If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: February 2021
SHINee DON’T CALL ME: In-Depth Album Review – Marry You
Enough of you asked for it, and who am I to deny? It’s time to dive deep into SHINee’s long-awaited comeback album Don’t Call Me, track-by-track. 1. Don’t Call Me // 2. Heart Attack // 3. Marry You // 4. CØDE // 5. I Really Want You // 6. Kiss Kiss // 7. Body Rhythm … Continue reading
Song Review: Sunmi – Tail
After painting the year retro in 2020, Sunmi has re-emerged with her first single of 2021. She stubbornly refuses to grace us with a mini or full album, but the drips and drabs we’ve gotten have generally been of high quality. New single Tail (꼬리) continues her work with producer Frants, though it hearkens back … Continue reading
Song Review: KEEMBO – Inside
Sweetune’s partnership with vocal duo KEEMBO has often felt like “Sweetune go indie,” which explains why most of the songs haven’t bowled me over the way I’m used to with these producers. Rather than go big and bombastic with idol groups in mind, tracks like Scene and 99 felt slightly more left-of-center. This isn’t a … Continue reading
SHINee DON’T CALL ME: In-Depth Album Review – Heart Attack
Enough of you asked for it, and who am I to deny? It’s time to dive deep into SHINee’s long-awaited comeback album Don’t Call Me, track-by-track. 1. Don’t Call Me // 2. Heart Attack // 3. Marry You // 4. CØDE // 5. I Really Want You // 6. Kiss Kiss // 7. Body Rhythm … Continue reading
The 90’s J-Pop Roadmap: TRF – Boy Meets Girl
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
Song Review: J.Don (Lee Seunghyub of N.Flying) – Clicker
N.Flying recently renewed their contracts with FNC Entertainment, ensuring years of new music from the band. With this firm foundation under their feet, this is the perfect time to stretch themselves with things like solo projects. Leader Seunghyub has participated in collaborations before, but On The Track (released under his moniker J.Don) is his first … Continue reading
Song Review: SHINee – Don’t Call Me
It’s been about two and a half years since SHINee’s last comeback, and longer since they actively promoted a title track. Don’t Call Me arrives in between military enlistments, with youngest member Taemin yet to take his hiatus. It’s halcyon days for fans at this point, offering a window for SHINee to make an impactful … Continue reading
The 90’s J-Pop Roadmap: T.M.Revolution – High Pressure
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
The 90’s J-Pop Roadmap: Every Little Thing – Future World
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: Lucy – Stove
A K-pop group’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. Lucy would tell you that the … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of July 2010
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! July … Continue reading
The 90’s J-Pop Roadmap: Pool Bit Boys – Sunshine
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
The 90’s J-Pop Roadmap: Nanase Aikawa – Koigokoro
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
Breaking Down the K-pop Song: Boyfriend – Janus
As part of my “Top 100 K-pop Songs of All-Time” countdown, I took the effort to dive deeply into my top ten picks and break them down moment by moment. But, there are plenty of other songs that deserve this same treatment. So, The Bias List proudly presents an in-depth feature: “Breaking Down the K-pop … Continue reading
Song Review: GOT7 – Encore
Last month, GOT7 announced their departure from JYP Entertainment. And as the members started signing with other agencies, a reunion or continuation of group activities seemed more and more unlikely. Yet, out of the blue a new GOT7 youtube channel appeared this week, with leader JB (now coined “Jay B”) promising that the group isn’t … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: Chungha – Bother Me
A K-pop group’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. Chungha’s new album is a behemoth. … Continue reading
Song Review: ONF – My Name Is
We don’t get proper album pre-releases nearly enough these days – especially sneak attacks that arrive with little warning. In the lead up to their first full-length album, ONF have unveiled a fun music video for its second track. Essentially, My Name Is plays like an ONF theme song, introducing each member in a playful … Continue reading
Song Review: SixTONES – Boku ga Bokujyanai Mitaida (I Don’t Seem To Be Myself)
Since debuting last year, SixTONES have blitzed the J-pop market with music, and their consistency in both quantity and quality has been admirable. The group is not a one-trick pony, and new single Boku ga Bokujyanai Mitaida makes that quite evident. As the theme to the live action adaptation of manga Liar X Liar, the … Continue reading
Song Review: C.T.O – Oh! That Girl
It’s a tale as old as time: Taiwanese boy group sends sub-unit to Korea in the hope of competing within the already-packed K-pop market. Okay, I guess it isn’t exactly a well-worn tale, but I admire the chutzpah it takes to attempt this gamble. K-pop often exports its music to foreign markets. The opposite isn’t … Continue reading