5 January 2023 K-pop comebacks you should not miss: NewJeans, TWICE, and more

The new year is almost here, with the January 2023 K-pop comebacks all set to treat K-pop enthusiasts to some brand new music. Fan-favorite groups are prepping to return with new tracks, albums, and videos to kick-start the new year.

From rookie artists like NewJeans to the K-pop powerhouse group Monsta X, the January 2023 K-pop comebacks promise to have some musical gems in store for fans. Moreover, apart from confirmed comebacks, January will also bring back the nation's girl group TWICE with a pre-release English track.

Here are five January 2023 K-pop comebacks you need to check out.

From TXT to MONSTA X: January 2023 K-pop comebacks that will blow your mind

1) NewJeans - January 2, 2023

Rockstar rookie quintet NewJeans will drop their single album, OMG, in the first week of January 2023. The Attention girl group has already dropped a pre-release single from the album, titled Ditto, which became an instant hit among fans.

The upcoming album by Hanni, Haerin, Minji, Danielle, and Hyein will consist of two songs - Ditto and OMG. The latter is written by Hanni while Ditto is co-written by Minji.

NewJeans, managed by ADOR -- a subsidiary of HYBE Labels -- made their unannounced debut in mid-2022, and quickly rose to fame with their debut EP.

2) MONSTA X - January 9, 2023

Earlier this month, the Shape of Love boy group announced a January 2023 comeback with their 12th mini album, REASON. Arriving on January 9 at 6 pm KST, REASON will have six tracks, with Beautiful Liar being the title track of the album.

As per Starship Entertainment, REASON will showcase the eight-year journey of MONSTA X as a group and K-pop idols. The agency also shared that the lead track will feature an addictive beat along with MONSTA X's powerful vocals. Needless to day, it is definitely one of the most anticipated January 2023 K-pop comebacks.

MONSTA X's upcoming album will also mark the first record since I.M's departure from Starship Entertainment. The idol has signed with Sony Music Korea and remains an active member of the K-pop group.

3) TXT - January 27, 2023

BigHit Music's Tomorrow by Together or TXT is gearing up for the release of their fifth mini-album, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION, which will be released on January 27, 2023. During HYBE's briefing with the community event, it was announced that the five-member boy group will return with new music in 2023, along with other HYBE groups. It will be their first release since minisode 2: Thursday's Child which dropped in May.

As the comeback draws closer, TXT recently blessed fans with a creepy and devilish concept teaser. The 15-second clip was nothing short of a mini-horror episode featuring the text:

“The devil’s voice I met at the window at midnight was sweet.”

TXT's upcoming album has officially tempted fans and is anticipated to be one of the most promising January 2023 K-pop comebacks.

4) TWICE - To Be Announced

JYP Entertainment's popular girl group TWICE is prepping for another blockbuster English track. The nine-member piece recently announced that they will be releasing their 12th mini album, Our Youth, in March 2023. Moreover, they will also drop an all-English pre-released track in January.

Not many details have been shared regarding the pre-release track. However, after The Feels, their first official English track, fans are excited to see another banger from the girl group.

5) NCT 127 - To Be Announced

NCT 127 is also on the list of January 2023 K-pop comebacks. The SM Entertainment group will be dropping a repackaged album in the first month of 2023, although the release date has not been revealed yet.

On December 7, it was reported that NCT 127 is working on reissuing a repackaged record with the goal of releasing it in January, 2023.

In September, the boy group dropped their fourth full-length album, 2 Baddies, featuring a title track of the same name. Hence, the group will be returning with new music four months after their last release.

About the author

Muskan Jaiswal is a journalist specializing in pop-culture, lifestyle, and Korean entertainment at Sportskeeda. With a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a Master's Diploma in Journalism, she began writing as a form of creative expression during the pandemic-related lockdown. She has about four years of experience, working at Otakukart, Movieweb, The Times of India, Aeroplay Entertainment, and Lifestyle Asia, among other organizations.

As a Pop-culture writer, she values presenting reports after a robust fact-checking process on celebrities and other trending topics, which interest people. Among her professional achievements is a feature on eco-friendly practices in K-pop album production. This write-up, which took a week of research, covered a range of sub-topics such as the export-import history of K-pop albums, and shifts in music marketing in that industry.

When not working, she enjoys watching films and discovering indie artists across several music platforms. Her favorite bands include Coldplay, BTS, and CAS.

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Edited by Susrita Das