There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
Honestly, K-pop could keep serving me these retro 80’s anthems for months and I’d be happy. When a trend is this fun, even the smaller-name indie releases can be total standouts. Such is the case with Tonight (오늘 밤), from The Voice of Korea contestant Yi Saebom. The song embraces nostalgia in the best way … Continue reading
Though I don’t often return to it, ENOi’s Cheeky was a nice Seventeen-lite surprise back in January. It pointed toward a funkier concept than the group’s 2019 deep house debut. Those who hoped that ENOi would continue along these lines will likely be disappointed in new single W.A.Y (Where Are You). The song has its … Continue reading
In preparation for my “Summer of K-pop” series, I’ve been revisiting a lot of girl group summertime songs. This has made me crave the kind of breezy, exciting material delivered by acts like Sistar, BESTie, Red Velvet and Girl’s Day. 2020 has offered its share of summer tracks, but too many have been marred by … Continue reading
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
With Laughter, Official HIGE DANdism (Official髭男dism) delivered my favorite J-pop single of last month. The song took full advantage of their epic, emotional sound, doling out its powerful climaxes with a deliberate slow burn. But, Higedan have another side to their music as well. They can rock out with the best of them, and Hello … Continue reading
The fact that 1THE9 pulled a song like Bad Guy out of the hat just before disbandment is a surprising feat. It’s not that they guys didn’t deserve it – they’re far more talented than most give them credit for. But, the whole Under 19 project wasn’t the success that MBC was likely looking for. … Continue reading
I first heard (most of) Run during a live performance back in late March, and I knew right away that this was going to be a big pop moment. It’s rare that a song ticks so many of my musical boxes at once. But due to pandemic postponements, it’s been an excruciatingly long wait to … Continue reading
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
It would be an understatement to say that 1TEAM’s music hasn’t been for me. I’ve been pretty hard on them so far, mainly because the bulk of their sound has hinged upon the kind of swaggy trap-rap I detest. But, last November’s Make This proved to be a grower, and teased unforeseen potential. Like many … Continue reading
Those who have followed The Bias List for any amount of time will know what an enormous fan of Woollim Entertainment I am. From Infinite to Lovelyz to Golden Child, I’m usually enamored with what the agency produces. But, I’m really struggling with Rocket Punch. Thus far, their music seems to lack many of the … Continue reading
After over a year and a half without a Korean comeback, Taemin’s 2 Kids arrives as a “prologue single” for his upcoming full album, to be released in two parts. As such, I’m curious what it means for the sound of that album. Is 2 Kids a peek at what’s to come? Does it provide … Continue reading
Episode One Recap // Episode Two Recap // Episode Three Recap // Episode Four Recap // Episode Five Part One: Narration, of course We open with tons of explanation about the votes: which countries they’re coming from, who is ranking first place in each country, etc. To be honest, I rarely vote for these types … Continue reading
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
Girl group Saturday have struggled to find a large audience, though their quirky, repetitive pop tracks definitely have their supporters. At times, the group feels like natural successors to Crayon Pop’s silly sound. They just never found that ubiquitous novelty hit that would give their career the oomph it needs. The ridiculously-titled D.B.D.B.DIB (디비디비딥) (seriously, … Continue reading
Kang Daniel teased his newest mini album last week with pre-release single Waves. Though it was derivative of so many songs within its genre, I appreciated its “all hands on deck” approach. New single Who U Are (깨워) removes the guest features to shine full spotlight on Daniel himself, though most of Waves‘ tropical genre … Continue reading
Not everything can be for everyone, and over the course of the past few comebacks, I’ve learned that (G)I-DLE’s music isn’t often for me. Even when I can objectively recognize certain songs as “good,” they still grate on my ears. I think this comes down to Soyeon’s approach to songwriting. I recognize how popular she’s … Continue reading
Japanese singer/songwriter Reol has been active since the beginning of the 2010’s, whether as a soloist or with her group of the same name. Yet somehow, she’s stayed off my radar. That officially ends with the brilliant The Sixth Sense (第六感), which has me scrambling to catch up with all her past work. The song … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. ATEEZ’s new album plays more like a collection of outtakes from … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 