This year, I’ve been pining for a musical highlight that captures the summer energy while also being… you know… a good song. Those have been very hard to come by the past few weeks, but there are a few active groups who have a track record of releasing nothing but bangers. And, dangling off in … Continue reading
Song Review: BABYMONSTER – Moon
There’s something to be said about promoting your entire album with music videos, but there’s also a reason why some songs are meant to be b-sides and some are chosen as singles. In BABYMONSTER’s case, it’s a matter of personal taste. I didn’t care for title track CHOOM at all, but the summery sounds of … Continue reading
HELLO VENUS: A Career In Song Ratings
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
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from July 26 – August 1
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
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (August 2, 2026)
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
KANG DANIEL: A Career In Song Ratings
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 Top Three K-Pop Songs of July 2026
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. July 2026 Overall Thoughts I really don’t want to be a buzzkill, but now that we’re … Continue reading
BESTIE: A Career In Song Ratings
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
Song Review: EMOTI:M – Spark
EMOTI:M are a new boy group from DNA Entertainment, the agency that used to manage the prolific (yet eternally nugu) GreatGuys. While it’s too early to tell if EMOTI:M will release as much material as their predecessors, they’ve certainly got the “nugu” part mastered with debut single Spark. I’m always happy to see boy groups … Continue reading
Song Review: KiiiKiii – Candy Pink Magic Hole Flip Phone
K-pop is well known for latching onto a specific musical trend (usually a year or two late) and refusing to let go until they’ve drained the sound for all its worth. This is fine if we’re dealing with a fun, malleable trend, but becomes increasingly maddening when the trend is narrow and poorly executed. It’s … Continue reading
WONHO: A Career In Song Ratings
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
2026 LEGENDARY SONGS Inauguration Ceremony
I know there are many readers who look forward to this post each year, but I’ve been putting it off because I just don’t have many songs to inaugurate! For those new to the blog, this is a feature where I reveal any songs that have grown into a 10-out-of-10 rating since their initial review. … Continue reading
BOA: A Career In Song Ratings
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
Song Review: The Wind – Party Like A Rock Star
It’s been well over a year since we last heard from The Wind. Since then, their agency has partnered with a new management company to shift the group’s sound with an eye on global markets. Yes, The Wind are following the path that 99.9% of bright, melodic boy groups eventually succumb to. They’ve ditched their … Continue reading
MBLAQ: A Career In Song Ratings
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
Song Review: POW – Flavor
The best thing I can say about POW’s material so far is that they’re doing their own thing. Their music has been quite trend-averse and hasn’t drawn attention to itself, which is rare in K-pop. To me, they feel like an indie group who just happen to be working within the idol system. New single … Continue reading
Song Review: Hui – BINGO
Though Hui is most well-known as the leader and main vocalist of Pentagon, he’s also the pen behind some fantastic K-pop tracks from other artists. We have him to thank for Wanna One’s Energetic, for example. Because of this, I’m always interested to hear his solo work. He knows his way around a good pop … Continue reading
Song Review: KARD – Back To Life
KARD have taken the unusual approach of announcing their disbandment alongside their new album, giving fans one last victory lap before the race is over. This co-ed group debuted with much fanfare all the way back in late 2016, riding K-pop’s tropical pop wave to great effect during their first few years. Since then, their … Continue reading
SECRET NUMBER: A Career In Song Ratings
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
Song Review: Young K (DAY6) – Shut The Door
Like FTIsland and CNBlue before them, DAY6 have settled into an elder statesman position as one of K-pop’s leading idol rock bands. The difference is that most members of DAY6 also sing on their tracks, offering the opportunity for multiple solo careers. Young K made his solo debut back in 2021 but hasn’t released an … Continue reading