Fresh off her win on American Song Competition (a phrase I never thought I’d write on this blog…), AleXa is back with the release of her first mini album. While she debuted with a cool sci-fi concept, her music has gradually explored new avenues. None of the songs have really clicked me, and her ASC … Continue reading
Sometimes it feels as if the K-pop industry is toying with their fans – seeing just how awkward a song they can force upon us. This year, no agency has been guiltier than JYP. From NMIXX’s mixx-pop excursions to ITZY’s footwear fantasies to Stray Kids’ ping ping pings, it’s as if everyone at the agency … Continue reading
Rookie boy group Trendz are the latest to return with material originally scheduled for October. Thus far, the guys haven’t done much to land on my radar, though June’s Who improved with time. I appreciate when they lean heavily into rock guitar, and new single Vagabond leverages this strength. But, the song is not without … Continue reading
Is it too early to hear the influence of NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM in other girl groups? Now that “girl crush” seems to have faded a bit, it feels like their subdued – almost aloof – sounds are the next stage in girl group trends. ICHILLIN’s Draw (My Time) is an interesting hybrid of the … Continue reading
CRAXY released music video after music video in September, most of which I didn’t cover in detail. I’m not sure where their agency is getting the funding for all this promotion, but I wish they’d pool the money together and give us another song as fun as 2020’s Aria. Instead, they’ve churned out Poison Rose, … Continue reading
Occasional ballad aside, Exile Tribe’s Fantastics have had one of the strongest singles runs in years. Songs like Stop For Nothing, High Fever, Drive Me Crazy and Summer Bike still get tons of plays from me, and I’ve recently made it my mission to get to know the group better. It turns out the members … Continue reading
My ears perk up any time I hear that Miyavi will be collaborating with another artist. In this case, he’s met his perfect match. The Rampage (more about them here!) are very familiar with rock sounds, crafting many standouts from bombastic guitar riffs and swaggering vocals. Combine their talents with Miyavi’s incredible playing and hook-writing, … Continue reading
Seventeen’s Japanese discography has been a mixed bag, opening with the incredible Call Call Call in 2018 and never quite matching that energy. Many of their J-pop songs trend toward the lyrical, opting for dreamy soundscapes and subdued tempos. New single Dream may be their most reserved track yet. I’d go as far as calling … Continue reading
A couple weeks after ex-bandmate Baekho’s solo debut, Nu’est’s JR — now working under his given name — has unveiled his own post-group work. Like Baekho, he’s already recorded several solo tracks as part of Nu’est’s albums. These songs were more varied than his position in the group might suggest. I Hate You, With and … Continue reading
Enough with the ballads, Johnny’s! Apart from an anniversary track and a few b-sides, every Kis-My-Ft2 single since March 2020 has been a varying level of… slow. And without a full album in over two years, there haven’t been that many upbeat tracks to compensate. These singles have been tied to dramas, which explains their … Continue reading
NINE.i emerged earlier this year with a song and album that positioned them firmly within existing boy group tropes. Their appeal lies in self-production, though they’re helped by composer Kim Seung-soo (who may or may not be one half of Sweetune, depending on your source). The teasers for their first comeback hinted at more daring … Continue reading
It can be difficult for a band in their thirteenth year to craft music that rivals their commercial peak. This is affected by the inherent ageism in the pop industry, but even without that challenge there comes a time when a group has simply ‘been there, done that’ with most genres and sounds. Where do … Continue reading
Nature’s Code W is the first in a string of postponed idol comebacks we’ll see over the next week or so. And, the girls have taken a sledgehammer to K-pop’s brief hiatus, re-emerging with the bonkers Limbo (넘어와). This is the group who gave us the insanity of Oopsie (My Bad) and Rica Rica, so … Continue reading
With such a busy slate of K-pop releases, I don’t always have a chance to rave about some of my favorite J-pop. This week, I’ll be giving an overview of some of my favorite acts and songs. Hopefully you’ll find a new obsession to add to your playlist! Why I Love Pick Me Up (and you … Continue reading
With such a busy slate of K-pop releases, I don’t always have a chance to rave about some of my favorite J-pop. This week, I’ll be giving an overview of some of my favorite acts and songs. Hopefully you’ll find a new obsession to add to your playlist! Why I Love Pretender (and you should … Continue reading
With such a busy slate of K-pop releases, I don’t always have a chance to rave about some of my favorite J-pop. This week, I’ll be giving an overview of some of my favorite acts and songs. Hopefully you’ll find a new obsession to add to your playlist! Why I Love Kitakaze to Taiyou (and … Continue reading
With such a busy slate of K-pop releases, I don’t always have a chance to rave about some of my favorite J-pop. This week, I’ll be giving an overview of some of my favorite acts and songs. Hopefully you’ll find a new obsession to add to your playlist! Why I Love Aladdin (and you should … Continue reading
Disclaimer: Due to South Korea’s national period of mourning until November 5th, most companies have delayed all comebacks and promotional materials. For whatever reason, YOUNITE’s music video and album went ahead as planned. It’s not my place to judge whether this decision was correct or not. Who knows what the agency’s situation is? But if … Continue reading
Debut songs from Johnny’s groups are a big deal. They’re often tied to a popular drama, performed everywhere to the point of being inescapable, and they quickly become a beloved and oft-referenced part of a group’s history. But ever since Travis Japan set up shop in the States to train and compete in numerous competitions … Continue reading
If you told me a decade ago that a member of the world’s biggest K-pop band would release a track written by Coldplay, I would’ve been shocked. But, global outreach and a popularity boom has resulted in collaborations like this becoming much more common. And with Jin, this team-up makes sense. His solo tracks on … Continue reading
