At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. September 2023 Overall Thoughts After a very strong August, it felt like we entered the K-pop … Continue reading
K-Pop debuts can be tricky things. At times, they’re the best song a group delivers. Sometimes, they’re the only song a group delivers! But, debuts can also be huge wtf moments in an artist’s career. In this feature, I’ll be looking back at debut songs through the prism of time, re-evaluating how well they hold … Continue reading
Jungkook has found a winning formula with singles that cater to Y2K pop sounds and feature a popular American rapper. His summer hit Seven proved more durable then expected, offering a breezy take on garage music with a simple — but addictive — hook. If Seven borrowed liberally from Fill Me In era Craig David, … Continue reading
Given that this week is Chuseok, there have been way more K-pop (and K-pop adjacent) releases than I’d expected. Even so, today is empty until a trio of soloists return at midnight. Luckily, I missed a song from yesterday. Kwangmin is a member of Boyfriend (now known as BF) — one of K-pop’s most underrated … Continue reading
Though I still wouldn’t call myself a fan, XG’s music has appealed to me more and more as their discography has grown. Last month’s New Dance was a catchy earworm, while GRL GVNG felt like their most convincing hip-hop track yet. After months of pre-releases, their first EP has finally been released alongside the music … Continue reading
Oh, come on now! That song title is so cheesy it’s got me physically cringing. Yet, its earnestness is also disarming in a way, and this perfectly illustrates the duality of K-pop. BYOB is the first of two tracks from Billlie, the second of which will be released next month. It’s a breezy trifle of … Continue reading
The Boys Planet spin-off groups continue to spawn — this time, Japanese style! TOZ consists of trainees Anthonny, Hart, Yuto, and Takuto. During my recaps of the series, I made no bones about my soft spot for quirky Takuto. It became a bit of a running gag but was mostly serious. He’s got his own … Continue reading
ITZY have been releasing Japanese material for some time now, leading up to the release of their first J-pop album next month. Prior to this, they’ve dropped the music video for the album’s promotional single. Ringo (or “Apple,” if you want an English translation) feels like their K-pop sound transcoded onto Japan, which should please … Continue reading
When looking back at their discography, I released it’s been a couple of years since a ONEUS title track really grabbed me. Their music is always solid and they come back frequently, but their sound has been stuck in this nebulous zone since 2021, borrowing from various trends rather than developing their own perspective. Baila … Continue reading
More often than not, Kep1er’s b-sides tend to eclipse their title tracks. Check out Back To The City, Together Forever and MVSK to see what I mean. They’ve yet to promote a song that connects with me in the same way, but with a possible contract extension in the works they may have more time. … Continue reading
Last time IVE pre-released a song, I initially dismissed it as too noisy and repetitive. Kitsch has gone on to become one of my biggest growers of the year, proving the power of this ascendant group. This time around, Either Way is the first of two pre-release tracks leading up to IVE’s first EP next … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Fantasy Boys come from the MBC survival series of the same name — another 2023 debut spawning from a TV show. I didn’t watch Fantasy Boys when it aired, but appreciated the fact that it cast B1A4’s Jinyoung as a mentor. If only he could have been in charge of the group’s debut single! New … Continue reading
Despite having all the potential in the world, Yuju’s solo career thus far has steered closer to calming coffee shops than the big power notes fueling GFriend’s best material. New single Dalala ups the energy a bit, but succumbs to a subdued groove that threatens to fade into the background. There have been many songs … Continue reading
I got nervous the moment I saw the name of Tempest’s new title track. After all, when there’s a “vroom” in K-pop, a “skrrt” can’t be far behind! And with Yuehua Entertainment’s mixed track record of choosing songs, I never feel like I can count on their artists to release good music. Tempest has flipped … Continue reading
As expected, the popular Boys Planet series is set to spin off more than just its winning group ZEROBASEONE. EVNNE is the first out of the gate, comprised of members who didn’t quite make the final cut. They’ve immediately distinguished themselves from ZB1’s bright pop sound, debuting with their take on the brash Baltimore Club … Continue reading
Years ago, I used to refer to the impending autumn as K-pop’s “ballad season.” That’s changed recently, with many ballads replaced by more upbeat idol tracks on the charts. But with BTS’s V and EXO’s D.O. releasing solo music this month, we’re seeing a resurgence of slower material. Somebody is not a ballad, but its … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 