It’s a mini Wanna One reunion as AB6IX’s Park Woojin pairs with former bandmate Ha Sungwoon for his new title track Cool & Hot. This song aside, I’ve always felt a full Wanna One reunion would be a big moment on the Korean charts. Too often, the members of Produce 101/Girls/Boys Planet groups suffer a … Continue reading
It’s been an unexpected “Cube Entertainment circa 2011” flashback this week, with Highlight/Beast, Jang Hyunseung and now HyunA all releasing new music. The actual songs haven’t been nearly as fun or memorable as this flashback suggests, but it’s still nice to see familiar faces back in the fray. HyunA’s music career remains quite active, reliably … Continue reading
Of all of K-pop’s forays into non-Korean markets, Katseye have had the biggest push and have the most potential to become stars outside the industry. Though they’ve only released one EP since their debut last summer, they’ve done a fair amount of promotions and seem to have found a natural place within the overall pop … Continue reading
Another day, another girl group debuting with a confusing acronym. When I read “UDTT,” my mind goes immediately to “UTI,” which is probably not the reaction the agency is looking for. In reality, the acronym stands for “Uddang Tangtang Girls,” which… doesn’t make things any more clear. At any rate, their debut single Really Really … Continue reading
This has little to do with Fifty Fifty’s actual comeback, but the word “pookie” annoys me to no end. Over the years, it’s gone from cute little novelty nickname to a term used to show a dismissive attitude toward someone else. That connotation is absent in Fifty Fifty’s own Pookie, but the word is still … Continue reading
After a long-fought battle, Highlight have finally reclaimed their original name (Beast/B2ST) from their former agency. Even so, it seems like they’re hanging onto the Highlight moniker for promotions. They’ve promoted that way for over seven years now, which is longer than many entire idol careers. With this in mind, I guess it doesn’t make … Continue reading
Whenever I see a newly-debuted group with a long acronym for a name, I’m instantly curious what the letters stand for. The answer is usually entertaining, but “HITGS” is almost perfunctory in its meaning. “Hip, Innocent, Teenager, Girls, Story.” Yeah, that’s like a mad lib for the typical K-pop vision board. At any rate, HITGS … Continue reading
I’ve been searching for my entry point with NEXZ’s music. They’ve released material in both Korean and Japanese, befitting their status as a “global” group, but too much of it has fallen into the kind of chant-heavy swaggery peddled by so many current boy groups. Pre-release Simmer did not point a promising way forward and … Continue reading
Last year, The Black Label’s rookie girl group MEOVV released a pair of singles. Neither Meow nor Toxic did anything for me, with the first being oddly inscrutable and the second quite boring. But as they say, “the third time’s the charm,” and MEOVV are back for another try with pre-release Hands Up. Once again … 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
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back GO BACK After my first listen of the album, Go Back was immediately my favorite b-side. After a few days and more listens, songs like Lucky To Be Loved and Random Play … 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
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back NOW PLAYING Try With Us concludes with two of its stronger tracks. Now Playing (심야 영화) has much in common with K-pop’s current sound: bouncy and upbeat but still a bit subdued. … Continue reading
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. There’s a reason I still watch … Continue reading
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. The K-pop industry loves to harness … Continue reading
Girl group LOVEONE debuted late last year but I haven’t yet written about them on this blog. In fact, dig just under the surface and there are many under-the-radar acts that have never received a write-up. Most of these have great intentions but are hamstrung by a limited budget and agencies that are too risk-averse … Continue reading
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back FREESTYLE This is where the album gets into a bit of trouble for me. It’s clear that most TWS albums will now have an obligatory hip-hop track, and I liked last year’s … Continue reading
Rookie group KiiiKiii have launched their fourth music video from their debut mini album, milking the project far more than most acts would. I appreciate this “visual album” approach, though it would have been more satisfying if I also loved the music behind it. Of all the songs on the EP, Groundwork points toward the … Continue reading
Over the past few months, G-Dragon’s variety series Good Day has aired globally on Disney+ alongside its Korean terrestrial broadcast. I watched the first episode, but as much as I enjoy G-Dragon as an artist I find his current iteration quite uncomfortable as a TV personality. But even from one episode, I got the gist … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 