There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away POSSIBILITY A song like Possibility, with its uplifting lyrics, could easily come across as cheesy. Yet something about SHINee’s layered vocal adds gravitas that makes the song feel much more transcendent. It’s not my … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away HOURS This mini album was billed as a showcase of SHINee’s signature charm, which is really a gift for fans. If an act has mastered a sound or genre, there’s no reason not to … Continue reading
With each release, I’m more convinced that VVS is some kind of psyop meant to test the limits of fans’ blind idolatry and the industry’s willingness to appropriate hip-hop culture. How else do you describe BOTTLE$? The moment its “chorus” first dropped, all I could do was laugh. A song like this is difficult to … Continue reading
Remember that brief moment when N.Flying were a chart-topping, A-list band? It seems almost like a fever dream now, but the guys have hung around and continued to release music that plays to their strengths. I still prefer the goofier concepts of their debut era, but new single In Between Seasons (환절기 (換節期)) is a … Continue reading
There’s something admirable about a K-pop act from a small agency who just keeps on churning out material. XODIAC has never been in conversation with the big leagues of the industry, but they’ve released several comebacks a year since their debut in 2023. The quality of these songs has varied, and new single Phantom Fire … Continue reading
Despite being a huge presence in K-pop, I get the sense that most newer fans are not be familiar with Kim Junsu. If there’s one soloist’s discography I’d point them toward, it’s his. Songs like Flower, Tarantallegra and Rock The World should be a part of everyone’s music library. Junsu doesn’t come back often with … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Japanese mega-girl group/collective Sakurazaka46 recently released a few stunning singles, which got me thinking about what a 20+ member group can sound like. In my mind, the music should be as immense as the configuration, and I haven’t often felt that way about tripleS’s output. Their songs feel too small for their concept, and I … Continue reading
Three years ago, Fifty Fifty’s Cupid brought them global attention. But just like a bubble (see what I did there?), their prospects burst when the group fractured. This new group configuration has been flooding the market with material but nothing’s yet recaptured the public interest of Cupid. New single Like A Bubble is unlikely to … Continue reading
Recently, I’ve been ranking K-pop artists against each other based on their singles runs and I was surprised how high Treasure ended up. This isn’t because I dislike the group. I just can’t immediately point toward one big highlight in their discography. For me, they’ve been a firm, reliable act that rarely propels to the … Continue reading
With each new release, I’ve appreciated MEOVV’s music more and more. They’ve yet to deliver a song that’s completely captured me, but they have a sound that feels much needed in K-pop right now. Even with this goodwill, as soon as I spot a song title like “DDI RO RI” my mind goes to the … Continue reading
Plenty of K-pop acts have imperial phases that last a year or two, but very few maintain such a stellar track record as SHINee’s. Apart from the (very) occasional misstep, they’ve been churning out K-pop classics since 2008. Their comebacks are far more infrequent these days, but a new SHINee album is still guaranteed to … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 