Rookies AtHeart returned with a dull pre-release last month, making me hope they’d saved their best material for their album’s title track. Butterfly Doors offers a slightly different taste, but sadly I remain underwhelmed by the music. This song marries several youthful elements (nursery rhyme melodies in the verses — icy, music box-esque synth) with … Continue reading
Rookies Baby DONT Cry have a new mini album on the horizon, but like so many of their peers they’re kicking off promotions with a pre-release. I enjoyed their last title track I DONT CARE quite a bit and Shapeshifter continues its pop-forward sound, sadly leaving the anthemic synths behind. The energy is less bombastic … Continue reading
The K-pop industry is in dire need of some eccentricity. Sure, there’s a subdued quirkiness to many of its recent visuals, but this approach has become so cut-and-paste and rubber stamped by corporations that it feels more mainstream than it seeks to be. There is no act reliably delivering the colorful madness of previous groups … Continue reading
One thing that’s surprised me most about 2026 in K-pop is the sheer number of active bands in the idol industry. It feels like everyone’s strapping on a guitar these days — or maybe they’ve all just been making comebacks/debuts during the first few months of the year. Dragon Pony were ahead of the trend, … Continue reading
LOONA spin-off Loossemble are currently without an agency, unable to release new music since 2024. As a salve for anxious fans, their youngest member YeoJin has returned today with a solo track. Sugar Talk will likely please those in the mood for a vibey LOONAVERSE track, even if it sounds like “easy listening” to me. … Continue reading
Are you in the mood for a K-pop song that sounds like a hostage situation? Well, I’ve got just the track for you! ALLDAY PROJECT are the latest act to team up with video game franchise PUBG for a soundtrack release. I Don’t Bargain is unflinching in its aggression and represents the worst instincts of … Continue reading
It’s been more and more common for groups to film music videos for follow up tracks. It’s a great way for rookies to keep their name in public discourse and have one more chance for a legitimate hit right out of the gate. Just a couple of weeks since their debut, DAILY:DIRECTION are already back … Continue reading
When it comes to HYBE groups, aoen have had a curiously subdued rollout. You never hear much about them and they’ve pretty much stuck to their homebase of Japan rather than attempt to intermix with the K-pop industry. So far, they’ve released a few decent songs but haven’t established anything close to their own sound. … Continue reading
Onew’s prolific streak as a solo artist continues with another mini album. His solo work has largely shifted between ballads and quirky (but subdued) dance tracks. New single Tough Love splits the difference, moving between moments of vocal heft and jagged electronic breakdowns. At the very least, this music is more interesting than what most … Continue reading
The K-pop industry seems intent on messing with me this year. NouerA were one of my favorite rookies of 2025, with two mini albums full of fantastic music that drew influence from older generations of K-pop. Led by producer e.one, they forged a sound that felt unique and impressive. With new single Pop It Like, … Continue reading
KickFlip were the first group I wrote about in 2025 and my coverage became more and more positive as the year went on. As often happens in this case, I ended up going back to their older songs and enjoying them much more than I did at first. They’re now a group I actively look … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … 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
A K-pop act’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. To Sung Kyu fans, Answer might … 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
Last year, H1-KEY took a more rock influenced turn with their excellent summer mini album Lovestruck. They’ve stuck with many of the same collaborators for its follow-up, beginning to develop a signature sound that spotlights their strong vocals. I’m always happy to hear consistency like this, even if title track To. My First Love (나의 … Continue reading
MADEIN’s recent comeback repainted them as rockers. The song didn’t enjoy much longevity on my own playlist, but I appreciated their embrace of a different sound in K-pop’s current girl group landscape. Now, they’ve released a music video for follow-up track PUNG, which is far more reserved in both sound and execution. I’m actually kind … Continue reading
WOODZ’s enormous success with Drowning came at an interesting time, when he was on hiatus due to military conscription and couldn’t immediately capitalize upon the track’s unlikely chart rise. Since returning, he’s released several new songs but nothing has yet recaptured Drowning‘s fortunes. Now, he’s back with his first full album — a sprawling seventeen-track … Continue reading
Big Ocean debuted back in 2024 as K-pop’s first hard of hearing group. I’ve never covered their music before, but teasers for new single One Man Army caught my eye. I’ll always be up for some good old-fashioned drama in K-pop, and this song seemed to promise a whole theater show. The actual song is … Continue reading
2026 has seen many debuts of groups from mid-to-small agencies, but few of these acts have had much to say. Debuts offer the chance for new sounds and ideas, or maybe even a look back at a style we haven’t heard in awhile. It shouldn’t be yet another excuse to peddle the same sounds clogging … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 