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: Taeyong (NCT) – Rock Solid (ft. Anderson. Paak)
Anderson .Paak has become a go-to global collaborator for K-pop acts. In recent years, he’s paired with G-Dragon and BTS’s RM. Now, he’s joined forces with NCT’s Taeyong, who makes his return from military hiatus with new solo single Rock Solid. Given that 2026 is NCT’s tenth anniversary, I expect we’ll see many more special … Continue reading
Song Review: Yves – Nail (ft. Lolo Zouaï)
Yves’s solo career has been marked by collorations with buzzy global artists. When last we saw her on this blog, she paired with PinkPantheress — an artist with outsized influence on the current state of K-pop’s girl groups. For new single Nail, she’s teamed up with American singer Lolo Zouaï. The song doesn’t stray too … Continue reading
Song Review: Xdinary Heroes – Voyager
Xdinary Heroes have distinguished themselves from other idol bands through their willingness to move past sentiment into whimsical theatricality. Early efforts in this vein weren’t quite to my taste, but they’ve found a satisfying middleground lately. New title track Voyager offers a slightly different sound for the group, bolstering their anthemic songwriting with celestial synth … Continue reading
TXT: A Career In Song Ratings
I’m a person who loves data and loves classifying things. That has been a big part of this blog since its inception. Because of this, I’d like to test out a new feature that displays BIAS LIST data in a different way. There are a number of groups who have debuted in the past decade … Continue reading
Song Review: Wheein (Mamamoo) – The Symphony Of Fxxkboys
It’s not often that a K-pop track demands attention from its title alone, but I certainly did a double take when I spotted the name of Wheein’s new single The Symphony Of Fxxkboys. Not only is it a bold statement for a relatively conservative industry, but its unexpected combination of words instantly makes you wonder … Continue reading
Song Review: HITGS – Cherry Blossom
Throughout their career, HITGS’s music has often hinged upon deliberately cheesy and chintzy sounds. Their early work felt as if it was composed for a kid’s show, but last year’s Happy teased a more mature (and satisfying) transformation. New single Cherry Blossom continues that transformation, but in a disappointingly drowsy way. These soft songs about … Continue reading
Song Review: Be Boys – Slam Dunk
Be Boys made their debut last year with the well-intentioned, but somewhat clumsy, I’m So Sorry But I Love You. Though I didn’t love that song, I appreciated their bright, upbeat energy and certainly have room in my library for more music of this style. New single Slam Dunk continues the youthful verve but pulls … Continue reading
Song Review: ifeye – Hazy (Daisy)
It’s been too long since we last heard from ifeye, especially given their status as rookies needing to get their name out there. Their summer single R U OK? was a slow-burn hit for me, growing more addictive as the season went on and building expectations for what they might return with on future comebacks. … Continue reading
Song Review: DXMON – SSS (She’s Sweet & Sour)
Well… look who’s back! I (along with everyone else) assumed DXMON had faded into the K-pop ether. They haven’t released new material since 2024 and for a group of their stature that’s usually a tacit disbandment or at the very least an “indefinite hiatus.” However, today they’ve surprise released new single SSS (She’s Sweet & … Continue reading
Song Review: Seventeen DxS – Feel Me
A few weeks ago, TWS collaborated with American rapper 24kgoldn for the first release in the “essential; studio” series of promotional tracks. As TWS songs always do, the hooks grew on me the more I listened to it. Next up is agency seniors Seventeen — or more accurately, DK and Seungkwan, who debuted as a … Continue reading
Song Review: Jay Chang (One Pact) – Higher
Along with his work in One Pact, Jay Chang has had a side career as a soloist. This makes sense given his talents as a vocalist. Not many idols can effectively drive an entire song on their own, but his voice has the polish and weight to make any material compelling. He’s already tried his … Continue reading
Song Review: PLAVE – Born Savage
I don’t really mess with animated groups, regardless of how they were created or the story behind them. However, PLAVE have grown too big to ignore, easily competing with K-pop’s upper classmen. It helps that they have some fantastic talent working behind the scenes, even if this has rarely resulted in music I’ve gone back … Continue reading
Song Review: MODYSSEY – Hook
Mnet loves wringing as much as possible from its survival series, so in addition to ALPHA DRIVE ONE, Boys II Planet gives us a spinoff group. MODYSSEY is comprised of Chinese members who didn’t quite make the cut, promoting in Korea with a song by Stray Kids’ 3racha. This is a set-up for instant success, … Continue reading
Song Review: TXT – Stick With You
K-pop’s “seven year curse” meant nothing to TXT, as they very quickly renewed their contracts without any publicized drama. I’ve always felt that getting past this seven year mark makes you a K-pop veteran, which is crazy because it feels like the brilliant Crown was only a few years ago. I think about that song … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT Wish – Sticky
NCT Wish are set to release their first full album in a week’s time, and like so many idol groups they’re teasing it with a pre-release. I’ve had a love or hate relationship with Wish’s music so far, with many of their tracks (and the execution of those tracks) leaving me cold. Sticky is certainly … Continue reading
Song Review: &TEAM – We On Fire
Though they didn’t release as much music as usual, &TEAM had a banner year in 2025. They officially became million sellers and made their Korean debut. This has seemed to mark a shift back into moodier music after their stellar, upbeat 2024 output. The group can sell these sounds convincingly, but I hope their increased … Continue reading
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (April 12, 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
Buried Treasure: Kiss Of Life – Don’t Mind Me
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. Kiss Of Life’s Who Is She … Continue reading