Girl group Say My Name debuted late last year, the first act under Kim Jaejoong’s iNKODE label. Despite this pedigree, their single WaveWay was surprisingly faceless K-pop — the kind of song that could have been peddled by just about anyone. New single ShaLala manages to be generic in a different way, though it’s a … 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. ITZY’s Yeji made a splash this … Continue reading
Ahead of their debut later this month, boy group Newbeat is previewing their sound with several pre-releases. First up was the quirky JeLLo last week. Now, they’re cementing their style with Hiccups. It’s clear Newbeat will be aiming for a quasi-retro, somewhat gimmicky hip-hop. There’s no shortage of boy groups doing this sound, which may … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that SF9 will be celebrating their tenth (!) anniversary next year. Their discography has remained remarkably consistent, and every once and awhile they’ll pull out a total stunner. As with many of their recent releases, Love Race sees their group configuration slightly reduced with six out of eight members promoting this … Continue reading
The music video for XG’s not-quite-new single Is This Love was delayed to improve quality, only to have fans calling out its use of AI transitions. I don’t really have a horse in this race so I’ll bow out of the controversy, but I am always interested in the music. Thus far, XG have swerved … Continue reading
BLACKPINK’s Jennie seems intent on promoting as many singles from her debut album as possible, and given how long YG Entertainment kept her music locked in the dungeon I don’t blame her one bit. With talent as notable as Dua Lipa on the track Handlebars, it makes sense to give the song a music video. … Continue reading
Given their large configuration, Seventeen has already spawned many solos and sub-units. Next up is Hoshi & Woozi: the performer and the songwriter… to boil it down to an overly simplistic description. They’re also the same age, which is where the title 96ers comes from, and will presumably need to start their military service soon. … Continue reading
There’s been a fair amount of controversy around the promotion of Xiumin’s Whee!, as SM Entertainment seem to be up to their old tricks of blocking artists who have left the agency. Xiumin remains a part of EXO, but he’s embarked on his own solo career under new management. Whee! is his first work under … Continue reading
Today is the day of girl group members gone solo, as Red Velvet’s Seulgi joins ITZY’s Yeji with new material. Baby, Not Baby is her second official solo single, though she was recently a duet partner with K-pop legend Kim Wan Sun on the 80’s throwback Lucky. This time around, she’s gone for an edgier … Continue reading
Though Yeji burst onto the scene as part of girl group ITZY, she first stepped onto my radar as a contestant in SBS’s 2018 talent audition show The Fan. In fact, a ton of talent ended up flourishing from that program! Even back then, it was clear she had the makings of a charismatic soloist … Continue reading
Big, fun “recession era” pop music has slowly been creeping back into global music trends and I’ve had my fingers crossed that it would eventually find its way to K-pop as well. I didn’t expect this to happen via a group like NTX, who have thus far flown under the radar with a variety of … 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
1. Heat It Up // 2. Dangerous // 3. Way You Are // 4. Umbrella // 5. Sad Loop // 6. Where U R WHERE U R If I was to say anything about this album as a whole, it’s consistently solid but never thrilling. This could be seen as praise, but in a world … 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
HYBE has gotten very good at delivering anthemic pop/rock confections from their boy groups, and I eat them up every time. Japanese act &TEAM has cornered the market on this style, but their soon-to-be-formed junior group seems poised to take up the baton. The final team will be decided as part of yet another survival … Continue reading
1. Heat It Up // 2. Dangerous // 3. Way You Are // 4. Umbrella // 5. Sad Loop // 6. Where U R UMBRELLA A K-pop song that’s almost five minutes long?!? I can’t even remember the last time I saw that, but here we are with the 4:42 minute Umbrella. Some of the … Continue reading
1. Heat It Up // 2. Dangerous // 3. Way You Are // 4. Umbrella // 5. Sad Loop // 6. Where U R WAY YOU ARE As part of my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, Infinite receive a write-up for any new material released in perpetuity, so of course that includes their fifteenth anniversary album Like … Continue reading
New SM Entertainment girl group Hearts2Hearts debuted late last month to mixed reviews. Title track The Chase is a fine slice of moody pop, but it’s an odd and underwhelming choice when couched within the agency’s storied history of debut bangers. That continues with promoted b-side Butterflies, which slows the mood even further. It’s probably … Continue reading
Treasure pre-released their single Last Night in December. It was a sturdy rock-influenced anthem that fit them well. That song re-emerges as part of their new album Pleasure, which sees the guys tackling a variety of light pop sounds. Title track Yellow takes a more laidback approach in the vein of past YG Entertainment highlights … Continue reading
We’re slowly moving out of BTS’s enlistment era and into their post-enlistment work as members return from the military with solo projects. First up was Jin late last year and now J-Hope is here with Sweet Dreams, a collaboration with soulful crooner Miguel. This follows a guest stint on Don Toliver’s LV Bag last month … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 