With over 5,000 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 full Bias List treatment!

Year Released: 2012

It’s a shame that a group like B1A4 doesn’t exist anymore in K-pop. Before you all jump down my throat, I’m well aware that B1A4 themselves are still promoting, albeit with a new configuration. But for the purpose of this write-up, I’m specifically talking about 2011-2017 B1A4 before two members left and the sound of K-pop changed quite drastically. Prior to that, this group managed to find a pathway that skirted between established boy group tropes to forge a sound all their own. That’s partially due to the members’ participation in songwriting/production, but it’s also a product of an era that was still curious enough to allow for risk-taking creativity.

If you think about it, B1A4 never fit perfectly into any established concept. They never did “dark,” “brooding” or “shouty,” and even when their songs were bright and bubbly (as they often were), the music never felt cookie-cutter. A song like 2012’s Baby Good Night exemplifies the unique touch they always gave their music. It’s upbeat and fun but still a little weird. From its dull electric thump to the swirling melodies that forge the chorus, the track spawns endless energy while keeping things oddly sedate. It’s a catchy-as-hell pop song with an off-kilter rhythm and almost cartoonish performance. In other words, the song is just a ton of contradictions thrown together. It’s certainly “pop,” but defies easy idol group classification. These qualities make it timeless. Playing Baby Good Night today feels just as fresh and charming as it did thirteen years ago. This tends to happen when artists don’t slavishly follow trends and readily conform to market-proven templates.

Grade: A