The Mama Awards (Angel's Version)

The year 2025 proved yet again that Korean music isn't going anywhere, cementing K-Pop's status not just as a genre, but as a dominant global phenomenon. From record-smashing hits and industry-shaking debuts to incredible cross-cultural collaborations, the standard for excellence has never been higher.

Inspired by the MAMA AWARDS hosted on November 28th and 29th, The Statesman’s resident K-Pop scholars—Angel, Ashley, and Isaac—formed a powerful trio to create our own alternative ceremony: The 2025 K-Pop Awards. We have adapted core MAMA categories like "Song of the Year," while merging others (e.g., Best Male and Female Soloist into a single Best Soloist title) and adding a new category to celebrate K-Pop’s “Rising Stars” who may have flown under the radar.

Get ready for a passionate, subjective, and definitive look at the best Korean music of 2025. While you await The Statesman's full article release, here is a sneak peek at Angel's top picks from our judging process!

Album of the Year: Echo by Jin (2025)

Having gifted fans with the heartfelt joy and rock-infused positivity of his first post-military album, “Happy,” Jin quickly followed up with a more introspective and complex release, “Echo.” With six of the seven tracks composed by the artist himself (known to fans as “Worldwide Handsome”), “Echo” moves beyond “Happy”’s primarily celebratory themes to explore an abyss of raw emotion. It tackles the universal complexities of love, loss, self-acceptance and loyalty with a profound maturity. Its title track, “Don’t Say You Love Me,” tackles the wounds of a dragged-out breakup. Jin sings, “Don’t tell me that you’re gonna miss me / just tell me that you wanna kill me,” begging his soon-to-be ex-love to let him go, as stringing him along is what hurts the most. 

That’s not to say the album lacks Jin’s signature whimsy. For instance, the artist inserts his own modulated “neighing” mimicry into the country-rock-infused track “Rope It.” This playful tone contrasts sharply with “Loser (feat. YENA)”, a pop-punk collaboration that doesn’t bear its adjacent track’s levels of yeehaw unseriousness. Instead, “Loser” is an angsty, bickering track where the two vocalists role-play a couple trading petulant jabs, swinging between overly sweet, possessive lines (“You love me, you miss me, you tell me I’m beautiful/ Baby you need me, you don’t want to let me go”) and the childishly dismissive (“Not a loser, loser, You’re a loser, loser”). This dynamic perfectly encapsulates the push-and-pull of a volatile teenage romance. 

Co-written and produced by Yojiro Noda of Radwimps, “With The Clouds” is a soaring, uplifting track that is painted with specks of wistfulness, weaving together rock, pop, and ballad elements with a subtle touch of traditional Korean influence. Inspired by watching animations, Jin wrote 90% of the lyrics, which detail an exhilarating, insanely vivid journey of traveling through the sky. Jin sings with an explanatory narrative tone, making every chord and tonal change feel like a new chapter in a complicated, yet ultimately hopeful, story. Beneath the track’s energetic, upbeat illusion lies a profound lyrical promise of selfless devotion. “If the tears holding your sadness are rain / I'll gladly soak it all up, take it all."

Jin vows to take on the other person's pain and sorrow, symbolized by "rain.” Such willingness to share in the other's burdens highlights a selfless, protective nature. Set to an epic rock score, “With The Clouds” ensures that even when things are complicated, Jin will stand as a shield, ensuring the journey continues and the purity of his bond with the subject, be it ARMY or BTS, remains “just like the day we began.”

The emotional range of Echo is indeed, as Jungkook would put it, “deeper than the ocean is,” but its centerpiece is arguably the track “Background.” While the song’s lyrics convey Jin’s promise to remain a light in the darkness for ARMY through his solo activities — appearing in variety shows like “Kian’s Bizarre B&B,” creating his own “RUN BTS” spin-off (“RUN JIN”), touring, and releasing two albums — the lyrics reveal a much deeper emotional struggle. The song finds the artist reckoning with loss and the passing of time, mourning a past where “your whole world was me.” He sings of being “a late afterimage on a stage with the lights turned off,” calling for his love but only hearing his voice echo in response. 

Ultimately, the track crystallizes Jin’s profound loyalty to the stage, to ARMY, to his members: he acknowledges the pains of dreams “gradually forgotten,” yet definitively states, “I still choose you” and promises, “I’ll be here in the background.” Jin is not standing in the background because he’s been left behind — he’s standing there so that when BTS returns, there will still be a place for them on that stage, lights on, the brightest stars in ARMY’s “Mikrokosmos”. After all, as Jin sings earnestly on the Coldplay-esque track 2, he’s “Nothing Without Your Love.” The album concludes with the energetic, self-love anthem “To Me, Today.” This uplifting song encourages fans to fly to “where their heart beats” and to focus on enjoying the present moment instead of worrying about the “scorched me of yesterday.” This song serves as a beautiful continuation of Jin’s first solo song “Awake,” where he sang “maybe I could never fly.” With time, Jin realized that such “useless thoughts” and fears should be left to yesterday, as every tomorrow offers a new chance to soar.

Runner-ups: “Ruby” by Jennie (2025) and “Rosie” by Rosé (2025) 

Artist of the Year: JIN 

Jin is my artist of the year because when I thought seeing BTS during their military era was impossible, he challenged me with  “DOJEON!” I then saw him four times, had “Echo” (2025) dominate my Spotify Wrapped and heard “Don’t Say You Love Me” (2025) live from just two feet away at the Empire State building—he brought BTS to me. Aside from my personal bias, JIN had quite the year. His single “Don’t Say You Love Me,” surpassed 656 million streams on Spotify, making it the only song released by a K-Act this year to achieve that milestone (excluding HUNTR/X’s “Golden”)! 

He dropped his album, “Echo,” on May 16, 2025, and delighted fans by immediately embarking on his first solo world tour, the #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR. This extravaganza made Jin the first Asian solo artist to surpass both the $30 million monthly revenue and 217,0000 attendees milestone (achieved with just the US and Japan legs). Even amidst this schedule, he managed to pump out new weekly “RUN JIN” episodes on YouTube throughout the Spring, concluding shortly after the release of his sophomore album. Furthermore, he solidified his status as a brand powerhouse by launching his own traditional Korean liquor brand, “IGIN,” and becoming a global ambassador for major companies including ALO, Ottogi JIN RAMEN and, of course, DONGWON TUNA.

Best Male Artist: Tomorrow X Together

Tomorrow X Together solidified themselves as true Star Seekers by delivering a dream lineup of releases this year. The septet started strong with “Love Language” (2025), a bright, cheerful Afro-house track characterized by a beat reminiscent of Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” (2015). The performances of this song were ABSolutely mesmerizing, and I think if Zoey from “Kpop Demon Hunters” (2025) existed in this timeline, popcorn would be exploding everywhere the moment she laid eyes upon the entirety of TXT during Soobin’s dramatic “ teach me all about your love language” shirt lift. 

However, one powerful B-side the general public likely overlooked was the jubilant “Rise” (2025). Released on April 6th as an OST for the anime “BEYBLADE X,” (2023) the track includes highly relatable lyrics that any college student trying to get through the final stretch of the fall semester can cling to: “I'm walking and stumbling, I'm crying 'bout something, but I am not breaking.” The song encourages listeners to never let go of their strength, asserting that, as “the sun overcomes every time, it’s all about to rise.” Though cliché, its motivational message proved essential for navigating the year.

The group released other notable droplets throughout the first half of the year, including the OST “When the Day Comes” (Residential Playbook),  the Japanese single “Step by Step” (a personal favorite), and “Butterflies” by JVKE featuring Taehyun of TXT and Chaewon of Le Sserafim.

Their most significant release, however, is their album “The Star Chapter: Together” (2025), which dropped on July 21st. The tracklist features three group songs and, for the first time, five solo tracks from each member. The opener, “Upside Down Kiss” (2025), features the startling lyric: “Babygirl let’s get freaky,” a remark I’ve playfully rebranded as “Babygirl watch K-ALL” (Sometimes delulu is the solulu, a belief proven when my slogan accidentally made its way to Yeonjun for a podcast promo! Special thanks to my dear friend, Flory, who carried my silly little graphic design into the arena.) 

The title track, “Beautiful Strangers” (2025), delivered nostalgic romance in true TXT fashion. While the track felt slightly safe, bearing a resemblance to their previous release “Deja Vu” (2025), the album ultimately benefited from the unique flavors of the five solo tracks. My personal favorites are Soobin’s bubbly “Sunday Driver” (2025) and Beomgyu’s emotionally loaded “Take My Half” (2025). The latter is particularly impressive, featuring three unique choruses that read like a poem. It details complex growing pains, evolving from selfishly wishing others were miserable (similar to their track “Ice Cream”) to finally reaching a point of readily wanting to give even your smallest successes to the person you love (“ you can take my half”).

Runner up: ZEROBASEONE 

They deserve the crown solely for the meme production and the pepero challenge revival.

Best Collaboration: “Spaghetti” - LE SSERAFIM feat. j-hope (2025)

LE SSERAFIM’s track, “Spaghetti (feat. j-hope of BTS)” is a bold, metaphorical masterpiece that transforms public criticism and online negativity into an undeniable feast of success. Featuring a legendary collaboration with j-hope, the track and its music video serve to amplify the group’s message of resilience and self-confidence, cementing the group’s unapologetic “anti-fragile” ethos in the face of intense public scrutiny following incidents like their 2024 Coachella performance (but we don’t talk about Bruno). The collaboration also marks a conceptual departure for LE SSERAFIM. They shifted their title tracks from using adjectives (“Easy” (2024) and “Anti-Fragile” (2022)) to embracing a bold noun, “Spaghetti.” This reflects a new approach in their music and concept, signifying ownership over their narrative after enduring online toxicity.

The song’s genius lies in its central metaphor: LE SSERAFIM and their music are an irresistible plate of spaghetti — a “guilty pleasure” that critics can’t stop consuming, which ultimately gets “stuck between your teeth.” To remind their hungry haters of this, LE SSERAFIM splattered increments of a spaghetti dish like pasta and sauce across each of their previous album and single releases, serving both as an easter egg for their delicious comeback and as a reinforcement for those who listen to their music in spite that they still can’t seem to quit LE SSERAFIM’s discography cold turkey. 

By calling themselves the “hot spot” from the very first lyric, LE SSERAFIM acknowledges that critics are quick to make remarks about them. The idea of the music being “stuck between your teeth” highlights that negative gossip only confirms the group’s doing something right — they’re making music you can’t put down. The lyrics explicitly challenge the haters who pretend to dislike the group, asking, “What happened to your diet? Sneaking a bite when no one’s looking.” This asserts that those who claim to stop listening are secretly tuning in, proving they are addicted consumers of the group’s content. 

The song brilliantly flips the script, suggesting that the act of hating is poisonous to the critics themselves. The concept of “eating it up” is linked to self-inflicted digestive upset, which is mirrored in the choreography when LE SSERAFIM pretends to throw up during the chorus lyrics. This comical killing point movement emphasizes the absurdity of allowing hatred to consume you whole until you spew animosity, all while the group you’re targeting remains productive.

j-hope was a brilliant collaborative choice, given BTS’s precedent for expertly transforming negativity into something positive on tracks like “Mic Drop” and “We are Bulletproof PT.2,” a theme that makes the group’s namesake truly “bulletproof.” The collaboration is further powered by j-hope’s intense individual artistry; the rapper’s artistic force is blazing after his widely sold-out “Hope on the Stage” tour, which showcased electrifying hits like “Arson” and “More.” It is that very fiery “Jack in the Box” energy that j-hope infuses into his feature with LE SSERAFIM.  

j-hope coins his own verse as “the sweet spot” and I refer to it as “the meatballs” of LE SSERAFIM’s “Spaghetti” dish. In other words, j-hope’s verse offered food for thought that I could really sink my teeth into. He asserts their dominance with the line “You’re lost in the sauce. There’s no turning back,” signifying that naysayers are now irrevocably part of the group’s success narrative. He dismisses his opponents by claiming, “I’m the main character in your kind of drama,” showing that haters make him the focal point of their lives. He further labels his music as the rage-filled individual’s “high-calorie Hershey chocolate,” emphasizing its addictive nature despite their resistance.

From the noodle-like choreography to the red-hot bars of j-hope’s verse, LE SSERAFIM deliver a visual and auditory experience ready for consumption; the choice to healthily enjoy or overindulge is left to the listener’s personal palate.

Runner Up: “Stop The Rain” - TABLO X RM (2025) and “APT” - ROSÉ & Bruno Mars

Shoutout to Tablo for sending me a Stop The Rain card deck in honor of my analysis of the song. He’s the G.O.A.T.

Best Music Video: “A Beautiful Person” - IU feat. Balming Tiger (2025)

Put Cha Eunwoo and IU in the same music video, and you have yourself a contender for best K-Drama of 2025. 

Best Vocal: Performance Solo: “toxic till the end” by Rosé

When Rosé recorded “toxic till the end” (2024), she stepped into that studio mad. She emerged with the emotional equivalent of her very own Taylor Swift Red scarf in the form of “Tiffany Rings.” This comparison to Swift’s heartbreak legacy is not accidental. The music video for “toxic till the end” was notably filmed at the exact location used for Swift’s iconic “Blank Space”(2014) music video.

Yet there is no “Bad Blood” (2016) between the two. Rosé revealed that when she first met the “Fate of Ophelia” (2025) singer, Swift offered personalized solo advice and even provided her phone number for future career guidance. 

This union seemed to have deeply infused Rosé with Swiftian penmanship. Her debut solo album, “Rosie” (2024), is teeming with raw heartbreak anthems that place the Australian singer/songwriter firmly alongside Taylor Swift’s past acoustic, emotionally-driven releases, such as those found on the album “Red” (2012). In all honesty, Rosé delivered the authentic singer/songwriter sound I have been longing for from Taylor Swift, effectively filling a deepening void in the acoustic, emotionally raw space of pop music. While the Best Vocal Performance Solo award undoubtedly goes to the stunning “toxic till the end,” I highly recommend exploring her B-sides, specifically “not the same,” “3am,” “stay a little longer” and “call it the end,” to experience the full scope of her vocal prowess and lyrical depth. 

Best Vocal Performance Group: “Doctor! Doctor!” - ZEROBASEONE 

ZEROBASEONE (ZB1) delivered several brilliant releases in 2025, but the most memorable is their love-struck title track, “Doctor! Doctor!” With this song, the ZB1 members successfully revived a much-needed unique sub-genre: boy group yearning. They croon over the R&B-infused beat, “Doctor, doctor help me…it’s the L.O.V.E. emergency,” setting the stage for romantic chaos. 

Gunwook’s vocal delivery in the second verse is a standout moment, arguably earning the group the title for best vocal performance. His transition from the iconic declaration, “top of the moon, top of the hills, top of the world,” immediately followed by the soulful realization, “There’s no one but you, the only answer,” is breathtaking. 

Ricky’s contribution also remains iconic. The line, “think I got a fever, yeah she callin’ me a heater,” delivers the exact playful silliness expected from the self-proclaimed “charisma boss baby Ricky.” He displays his self-awareness of the heater line’s hilarity by rapping in Korean afterward: “Don’t know why I spit out random things…why do I act like this in front of you?” Such lyrics reveal the love spell the members have fallen under, demonstrating how lovesickness can cause a temporary lapse of judgment and flustered speech. While every member’s part is significant, Gyuvin’s infectious chorus line is the most guaranteed to stick: “Doctor, doctor, hey, where you at? Left a message, yeah, call me back.” This section will certainly take a while to get out of any listener’s system; I guarantee you’ll be singing it “eternally.”

With the group’s temporary contract nearing its end, ZB1 enthusiasts like myself are, in fact, feeling a little under the weather. For ZEROSE (their fanbase), every spectacular comeback, interview, and livestream is viewed with a bittersweet urgency. We are savoring every moment, knowing that this powerful era of boy group yearning is sadly on a fixed timeline. As Ricky himself acknowledged in a recent Buzzfeed interview, the dream of a full U.S. tour can only happen if “the baddies take over the company.” I guess some of us just need to take matters into our own hands. WAKEONE, watch out!

Best Dance Performance: “Killin’ it Girl” by j-hope (2025)

From the moment I watched the “Killin’ it Girl” music video (2025) and witnessed j-hope’s dynamic chemistry with Alyssa Santos, I knew the live stages would be unforgettable. Soon enough, fans across the world were imitating the duo’s electric synergy in a series of short-form dance challenges, which j-hope himself applauded from his respective social media handles.

Debuting the choreography on June 13th, 2025, at his concert at Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium, j-hope had both fans and fellow BTS members in the crowd stunned by the performance’s sheer impact. Every move is executed with perfect precision, beautifully evoking each detail of the song’s beat through dance. j-hope’s spicy delivery of the song’s most insane choreography points makes me only wonder what an OT7 delivery of “Killin' it Girl” might look like.

Rising Stars: “Big Ocean”

Consisting of PJ, Chanyeon and Jiseok, Big Ocean is the world’s first hard-of-hearing K-Pop group. The members are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), Korean Sign Language (KSL) and International Sign Language (ISL). Since their debut on April 20, 2024, with an energetic remake of H.O.T.’s “Hope” (1998) titled “Glow” (2024), the trio has been redefining what it means to be inclusive in pop music. Their groundbreaking work this year has earned them the newly added “Rising Star” title. 

 The trio released the expressive EP “Underwater” this year, and a hip-hop single between PJ and Jiseok titled “Bucket Hat.” Two tracks on the EP stand out for distinct reasons: “Attention” (2025) and “Sinking” (2025).

“Attention” has everything I love in a title track: palpable tension, intimate whispers, and a dynamic, whistle-driven beat. This seductive song certainly caught my attention when I watched them perform it live during their first U.S. Tour stop at SOB’s NYC. Sign language was not merely added but seamlessly integrated into the choreography, beautifully highlighting both the language and the group’s flawless synchronization.

 The second standout, “Sinking,” captivated me for an entirely different reason. Sung solo by PJ, it is a devastatingly beautiful song that captures the tragedy of unrequited love. At the concert, PJ delivered a powerful performance, signing every lyric to build a profound, soul-to-soul connection with the crowd. The raw emotion of this performance silenced the room, as if all of our hearts were sinking alongside his. When he signed the lyric, “Gave you my love, words never reached, how can I replace you when I can’t breathe?” the feeling was truly overwhelming.

Beyond their dynamic performances, Big Ocean is making significant splashes with their powerful acts of inclusivity. The group was invited to speak and perform at the United Nations Development Programme on August 4th. 2025. There, PJ, Chanyeon and Jiseok underscored the impact of creative and digital technologies in enhancing the lives of those with disabilities. For example, during dance practice, the members utilize vibrations on smartwatches and flashing lights on a monitor to help them maintain flawless synchronization. 

With their heartfelt mission to allow fans to experience music not just with their ears, but with their hearts, Big Ocean is actively transforming the K-pop industry one song and one sign at a time. 

Runner up: ONE PACT, RESCENE 

Stay tuned for the full article in The Statesman!

Graphics created for recreational purposes. All rights reserved to MAMA for their logo and respective award design.