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
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! It’s You (from Time For Us – 2019) I find GFriend’s second album pretty hit-or-miss, and this unfortunately falls into the latter category. The song is just not that interesting, trudging along an uneventful mid-tempo groove that blends muted synths with trap … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed … Continue reading
I’ll rave about Ryugujo to anyone who will listen. Their Deep Wave EP earlier this year is among the most exciting pieces of music released in 2024 and I have similar hopes for their first full album later this month. Lead track Urashima is more ‘statement of intent’ than full song, making it a curious … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Hope (from Fever Season – 2019) The synth textures that open this track are very effective and the light new jack swing beat that follows makes me think we’re in for another early-career GFriend classic. Hope definitely nods in that direction, but … Continue reading
Pre-releases have become incredibly common this year in K-pop — particularly from the big agencies. NCT Dream’s album isn’t out quite yet, but they’ve surprised us with new track Flying Kiss during the lead-up to promotions. The song showcases the lighter side of the group, offering a soft burst of pop buoyed by a standout … Continue reading
XG are back with their second mini album, building on the success of earlier 2024 singles Something Ain’t Right and IYKYK. Those two songs touched on the dancier side of their music, so it makes sense that Howling would move back into hip-hop. These seem to be XG’s two musical modes, with a healthy dose … Continue reading
IVE had a rough English-language debut earlier this year with an overly artificial cover of Icona Pop’s 2013 hit All Night. Mixing issues and heavy-handed vocals effects marred that effort, so it makes sense the group would team up with an established producer who could iron out some of those issues. They picked a good … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Here We Are (from Labyrinth – 2020) We’re slowing things down again with a lovely mid-tempo track. The opening verse does little for me, but Here We Are climaxes in a beautiful, layered chorus. The melodies aren’t much to write home about, … Continue reading
I’ve been writing about a different GFriend song every day for the past few weeks (and will continue to do so until I’ve run through their whole discography), so it’s fun when my daily GFriend feature converges with a new single by the group’s spin-off act VIVIZ. Their title track Maniac from one year ago … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Hear The Wind Sing (from The Awakening – 2017) GFriend flirted with the tropical trend every once and awhile and Hear The Wind Sing definitely has hints of that sound in its percussion. However, its brilliance is adding strings to its house … 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. TVXQ just released their best song … Continue reading
NCT’s Doyoung debuted as a soloist earlier this year with a full album. Now, he’s capping off 2024 with the release of new digital single The Story (시리도록 눈부신). Rather than reinvent the wheel, the song sounds like an extension of his previous work, drawing upon his rich vocal for an uplifting ballad. The Story … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! GRWM (from Walpurgis Night – 2020) What I said then: “GRWM isn’t quite as disco as the three tracks that precede it, but it offers a shot of adrenaline that fits GFriend well. It’s got that galloping electro beat I love so … Continue reading
I’ll confess this right at the top: despite enjoying Yesung quite a bit as a performer, I nearly didn’t listen to this new solo track at all. My bias (and his musical history) had me expecting a specific type of ballad that just isn’t my thing. I very rarely have much to write about these … Continue reading
I feel like I must open every new DAY6-related review by mentioning just how well the group has done this year. It’s insane to see so many of their singles running up the charts — both old and new. Korea is clearly in love with their sound, more than any other time in the past … Continue reading
Boy group EPEX have taken the unusual route of releasing two full-length albums this year. And when we add new title track Universe to the list, the guys will have promoted a total of five (!) songs with music videos in 2024. That’s quite prolific. Not all the material has been equally great, but this … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Gone With The Wind (from LOL – 2016) With a cinematic title like Gone With The Wind, you just know this is going to be good! Indeed, it’s one of my highlights from the LOL album. The song opens with a peppy … Continue reading
Today, Minho becomes the final SHINee member to release a full studio album. New material from SHINee is always something to cheer about, but in the past Minho’s work hasn’t often been targeted to my taste. He tends to prefer more downbeat, vibes-driven material. New single Call Back adds a driving beat, but its tone … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 