Halloween is only days away, and K-pop is trading bright pop for shadows. Here are three acts to build your playlist around, with their most recent songs.
ENHYPEN: the vampire storytellers
ENHYPEN has made vampires their signature. They have embraced a vampiric concept since their 2020 debut. Their latest music keeps that story going. Their January 2026 EP THE SIN: VANISH follows a vampire torn between love and sacrifice. “Knife” was released alongside that EP.
The newest chapter is “Bloody Paradise.” It is the lead single from THE SIN: BLISS, released August 21. The story follows two lovers who break a taboo in vampire society and go on the run. The song brings Brazilian funk into their sound, and the video was partly filmed in Peru. The video passed 10 million YouTube views on release day. It is also their first album as a six-piece after Heeseung’s exit.
For a classic scare, replay “Bite Me.” Its video has passed 100 million views.
Red Velvet: the queens of creepy
Red Velvet turns K-pop’s bright world upside down. Their singles often split between a bright, poppy “red” concept and a dark, R&B-influenced “velvet” one. They have a murderous reputation thanks to “Russian Roulette” and “Peek-A-Boo.”
Their newest music is on the sunny side. “Surfin’ Boy,” a bossa nova-style dance track, is the title track of the mini-album Velvet Summer, released August 3, their first new release in about two years. For the dark side, go back to Chill Kill. Its trailer showed spiraling stairs, rotten apples and blue roses. The album track “Nightmare” opens with strings and hollow synths like something from an eerie carnival.
Dreamcatcher: the horror specialists
Dreamcatcher is the group to save for last, because they are K-pop’s go-to act for scares. They blend rock music with slick choreography and horror-themed visuals, and their videos tell a larger story that grows with each release.
Their most recent full-group title track is “Justice,” from the Virtuous EP, released July 10, 2024. For a nightmarish rock video, add “Good Night.” The Villains EP was promoted with an alternate reality game of cryptic online posts.
