So far, 2018 has the unfortunate distinction of being the year where almost all of my favorite acts return with underwhelming title tracks. This trend has made it difficult to keep excitement up over the past couple of months. So many groups are abandoning the producers who crafted their winning sound in favor of ones … Continue reading
The day has finally come. Snuper have released enough singles to warrant a top ten list! It’s disappointing that the song to put them over the top is the supremely underwhelming Tulips, but I’m happy to say that the top four entries on this countdown are near-perfect, A+ examples of k-pop. If you haven’t checked out … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop 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 k-pop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. When it rains in EXO-CBX land, it pours. In just … Continue reading
As with too many groups of their underrated stature, Berry Good has been pretty inactive of late. After carving a path of mature, melodic pop with 2016’s Angel and Don’t Believe, last year’s juvenile Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo marked a jarring tonal change that seems to have derailed their momentum. Perhaps this is a reason behind … Continue reading
It’s been exciting to watch The East Light’s music grow since their debut in late 2016, especially as they settled on the perfect disco-infused sound with January’s Real Man. Though the group hasn’t gotten all that much attention compared to some of their idol peers, their performances on weekly music shows are reliably energetic and … Continue reading
Out of more than 120 song reviews this year, only eleven singles have earned a nine or higher from my ratings system — and five of those were Japanese releases. Japan’s stalled Hallyu wave is beginning to make a rebound in an exciting way. While much of this year’s k-pop remains mired in certain trends, … Continue reading
Between Korea and Japan, barely a month goes by without new music from Twice. This prolific release schedule should be an asset, but all it’s doing is making each song feel interchangeable with the last. And now, we’re approaching the point of over saturation. Underwhelming Korean single What Is Love suffered a bit from this, … Continue reading
I’m a massive proponent of groups finding a small circle of collaborators and sticking with them long enough to develop a signature sound. Over the past few years, Snuper and Sweetune have been a match made in heaven, crafting a near-flawless run of distinct (but not identical) singles. With Tulips (튤립) — and the introduction of … Continue reading
Since Sistar disbanded last spring, Hyolyn has been busy with a number of digital singles and duets. Having dabbled in quite a few genres, it feels as if she’s still finding her place outside of her former girl group. But the thing about Hyolyn is that she’s always been a jack-of-all-trades. Her airy vocal sounds … Continue reading
The fact that Lovelyz worked with Sweetune for That Day (그날의 너) is some consolation for personal faves Snuper ditching the production team for their upcoming comeback. It also brings renewed interest to the question of Woollim Entertainment’s partnership with Sweetune. I wish I had some knowledge of the inner workings of the industry, but the … Continue reading
For fans of KAT-TUN, it’s been a long wait. The guys have been on a self-imposed hiatus for nearly two years after founding member Taguchi decided to leave the group. Ask Yourself is their first release as a trio, and their first new music we’ve heard since 2016. This return could have gone any number … Continue reading
Ever since the concept of NCT was announced, I looked forward to the day that all of its members would unite for one dynamic single. I imagined a giant chorus of vocals, an army of dancers. I imagined a song as immense and dramatic as the idea of NCT itself. But all that imagining was … Continue reading
After months of working through the exhaustive BOYS24 roll-out process, IN2IT debuted last fall with an incredibly generic, tropical house inspired single. It felt like a missed opportunity, but the newly released SnapShot rights the ship by balking the very trends its predecessor embraced. As a pure song, SnapShot is really nothing special. But, it … Continue reading
Generic, chorus-less EDM pop like Hyoyeon’s Sober is becoming the most difficult material for me to review. First of all, there are thousands of these songs out there. What else is there to say that I haven’t said over and over already? But more than that, it’s getting harder to feign interest in a song … Continue reading
Fandom culture springs up so quickly these days. Project group JBJ have only been active since last October, but in that short space of time they’ve amassed a following large enough to make their impending disbandment seem like a big deal. Call Your Name (부를게) acts as both their latest single and their swan song, … Continue reading
During the years of 2013 and 2014, VIXX delivered a string of hits that, taken together, represent one of modern k-pop’s strongest imperial phases. This isn’t to say that their post-2014 material is bad (Dynamite and Chained Up would certainly argue to the contrary), but over the past two years their sound has taken a … Continue reading
It’s been over a year since IMFACT’s last group release, the exuberant pop jolt of Tension Up. Since that time, main vocal Jeup made a splash on KBS’s The Unit survival series, nearly placing within the final nine contestants. It’s the perfect time to try to capitalize on that momentum, and new single The Light … Continue reading
Most of UNB’s members are well-known for skills in hip-hop and dance, so a ballad release could have been a disaster. A song like last week’s Sense (or “Feeling,” as it’s now being translated) seems to be a better match on paper, yet Only One’s standout melody makes it the stronger of the two title … Continue reading
Idol band The Rose seemed to come out of nowhere last summer, but quickly developed a moderate amount of internet buzz even though Korea has mostly ignored them. To be honest, I didn’t quite understand what all the fuss was about. Past tracks Sorry and Like We Used To were pleasant bursts of modern rock, … Continue reading
Until We Meet (会えるまで) is the sixteenth B1A4 single that leader Jinyoung has composed, and his songwriting and producing skills show no signs of dampening. At this point, he’s developed a signature sound for the group — a stately, synth-kissed brand of melodic pop that feels at once powerful and dreamlike. And B1A4’s prolific Japanese … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 