EPEX are ready to drop their third (!) full album next week, but before that they’ve returned with pre-release Picasso (피카소). EPEX aside, July has been a pretty strong month for K-pop so far. Sure, there haven’t been a ton of awesome 9+ rated tracks, but there haven’t been many outright clunkers either. I mention … Continue reading
Author Archives: Nick
Song Review: STAYC – I Want It
Earlier this year, STAYC found their dancefloor groove with the addictive Bebe. Though that song didn’t totally click with me initially, it gradually grew into one of my most-played tracks of the year. With new summer single I Want It, they group keeps the energy high with an early-2010’s EDM twist. As soon as I … Continue reading
Song Review: TXT – Beautiful Strangers
TXT’s music has changed so much since their debut in 2019. Artistic growth should be expected and applauded, but sometimes I cast my mind back to their Crown days and remember how incredibly excited I was about the group and their quirky synthpop style. Since then, they’ve explored almost every genre you can imagine and … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from July 13 – 19
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
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (July 20, 2025)
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
Global Pop Round-Up: July 2025 Edition
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
BOYS II PLANET: Episode One Recap
Last time we had a Boys Planet, I swore I wasn’t going to do any sort of recap but ended up doing a truncated version anyway. I intend to do the same for this season, though I’ll warn in advance that there will be times when the post will be delayed by a few days … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: xikers – 100%
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. Of all possible K-pop artists, I … Continue reading
Song Review: 1VERSE – Shattered
In my review of 1VERSE’s pre-release Multiverse, I described how I became a fast and fervent fan of the group thanks to their YouTube content. Hopefully some of you followed that path as well, and if you did today is a big day because it marks the group’s official debut. While Multiverse offered a sweet, … Continue reading
Song Review: WayV – Big Bands
SM Entertainment has been on a roll lately with their boy group albums, though they’ve also struggled to pick the best songs to promote as title tracks. I’m hoping that might be the case with WayV as well, especially since their albums tend to hold many buried treasures. New title Big Bands is bolstered by … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: Yoon Sanha (Astro) – 6PM (Nobody’s Business)
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. Earlier this week, I was lukewarm … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: NCT Dream – I Like It
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. SM Entertainment has been on a … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: TWS – N.O.S.A
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. At this point, it seems as … Continue reading
Song Review: IVE – Be Alright
We haven’t had a Korean comeback from IVE since February, but their Rebel Heart has remained on Korean charts since then and new mega-hit hit single Golden (from the K-pop Demon Hunters soundtrack) has been widely compared to IVE’s past hits. In other words, the group hasn’t exactly been absent from public consciousness. Now, they’re … Continue reading
Song Review: xikers – Up All Night
Not only is it a busy day for K-pop comebacks, but we’ve got a few Japanese releases as well. xikers have already made their Japanese debut and are back with the poppy rush of second single Up All Night. This group’s sound has been all over the place, but I tend to enjoy their songs … Continue reading
Song Review: Soyou – PDA
Just a day after her fellow Sistar member Hyolyn released a new single, Soyou is back with new music of her own. Two summers ago, she carried on Sistar’s sonic legacy with the excellent Aloha, but like Hyolyn she’s decided to explore different summer sounds with PDA. PDA feels much more indebted to the early … Continue reading
Song Review: ARrC – Awesome
Given Mystic Story’s track record, their first boy group ARrC’s material hasn’t been as quirky as I would have thought. So far, their sound hinges largely on old-school hip-hop, which isn’t a unique touchstone when it comes to K-pop’s boy bands. New single Awesome continues this trend with a few early 00s influences thrown in … Continue reading
Song Review: ifeye – R U OK?
Girl Group ifeye debuted earlier this year with the sprightly Nerdy. That song boasted a great chorus that was undercut by the airy, subdued production style that’s become so popular with this generation’s girl groups. With new comeback R U OK?, the girls make a sonic turn toward a more percussive summer sound. R U … Continue reading
Song Review: Purple Kiss – DOREMI
Throughout their career, Purple Kiss have waffled between sounds and concepts with varied success. Their music hasn’t quite caught on in the way I would have thought despite the group being very talented. This uncertain vibe carries through to new single DOREMI, which feels like their least notable release yet. DOREMI is a stately mid-tempo, … Continue reading
Song Review: HYO – Yes
Hyoyeon from SNSD has developed a nice solo career as a DJ/performer, though SM Entertainment has yet to give her an actual album to flex her skills. I guess full/mini albums aren’t as common in dance music as in other genres, but if you were to string all her prior tracks together you’d have a … Continue reading