With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
As the year draws to an end, it feels like we’re suddenly seeing more low-level (ie: not from a huge agency) debuts. The first time I heard The Man BLK’s name, I wondering if this was a reinvention of boy group BLK, who released one album late last year before disbanding. It turns out, the … Continue reading
Hotshot are one of the established acts standing to gain from Wanna One’s early-2019 disbandment. Come February, main vocal Ha Sungwoon will be back with the group, presumably bolstering their brand with his increased star power. In the meantime, the remaining five members have tried to keep things chugging along, briefly promoting last summer and … Continue reading
When I think of Taemin as a soloist, I often want to give him a “Korean Michael Jackson” sort of label. But, when it comes to title tracks his music has often been more subdued than that comparison warrants. This is especially true in Japan, where both of his previous singles were lyrical, mid-tempo works … Continue reading
Earlier this year, I spent much of my review of Hyoyeon’s first DJ HYO track bemoaning its lack of structural risk-taking. It slavishly followed the standard EDM, beat-drop archetype. And the thing is… new single Punk Right Now kind of does the same thing. Yet, the song takes this formula and makes it memorable with hard-hitting, percussive … Continue reading
Back in August, I praised the symphonic instrumental of D-Crunch’s debut track Palace, but lamented the fact that the song lacked a strong chorus. Then again, a debut doesn’t often crystallize all of a group’s charms on its own. Palace was a teaser of sorts, and Stealer capitalizes on its best instincts by keeping the … Continue reading
In a sea change year for us older K-pop fans, BTOB are one of many established boy groups whose configuration has changed due to members beginning their mandatory military enlistment. Beautiful Pain (아름답고도 아프구나) is their first single as a six-member act, minus leader Eunkwang. Minhyuk is the next member scheduled for enlistment, at which … Continue reading
