NCT Wish’s buoyant Surf has proven to be a real grower, as summer-themed songs often are for me. The group is spoiling fans with multiple pre-releases for their upcoming mini album, with new track Baby Blue the second in line before the title track is unveiled next week. By its very nature, Baby Blue has … Continue reading
New K-pop trio RE:WIND impressed me big time with their pre-debut RE:SET earlier this year. I also enjoyed the early-2000’s pastiche of Forever even if a muddled arrangement dulled much of its effect. The guys recently released their first EP and have now unveiled the music video for new track Little Too Late. Like Forever, … Continue reading
New trio In A Minute made their debut earlier this year, but without a music video to promote their song I never wrote about them on the blog. Now, they’ve returned with their first comeback and their first video. How We Do has a refreshing funk pop sound that begs for further development. At two … Continue reading
Last week, EXO’s Chanyeol pre-released the incredibly soft Happy Accident as a teaser for his new album. When listening to that song, I hoped he had something with more bite coming down the line next. Throughout his solo career, Chanyeol has experimented with rock textures and that’s proven to be a good match for him. … Continue reading
AB6IX are like K-pop’s “little engine that could.” They’re far past their commercial peak, yet keep churning out new music with regularity. And, that music often carries an upbeat energy that makes it feel as if the group is just getting started. New single Stupid takes an emotive approach, recalling K-pop’s early efforts in pulling … Continue reading
Though IVE have occasionally dipped into different genres, they’ve enjoyed their biggest chart success with a bombastic pop sound. You don’t have to look any further than this year’s Rebel Heart and Attitude, with the anthemic pre-release easily outperforming the actual title track. New single XOXZ sees them returning to an edgier hip-hop sound 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. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … 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
PREVIOUS RECAPS: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven As we enter the next round, Produce 48 alum star Jo Yuri arrives to go over the details of the Class Switch Position Battle. As usual during this point in the series, the … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of K-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. EL CAPITXN … Continue reading
Over the years, Stray Kids have grown into one of K-pop’s premiere groups. In fact, their popularity is so global that it almost feels as if they’ve transcended the industry altogether. Once upon a time, they also topped my year-end singles chart. Gosh, that seems like lifetimes ago. The group is back today with their … Continue reading
K-pop collaborations with global artists have become much more common over the years and exist across a wide spectrum. For every Rosalía and Megan Thee Stallion there’s a Maroon 5 and Alex Warren. NMIXX have already experimented with their music in many ways, so you’d expect them to choose an interesting collaborator as well. For … Continue reading
EXO’s Chanyeol is slated for another solo album soon, and today he’s teasing us with pre-release Happy Accident. Alongside female vocalist Sole, he’s delivered a vibey slow burn guaranteed to take the edge off any feelings you may be having today. Chanyeol’s singing voice has a very calming quality and works well within this sonic … Continue reading
For the first time in years, I listened to Teen Top’s first full album No.1 yesterday. Apart from some classic singles, the album itself is just okay, but it opens with a hilariously overblown intro that made me miss some 2013-era K-pop’s inherent silliness. Teen Top are one of a few second-gen groups who still … Continue reading
In many ways, 8TURN’s December single Like A Friend was the smash that got away — a spring/summer track released in the dead of winter as everyone was cobbling together their year-end best-of lists. Making matters worse, the group never promoted it until weeks later. I haven’t listened to that song nearly as much as … Continue reading
Moonbyul has proven to be one of the most prolific Mamamoo members, releasing multiple singles during each of the past few years. This music has covered a large amount of ground, making her solo career quite unpredictable. That chameleon-like quality continues on Goodbyes And Sad Eyes. Judging simply from its title, you’d expect some mopey … Continue reading
I haven’t written about a new Secret Number track in almost two years. The group has never quite been able to crawl out of nugudom, but that’s not due to a lack of talent. Secret Number became known for their vocals early on and have been at their best when given material that spotlights that … Continue reading
Kep1er’s most recent Korean title track Tipi-Tap felt like a non-entity — a song so slight that it tippy tapped its way from memory almost instantly. But after that, they released the surprisingly boisterous Yum in Japan. After performing that song at this year’s KCON LA, they teased new single Bubble Gum. This song exists … Continue reading
Monsta X are celebrating their tenth anniversary with their first album in two years. We’ll have to wait a couple weeks to hear the full project, but like so many others they’re teasing us with a pre-release today. While watching their set at this year’s KCON LA, I noticed how heavy it was on their … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 