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
Treasure haven’t released much new material this year, but 2026 marked a transition into a much tougher hip-hop sound. Despite June’s If I leaving me cold at first, the song eventually won me over with its off-kilter hooks. Judging from the previews of new single Shock, I was unsure if this track could do the … Continue reading
For the first time while listening to a xikers album highlight medley, I had the pleasant sensation of feeling like their agency chose the correct title track. For context, there’s usually at least one great track on every xikers album, yet it rarely gets chosen for promotion. DIENAMITE comes a little late in the season … Continue reading
TWS have spent the better part of the year touring and promoting in Japan, so although they’ve been consistently busy it feels like they’ve been away for longer than normal. But before we move into year-end comeback hiatuses, they’ve returned with a new single album and title track Call My Name (내 이름을 불러줘). This … 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. October 2026 Overall Thoughts Well… it’s better late than never, huh? In my mind, October was … 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
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I’ll open this buried treasure post … Continue reading
Thus far on the blog, Japanese/global group cosmosy’s work has been relegated to J-pop round-up posts. They’ve promoted occasionally on Korean music shows, but I haven’t connected with any of their music. However, new Korean single Give Me Love offers a shift in sound toward the aggressive electro stomp that’s become one of the year’s … Continue reading
Following their February comeback, BLACKPINK’s members have been busy with solo work this year. Jisoo pre-released her track Click in early September and is back with new song Addicted today. Presumably, this is all leading to a more substantial project, though judging by the two songs we’ve heard so far it’s difficult to predict just … 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
AM8IC made their debut about a year ago and haven’t returned since. This is long enough for me to completely forget what I found so promising about their pre-debut song (which is still pretty good, btw). It’s a tough world for nugu groups from small agencies, made even tougher if they’re rarely allowed to promote … Continue reading
The soft, easy-listening trend in K-pop isn’t unique to girl groups. Every once and awhile, a boy group also jumps onto the bandwagon, muting their sound palette for an atmospheric shuffle. Such is the case with N.TOP’s new single Silhouette (실루엣). This group debuted last year and has been semi active in both Korea and … 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
Rookies Heart Of Woman are gearing up for their first comeback early next month, but have dropped a surprise pre-release today. Their first album was a stuffed project that spawned several promoted tracks, though it came across as quite scattershot sonically. I’d love to hear them develop a strong, signature sound going forward, but a … Continue reading
XLOV have built their name on a high-concept, visually striking rollout that has garnered a dedicated fanbase. And with their most recent album, that concept started to pair with music that felt more fleshed out and befitting of the group’s natural theatricality. New single Hush continues the forward electro motion but forgets that a great … Continue reading
Over the past few years, JUSTB have been playing around with hyperpop, reinventing themselves as an alternative to K-pop’s mainstream idol groups. Now, they’ve returned with a concept album of sorts, and that concept is K-pop itself. This reminds me of the early-2000s group that was actually called “K-pop” (not a great SEO choice!). For … 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
As hyperpop has gained a foothold in the K-pop industry, we’ve seen it appear most often on the fringes of the mainstream. Yves was once part of this mainstream back in her LOONA days, but she’s developed a more independent streak since going solo. She has a new EP scheduled for next month, but has … Continue reading
