This week’s K-pop releases continue the summer rush with upbeat, vibrant songs from BABYMONSTER and RIIZE, while i-dle brings a more sensual, after-dark atmosphere to the summertime activities. On the other hand, Korean singer-songwriter Pagaehun and freshly debuted subunit V8 take us down two different roads of nostalgic 2000s R&B — one for high school puppy love and one for cruising with the top down while hanging with friends.

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i-dle - “Gimme Dat Love”

While most other groups are ringing in the summer sun with high-energy beach-party anthems, eight-year girl group i-dle has opted for a more sultry and hypnotic number with “Gimme Dat Love.” Infused with Latin-pop and dance elements, the track explores the romantic tension that spreads through gaze, touch, and temperature before it can be fully understood. Not only is this sensation present in the song — which also includes traces of Afrobeat influence — but its music video also highlights the sweltering heat of summer nights mixed with longing gazes and heated encounters. It’s grown and sexy, yet tasteful and undeniably i-dle.

BABYMONSTER - “I Like It”

Known for their powerful hip-hop-centric performances, YG Entertainment girl group BABYMONSTER has flipped the script and released a cheerful dance-pop track with surprisingly fitting country-style guitar riffs with “I Like It.” The breezy summer release comes just a month after the group’s previous single, “SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA,” a more confident and rhythmic take on the K-pop summer trope, but is actually from their May EP, CHOOM. However, with “I Like It,” the members are allowed to drop the strong and sassy image for something more fun, laidback, and refreshingly freeing as they soak up the sun. The vocal performance here is especially exceptional, bringing the group’s more melodic capabilities to the forefront and embracing them with open arms.

RIIZE - “D-D-Done”

Nearly a month after dropping their second mini-album II and its hip-hop/electro-pop title track, “Do your dance,” six-member boy group RIIZE has dropped a performance video for the B-side track, “D-D-Done.” Inspired by the vibrant West Coast rhythms, the song is rooted in bass house, using emotional vocals and energetic raps “to evoke a heightened sense of freshness.” From the pounding bass to the consistent drum beats, everything about “D-D-Done” feels so full and all-encompassing, overwhelming the senses in all the right ways without ever feeling overbearing. As usual, the vocals and raps from RIIZE are on point and only amplify an already strong single from being great to absolutely unskippable.

Pagaehun - “Hey Girl”

On July 6, Korean singer-songwriter Pagaehun (Park Tae-hoon) released his latest single, “Hey Girl,” a Y2K-inspired song that blends high school pop and R&B. Lyrically, “Hey Girl” follows the story of a boy falling in love at first sight with a girl he sees at a dance hall, instantly becoming enamored with her and daydreaming of what their relationship could look like. This is also represented in the accompanying music video, with former SECRET NUMBER member Dita Karang as the main lead and Pagaehun’s puppet master. Although he’s the one falling head over heels, she’s definitely the one holding all the cards and in charge — it doesn’t seem like he would want it any other way.

V8 - “girlsnboys”

Following last week’s debut of SEVENTEEN’s latest subunit, V8 (Vernon and THE8), with “singasong,” the dynamic duo is back with an official visualizer MV for their B-side track, “girlsnboys.” Compared to the high-octane electro-hop of their lead single, “girlsnboys” takes a left turn into a more Y2K-inspired hip-hop and R&B sound, produced by legendary artist Pharrell Williams and frequent Pledis/HYBE collaborator BUMZU. With multilingual lyrics mixing English, Mandarin, and a dash of Korean, “girlsnboys” is the epitome of cool, calm, and collected, with a visual nod to the early-to-mid-2010s era. At this point, V8 should just become the walking template for being confident and unbothered without even trying.