Plenty of K-pop acts have imperial phases that last a year or two, but very few maintain such a stellar track record as SHINee’s. Apart from the (very) occasional misstep, they’ve been churning out K-pop classics since 2008. Their comebacks are far more infrequent these days, but a new SHINee album is still guaranteed to … Continue reading
Here’s the thing about Cortis: I really want to like their music. I think REDRED is genuinely fantastic and what I’ve seen of the members filling in for host duties on weekly music shows has been very charming. I like the idea of young creators coming in to offer something a bit different than the … Continue reading
It’s been almost a year since BoA released a Japanese single, though to be fair this is an English-language song that just happened to be released in Japan. She’s the original crossover artist, with huge hits and sprawling discographies on either side of the Sea of Japan, and we can safely add Ain’t No Hard … Continue reading
If you were worried there wasn’t already enough Anderson .Paak in K-pop, I’ve got good news for you. He’s developed a comedy film called K-Pops! and features on the soundtrack alongside many popular Korean acts. I’m not very clued in about the specifics of the film, but it seems that it first screened two years … Continue reading
I have such mixed feelings abound aespa in 2026. They are undoubtedly one of the most influentual girl groups of this era, but their influence has been both positive and negative. Songs like Supernova and Whiplash helped usher in a higher BPM and more electronic-centered soundscape for K-pop, yet they also promoted a talk-heavy style … Continue reading
The Y2K trend has been done to death in K-pop and the songs themselves rarely sound all that Y2K anymore. Girl group Queenz Eye seem to believe there’s room for even more nostalgia, naming their new single after the era. It’s funny (and sad) that after years of this Y2K fever we still haven’t gotten … Continue reading
ONEWE have been churning out new music quite frequently over the past few years. They’re a firmly established band now, albiet one without a defining chart hit that would place them within the pantheon of well-known idol bands. Their sound tends to be a bit more cerebral, though they’ve attempted big pop hits in the … Continue reading
New girl group Heart Of Woman have debuted in an unusual way: with a full, thirteen-track album. This used to be a much more common approach in K-pop, but these days single albums (or even digital singles) are much more the norm — especially for new girl groups. This breadth of material offers opportunity to … Continue reading
H//PE Princess took the unusual approach of releasing their title track weeks before the mini album dropped. Stolen was a repetitive but weirdly enjoyable take on retro hip-hop, but follow-up One Day reveals a new side to the group. For an act billed as a ‘hip-hop girl group,’ they’ve got some solid vocalists on their … Continue reading
Taeyang’s new album is a mixed bag of styles, with few of them fully-realized in the way his best work has been. The strongest material hearkens back to eras past while infusing its sound with more modern touches. Such is the case with Would You, which feels like a long lost 2000s Taeyang track while … Continue reading
There are some groups in K-pop that I want to love even as their music keeps me at an arm’s length. Such is the case with XLOV, who have a wonderful concept and compelling imagery. However, most of their songs just haven’t matched that potential so far. Because of this, I’m happy to see them … Continue reading
IDID made a quick comeback after their September debut, but left fans waiting after that. Six months later, they’re finally back with new single Fly!, melding their old-school hip-hop sound with upbeat melodies. This fits squarely within a realm of current new-gen boy group sounds where acts flip the aggressive, hard-edged hip-hop of the fourth … Continue reading
The members of KARD have been consistently releasing solo work over the past few years, and now it’s J.seph’s turn to show what he can do. As one of two male members in the group, it feels like he was often in the shadow of BM, whose charisma has a much louder approach. This makes … Continue reading
Whenever I write about a Boyfriend song, I find myself begging readers to go back and check out their discography. To my mind, they have one of the most underrated catalogs in all of K-pop — especially if you enjoy the work of producers Sweetune. Unfortunately, their last six years have been a series of … Continue reading
Amidst the back-and-forth between ZEROBASEONE and AND2BLE, it can be easy to forget that there’s a new reigning champ in Boys Planet world. ALPHA DRIVE ONE made their debut earlier this year with a non-starter of a dance/hip-hop track, though as predicted the album sold well over a million copies. Another album is scheduled for … Continue reading
To my memory, we’ve never seen a popular K-pop group split in half and re-debut as two separate groups within a week’s time. Such is the case for the newly-reconfigured ZEROBASEONE and AND2BLE, which takes four former members and adds another. Head-to-head comparisons between the two groups will be inevitable and I wouldn’t be surprised … Continue reading
Today may be a barren day for new K-pop releases, but IVE have slid into the empty slate with a music video for new Japanese single Lucid Dream. Their Japanese work has been a mixed bag so far and overall feels pretty inessential. This track does nothing to buck that trend. For Lucid Dream, the … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. The other day, I had a … Continue reading
It’s been interesting to watch LE SSERAFIM’s trajectory shift over the years. They debuted with a sleek, stylish sound and a tight team of collaborators led by the once-great production duo Score and Megatone. But as time has gone on, the group’s music leaned further toward novelty, seemingly designed for memes and short-form content. This … Continue reading
Oh My Girl’s voice is severely missed in the modern K-pop landscape. And to be clear, I’m talking about pre-2020 Oh My Girl, back when the group sang gorgeous melodies over ornate, fantastical instrumentals. That’s a strain of girl group music we just don’t hear anymore and as far as I’m concerned it’s a vital … Continue reading
