The 5 K-POP Music Videos That Redefined Summer in the Last Five Years

For years, summer has been one of K-pop's most anticipated seasons, with artists returning each year through bright colors, refreshing melodies and music videos filled with beaches, sunshine and road trips. Songs like TWICE's "Dance the Night Away" and Red Velvet's "Red Flavor" helped define the classic "summer song" formula.

While those releases relied heavily on tropical imagery and poolside settings, recent years have expanded what a summer concept can look like. Rather than simply depicting the season, newer music videos focus on capturing its atmosphere whether through coastal landscapes, European city streets or the energy of a warm day in the city.

Here are five recent K-POP music videos that showcase how the modern summer concept has evolved visually and auditorily.

NCT WISH — "Surf"

If there is one music video that fully embraces the traditional image of summer, it is NCT WISH's "Surf."

Filmed entirely on-site in Bali, Indonesia, the video trades elaborate studio sets for crystal-clear beaches, waves and golden sunsets. "Surf" lets its natural surroundings become part of the storytelling, with surfing, coastal drives and carefree moments between the members creating the feeling of a genuine vacation.The cinematography also plays a major role in the video's appeal as the wide landscape shots, warm natural lighting and handheld-style camerawork give the production the look and feel of a travel film.

At a time when many K-pop music videos rely on CGI and elaborate sets, "Surf" succeeds through its simplicity. By allowing the scenery, atmosphere and chemistry between the members to take center stage, it delivers one of the most authentic and immersive summer concepts from a boy group in recent years.

KISS OF LIFE — "Sticky"

Where "Surf" represents a tropical escape, KISS OF LIFE's "Sticky" captures the energy of spending summer in the city.

Rather than relying on beaches or resort scenery, the music video transforms everyday urban locations into vibrant summer backdrops. From parks and sidewalks to open public spaces, bright natural daylight and saturated colors create a warm atmosphere that reflects the carefree feeling of the season. The group's relaxed styling and playful interactions further reinforce the idea that summer can be found just as easily in the middle of the city as it can by the ocean.

The choreography reinforces that carefree atmosphere, combining the group's natural confidence with polished production values. With its release in 2024, "Sticky" became a summer staple by proving that a memorable summer concept doesn't always require a tropical setting. The track offers a fresh interpretation of summer built around confidence, freedom and enjoying the simple moments that come with the summertime.

RIIZE — "Impossible"

Unlike the other entries on this list, RIIZE's "Impossible" doesn't rely on the visuals to establish a summer concept but instead it is the song itself which creates a seasonal atmosphere.

The track was built around an infectious house-inspired beat, airy synths and a melody that is reminiscent of an early 2010s euro-summer. Upon its release, many listeners drew comparisons to Troye Sivan's "Rush" for its dance-pop and house influences, while others pointed to the lineage of SHINee's "View," highlighting the song's breezy production and club-ready groove.

The music video complements that feeling rather than defining it. Set across European streets, rooftops and public spaces, natural lighting and handheld camerawork give the visuals the feel of a travel diary, capturing the freedom and optimism often associated with summer. More importantly, it became a concept that naturally suited RIIZE, allowing the group's youthful image and "emotional pop" identity to shine. The result proved that sometimes the strongest summer concept comes from the music itself.

LE SSERAFIM — "Smart"

Unlike most songs associated with the season, LE SSERAFIM's "Smart" wasn't released during the summer at all. Debuting as part of the group's EASY mini album in February 2024, the track proved that a song doesn't need a summer release date to evoke the feeling of the season. Instead, its atmosphere is established through its musical foundation rather than the time of year it was released.

Built around an Afropop-inspired amapiano groove, "Smart" stands apart through its rhythmic percussion, understated bassline and laid-back melody. As artists across global pop increasingly draw on these sounds to evoke warmth and escapism, LE SSERAFIM incorporates them naturally, allowing the production to complement the group's confident performance rather than overshadow it. The visuals also reinforce that feeling with palm trees, earthy tones and tropical-inspired styling while the group's sleek choreography remains the focal point.

NewJeans — "Super Shy"

Few music videos have captured the carefree feeling of youth quite like NewJeans' "Super Shy." Filmed throughout Lisbon, Portugal, the video abandons elaborate studio sets in favor of real streets, allowing the city itself to become part of the performance. Furthermore large-scale dance sequences unfold naturally among pedestrians, creating a sense of spontaneity rarely seen in K-POP music videos.

Combined with the song's light UK garage-inspired production and breezy melody, the visuals evoke a carefree freedom by embracing natural lighting, real locations and a documentary-like style of filmmaking, "Super Shy" proved that a summer concept could feel authentic rather than aspirational.

For years, beaches, blue skies and tropical vacations defined K-POP's idea of a summer comeback. Recent releases, however, have shown that the concept is no longer tied to a single visual formula. Whether through NCT WISH's tropical escape, KISS OF LIFE's urban confidence, RIIZE's house-driven sound, LE SSERAFIM's warm rhythmic influences or NewJeans' everyday realism, each music video offers a different interpretation of the season.

As K-POP continues to evolve, so does one of its most recognizable seasonal traditions. Today's summer concepts are defined less by location than by atmosphere, with artists increasingly using music, cinematography and storytelling to capture the feeling of summer rather than simply showing it.