With long-awaited returns from second and early-third gen boy groups SHINee, Infinite, EXO, Teen Top and U-Kiss, 2023 has been a dream for us older K-pop fans. Or rather, it would have been a dream if the majority of these comebacks hadn’t underwhelmed to various degrees. Seriously, I’m not sure how 2023 messed this up … Continue reading
“24K+” is the weirdest rebrand. It’s an offshoot of boy group 24K, who debuted all the way back in 2012. Yet, no original member remains and their new style/concept is markedly different from what 24K had been doing most of their career. I’d understand the slight tweaking of the name if the entity “24K” had … Continue reading
Before I take a brief look at many of K-pop’s smaller agencies, there are a few that I have more to say about. Consider these “bonus” write-ups — shorter than the “big four” but longer than a paragraph or two could cover. As usual, the thoughts below are my own and aren’t privy to any … Continue reading
Useless fact of the day: if you run a google image search for “Puzzle – Savior,” you get a bunch of reeeaaally creepy Jesus puzzle designs. I know you could technically search with the group’s name in Hangul, but given K-pop’s ever-increasing global presence it always surprises me what monikers an agency chooses to bestow … Continue reading
You’ve gotta hand it to JYP. He sticks to what he excels at… and often takes a mean promo shot to go along with it! I’m loving the styling and the pose of the picture above. It’s weirdly flattering, even if its inspirations lie in a bygone era. But really, JYP has made a late-career … Continue reading
The Boyz delivered one of my favorite sets of summer songs with the first part of their new album this August. This was somewhat unexpected — not because the group isn’t talented, but because I never know what I’m going to get with them. Of all the groups in their standing, I can’t pinpoint a … Continue reading
ZEROBASEONE’s Crush has grown on me a lot over the past few weeks, so much so that I hardly notice the momentum-shifting chant at its centerpiece. But for those who would prefer something a little smoother, the group has released a music video for the album’s opening track, Melting Point. This is much more in … 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 is a K-pop blog that also covers a fair amount of J-pop. But just like most music fans, I enjoy tracks from all around the world. So, I thought I’d start a monthly round-up of some of the non-K-pop songs that have caught my ear. No ratings — just highlights! February 2022 … Continue reading
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. Following SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment‘s analysis, it’s time for … Continue reading
Though this spring’s Bite Me was not without its issues, it went on to be a big hit for ENHYPEN by tapping into the Y2K trend and prioritizing a short-but-sweet song structure. The funky teasers for new title track Sweet Venom promised something even better, and HYBE-related acts have found recent success with MJ-esque throwbacks. … Continue reading
Just yesterday, Kis-My-Ft2 released the video for their upcoming single Heartbreaker. And now, we have the solo debut from former member Hiromitsu Kitayama, who left the group earlier this year to join Hideaki Takizawa’s TOBE company. Needless to say, it’s been an unsettled year for us fans! While nothing about Heartbreaker bowled me over, RANSHIN … Continue reading
It’s not often that K-pop releases collaborations between its major agencies, but Nobody sees representative artists from SM Entertainment, Cube Entertainment and Starship Entertainment come together to deliver a theme for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030. I didn’t know these things warranted a theme song, but I’m glad to have Nobody regardless … Continue reading
Over the past few months, I’ve had a horserace in my mind regarding which Bias List favorite would return with new music first: Golden Child or Kis-My-Ft2. It turns out Golcha emerged victorious, though Kisumai arrives right on their tail. But while Golcha’s recent efforts have been infrequent but excellent, Kis-My-Ft2’s recent material has been … Continue reading
I’ll keep this short rather than belabor a point I’ve made over and over: K-pop producers must find a way to tie better songs to their cool instrumentals. Imagine having a track as exciting as NTX’s Holy Grail — rumbling bass, throbbing electronic backbone and post-apocalyptic fervor — and you waste it on a lame … Continue reading
As ONEWE’s activities wind down, rapper/singer/producer Giuk (formerly known as CyA) has been steadily crafting a solo discography. I never wrote about his spring solo debut, but the dramatic teasers for Scratch (내 영혼에 낸) caught my attention. I appreciate the direction Giuk’s taking his music, even if the songs could stand to be more … Continue reading
Despite my initial hesitance, &TEAM’s Firework perfected the synth-inflected side of HYBE’s oeuvre. Somehow, that song leveraged the agency’s faceless vocal processing as an asset, tying it to strong hooks and a compelling atmosphere. This success raised the stakes for &TEAM’s first full album, but new single War Cry takes a different approach. Unlike with … Continue reading
This year has been stuffed with new boy group debuts featuring Boys Planet contestants, but FNC Entertainment’s AMPERS&ONE caught my eye thanks to the bright, upbeat direction of their music. I’d love for K-pop to embrace a resurgence of thick synths and propulsive dance beats, and the teasers for On And On seemed to promise … Continue reading
Crush has been a reliable presence in K-R&B since his debut over a decade ago, scoring at least one big hit nearly every year. Last year’s Rush Hour paired him with BTS’s J-Hope and brought a renewed sense of funk to his sound. New single Hmm-cheat (흠칫) continues the party, borrowing from classic grooves to … Continue reading
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. Following SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment‘s analysis last week, it’s time to … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 