As the third season of SM’s digital Station platform continues to shine light on unexpected collaborations, the pairing of EXO’s Baekyun and rapper Loco arrives with much expectation. It’s been awhile since we’ve heard any EXO-related material, and fans are more than ready. Luckily, Young gives the duo an interesting piece of trend-free electro-pop music … Continue reading
2017 set the bar incredibly high for NCT’s youngest unit with the February release of Dream’s buoyant My First and Last. In fact, I’d argue that SM Entertainment hasn’t delivered a stronger single since. And as NCT begins to paint all of its units with a similar hip-hop brush, it makes me wonder whether we’ll … Continue reading
When JYJ’s Jin Longguo unveiled his first pre-release as a solo artist last June, I figured that its downbeat r&b was simply a stepping stone to more intriguing sounds. After all, pre-releases are often less ear-catching than fully promoted title tracks. But Friday n Night continues down a similar route, embracing an understated style that … Continue reading
Stray Kids have become a real toss-up group for me. I loved their debut mini album from start to finish, and still think that District 9 is one of the year’s top singles. However, the recently released I Am WHO has not clicked with me at all. Even title track My Pace, which initially earned … Continue reading
There really isn’t a precedent for the kind of music an act like Shinhwa should be releasing. It’s been an astonishing twenty years since their debut, making them K-pop’s longest-running idol group. At this point, their sound could go in any number of directions. I would have expected new single Kiss Me Like That to … Continue reading
The indefinite hiatus of girl group After School and its sub-unit, Orange Caramel, is made even more frustrating whenever one of the group’s members returns with a by-the-numbers ballad. I don’t believe in shoehorning an act into one specific style, but Raina seems intent on crafting the most weightless material possible. New single It’s Okay (작아지는 … Continue reading
Well, summer isn’t actually coming to an end for another month, but summer break sure is. In addition to being a K-pop aficionado, I’m an elementary school librarian. And this means it’s back to work on Monday. Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that, over the past few months, I’ve been able to publish reviews pretty … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides 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. As I anticipated, BTS’ IDOL has been quite the polarizing title … 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. Collapsedone Years … Continue reading
My descent into K-pop obsession was not an immediate one, and songs I now consider classics didn’t seem that way the first time through. There was a time when K-pop was decidedly weird, and I’d come away from a track genuinely confused about whether I loved it or hated it. This dizzying experience was what … Continue reading
It’s only been three weeks since we last heard from Japan’s Hey! Say! JUMP, but the guys have made a speedy return with the release of their sixth full length album. Banger Night leads that album, and represents a dramatic shift in sound for the group. I’m a sucker for whenever Johnny’s Entertainment groups go … Continue reading
There are few things more frustrating than the Japanese music industry’s insistence on posting “short” music videos online. I get the fact that videos usually come packaged with physical albums and singles, and that throwing them up for free might discourage sales. But, it’s a total buzzkill when a song fades out just as it’s … Continue reading
Brand New Music has done a great job promoting duo MXM before eventually folding them into their upcoming boy group. They’ve even given the guys a full length album, which is pretty rare for a project group. With that said, More Than Ever felt like a few solid tracks hidden within a lot of filler. … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides 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. It’s no secret that K-pop takes much of its influence from … Continue reading
At the risk of alienating their passionate base of fans, I’m not sure if LOONA and I will ever fully click. I get why they’re popular — the ambitious roll-out, the interconnecting storylines, the endless fan theories — but it’s been awhile since their actual music lived up to that hype. FavOrite was a promising … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
After eighteen months away, boy group BIGFLO is back with renewed energy. Main dancer Euijin finished in second place during KBS’s The Unit, garnering attention through his promotions with project group UNB. And BIGFLO is an act in desperate need of attention. Their last few comebacks have stalled on the charts, putting them in real … Continue reading
Another year of KCON LA is behind us, and it was a fantastic experience. Instead of simply recapping the weekend, I thought I’d offer some sage advice from a veteran KCONer. This was my fourth year attending the event, and there’s a lot I’ve discovered since 2015. So strap yourselves in, because this is officially … Continue reading
Berry Good is one of those K-pop acts who always seem to exist on the periphery. They’ve been around for four years (!) now, and released a slew of solid tracks, but their career never seems to gain any momentum. This is a shame, because the girls have a lot to offer. That potential is … Continue reading
I was lucky enough to be in the audience when IMFACT’s NaNaNa (나나나) was first premiered at KCON LA, making this the rare (only?) K-Pop comeback I’ve heard live and in person before it was released in its studio version. It’s impossible to fully separate the live experience from the song, but it’s nice to … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 