Rather than promote a follow-up track from their recent album, BABYMONSTER have taken the rare approach of releasing a new song just a month after their comeback. This reminds me of the old days of album repackages, which I miss very much. They made comebacks feel more like eras and stretched out the excitement. Unfortunately, … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away THOUSAND MILES AWAY These days, I do a double take any time I see a K-pop song longer than four minutes. That shouldn’t be a rarity, but it’s so much more likely to find … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away STILL RAINING We’ve now reached the portion of the album where things slow down. SHINee are on my very short list of K-pop groups with great ballads, so a slower song is nothing to … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away ANTI BELIEVER ATMOS‘s first four tracks form an all killer, no filler suite of stylish dance music. Like the album’s teasers promised, it’s a whistlestop tour of genres SHINee have mastered. However, each song … Continue reading
Some groups function solely as a collective while others feel more like a series of successful soloists making music together. After years of promoting their individual work, Mamamoo have transformed into the latter — a supergroup of sorts. It’s been almost four years since we’ve seen them come together for new music, making 4 Flowers … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away POSSIBILITY A song like Possibility, with its uplifting lyrics, could easily come across as cheesy. Yet something about SHINee’s layered vocal adds gravitas that makes the song feel much more transcendent. It’s not my … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away HOURS This mini album was billed as a showcase of SHINee’s signature charm, which is really a gift for fans. If an act has mastered a sound or genre, there’s no reason not to … Continue reading
With each release, I’m more convinced that VVS is some kind of psyop meant to test the limits of fans’ blind idolatry and the industry’s willingness to appropriate hip-hop culture. How else do you describe BOTTLE$? The moment its “chorus” first dropped, all I could do was laugh. A song like this is difficult to … Continue reading
Remember that brief moment when N.Flying were a chart-topping, A-list band? It seems almost like a fever dream now, but the guys have hung around and continued to release music that plays to their strengths. I still prefer the goofier concepts of their debut era, but new single In Between Seasons (환절기 (換節期)) is a … Continue reading
There’s something admirable about a K-pop act from a small agency who just keeps on churning out material. XODIAC has never been in conversation with the big leagues of the industry, but they’ve released several comebacks a year since their debut in 2023. The quality of these songs has varied, and new single Phantom Fire … Continue reading
Despite being a huge presence in K-pop, I get the sense that most newer fans are not be familiar with Kim Junsu. If there’s one soloist’s discography I’d point them toward, it’s his. Songs like Flower, Tarantallegra and Rock The World should be a part of everyone’s music library. Junsu doesn’t come back often with … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 