This week’s K-pop releases are designed to either make you feel sentimental, want to party, or perhaps even both at the same time. If you’re in the mood for something sweet and centered on long-lasting friendships, NCT Dream’s latest pre-release track should be your go-to. But if you want to have a good time and dance away your troubles, then any of the remaining four tracks from A20 MAY, SEVENTEEN JxJ, ONEW, or &TEAM will do.

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NCT Dream - “The Sun”

Following former member Mark’s departure in April, NCT Dream is finally gearing up for their sixth studio album, DREAM AFTER DREAM. Ahead of the title track and album release on November 9, the group is preparing fans early with their pre-release track, “The Sun.” Over the last decade, NCT Dream has been known for emotional songs that reflect on friendship, in addition to their most bubbly and hard-hitting tracks. “The Sun” definitely leans on the sentimental spectrum, with themes that reflect on their past 10 years together and how they’ve grown up side by side to achieve a single dream. With emotional synthesizers contrasting the members’ optimistic melodies, “The Sun” reminisces on Dream’s past and provides hope for their future, ensuring both fans and each other that the best years are still to come.

A2O MAY - “BAD HABITS TONITE”

With the recent debut of A2O LITE and A20 SUPERSTAR, it seems the A2O Entertainment groups are here in full force, with the company’s more mature group — A2O MAY — joining the fray this week. With their fifth digital single, “BAD HABITS TONITE,” the five-member girl group delivers a sleek, synthpop roller coaster with a dark edge, produced by none other than Yoo Youngjin. With exceptional vocals and cosmic production, the track doesn’t cut corners or skimp on ear-candy-worthy moments, consistently building fresh ideas and progressions that call back to songs of K-pop’s past. If A2O MAY and their two rookie labelmates keep firing on all cylinders like this, they could definitely be the shake-up that K-pop fans are looking for.

SEVENTEEN JxJ (Jeonghan x Joshua) - “12 o’clock”

Following in the footsteps of their bandmates, SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan and Joshua have become the group’s third subunit to debut this year as JxJ. Both members are two of SEVENTEEN’s five main vocalists and are known for their soft, sweet timbres, so it makes sense why they would team up for a unit album. Serving as the title track for their EP, Dreamscape, “12 o’clock” is described as a dance-rock song that blends 1970s and ‘80s disco and funk elements for a retro throwback. According to Pledis Entertainment, the track explores the two singers searching for an idealized person, goal, or dream between midnight and noon — hence the title. While most dream-like songs would go for a more languid and soft tone, “12 o’clock” subverts that expectation with its groovy bassline and rhythmic percussion. For JxJ, exploring the intersection between reality and fantasy has never sounded so danceable.

ONEW - “Illusion”

After teasing two pre-release tracks, SHINee member and soloist ONEW has finally released his first single album, Illusion, with its title track of the same name. While “Mind Games,” featuring GFRIEND’s YUJU, was a soft R&B track and “Tic Tac Toe,” featuring ZICO, was a blend of R&B, hip-hop, and trap, “Illusion” sees ONEW spread his wings even further with a lively dance track. While some listeners may not associate the singer with dance music, the sonic shift is intentional, as ONEW challenges himself to think outside the box of his own perceptions.

“I’ve often been told that I have a good voice, so I always thought that slower songs, such as ballads, suited me the most,” he stated through Griffin Entertainment. “But whenever I thought about which genres I perform best, dance music was always on the list. To challenge my own misconception about myself as a singer, I decided to make the main lead track, ‘Illusion,’ a dance song.” With each solo album, ONEW continues to broaden his horizons and show he’s not a one-trick pony — now “Illusion” further proves he’s anything but.

&TEAM - “Love Jang”

After releasing their second Korean EP, Mark On Me, in September, Japanese boy group &TEAM has released a surprise performance video for their ‘90s-influenced B-side, “Love Jang.” Opening with a warbling synth, the track quickly switches up with an upbeat retro feel, making it clear this is a love letter to ‘90s R&B, pop, and New Jack Swing. While this is a popular style and aesthetic among idol groups, it’s a welcome change of pace from &TEAM’s signature intense, dramatic tracks. As expected from its sonic influence, “Love Jang” is a vibrant, candy-colored treat for the eyes and ears, with its accompanying music video adding a color-gradient filter to stay on brand with its retro theme and choreography that’s as cool and crisp as it is breezy.