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
It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed … 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
Ah, XG. They’re one of those J-pop/global groups with enough K-pop crossover that Bias List readers have come to expect a write-up each time they release new music. With the way markets are zig-zagging into one another these days, it can be hard to know what to cover on this blog. For their part, XG … Continue reading
After leaving SM Entertainment and NCT, Mark Lee has started to carve out a solo career in what seems to be easy-listening, Christian music. I’m neither a fan of easy-listening nor a religious person, so I’m not sure I totally understand what makes a song like this good, but I do know what makes music … Continue reading
It’s always telling which day and time K-pop artists release new music. Those releasing early in the week tend to target the domestic market and Korea’s nearer neighbors, while those adhering to America’s “New Music Friday” (ie: 12am, US Eastern time) tend to compete in a more global market. P1Harmony have long been favorites of … 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
Rather than opt for one big comeback, HITGS have spent the year doling out digital singles every couple of months as part of their Things We Dream project. While blitzing the market like this can be a nice strategy, it’s difficult to gain traction this way unless you’re already an established name. New single BRB … Continue reading
Dragon Pony made a stellar debut back in 2024, right as the new wave of K-idol bands were beginning to roll out. Two years later, there’s a ton of competition in this space running the gamut of sounds and styles. For me, the two factors that have always helped Dragon Pony stand out are their … Continue reading
Heart Of Woman debuted with a refreshing take on the seemingly endless Y2K trend in K-pop, but their album was more of a mixed bag. This unpredictability continued with recent pre-release Melt, which hitched its wagon to another oft-(over)used K-pop trend: subdued “beige pop.” And if you thought the whiplash was over, be prepared to … Continue reading
Today marks the debut of a new group with a new acronym. So, of course I had to look up what “ADAP” stands for. I was hoping for something completely bonkers, but was instead met with the sweet and predictable “All Dreams Are Possible.” Sadly, all dreams are not possible in the cutthroat world of … Continue reading
After releasing one of the year’s most promising debuts, poor UNCHILD have been put through the ringer. Their first comeback TiNG TiNG was initially teased for early September, yet days before its release the project was indefinitely postponed. I’ve seen enough K-pop agencies and acts fold over the years to fear that we might never … 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
1. We Up // 2. Call My Name // 3. Heavy HEAVY I’m not usually a fan of English lyrics in K-pop, but the right lyric, used sparingly, can be very effective. Heavy is probably the most direct manifestation of this single album’s healing concept and was completely misrepresented by the short clip we heard … Continue reading
When thinking about my “Career in Song Ratings” feature, BoA was the most intimidating artist to approach. She simply has a wealth of material stretching over twenty five years. Such a vast catalog guarantees a wide variety of quality and sounds, from ballads to thumping dance tracks. New Japanese single Hohaba (歩幅) fits within the … Continue reading
After their incredible mini album this spring, I’m a bit irked ZEROBASEONE haven’t made a group comeback since. However, the members have still been very active, with solo work from Sung Hanbin and Kim Jiwoong and the debut of hip-hop unit EMP, consisting of Seok Matthew and Park Gunwook. I didn’t write about their mixtape … Continue reading
Baby DONT Cry released a couple of solid singles early on in this year, but have been relatively silent throughout the summer and fall. Though they haven’t done much to craft a signature sound of their own, their music has been decent so far. Unfortunately, new single Replay hinges on too many of K-pop’s overused … Continue reading
There are vastly different expectations for promotion and release dates between Korea and Japan. While it’s expected that everything (song, mv, album) will drop at once for a Korean comeback, Japan tends to announce release dates very far in advance and dribble out pieces of the project over the space of weeks or even months. … 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
