It’s been several months since ILLIT returned with Not Cute Anymore, and since then the song has become a popular TikTok challenge. That’s not too surprising, given how the song’s whole identity was designed to become a viral challenge. Even its ultra-brief running time was well-matched to SNS. Today, the girls have surprised fans with … Continue reading
After a few years of (musically) diminished returns, ATEEZ climbed back on my radar in 2025 by attempting new sounds that injected a sense of freshness to their formula. Both of last year’s Korean title tracks and their Japanese single made it onto my year-end countdowns, re-igniting my curiosity for where they might take their … Continue reading
THE SSYNDROME made their debut late last year, emerging in an era flush with rock bands. Just this year alone, it feels like I’m writing about a rock act every week — and that’s not even including all the rock-influenced comebacks from idol groups. Korea is really into guitars at the moment. This isn’t a … Continue reading
You know new K-pop releases are in a terrible state if all I have to write about is a pre-release from one of the industry’s “virtual” groups. SKINZ follow PLAVE as the latest virtual act to attempt a successful launch. They debuted last year and are set to release their first mini album soon. Before … Continue reading
The word “Navillera” hits me with an instant serotonin boost because I instantly remember the GFriend song of the same name. For my money, no girl group has released a better title track than that in the last ten years, which is actually a depressing thought when I ruminate on it too long. Today, “Navillera” … Continue reading
One strange aspect of the K-pop industry is that it doesn’t really care about endings. Once their cash cow has been fully milked, it’s usually put our to pasture unceremoniously. Often, the only time we get a decent disbandment song is when that disbandment comes unexpectedly and a group’s final comeback ends up being their … 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
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. January 2026 Overall Thoughts January can be quite exciting for new music. After a year has … Continue reading
With over 5,000 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
Since their 2023 debut, WHIB have alternated between lighter and darker sounds. For me, they were at their best in 2024 when they felt a rush of joy, but that rush proved fleeting as they quickly moved into the more aggressive Bang Out. New single Rock The Nation has a delightfully earnest title that made … Continue reading
POW is such an interesting group. At every turn, they seem to make moves antithetical to traditional idol group success. Their music is often quite subdued, calibrated for coffeeshops rather than stadiums. It’s almost like indie music filtered through an idol group persona, which really should be more compelling than it has been. Instead, the … Continue reading
I have not been shy about expressing how completely underwhelming this month (and last month) of K-pop has been. In fact, when January’s average rating is calculated, we’ll probably be looking at a historically low number. Because of this, I’m grabbing onto anything halfway decent I can find. Hell, at this point I’m clinging onto … Continue reading
In a very short time, the newly-debuted LNGSHOT have racked up plenty of hype and plenty of controversy. Their music has one tiny toe in the world of idols but feels primarily indebted to K-R&B, making it more palatable to those “too cool” for pure pop. While I was impressed with the vocals on their … Continue reading
We seem to be in K-pop’s era of “rage hip-hop,” as the genre has slowly entrenched itself within idol releases. So far, this has largely been limited to a boy group phenomenon, but it makes sense that an act like Young Posse would give it a try. After all, they’ve covered many hip-hop sub-genres already. … Continue reading
i-dle are one of those K-pop groups that actively reach out to global audiences and try to incorporate cultural touchstones they may not always be well-versed in. This has led to valid criticism in the past, though their music has leaned in a more generic direction the last few years. With new digital single Mono, … Continue reading
KiiiKiii’s debut year had a somewhat confused sonic landscape, pivoting between quirky sub-genres and meme culture to broad pop brushstrokes that felt more generic. Judging by pre-release Delulu and new title track 404 (New Era), they seem to have regained their focus in 2026 by pivoting toward the dancefloor. 404 (New Era) arrives bolstered by … 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
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 