Each year, this countdown becomes more difficult to compile. Increasingly, K-pop songwriting has become a team activity. This makes it hard to suss out who exactly is responsible for what, and it also tends to flatten musical perspective and quirk. Even so, I’ve combed through the credits of my favorite 2023 music to find ten … Continue reading
Now that I’ve counted down my top 50 J-pop songs of the year, I wanted to briefly spotlight my favorite tracks that weren’t selected as singles. Technically, I guess some of these could be called “singles,” but I’m sticking with Bias List rules and putting anything without a proper music video on this list. TOP … Continue reading
I wasn’t sure whether to write about Jimin’s Closer Than This or not. These fan songs and nostalgic behind-the-scenes videos skirt the line between “single” and “b-side,” but he seems too big of an artist to ignore. This style of track tends to follow a familiar template, making it hard to have a strong opinion … Continue reading
It’s become a tradition for at least one SM Entertainment artist to release winter-themed material each year. Sometimes, the whole agency gets in on the fun, but this year it’s NCT 127’s turn to deliver the holiday cheer. Be There For Me is broad enough to work as a “normal” single, but its cozy video … Continue reading
Today is J-pop day on The Bias List and I’m counting down my fifty favorite songs of the year! You’ll want to start with the honorable mentions and work your way up to the best of the best. HONORABLE MENTIONS SONGS 50-31 SONGS 30-11 SONGS 10-1 2023 YEAR-END MASTERPOST 10. Snow Man – Tapestry Snow … Continue reading
Today is J-pop day on The Bias List and I’m counting down my fifty favorite songs of the year! You’ll want to start with the honorable mentions, but this post will cover songs 30 to 11. HONORABLE MENTIONS SONGS 50-31 SONGS 30-11 SONGS 10-1 2023 YEAR-END MASTERPOST 30. 7ORDER – Who I Am An early-2023 … Continue reading
Today is J-pop day on The Bias List! I’m dropping fifty of my favorite songs from 2023 in one day. You may want to check out the honorable mentions first, but if you’re looking to dive into the proper countdown at once, you’ve found the right spot! Here are songs 50 to 31, presented with … Continue reading
Tomorrow is J-pop Day on The Bias List, with my top 50 songs of the year unveiled throughout the day. Before that, I thought I’d compile some honorable mentions. It was a very strong year, so there’s a ton of music that didn’t quite make the cut for the main list. I settled on twenty … Continue reading
One of the unique features of The Bias List is its “buried treasure” write-ups. I try my hardest to comb through every major K-pop album released each year and when a song catches my ear I highlight it on the blog. This countdown is an encapsulation of those write-ups, ranking my top 40 b-sides and … Continue reading
One of the unique features of The Bias List is its “buried treasure” write-ups. I try my hardest to comb through every major K-pop album released each year and when a song catches my ear I highlight it on the blog. This countdown is an encapsulation of those write-ups, ranking my top 40 b-sides and … Continue reading
By now, Bias List readers know that I wasn’t thrilled with this year in K-pop, and part of that rests on the strength (or lack thereof) of albums. I could barely find any full K-pop albums I loved this year, meaning the structure of this countdown has changed a bit. I still think it’s unfair … Continue reading
Korea’s mandatory military conscription seems like it’s hitting K-pop especially hard at the moment, with soloist WOODZ the latest to announce an impending hiatus. Before he fulfils his service, he’s gifted fans with a pair of new songs. It’s easy to think of this work as an extension of his excellent album OO-LI, fully embracing … Continue reading
ITZY’s upcoming album promises a tsunami of music videos, which means you’ll be reading a lot about their music here. First up is the titular track Born To Be, which introduces a new era for the group. This is ITZY at their most powerful, unveiling a combative dance routine over a song that ticks off … Continue reading
Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that colored 2023, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. For me, most K-pop years are defined more by their rookies than older artists, and 2023 was no different. As usual, the criteria is built around these three facets: Quality of work Quantity of … 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
Before I take a look at K-pop’s established artists, it’s time to spotlight this year’s fresh crop of talent! While 2022 was stuffed with girl group debuts, 2023 was dominated by boy groups. The ratio itself is pretty staggering, and much of this is likely due to the various spin-offs from MNET’s Boys Planet series. … Continue reading
This post is your one-stop shop for all my end-of-year countdowns. It will be stickied to the top of the blog for the remainder of the year. Check back often for new links to new countdowns, and make sure you check out past years’ masterposts if you’re interested! Top 50 K-Pop Songs >> 50-41, 40-31, … Continue reading
It feels weird writing a standard “song review” post on the same day as posting my top K-pop songs of the year. Kind of a comedown, honestly! That’s not a dig at Jessica or Amber, who have each been part of my favorite K-pop tracks of all time. It’s kind of interesting seeing a collaboration … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 