One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! They Never Know (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) Opening with a soulful touch of organ and scratchy LP ambiance, They Never Know aims for languid nostalgia and mostly hits the mark. Melodically, it’s a pretty simple pop song, but the members’ … Continue reading
Over the course of their two-year history, Stay Kids’ releases have existed as a pair of trilogies. Last year, the I Am series opened with the dramatic District 9 and concluded with the more subdued I Am YOU. Though the genre elements have changed, the group’s 2019 Clé trilogy has followed almost the same trajectory, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Tender Love (from Love Me Right – 2015) When EXO’s Exodus was first released, I felt that it could have done with more upbeat album tracks. Thankfully, its repackage brought the slick funk of Tender Love. This is one of the group’s … Continue reading
I don’t often write about English-language releases by K-pop acts because, quite frankly, I don’t usually like them. But, Monsta X have dropped so many English songs this year that it’s hard to ignore them. And apart from a dreadful French Montana verse, their Who Do You Love was a surprisingly funky bit of old-school … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Tactix (from Countdown – 2018) I never see anyone talking about Tactix, but it’s one of my all-time favorite EXO songs. This is no surprise, as the track carries many of my preferred traits. Relentlessly upbeat electronic production, an ultra-memorable chorus and … Continue reading
It was an odd year for award shows. With MNET embroiled in its vote-rigging controversy, the MAMA awards felt like an afterthought, broadcast only one night rather than its usual multi-day spread. The Melon awards weren’t even telecast, opting for streaming instead. Even so, their staging and production felt incredibly grand. In comparison, the MAMAs … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Sweet Lies (from The Power Of Music – 2017) Sweet Lies’ atmospheric r&b targets an EXO sweet spot, and allows the guys to stretch their vocals over a languid soundscape. The song is plagued by so many modern musical elements I despise, … Continue reading
December is the month of holiday releases, under-the-radar comebacks and special singles. It tends to result in a hodgepodge of new music, little of which I end up remembering a year later. Duo JBJ95 impressed me with this summer’s Spark, but unfortunately their Only One joins the pile of forgettable winter tracks. For me, JBJ95’s … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Bird (from Bird – 2019) Following up on their excellent 2018 Japanese album, special single Bird was the first EXO track to feature only six members. It’s an oddly generic effort for the group, but succeeds thanks to a strong chorus and … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … Continue reading
One day, there will be a dramatic biopic about the struggles inflicted upon CL these past few years. After 2NE1 disbanded, she seemed poised for international success. Instead, she was barely allowed to release material at all, presumably held back by the shackles of YG Entertainment. This drought has finally ended. CL has officially left … Continue reading
Maybe it’s because he had limited promotions on music shows, but I often underestimate just how successful Park Jihoon’s solo debut was. His L.O.V.E was certainly a sleeper hit with me, and did a good job catering to his talents. Like most Produce 101 alumni, I still think he’d function better as part of a … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … Continue reading
Seeing U-Kwon’s name pop up on the K-pop release slate made me remember his group Block B for the first time in a while, and also made me realize how gradual their decline has been. Though not disbanded, the group seems to be in a state of purgatory, with some of its members in the … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … Continue reading
With over 2,900 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 … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … 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. November 2019 Overall Thoughts While November was not the blockbuster month that October was, it offered … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … Continue reading
JYP Entertainment has had a blockbuster year, but its founder hasn’t released new music in quite a while. In fact, the last time he dropped a music video was all the way back in the spring of 2016. New single Fever finds him back to his old ways: uncomfortably lustful in the video and undeniably … Continue reading
