be given to this track, but it is a bold and cool start to both the mini-album and xikers’ career.
2. Doorbell Ringing – It took a while for the next track to really get somewhere. But when Doorbell Ringing gets to it, it knocks my socks off. The start of the track continues that haunting vibe that we heard in the intro track. As it is something we have heard before on the mini-album, the start does come off a bit boring. It isn’t until the second half of the chorus where Doorbell Ringing builds up its intensity and energy does the track really wakes me up and delivers a banger. The first half of the chorus is very hip-hop centric and playful, but the background is a little too empty for my liking. From there, the rapping and vocals becomes more appealing and the intense instrumentation becomes more interesting. But the final chorus was definitely the highlight, with everything from the build-up to the eventuating energy coming together well and strongly closes out Doorbell Ringing. (8/10)
4. Dynamic (淸亮(청량)) – Dynamic serves as an interlude track, introducing the rock that is about to come in the mini-album. This instrumental track was super energetic and fast-paced. The guitar work is quite crunchy at the start, and develops into a purely electrifying element. The drumming is also awesome.
6. XIKEY – xikers spit fire in XIKEY, with the rappers really standing out in the verses. That haunting vibe returns in the pre-chorus segments (and later on, in the instrumentation of the second verse), but it isn’t exact replication of what we heard earlier on in the mini-album, so it doesn’t become off as boring. The choruses are super rough and the contributing members are very hoarse in the central piece of XIKEY, which makes for a deep yet intriguing centrepiece. After the second chorus, the song changes and I am not entirely sure what to think about that. The bridge of the song unexpectedly switches up for a lighter tone, with the vocalists given a chance to come to the front. It does balance out the track in a way, but it just too many steps away from what precedes and succeeds the bridge. The lighter tone does make way for an explosive end that turns the track into a powerful and robust anthem. (7/10)
7. Oh My Gosh – After the likes of XIKEY, I am glad the mini-album ends on a more cohesive note. That being said, there are some changes to the momentum as Oh My Gosh progresses, but it isn’t as wild as the preceding track. The chorus has this bombastic feel that does not disappoint. The use of EDM in this hip-hop track opens up the track to some dynamic energy and enables an upbeat dance track at the same time. The track also gives the rappers opportunity to spit their fire once again and the vocalists are given multiple moments to shine (really enjoyed the bridge in this one). Yet there was no cost to the energy and intensity of Oh My Gosh, which stays pretty high and consistent throughout. (9/10)
xikers made their debut at the end of March of this year with the mini-album HOUSE OF TRICKY: Doorbell Ringing and one of the title tracks from their debut mini-album was TRICKY HOUSE. The other title track is ROCKSTAR, and is the subject of this post. Since their debut, the group has also returned with their second mini-album, HOUSE OF TRICKY: How to Play, which is lead by the single DO or DIE and Koong (the latter will be the subject of another review in the future).
Their recent release of DO or DIE took on a punkish rock sound that I described as thrilling to listen to. But DO or DIE isn’t the first time that the group trekked into rock territory. xikers previously did so with the single ROCKSTAR, which is equally as thrilling (if not more) than DO or DIE. At times, ROCKSTAR felt like a more dynamic and vibrant take on what ATEEZ would sound like if they did a rock/dance track (i.e. Guerrilla). The main difference between them and their more senior labelmates is that added dynamism and vibrant tinge that I had just mentioned, which gives xikers an opportunity to make the intense rock sound and style their own. And they did so successfully. The energy that comes off ROCKSTAR is super powerful and intense. Their execution felt elevated and polished to the point where they did not feel like a newly debut group. The vocals were a little muffled due to the processing to match up with the rock intensity, but the rapping really benefits from the energy driven nature of ROCKSTAR. The first half of the chorus was features a grungier sound, while the second half of the chorus (i.e. when the head-banging rock comes into play) shows a relentless approach to the rock sound. I also equally enjoyed how intensified it got at the very end of the song. Such an ender just gives ROCKSTAR the chance to signal the end and feel complete the song without repeating everything we had heard earlier on in the song. That would’ve ruined the song, and I am so glad that the producers only thought of how ROCKSTAR could have gone up from there. Overall, ROCKSTAR is a very strong showing to why xikers is one of the male rookie groups to look out for in 2023.
The lyrics of the song are about youth and chasing one’s dreams (taken from Soompi), and we see the group go from schoolboys to (what I presume are) artists at the end. The energy and passion, as per the featured image of this post, comes from the members’ hearts and that their desire to become artists is within them, waiting to be unleashed. And in the end, the storm and eye helps the members unleash the that power and desire. I would have liked more explanation of the eye and/or storm (but I am presuming both are the same thing), maybe through an intro scene or an outro scene, as I feel like this is a unique concept that could be a recurring element in their music videos. We know KQ Entertainment love their trilogy concepts and story-telling in their music videos.
That intensity that I mentioned earlier on in this review is definitely showcased and alive on this stage. It is the best aspect of the performance and makes the whole watching experience thrilling and electrifying. I really like how the members put their all into the performance and do not hold back at any moment.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
It is a brand new month! Welcome back to the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 1st Week Of August 2023. It has been a busy week for me, with a lot of work and stuff to do. As a result, that song review which I had intended to post later on during the week did not go up. But I will make sure it will be going up later this week. An album review is also on its way today. But as usual, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart.
Recap of the past week
This past week has been quite busy and I managed to post:
Joining all those new releasesthis week as new releases are the following songs:
Like A Wind – VROMANCE
Wonder Land – SEVENUS
BLUE – XEED
Love Song – Yong Junhyung
Break Out – CHEN (EXO)
BLOSSOM – ENHYPEN
WE GO – The Wind
Higher – n.Ssign
MAD – ABLUE
Turn It Off – NINE.i
ONE MORE TIME – BBGIRLS
Planet – BXB
Peanut Butter & Tears – DPR IAN
MADELEINE – LIMELIGHT
FREE WORLD – CHEN (EXO)
PARTY’S NOT OVER – Stray Kids
Throwback Song of the Week
This week’s throwback song is a Brown Eyed Girls’ song (one of my favourite KPOP artists all-time). I came across their name somewhere during the week (can’t remember where or the circumstances). But naturally, a binge occurred. And so, this week’s throwback song pick is their 2014 release, Kill Bill.
Non-Korean Song of the Week
Each week, I feature the highest ranking non-Korean song by a Korean artist in this part of the Weekly KPOP Charts. For the 1st Week of August 2023, that song is TXT and Jonas Brother’s collaboration single, Do It Like This.
The Charts
Congratulations to xikers for debuting on the top of KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Charts this week for the very first time with their first comeback single, DO or DIE. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down below.
