Shortly after their formative survival series concluded, JYP’s NiziU soared to the top of Japanese charts. They’ve been a fixture there for months, which only goes to show how powerful certain agencies are. I mean, the girls hadn’t even made their official debut until now! As with most survival series-spawned groups, it didn’t matter if … Continue reading
Despite woo!ah!’s exuberant name, their self-titled debut failed to elicit much excitement. But, rookie groups often take some time to get going, and that may be the case here. New single Bad Girl may not offer anything revelatory or new, but it already feels more assured. Like so many girl group tracks this year, Bad … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! Puzzle Bubble (from Puzzle Bubble OST – 2011) Released as an OST for an online game, it’s hard to have very high expectations for Puzzle Bubble. The song is also known as Garagabana, which should give you an even clearer idea of … Continue reading
As a Sweetune fanatic, it’s been depressing to watch the production team fade into obscurity over the past two years. With retro pop the trend of the day, I want nothing more than their patented sound to make its way back into the K-pop mainstream. But alas, 2019 and 2020 have seen the team’s output … Continue reading
GOT7 will return next week with their fourth Korean full-length album, but prior to that they’re sharing pre-release track Breath (넌 날 숨 쉬게 해). Like most of the album, this song is self-penned – in this case by member Youngjae. I think it’s great for idol groups to move into self-production, but that alone … Continue reading
The announcement of NCT’s 23-member Resonance project sparked a lot of excitement, and much of that stemmed from how awesome their 2018 Empathy album was. Songs like Baby Don’t Stop and Boss are still in heavy rotation, and have become pillars of NCT’s discography. In comparison, Resonance hasn’t brought the same level of focus or … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! Pretty Girl (from Pink Tape – 2013) Pretty Girl manages to make distortion sound a little bluesy, even as its ticking time bomb of an instrumental assaults us with frantic hi-hats and a hearty clap. The verses are comparatively reserved, but build … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! March … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! Pinocchio (Danger) (from Pinocchio / Hot Summer – 2011) I feel like repackage Hot Summer often steals the limelight from Pinocchio, but this track is far more quintessentially f(x). The stomping electro beat takes no prisoners, nudged along by the group’s rhythmic … Continue reading
In the expansive hall of dubious K-pop group names, Bling Bling takes a prestigious place. It’s not a great idea to fashion your identity around slang in the first place. But, it’s even more baffling to use outdated slang. Bling Bling sounds pretty silly. Yet, I’ve learned not to dwell on misguided monikers. After all, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! Papi (from 4 Walls – 2015) Papi is pure fun, indebted to nothing more than having a good time. It’s a monstrous dance track, thriving on a generous dose of electro bass and a chirpy synth loop. The chorus is instantly memorable, … 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 want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. BTS’s BE has an air of finality to it, like the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! Paper Heart (from Red Light – 2014) Putting a cap on the adventurous Red Light album, Paper Heart is an extremely refreshing closer. Driven by plucked guitar (or ukulele?), the verses are light and relaxing. This sets up the stomping, sing-along chorus … Continue reading
I must admit, I’m shocked at how long BTS’s Dynamite has endured on global charts. I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised. In many ways, the track was a slam dunk before it even materialized – a glossy, trend-friendly pop song with wide appeal. And while I still find it to be more commercial jingle than … Continue reading
BAE173 brings together X1/H&D’s Dohyun and Hangyul with seven other members for PocketDol Studio’s first boy group. It seems as if the agency has thrown a big budget and plenty of attention behind these guys, so it will be interesting to see how they fare within a stuffed K-pop market. At the very least, it’s … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! Nu ABO (from Nu ABO – 2010) Hailed as a “reverse beat” dance track, Nu ABO is what I would consider f(x)’s first real experimental single. The instrumental is quite a feat, looping a flipped synth riff with stomping percussion and filtered … Continue reading
Far be it from me to tell any performer what kind of music they should be making, but I can’t help imagining how awesome it would be if Henry released a song like Lucy’s Snooze. He seems intent on following the footsteps of K-r&b soloists like Crush and Dean, but it feels like such a … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! No More (from Pink Tape – 2013) Taking a doo wop approach, No More has a much warmer tone than much of the experimental Pink Tape album. As such, it’s a nice palette cleanser but tends to get lost in the shuffle. … Continue reading
Idol band CNBlue have made it through military enlistment and the departure of a member, emerging on the other side with their first new album in three years. Having debuted in 2009, it feels as if this group has been a K-pop staple for as long as I can remember. The hype around their music … Continue reading
Cho Seung-youn has quickly become one of K-pop’s biggest post-X1 successes. Earlier this year, he released his first mini album under the stage name Woodz, and showed great promise as an idol act with an unusual level of creative control. Though most of the songs on Equal drew from genres I don’t usually love, Woodz … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 