Along with KARA, Nine Muses are one of the two long-lasting kpop girl groups to have paired with production team Sweetune more often than not. This instantly makes them important to me, as the sound of their music is directly to my taste. They’ve had an incredibly consistent singles run, with even their non-Sweetune tracks … Continue reading
Category Archives: Feature
The Top Ten Best Songs by B.A.P
To tell the truth, B.A.P was a group I got into late in the game. Something about their image turned me off initially, but then I came to my senses and realized that their music is actually pretty awesome. They’ve been through a bit of turmoil over the past couple of years, but now that … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of February 2016
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 Top Ten Best Songs by B1A4
B1A4 are one of my absolute favorite groups in kpop. They’re also one of the most underrated. Because their music is often sunny, youthful and incredibly melodic, they don’t always get taken as seriously as many of their peers. It’s a shame, because the group boasts one of kpop’s best composers in leader Jinyoung, and they’ve … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by BEAST
For whatever reason, Beast were the last of Korea’s major boy groups that I became interested in. I knew and enjoyed all of their singles, but it took a long time for me to investigate their entire discography. However, once I finally got around to it, they quickly became one of my favorite boy groups in all … Continue reading
Review & Recap: EXO Exo’luXion in Vancouver, BC
Just based on a casual look through social media, I can already tell that Vancouver’s Exo’luXion stop is becoming infamous for all the wrong reasons. Still, I wanted to give my thoughts since I was in attendance last night. Before I start, I have to preface by saying that, while Exo were actually one of the groups … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by GIRLS’ GENERATION
Of all Korean girl groups, Girls’ Generation has the longest catalog of title tracks. They’re one of the few kpop acts who have managed tremendous success in Japan, and most of their j-pop singles are as good (or better) than their Korean material. Throughout their lengthy career, they’ve tackled almost every color of kpop, from … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by SUPER JUNIOR
(**Outdated list — check out the 2021 update here!) Super Junior are one of the biggest groups in all of Korea, and have developed into legends in the world of kpop. So how do you rate a legend? With Super Junior, it was a little easier than I anticipated. Though they’ve been around for over … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by INFINITE
Of all the top ten lists I’ll write, Infinite’s will always be the hardest. It’s a real challenge to rank what I consider to be the strongest singles run in all of kpop. Infinite have a sound that is tailor-made to match my taste, and even the singles that didn’t make my list (it was especially … Continue reading
Great Performances: Raccoon Boys (Kim Minseok, Kim McKay, Brian Shin) – Thriller
I’m still a loyal viewer of K-Pop Star, but lament that nowadays it’s mostly solo female vocalists with nearly identical styles. To me, the show’s peak was in season two. It was the most diverse line-up, had the best winning act, and genuinely felt exciting. One of my favorite groups that year was Raccoon Boys. Horrible name, … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of January 2016
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 Top Ten Best Songs by GIRL’S DAY
Girl’s Day was one of the last major kpop groups I got into, and I’m sorry to say that their group name turned me off for much too long. It sounded to me like a tween lifestyle magazine, and conjured up images of slumber parties and secret diaries. But eventually, the strength of their music wore … Continue reading
Top Five Most Underrated K-Pop Rookie Groups (Female)
2015 saw the rise of its fair share of super rookies. Some were predestined to be huge, and some were surprises. But, for every breakout success, there are dozens of groups slowing clawing their way to the top. Some make it, some fail. And some produce music that’s better than the big boys. Let’s take … Continue reading
Top Five Most Underrated K-Pop Rookie Groups (Male)
2015 saw the rise of its fair share of super rookies. Some were predestined to be huge, and some were surprises. But, for every breakout success, there are dozens of groups slowing clawing their way to the top. Some make it, some fail. And some produce music that’s better than the big boys. Let’s take … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by VIXX
Vixx is known to many as Korea’s “concept idols.” For much of their career, they’ve explored the darker, more fantasy-influenced tropes of kpop. From vampires to cyborgs, they’ve offered us some of the most dynamic visuals and routines of the past few years. More than that, they’ve been incredibly reliable as albums artists, whose b-sides … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by TEEN TOP
In honor of Teen Top’s new single and mini album (which sadly will not feature on this list) I thought it was a good time to look back at their singles run. To give you a bit of background, Teen Top is a group that I like quite a bit, but has never crossed into … Continue reading
Where to Buy K-Pop Albums Online: The Best Stores Reviewed!
I feel like it’s that age old dilemma. As the global popularity of kpop has grown over the years, more and more online vendors have sprung up to satiate our needs. It can sometimes be confusing picking which store to go for. What’s the cheapest option? Which gives you the quickest shipping? I won’t be … Continue reading
Great Performances: Sungkyu & Woohyun – The Day The Sun Rises
When it comes to kpop, it’s easy to focus solely on the glossy and creative music videos, but kpop stars and groups have also been giving us amazing live performances year after year. For the first entry in my Great Performances feature, I had to start with Infinite. I’m sure I’ll spotlight more than a … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by 2NE1
When it comes to girl groups, 2NE1 are like no other in the kpop world. They sit at the very top of my bias list, and much of that is due to their fierce image and the fantastic songs that they’re given. While I wait (somewhat) patiently for a comeback after their excellent 2014 album Crush, … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by SHINEE
For me, Shinee has been one of the most consistently strong groups in all of kpop. It’s hard to believe they debuted all the way back in 2008, since they still seem so fresh and relevant with each new release. As much as I love their music, it was surprisingly hard to rank my favorite … Continue reading