Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post.

I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: a 0.5 shift here, a 0.25 shift there. But, it’s a fun way to keep track of how my feelings on songs have changed over time – as well as which tracks currently have momentum on my playlist.

And remember, just because a song is marked as a “faller” doesn’t mean I hate it! Falling from a “9” to an “8.75” is no shame. 9+ rated songs occupy a totally different playlist in my music library, so I’m pretty particular about what qualifies. It’s a high bar.

This month’s feature covers the period from February 17th to March 23rd.

RISERS

AmbiO – Showtime
Rating: 7.25 → 7.75

Baby DONT Cry – Shapeshifter
Rating: 7.5 → 7.75

Chaser – Invincible
Rating: 8.25 → 8.5

Dragon Pony – Oh Perfect!
Rating: 7.75 → 8

Hearts2Hearts – RUDE!
Rating: 7.75 → 8.5 *Biggest Riser*

H1-KEY – To. My First Love
Rating: 8 → 8.25

KickFlip – Twenty
Rating: 8.5 → 8.75

Odd Youth – Babyface
Rating: 7.75 → 8.25

TWS x 24kGoldn – You Like It I Love It
Rating: 8 → 8.25

FALLERS

AB6IX – Bottoms Up
Rating: 7.5 → 7.25

BTS – Swim
Rating: 7.75 → 7.5

Yuna (ITZY) – Ice Cream
Rating: 8 → 7.75

9 thoughts on “K-Pop Risers & Fallers: March 2026”

Damn, didn’t expect Rude! to rise this much, but ngl, Stella’s bridge has been stuck to my brain lately and I also highkey catch myself sing a Hindi version of it at times 😭😭

But well, the month has been pretty insignifcant tbh. Catch Catch’s the only highlight of the month, haven’t really went back to the KickFlip song since release.

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ohh h2h’s rude also grew on me a lot, i’d rate it maybe 8.25 though. and i loved kickflip’s twenty but i didn’t really listen to it as much as i expected to :((

also, have u heard the new song tws performed at their fanmeeting? it kinda reminds me of txt’s i’ll see you there tomorrow in the way it feels more like a vibe. would love to read ur thoughts on it ^^

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Nick says:

March 28, 2026 at 7:26 am

I did hear/see it! I wonder if it’s going to be a pre-release of simply an album track? The choreo makes me think they’ll at least promote it.

I liked the song a lot after one listen. It sounds a bit SHINee-esque to me, actually, and there are some great vocal moments. Their cover of Rough was also fantastic!

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Reply
- Park Lane says:
  
  March 28, 2026 at 7:44 am
  
  these are my impressions for now. i’m actually expecting to love it more when time passes lol. shinee’s view was also mid upon first listen, but now it’s a classic to me.
  
  i agree their rough cover is AMAZING. my favorite cover would be a-ing though. i never rly saw idols cover it, so it was refreshing 🙂
  
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