Two months after its initial release as an album b-side, ALPHA DRIVE ONE have ressurected Talk To Me as its own digital single. I’m not sure what the hope is with this promotion, as the song didn’t even stand out as part of the album, but I suppose they need to keep their name in … 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
If I’m being honest, this new song by Super Junior’s Eunhyuk nearly passed me by. After a certain number of years, I tend to lose track of solo work from members of more established groups. Often, these songs are too safe and dull to warrant much attention. But in a pleasant turn of events, Blue … Continue reading
When it comes to songs that can’t quite be considered “K-pop,” I never know which ones to cover on the blog. Oftentimes, it depends on how busy a release day or week is. But when dealing with an agency as big as SM Entertainment, it feels like new music from any artist is worth at … Continue reading
During ILLIT’s debut year, I would never have thought they’d transform their sound into novelty techno, but their 2026 has taken a sharp turn toward the ridiculous and irreverent with music that’s fun but often sounds more like a meme than a song. This continues with new single You’re Under Arrest (체포하겠어), which bolsters its … Continue reading
Since debut, RIIZE have never stuck to one genre. This pick-and-mix approach can be a lot of fun when the music is consistently high-quality, but gets an artist in trouble if that consistency begins to dip. Without a signature sound tying everything together, it can feel like an agency doesn’t know what to do with … 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
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
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
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. Initially, my reception to Xdinary Heroes’ … Continue reading
BLACKPINK’s Lisa has made a career on solo songs that brag about how awesome/pretty/rich she is… so much so that I don’t expect any other subject matter at this point. So rather than hope for something less shallow, it becomes fun to see just how many different ways she can retread the same message. In … Continue reading
ATEEZ have commanded a large fanbase for years now, but this year they find themselves with an equally large public hit on their hands. I still don’t get how Bad turned into the sensation it did (the song just does nothing for me), but the group is now in a unique position to build upon … Continue reading
YG Entertainment has a long history of keeping its acts in “the dungeon” (ie: not letting them release much material for months/years at a time). This is still the case for many acts, but occasionally the agency also blitzes the market with new song after new song. BABYMONSTER have been in one of these phases … 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
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. I was a bit iffy about … 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. The K-pop release slate has been … 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
A sleepy duet between Crush and IU? Was this song designed in a lab for chart dominance? It would have been an instant number one in the 2010s and both artists maintain enough public affection to likely make it almost as big in 2026. After all, we’re fast approaching winter where the desire for slower, … Continue reading
YUHZ didn’t reinvent the wheel with their May debut, but they filled a bright boy group niche quite well. Oftentimes, groups like this exhaust their quota of upbeat pop music within the first few comebacks before moving into something more “mature” (read: “boring”). But at least for now, YUHZ feel especially suited to more upbeat … Continue reading
