December is here, and with it comes a stellar lineup of music icons ending the year on a high note. K-pop fans will find themselves spoiled with treats from Cravity’s hip-hop nostalgia to Twice’s disco-infused “Strategy”, featuring the group’s second bold collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion. However, all eyes are on BLACKPINK’s Rosé this month as her chart-topping hit, APT.”, segways Blinks into her solo debut album era, something that’s more cut from her personal diary than K-pop itself.
Latin pop newcomer Joaquina adds a heartfelt addition to her catalog with “aeropuerto”, an acoustic love letter inspired by family ties and distance, while NBA rolls out his braggadocious “I Just Got A Lot On My Shoulders” record. Still, let’s not forget about cold winter mornings as Aquilo’s “You Should Get Some Sleep” continues the duo’s soothing journey through the ambient alternative space.
For those craving a festive flair, Sabrina Carpenter’s “A Nonsense Christmas” doubles as a Netflix holiday special, singing holiday classics with musical peers Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain, and more. Hyperpop’s underground king Babymorocco is the new champion of indie sleaze on “Amour”, a new house party anthem, while Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre return with “Missionary”, a modern-day G-funk odyssey that bridges generations new and old with genre-bending collaborations.
And as the year wraps, more icons refuse to rest: Nicki Minaj extends her Queen of Rap reign with the “Pink Friday 2- The Hiatus” while Stray Kids pushes hip-hop norms on their “SkzHop Hiptape”. Ahead, take a closer look at your favorite artists’ year-end releases coming this December.
“FIND THE ORBIT” by CRAVITY
December 5
The nine-member K-pop boy band continues to build up their catchy hip-hop with their new single album, “FIND YOUR ORBIT”. New visual promotions tease a nostalgic youth cloaked in black-and-white field frolics– a distinct departure from Cravity’s previous energetic performances, which ensured their first terrestrial TV music show win with the euphoric pop-rock track “Love or Die”.
“aeropuerto” by Joaquina
December 5
The Venezuelan-born, Miami-based singer-songwriter is a new voice of Latin pop that will surely take the world by storm with her heartfelt lyrics and new music era– already five songs deep in acoustic pop. “‘Aeropuerto’ is a song I wrote inspired by visiting my great-grandmother around Christmas, at a time when I felt like it would Ahead of his 27-month prison sentence for prescription drug fraud, NBA Youngboy slowly released nearly half of his upcoming album’s track list leading up to its official December release– another rare southern trap experience balancing X-rated sexcapades, dissing competition, and reflective ramblings.
probably be the last time we would see each other,” the Grammy winner said about her upcoming single on Instagram. “I see this song as a love letter to all of your loved ones far away– telling them that no matter where you are, you always carry a piece of them with you everywhere.”
“I Just Got A Lot On My Shoulders” by YoungBoy Never Broke Again
December 8
Ahead of his 27-month prison sentence for prescription drug fraud, NBA Youngboy slowly released nearly half of his upcoming album’s track list leading up to its official December release– another rare southern trap experience balancing X-rated sexcapades, dissing competition, and reflective ramblings.
“rosie” by Rosé
December 6
Hailing from one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, BLACKPINK’s Rosé continues to hype her eponymous solo debut record, using her Bruno Mars-assisted smash hit, “APT.” Now, with over 1 billion global streams since its October release, the New Zealand-born singer ushered in the piano-driven “number one angel”, a more accurate look at her 12-track record, which details her turbulent love life over the past four years.
“STRATEGY” by TWICE
December 6
After a long-deserved break, thanks to subunit MISAMO and solo activities from Nayeon and Tzuyu, K Pop’s Twice is ready for their 14th EP– a post-disco foray that flirts with liquid drum-and-bass– championed by the savvy title track feature from Megan Thee Stallion. The superstar group was featured on Stallion’s remix of “Mamushi” for the rapper’s deluxe album, “Megan: Act II”. After topping the Billboard 200 chart in February with their previous EP, “With YOU-th”, Twice finished their 51-date “Ready To Be” world tour in late July.
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