Nawoo : Now
Nawoo is a three-piece R&B pop band I discovered near the end of 2025 through their debut EP Now, and I am so glad I did. Their band name “nawoo (나우)” is a wordplay with “now,” same as their EP title, Nawoo wishes to make music that tells the stories of the exact moment for the listener.
Now is an album full of style — no matter the chic bass in “Kayajam,” heavenly harmonies in “Up to you,” the nostalgic guitars in “Fade Out” or the rich textures in “Panorama (Feat. Hwihwa)”’s instrumental, every song indeed lives its own moment, and it is very exciting where they will bring this concept to.
ZIN CHOI : handlewithcare
With handlewithcare, ZIN CHOI is definitely making a name for herself within the Korean Indie scene. It is an EP so raw, charismatic yet so simple, in fact the amateur textures and creative absurdity is what makes this EP so special and uniquely hers. I find myself keep coming back to the track “elf on the shelf,” with the addictive humming threaded throughout the song and the lyrics full of life, I can’t help but fall in love with the young artist’s magical world.
molar system – system malfunction
This is another band that marked 2025 for me. molar system’s sound is so refreshingly innovative that I think they will definitely become something in the future. system malfunction, their debut EP is no way a modest entry into their work. The EP lacks linearity on purpose, shaped with experimental sounds and presents their take on psychedelic rock. It is a hugely immersive EP and sounds exactly like its title—not fully malfunctioned, but speaks beautiful chaos.
ASOM – Zzz
ASOM’s midi-lofi bedroom pop is what I live for. Her sweet vocal tones melts effortlessly into the jumpy chords in this one, the trap-inspired beats works surprisingly well with the muted keys in the background, while ASOM’s voice remains light and easy-listening in the topline. Along with “Dim glow” released back in September, ASOM has well-curated her delicate sound and stays a hidden gem in the Korean Indie scene!
JISU – 6o6
Producer, DJ, and singer-songwriter JISU has teamed up with fellow singer-songwriter Sinae for this double-single album, bringing together their unique vocal tones and some really interesting productions!
I absolutely adore whatever loveable mess that is “i L i K e y O u !,” a track that is just so cute that makes you squeal with and kick your feet as you headbop to the kawaii pop spectacle. While “Ahtcha!” features a more mature sound, still enriched with riffing synths and tickling elements throughout, 6o6 plays just like the background music to the little heart-fluttering moments in daily life.
Yuk Seokcheol, 1ANDON, Lil Moshpit : MY MAN
With hip-hop producer Liil Moshpit famous for hard-hitting rage, you may expect this track to be intensely hip, however it is the exact opposite — still intense but in how indulgent the track is. Imagine having your fifth glass of wine in a jazz bar, lights dim on a Saturday night as you chat away with friends, this track sounds exactly like that.
The melodic saxophone, the dancing piano, lively trumpets, and electronica funk beats blend perfectly into each other in making up this jazz-pop tune. The recurring electronic elements in the first half and the transition into the instrumental segment in the second verse had me obsessed, never thought I would like an instrumental song so much before “MY MAN.”
Written by Janis L for Korean Indie.