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
Author Archives: Nick
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (March 30, 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
Song Review: RE:WIND – Forever
Late last month, new Korean-American trio RE:WIND surprised me with their fantastic pre-release RE:SET. It’s so fun when an act bounds out of the gate with strong material. This track set the stage for their debut single Forever, but unfortunately I don’t find myself as bowled over this time. This is a tough one because … Continue reading
Song Review: Just B – Chest
Over the years, I’ve been impressed with Just B’s willingness to experiment with their sound. To me, it seems that they’ve refashioned their underdog status into an advantage and excuse to try new things. Last year’s pop/punk anthem Daddy’s Girl was a career high, and now they’ve switched things up again with the electro hyperpop … Continue reading
Song Review: Eastshine – Lucky Tonight
I’ll always check out K-pop’s “nugu” groups because often their music will take more risks than their bigger-named peers. However, these efforts are also constrained by budget, making the execution a bit chaotic at times. I didn’t care for boy group Eastshine’s earlier work enough to write about it, but the teasers for new single … Continue reading
Song Review: Lucy – Wakey Wakey
K-band Lucy is down to a trio at the moment as member Gwangil serves his mandatory enlistment. Seeing them as three doesn’t seem right, but they’re plunging ahead with an upcoming new album and pre-release single Wakey Wakey (잠깨). The band have promised new things this era, but judging from this track their signature sound … Continue reading
Song Review: Beomgyu (TXT) – Panic
Following fellow member Yeonjun’s solo single GGUM last year, TXT’s Beomgyu has emerged with his own track. Panic has been labeled as a “mixtape,” though by its very nature a mixtape needs more than one song to be an actual “mix.” More accurately, this is a digital single that Big Hit likely didn’t want to … Continue reading
Song Review: Lee Know & Seungmin (Stray Kids) – Cinema
Rounding out Stray Kids’ blitz of unit tracks, we’ve got Lee Know and Seungmin’s Cinema. Thus far, I’ve enjoyed Changbin and I.N’s Burnin’ Tires the most, though none of the songs have really caught fire for me. As two of the most notable vocalists in the group, Cinema promises a very different sound than the … Continue reading
Song Review: TNX – For Real?
It can be difficult to keep all of K-pop’s three-letter-acronym-named boy groups straight, especially when that moniker changes midway through an act’s career. TNX were briefly known as “The New Six,” but have seemed to revert back to the acronym for this new promotion. We last heard from them about a year ago when they … Continue reading
Song Review: CRAVITY – Jelly Bean
To K-pop fans, J-pop’s extended promotional schedule might seem crazy. The audio of CRAVITY’s new single Jelly Bean was released all the way back in mid-February, but the physical single and music video weren’t available until today. This gives J-pop acts a nice window to promote up until their release date rather than save all … Continue reading
Random Shuffle Review: She’z – My Way
With over 5,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
Song Review: Bang Chan & Hyunjin (Stray Kids) – Escape
Over the past few days, Stray Kids have been releasing music videos for each of the unit tracks on their new mixtape. We’ve already heard from Changbin, I.N, Han and Felix, leaving four more members to go. Up next is Bang Chan and Hyunjin. Their Escape brings just as much bombast as the past two … Continue reading
Song Review: Xdinary Heroes – Beautiful Life
As someone who doesn’t keep up with Xdinary Heroes’ schedules, it seems like the band are making comebacks with incredible regularity. That may be more of a sense than a fact, but they’ve quickly developed a hearty catalog of music that sees them exploring various aspects of the rock genre. New single Beautiful Life embraces … Continue reading
Song Review: Newbeat – Flip The Coin
With the recent announcement that boy group A.C.E would not be renewing their contracts with Beat Interactive, the agency’s decision to debut Newbeat seems even more important. These rookies are now the vanguard of the company, paving a new road forward. If their pre-releases were any indication, that road seems build around quirky, old-school hip-hop. … Continue reading
Song Review: Ten (WayV) – Stunner
Ten is one of those performers with absolutely seismic potential who just can’t seem to find material as strong as his own presence. Though I’ve enjoyed many solo Ten songs, I’ve never loved one. Stunner‘s very title seems to promise a turnaround, aiming to fully capture our attention. It succeeds in fits and starts. Over … Continue reading
Song Review: KiiiKiii – BTG
Even though today marks KiiiKiii’s official debut, it feels like they “debuted” weeks ago with their pre-release I Do Me heavily promoted on music shows. I still find that track incredibly generic, but its earworm melody has snuck up on me through sheer repetition and the group sell it well on stage. Now, it’s time … Continue reading
Song Review: Han & Felix (Stray Kids) – Truman
After yesterday’s unit track from members Changbin and I.N, Han and Felix are next on the docket with a music video for their entry from Stray Kids’ new mixtape. We’re moving from rock intensity to a hard-hitting blend of EDM and hip-hop. After a moody, ornate opening, Truman‘s beat pushes us into an off-kilter sonic … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from March 16 – 22
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 (March 23, 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
Song Review: Seoho (ONEUS) – Hatchling
No matter what I may have thought about any ONEUS single at any given time, one thing has stayed consistent: main vocal Seoho has an incredible (and often underutilized) voice. He’s responsible for many of my favorite parts in the group’s songs, so a solo track is a welcome proposition. Unfortunately, Hatchling also comes along … Continue reading