As a companion to my Top Ten Singles lists, it’s time to look at some of the best album tracks and b-sides from the best artists. Of course Infinite had to come first. They have a discography large and amazing enough to fill several lists like this, but here are the best of the best. … Continue reading
Also known as Children of Empire (though that name has more to do with their agency, Star Empire, than their actual concept), ZE:A is a nine-member boy group who has been around for over half a decade. Though they haven’t come back as a whole in quite awhile, individual members are very well known for their … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. YOO YOUNG-JIN … Continue reading
Though his solo work may not be as colorful or boundary-pushing as bandmate G-Dragon, Taeyang has proved to be one of Bigbang’s most successful members. Driven by his inimitable voice, he’s released three albums on his own and keeps getting better and better. With an emphasis on classic R&B over modern YG beats, he’s given … Continue reading
There are many underrated groups in k-pop, but Nu’est have to be one of the most notorious. They burst out of the gate in 2012, but in a case of poor management and promotion cycles, quickly lost much of their initial popularity. Even so, they’re a group of remarkable consistency, with a crazy-good back catalog … Continue reading
In honor of Wonder Girls’ excellent new single, it’s the perfect time to take a look back at their long career. But before we do, I have a k-pop confession to make: before Wonder Girls reconfigured as a band, I just wasn’t that into their music. I know I’m in the minority here, since they’re … Continue reading
After taking a look at the songs, it’s time to turn to the albums of 2016. As much as I love a good single, it can only be improved by being part of an excellent album. Last year saw Wonder Girls, Infinite, B1A4 and Shinee releasing my favorite collections. This year, the boy groups have … Continue reading
I always write up a Top 50 songs list in December, but for the first time I thought it would be fun to take a mid-year survey of the k-pop landscape as well. As of this moment, these five songs are what I would consider the strongest releases of 2016. This year has actually been very … Continue reading
He may be the most well-known k-pop artist to those unfamiliar with the genre, but PSY is much more than Gangnam Style. It’s an iconic moment, and responsible for introducing millions to k-pop (including myself, to a certain extent), but surrounding this massive achievement is over a decade of hits, many of which pull from disparate genres … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
The name Brown Eyed Girls conjures the image of a fierce, boundary-pushing girl group who has transformed their soulful roots into an avant garde blend of pop influences. Though not always accessible enough to find overwhelming mainstream success in the k-pop world, their most popular tracks have become modern classics. More importantly, no Korean girl … Continue reading
Whether you call them TVXQ, DBSK or Tohoshinki, these guys have one of the most prolific, enormous discographies of any k-pop artist. I could have easily split this into two lists — one for the five-member group and one for their current two-member configuration. But, I gave myself a challenge. And at nearly 100 music … Continue reading
Rainbow have been around for seven years, outlasting quite a few girl groups of their era. Yet somehow, they’ve never been able to break into the a-list. Seen by some as the mini-Kara, it would have been interesting to see what they may have become if they had continued to work with a+ producers like … Continue reading
JYP Entertainment’s 2PM was designed as the uptempo counterpart to the agency’s ballad-heavy 2AM. Their commercial peak was back around 2009-2011, though their music has continued to improve as they’ve gained a foothold in Japan and become senior idols to younger JYP counterparts GOT7. At times they’ve been known as much for their model-like, athletic … Continue reading
Boy group MYNAME has never really had that one big song that would break them into the k-pop a-list. Instead, it’s been a gradual, consistently strong, road. For me, they’re most notable for having not only a great Korean discography, but also killing it with most of their Japanese releases. This is a hard balance to strike, but … Continue reading
Reviews of any sort represent a snapshot in time. I’d like to think that what I write about a song the day after its release ends up being what I think about it in the long term, and more often than not that’s the case. But certain songs have a way of creeping up on you … Continue reading
Now that U-KISS is set to come back in Korea after quite awhile, it’s the perfect time to look back at their title tracks so far. U-KISS are one of about a half dozen groups/artists that debuted in 2008 and still enjoy some level of success. But their notoriety in Korea has taken quite a tumble over … Continue reading
SS501 was DSP Media’s juggernaut boy group in the mid to late 00’s. Along with groups like TVXQ, Shinhwa, Super Junior and Bigbang, they’re responsible for writing the template of modern k-pop, but unlike those other groups, I feel like they don’t often get as much recognition as they deserve. Leaving behind a stellar kpop discography, … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
News has slowly inched their way to the very top of my J-Pop bias list, releasing brilliant pop song after brilliant pop song. They’ve been active for an incredible thirteen years now, first as a nine-member group, then as a six-piece and finally as the very strong four-member configuration they are today. Throughout it all, their … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 