Aimers debuted late last year with Fight Inside – a song that seemed to win them many fans. I came around to some of its charms (especially the SHINee-esque ones) through multiple listens, but the group hasn’t yet convinced me of their unique place in K-pop. Their all-important first comeback is still ahead of us, … Continue reading
Despite climbing to some of the highest highs in recent years, TXT’s title tracks tend to be hit or miss with me. They’ll release something utterly brilliant like Crown or Run Away or 0X1=LOVESONG, only to follow it with a single that hits many of my musical pet peeves (I’m side-eying you, Can’t You See … Continue reading
If I were to chart my listening habits over the past month or so, it would look something like: 80% J-pop, 10% Finnish pop (!), 5% American pop and 5% K-pop. Pretty strange for a K-pop blogger, right? That’s a testament to just how stalled the industry has become since November. It’s no surprise, then, … Continue reading
K-pop teasers can be deceptive if you’re not paying close attention. Take a look at the visual teasers for Yesung’s new comeback and you might expect a gritty punk rock track. I’d love to hear him tackle something like this – a song that gives his strong vocals more bite. But beyond the visuals, it … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
I woke up today resigned to the fact I’d be writing about yet another K-pop song from twelve years ago. It turns out, it’s quite challenging to run a K-pop review blog without new K-pop releases! But, Bias List favorites OnlyOneOf have swooped in to save the day, unveiling their new Japanese single Chrome Arts … Continue reading
May-June 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … Continue reading
The Bias List is a K-pop blog that also covers a fair amount of J-pop. But along with most music fans, I enjoy tracks from all around the world. So, I thought I’d start a monthly round-up of some of the non-K-pop songs that have caught my ear. No ratings — just highlights! After a … Continue reading
Twice made a convincing English-language debut with 2021’s The Feels. While the language of their lyrics may have changed, the song retained the core elements of the group’s appeal. If an idol group plans to localize for foreign markets, this seems like the way to do it. Sixteen months later and Twice have returned with … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
One of my favorite GOT7-related projects was sub-unit JJ Project, which consisted of members Jinyoung and Jay B. 2017’s Tomorrow, Today grew into a big standout that convinced me of Jinyoung’s skill with a melody. Six years later and he’s returned as a soloist with his own mini album. Title track Cotton Candy retains elements … Continue reading
We last heard from Cignature in late 2021 when their title track Boyfriend opted for familiar “Top 40” pop tropes that could have been pulled from any global music market. New single Aurora (오로라) returns to a more quintessentially K-pop sound, offering a straightforward take on the bubbly energy that fueled past comebacks like Arisong … Continue reading
Yuehua Entertainment has become known for drastic concept shifts. Both Everglow and Tempest have made major sonic u-turns between comebacks, and now it’s time for soloist Yena to tackle something new. Obviously, it’s beneficial for artists to stretch the limits of their sound and evolve as their career goes on. But during a debut year, … Continue reading
SM Entertainment’s all-star GOT The Beat unit was one of 2022’s most baffling projects. The agency assembled many of its strongest female performers only to debut a single track at the beginning of the year with limited promotions and no real follow-through. Clearly, this unit was never intended to carry SuperM-esque ambitions. I assumed the … Continue reading
March-April 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Music quality aside, it’s always nice to see the debut of a unique K-pop configuration. An idol duo is hardly a new idea, but we don’t see many of them within the industry. Primrose aim to break that pattern, stuffing all the bombast of a group comeback into two skilled performers. Judging by their self-titled … Continue reading
Some songs arrive with fanfare even before a single preview has dropped. Vibe represents not only the long-awaited return of Bigbang’s Taeyang, but a colossal meeting of two K-pop generations. During the early 2010’s, Bigbang helped construct the international crossroads that made K-pop such a global success. Years later, BTS paved those roads in platinum, … Continue reading
Upon the announcement of its official closure, I joked about owing K-pop’s Universe app a proper obituary. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really do need to document the demise of this longstanding frenemy. During its brief existence, Universe promised creepy AI-generated idol interactions (or so I’m told). … Continue reading
As the lines between industries continue to blur, it can be difficult to decide which songs to feature on this blog. Is Henry’s English-language Moonlight *technically* K-pop? Probably not. But, it’s a very slow week for new releases so the song is sneaking onto my review schedule. After all, this is the same Henry that … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 