It’s been a long time coming, but SM Entertainment has finally given us a Red Velvet sub-unit. Apparently, we still have to wait a bit for the music video, as it has yet to be published at the time of writing this review. And if I’m being picky, I really wish the agency could have … Continue reading
Author Archives: Nick
Song Review: SF9 – Summer Breeze
SF9’s first full album was a big commercial success back in January, and many readers have recommended its b-sides to me. Rest assured, I listened to the album when it was released and enjoyed almost everything on it. However, no one song stood out as being particularly impactful, which actually describes my feelings around SF9 … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2012
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! September … Continue reading
SUMMER OF K-POP: SHINee – Boys Meet U
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
I-LAND: Episode Two Recap
I’m back for more I-LAND, a couple days earlier than expected! This week was more focused on preparation than performance, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have plenty of observations. Episode One Recap Part One: Exposition, and a Tour of Paradise At the beginning of this episode, I felt like we finally got some clarity … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: AB6IX – Vivid
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. I had a heck of a time deciding which track on … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: VERIVERY – Skydive
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. VERIVERY’s new mini album is an interesting study in contrast. You … Continue reading
SUMMER OF K-POP: Bigbang – We Like 2 Party
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
Song Review: Hey! Say! JUMP – Last Mermaid
Over the course of the past few months, Hey! Say! JUMP have become the most musically interesting Johnny’s group. Having been a fan for a while now, this a surprising – and gratifying – transformation. I mean, these are the guys who go around Japan in ridiculous white jumpsuits solving people’s problems. This is the … Continue reading
2020 in K-POP so far: Risers & Fallers
Looking back at this feature from 2019, it seems like I identified quite a few risers and few fallers last year. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for 2020. Most title tracks — even the ones I loved — just haven’t enjoyed the same staying power. I’m not quite sure why this is. Maybe it … Continue reading
SUMMER OF K-POP: VIXX – G.R.8.U
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
Top K-Pop Albums of 2020 (So Far)
After looking at the year’s best singles (so far), it’s time to turn attention to 2020’s albums. I’ll reiterate what I said yesterday: relative to previous years, it’s been slim pickings. Consistently good mini albums have been particularly hard to find this year, at least in my opinion. But even though the overall picture may … Continue reading
SUMMER OF K-POP: TVXQ – Hi Ya Ya
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
Song Review: Sandeul (B1A4) – Smile Box
Just the other day, I was going through my old B1A4 albums and realizing just how much I miss their presence in K-pop. Nobody has taken up their bright, quirky mantle. To be fair, they’re difficult to replicate since so much of their material was self-produced, but when Jinyoung comes back from the military I … Continue reading
Top K-Pop Songs of 2020 (So Far)
Slim pickings this year, my friends. In fact, if not for June I’m not sure I could have compiled a mid-year list at all. As it stands, I only have five picks compared to last year’s eight, and the honorable mentions list has been cut in half as well. What does this all mean? It … Continue reading
SUMMER OF K-POP: San E & Raina – A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness
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
Song Review: Zico – Summer Hate (ft. Rain)
Though he was already popular, Zico has enjoyed even greater success this year thanks to his viral Any Song. Personally, I find the “TikTok challenge” nature of that track emblematic of everything wrong with pop music at the moment, but I’ll admit that it’s catchy (if annoying). In a somewhat similar situation, K-pop legend Rain … Continue reading
Song Review: VERIVERY – Thunder
So… we all agree that VERIVERY should have just released Beautiful-x and called it a day, right? That song harnessed their signature funk appeal without feeling like a step back into more juvenile material. It stood out among all of the darker, more aggressive styles on Road to Kingdom, and felt perfectly suited to the … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2020
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. June 2020 Overall Thoughts This may not seem like much within the context of 2020’s continual … Continue reading
SUMMER OF K-POP: Halo – Fever
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