I want to preface this review by noting that I named Super Junior’s Devil as my top kpop song of 2015. I mention this because I know how fan loyalty and bias can color the work of groups and individuals, especially those from acts as big as SJ. I’m sure I’ll be just as biased with … Continue reading
Like many others, I first fell in love with Apink’s Eunji after watching the brilliant Reply 1997. She possesses such a bright, compassionate energy as both an actress and a singer that it’s hard not to root for her. With Hopefully Sky, she makes her solo debut, and it sounds very little like what we’re … Continue reading
UP10TION are one of a handful of rookie boy groups from mid-size agencies that are poised to usher in the next generation of kpop. Up to this point, they’ve released two solid mini-albums, though the title tracks from each haven’t been as strong as some some of the songs that they didn’t promote. Attention seeks to … Continue reading
As far as girl groups go, Apink has been the one to fully master and maintain the upbeat, cutesy image. Even as their music has become more sophisticated in sound, its bubblegum hooks have always stood front and center. Initially, I feared that they would be a little too “girly” for me, and that kept … Continue reading
Despite only releasing ten group singles, Block B has risen to incredible fame in Korea. They’re really unlike any other idol groups, with a sense of individual style and idiosyncratic concepts. In the past, I’ve likened their music to a carnival. It’s bright and in-your-face, but underneath lies a grittier, rambunctious edge. They’re also a … Continue reading
I feel like I’ve written a lot about B1A4 lately. Maybe that’s because I’m so hungry for new material. After Infinite, they’re probably the idols I look forward to hearing from the most. Among the many, many male groups in their age bracket, they have an incredibly distinctive sound that favors melodic hooks over any trend that … Continue reading
Heechul and Jungmo’s M&D project was one of 2015’s best surprises — a j-rock inspired passion project filled with gorgeous melodies and theatrical delivery. For this week’s Station release, the two revisit that sound, with the added bonus of Mamamoo’s Whee In as a duet vocalist. Sadly, I’m not sure that it works as well this … Continue reading
Mintty is from girl group Tiny-G, who I can’t say I know all that much about except that they were all short (hence the name) and they disbanded last year. But, it’s always nice to have another female rapper in kpop, and that’s exactly what Mintty is giving us with the funky Already Go Lady. … Continue reading
Korean rapper Sleepy is one half of the hip-hop duo Untouchable, and for Body Lotion, he’s teamed with labelmate Bang Yong Guk of boy group B.A.P. It’s a pairing that makes sense, given their complementary styles. Despite his moniker, Sleepy raps (and sings) at a higher, more sprightly pace, while Yong Guk is all deep-voiced … Continue reading
When GOT7’s comeback was released in March, I wasn’t so thrilled with it. Fly has since grown on me, though I still think it’s one of their weaker title tracks. As indicated by the brief sample we were given, follow-up single Home Run seemed to promise something bouncier and more upbeat. The song has actually been … Continue reading
Before making their inevitable Korean comeback, AOA have released their second original Japanese single with Give Me The Love. I liked their first one well enough, but it had absolutely no staying power on my playlist. Give Me The Love seems to be the exact opposite. I was initially underwhelmed, but now find myself… well… … Continue reading
As soon as History’s Queen music video began, with its jackhammer racket of electronic noise and played out saxophone sample, my eyes glazed over and I nearly turned it off. I railed about this exact production trend a few weeks ago with Beast’s new Japanese single. It’s very hard to remain objective about a song that chains itself … Continue reading
Block B get compared to Bigbang quite often. Some of the comparisons are fair, and many are not. They certainly have a sound of their own, but they do share a similarly annoying habit of taking long breaks in between releases. Prior to their March comeback, we’d gone nearly two years since hearing from them. … Continue reading
Given the purpose behind this track, I was bracing myself for a gag song, more concerned with cameos than music. Though I love Conan O’Brien, I definitely didn’t need him singing in a kpop single. Luckily, his portion of the audio is limited to a lame spoken intro (which honestly should have been kept exclusive … Continue reading
Now this is more like it! I’m not sure it’s possible for a single song to make up for an underwhelming March, but Without You certainly feels like a kick in the butt. Without any gimmicks or concessions to trends, it flies out of the gate on the strength of its melody and performance alone. … Continue reading
JYP (Park Jinyoung) is a legend in the world of kpop, and rightfully so. Not only is he the founder and head of his eponymous agency, but his career has continually forged the path of what kpop has developed into, starting in the 90’s and continuing to present day. He’s also a total character, and … Continue reading
I’ve always found SM’s “throw ’em out there” approach to debuting new groups to be kind of refreshing. There’s no endless countdown clocks or debut dates announced weeks before music is released. When they’re ready, they briefly tease and then just drop the music. Bucking industry trends, the first releases from their NCT boy group … Continue reading
I want to preface this review by saying that 1PUNCH’s debut was one of my favorite kpop tracks of last year. Because of that, I’ve been following Punch since the duo’s disbandment. I think he has incredible potential and I’m really pulling for him. I say all this to clarify that I bear no ill-will … Continue reading
Thank the kpop gods! We finally have an SM Station release that isn’t a lifeless ballad! This alone is something to celebrate, but the fact that Lil’ Something is a great song in its own right is icing on the cake. For those unfamiliar, Chen is one of the main vocalists in mega-group EXO, and Heize … Continue reading
I’ve been purposefully holding off on creating a Bigbang list because it’s so freaking hard to do. Not only are they the biggest group in kpop, but they’ve been around for a decade and have over thirty singles to choose from. Oddly, I find that most of my favorite singles are those recorded by the … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 