Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
Category Archives: Feature
The Persistent Problem of K-Pop’s Boy Group Angst
If one thing has been lacking from K-pop’s 2020 boy group landscape, it’s a sense of fun. Now don’t get me wrong, we’re not exactly in “fun” times right now, so to expect anybody to be in a particularly good mood at the moment is asking a lot. But when things are dark, don’t we … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of February 2012
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! February … Continue reading
Road to Kingdom: Episode Two Recap and Ranking
After sharing my thoughts on the Queendom finale songs last year, I regretted not writing more about the show as it was going on – especially since I enjoyed it so much. That regret didn’t quite spur me to cover Road to Kingdom’s premiere episode, but now that we’re in full performance mode, I plan … Continue reading
When SWEETUNE Went J-POP: A Look at a Truly Underrated Discography
If you’re anything like me, you’re very upset that legendary production team Sweetune has been sidelined from the K-pop industry for the past year or so. I’d kill for some new Sweetune music in 2020, but for now we’ll have to settle for past glories. I’ve combed my archive to bring you some Sweetune tracks … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of January 2012
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! January … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by AAA
Gosh, I’ve been meaning to create this best-of list for years now. But now that AAA are on their way to a nebulous (permanent?) hiatus, it seems like a good time to look back at their best singles. For me, AAA are *the* co-ed J-pop group, impossible to fully replicate because their diverse set of … Continue reading
The Bias List’s LEGENDARY SONGS Inauguration Ceremony
Over the years, I’ve been asked several times to create a post where I reveal my previously-reviewed songs that I would now bump up to a perfect, 10/10 rating, allowing them to officially join my Legendary Songs category. I guess it took a global pandemic for me to finally spend the time to compile this … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of April 2020
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. April 2020 Overall Thoughts With stay-at-home orders in effect all month, there was certainly time to … Continue reading
Best of the B-Sides: Vol.02 (Kim Sung Kyu, Kis-My-Ft2, Nine Muses, TVXQ)
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of December 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! December … Continue reading
K-Pop’s Greatest Singles Runs
Different groups are loved for different reasons, but one of my favorite concepts within pop music is the “imperial phase” — a (usually) brief era when every promoted song an act releases is absolutely superb and iconic. This got me to thinking: what are K-pop’s greatest imperial phases? I combed through my exhaustive playlists and … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by DREAMCATCHER
Though they first debuted as relatively typical girl group MINX, Dreamcatcher’s 2017 reinvention spawned a discography that bucks K-pop’s trends in favor of heavy guitars and thundering percussion. They are unique within their often-soundalike K-pop era, bolstered by an incredibly consistent singles run. As always with these particular countdowns, a song needs to be paired … Continue reading
Best of the B-Sides: Vol.01 (KAT-TUN, Kara, PSY, T.M.Revolution)
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of November 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! November … Continue reading
Is K-Pop Losing its Sense of Imagination?
When I first got into K-pop years ago, I was so bothered by criticisms from people who knew nothing about the industry. I can’t even tell you the amount of times I endured comments like “it’s so manufactured” or “it all sounds the same,” as if the basis of any country’s pop music is all … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! October … Continue reading
Best-Of J-Pop Round-Up: April 2020 Edition
Hey, I kept my promise! After February’s maiden voyage, I’m back with the second Bias List J-Pop Round-Up! This is the place where I get to recommend Japanese tracks or albums that I’ve been into over the past few weeks. Like before, this won’t be a place for Japanese songs by Korean artists. Those will … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! September … Continue reading
Three K-pop & J-pop ways I’m spending the COVID Quarantine
Like most everyone in the world right now, I’ve suddenly found myself with a surplus of indoor time. Too much indoor time, if I’m being honest. I could be spending that time churning out blog post after blog post, but it’s funny how the upending of a schedule also upends productivity. So instead, I’m mostly … Continue reading