Lee Chanhyuk’s second solo album is only days away and promises to mine many classic sounds of the 80’s. Prior to its release, he’s shared new track Out Of My Mind (돌아버렸어). From what I can gauge from the highlight medley, its synth-heavy sound is emblematic of what we’ll be getting on the full project. … Continue reading
ATEEZ have had a busy few weeks. Fresh off their latest comeback, the group has embarked on another big world tour and re-signed with their agency for an unprecedented seven (!) more years. Now, they’ve released a special edition of their latest album with new English-language track In Your Fantasy and a solo song from … Continue reading
Through popularity and persistence, Twice have amassed one of the largest K-pop girl group discographies out there, and that’s set to balloon even further with the release of a new album and solo tracks from each member. The album may boast a robust track list, but most of the songs’ running times take their cue … Continue reading
Over the past few months, the members of BLACKPINK have blitzed the market with a variety of solo work, making greater inroads to international markets than ever before. However, it’s been a whopping thirty four months since their last group title track. In K-pop’s fast-moving ecosystem, that’s enough time for a literal change in generations. … Continue reading
I enjoy learning about the meaning behind the names of new K-pop acts — especially the stranger ones. As expected, “CrazAngel” is a combination of “crazy” and “angel,” which is quite funny on its own when taken literally. It also means “Craze on Stage, Angel in Life,” which feels like the PG version of a … Continue reading
A.C.E’s Kang Yuchan signed with from20 and Hello Gloom’s Way Better agency, joining a boutique line-up of solo male artists. It’s been fun watching this agency grow, though they have not been without their missteps. A set of ill-advised teaser photos for this very track had to be yanked off the internet as fans complained … Continue reading
Cube Entertainment’s NOWZ (formerly Nowadays) are in the middle of a reinvention. And while I initially dismissed last month’s pre-release Fly To The Youth as too lightweight, that song has dug its talons into my brain and emerged as a stealth summer highlight. The group’s new title track Everglow continues the rock soundscape from Fly … Continue reading
One of the most surprising (and welcome) developments of the year has been the strong musical identities of a trio of survival series spawned boy groups. Close Your Eyes, AHOF and NouerA have all debuted with great material that feels unique to them. In Close Your Eyes’ case, the guys bucked expectations by emerging with … Continue reading
NCT Dream’s new album is right around the corner and they’re promoting it with double title tracks. We’ll have to wait to hear Chiller on Monday alongside the album release, but the guys have pre-released opening track BTTF today. The song blends the old with the new, much like the retro-futurism of the music video. … Continue reading
Following up their promotions for Japanese single Different, LE SSERAFIM have released a music video for its b-side Kawaii. As they clearly want you to know from the producer tag attached to its title, this song was composed by popular Japanese musician Gen Hoshino. This is quite a coup for the group, instantly lending Kawaii … Continue reading
I’ve been riding hard for One Love One Heart ever since their debut in 2022. I truly think their first album LOVE1 is one of the best J-pop albums… ever? It’s been more of a mixed bag since then, but even their most generic J-pop sounds have been buoyed by the natural charm of the … Continue reading
Though VIVIZ’s music has never been able to reach the heights of their work with GFriend, my favorite single and album were released during the summer. The trio’s sweet vocal tones fit the season well. Another team who match summer perfectly is the dynamic duo of producers Daniel Caesar and Ludwig Lindell. They’ve given us … Continue reading
With some exceptions, SM Entertainment has become known for keeping its roster of artists around for the long haul. Super Junior are currently their second-longest running group and celebrate their twentieth (!) anniversary today with a new album. SM’s anniversary projects tend to be great (SNSD’s Forever 1, SHINee’s The Story Of Light series, SuJu’s … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been asked at least a dozen times whether I’m going to review the songs from the popular Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters. The answer is still “no,” though with this post I guess it’s kind of a semi-“yes.” I want to apologize to anyone who received an increasingly dismissive … Continue reading
When deciding which song off ILLIT’s newest album to feature as a “buried treasure,” I waffled between Oops and Jellyous. I’m glad I chose the former because now I get to write about the newly-promoted Jellyous as well. This is also another chance to wax poetic about how much Do The Dance has grown on … Continue reading
Thus far, BTOB members have experimented here and there with their solo work but never strayed too far from the balladry that’s made them so popular. On past efforts, Lee Changsub has embraced nostalgia, offering his takes on older genres and even newer iterations of older genres. New single Vroom Vroom (부릉부릉) is not a … Continue reading
To be honest, the title “Charizzma” sends a shiver down my spine. Naming your song “Charisma” would be cheesy enough since this is a quality you should be showing rather than telling, but adding the “Z’s” (a la the cringey slang “rizz”) practically makes the song collapse in on itself before even starting. HITGS already … Continue reading
Xdinary Heroes fans are regularly fed by the band, who must be one of the most prolific acts working at the moment. It feels like new music is always just around the corner, whether that’s in the form of fully-promoted comebacks or drips and drabs of digital singles. New single FiRE (My Sweet Misery) falls … Continue reading
Doh Kyung Soo has one of the richest tones in K-pop, but as with so many great voices his solo music has usually steered toward ballads and coffeehouse-ready midtempos. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the style doesn’t exactly inspire excitement. Teasers of his first full album seemed to promise a more diverse set of … Continue reading
Jeon Somi has returned with what will likely be her only new music this year. Talk about a discography doled out in crumbs! Despite debuting as a soloist all the way back in 2019, she’s never been given more than one single or mini album per year, making it even more important that each and … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 