One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Shower (from Season 2 / Be Back – 2014) Closing out the Be Back album with a shot of energy, Shower marked the first time Infinite collaborated with producers Iggy and Seo Yongbae. The song is a fan-favorite, and for good reason. … Continue reading
It’s become increasingly difficult for me to review Jun. K’s solo material because, more and more, our musical preferences just don’t match. He’s been at the forefront of experimenting with the future bass genre, which — try as I might — hasn’t been a style I can get into. His more down-tempo material tends to … Continue reading
MAP6 are one of the few struggling groups who didn’t opt to appear on this year’s pair of “idol rebooting” shows, The Unit and MIXNINE. That’s a shame, because the guys could really use the exposure. With each passing release, it feels like their career has stalled more and more. Since debuting at the tail … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Shot (from Inspirit – 2011) One of Infinite’s strongest b-sides, Shot never once lets up. From the opening, explosive refrain, the song is a jolt of pure energy. Sweetune ups the presence of electric guitars, fusing them to an aggressive dance beat … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I’ve always preferred Red Velvet‘s upbeat “red” material over their … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! She’s Back (from First Invasion – 2010) As Infinite’s first single with Sweetune, She’s Back set the stage for what would follow over the next four years. The song is relentlessly cheerful, melding 80’s power pop with the kind of soaring vocals the … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. Flow Blow … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Rosinante (from Season 2 / Be Back – 2014) Using a Don Quixote literary reference as its title, Rosinante takes Infinite’s trademark synth sound and jettisons almost everything else. Like many of the tracks on Be Back, the production merges dance pop funk … Continue reading
Less than a week after their historic performance on the American Music Awards, BTS have returned with a remixed version of their album track MIC Drop, courtesy of U.S. DJ/producer Steve Aoki. For the past year or so, I feel like I’ve been in the minority when it comes to the group’s incredible worldwide success. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Request (from Request – 2013) CF tracks are designed primarily to promote a product, and they really aren’t supposed to be this good. But rather than go gimmicky or opt for a commercial jingle sound, Request sees Infinite teaming once again with Sweetune … Continue reading
Pentagon are back with their second self-composed album after making a sonic shift with September’s Demo_01. Taking over the reigns of their music was a smart choice, especially when it resulted in a song as spectacular as Like This. Runaway successfully continues this sound, even if it never reaches the heights of its predecessor. Once … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Reflex (from Season 2 / Be Back – 2014) Embracing 80’s synthpop stronger than ever before, Reflex feels like a sonic sequel to Be Mine. The instrumental is built on the old Stock Aitken Waterman drum program sound that powered so many late-80’s … Continue reading
Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on the Big Three agencies, this is written from an outsider’s perspective. I’m not privy to any business-related financial information beyond what any other fan would know. The purpose of these articles is to examine how well these agencies are serving their artists and the general k-pop fan-base. Read Part … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Real Story (from Over The Top / Paradise – 2011) Closing out Infinite’s first full album, Real Story is the type of inoffensive mid-tempo pop song that is the very definition of filler. This being Infinite, even their filler is stronger than many … Continue reading
KARD have received a fair amount of criticism (including some from this very site) for essentially replicating the same sound each time they release a new single. There’s something to be said about artists spinning their wheels, but I also believe that the best idol groups are those who develop a trademark style and gradually … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Apart from title track Sixteen, I wasn’t a big fan … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Paradise (from Paradise – 2011) Infinite had a lot riding on Paradise. Be Mine had finally given them the breakout hit they needed to gain public recognition and secure their first music show win, but that could have easily faded away without a … Continue reading
Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on the Big Three agencies, this is written from an outsider’s perspective. I’m not privy to any business-related financial information beyond what any other fan would know. The purpose of these articles is to examine how well these agencies are serving their artists and the general k-pop fan-base. Big Hit … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Only Tears (from Infinitize – 2012) One of Infinite’s most delicate ballads, Only Tears’ gentle mix of piano, guitar and strings provides little distraction from the purity of the group’s vocals. Even so, the instrumental builds gorgeously, becoming more grandiose as the song … Continue reading
As SM Entertainment’s original girl group, it’s hard to overstate just how successful S.E.S were when they debuted in the late 90’s. Long before “cute” was the girl group template of choice, the trio built their name on a catchy blend of hip-hop and 90’s r&b. Their music stretched into the early 00’s before a lengthy … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 