Repackage Albums are a lost art in K-pop and are more likely to be called “deluxes” if they happen at all. BOYNEXTDOOR are bringing the form back with an expanded edition of their June album Home. I really liked that album’s three promoted tracks but didn’t care much for the b-sides. New title track Animal … Continue reading
KickFlip have developed a pattern of dropping a pre-release before each new album. These are often more sentimental rock tracks before the title track hits us with a bombastic burst of fun. They’ve also been uniformly excellent. From Band-Aid to Twenty, their pre-releases have almost done more to make me a fan than their heavily … Continue reading
File UNIS under: groups who never really got a chance. They debuted in March of 2024 after the group was formed on survival series Universe Ticket. Like most groups of their nature, they had a finite promotional period from the beginning, which would lead you to believe their agency would promote the hell out of … Continue reading
Over the past few months, BTS have released music videos exclusive to Spotify premium. I haven’t covered these on the blog because I don’t have a premium account and many others don’t either, so the music videos remained paywalled. Today, they’ve uploaded the mv for Merry Go Round to YouTube, so this probably deserves a … Continue reading
I’m going to say something that might feel surprising coming from this blog: I much prefer the CORTIS-penned song on &TEAM’s new album to their more melodic, vocal-focused title track. Good Boy carries so many hallmarks that tend to make me wince (autotuned rap, chanted hook, truncated runtime), yet the combination just works here. Part … Continue reading
Pre-releases are like scratch cards — chances to unveil a winner ahead of a new album dropping. Monday’s scratch card was a total loser in the ALLDAY PROJECT lotto with the irritating Talk, but we’re back with a second chance today. As my fingers nervously scratch off the title Do It Like This, I can’t … Continue reading
After an extended hiatus, LIGHTSUM have been re-branded as a J-pop act, complete with many of the musical and stylistic shifts you might expect. I suppose we should be happy their agency hasn’t simply given up on them, but I definitely wonder how the girls feel about this. It’s not the first time a struggling … Continue reading
While it may not be that wise to release your new comeback during a week where all music shows are cancelled, you do ensure that all spotlight is on you without having to compete with a ton of other artists. I assume ONEUS will promote Say Yes! after the Chuseok holiday is over, but for … Continue reading
The floodgates are about to re-open for K-pop in a week’s time, but before that we have another dry week of mainly pre-releases and unpromoted fare. On the bright side, pre-releases are often stronger than K-pop’s title tracks and follow-ups. Understandably, artists want to lead with their best material. Hopefully that’s not the case with … Continue reading
Close Your Eyes will be returning with an album at the end of the year, but they’re teasing the project today with a pre-release. I’m a fan of this group, but never know what to expect from them. Each album has been markedly different from the last, which means I have strong preferences about which … Continue reading
ATEEZ scored an unlikely viral hit with this summer’s Bad, which has led to more attention from the Korean public. Up until now, it’s felt like the group has drawn their biggest support from international audiences, but that seems to be evening out. However, international collaborations continue to flourish and K-pop loves nothing more than … Continue reading
Thus far, Rosé has scored the biggest global success of any BLACKPINK member, but it comes with a caveat. Her mega-hit APT. shared billing with collaborator Bruno Mars who turbo-charged its popularity with his sizable commercial appeal. In fact, it seems that “pairing with a popular international artist” seems to be the most successful route … 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. As we move through a couple … Continue reading
It can be difficult deciding whether or not to write about a song promoted with a bare-bones, “home video style” music video. Generally, I don’t cover these unless the song itself is completely new or if I really like it and have something to say. DAILY:DIRECTION’s Up is newly released today and despite its self-made … 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. This is not a unique or … Continue reading
It’s clear that speaking/rapping over a club beat is not going away anytime soon in K-pop, and while I hope this will eventually transition to singing over a club beat, at least we’re hearing more exciting, upbeat production. From what I can tell, Just For Fun by Minjae, Sumin and Yechan of xikers is little … Continue reading
Last week, IU released a music video for Dear My Crazy Soulmate, the b-side to Unknown Planet (별로부터). Now, it’s time for the main course. Those hoping for a little more experimentation will appreciate this one, as the song forgoes Soulmate‘s gentle sound for a synth-powered instrumental that brings the drama. I’ve always thought IU’s … 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. Much of K-pop — and especially … Continue reading
Before making their first Korean comeback, rookie group NAZE are debuting in Japan. Spreading promotions across multiple countries has become pretty common in K-pop, but feels like an agency hedging their bets. NAZE’s Korean debut didn’t exactly set the charts (or this blog) on fire and I can’t imagine that Japan will be much more … Continue reading
I don’t usually write about trot singers on this blog. Trot is an entire musical ecosystem that’s mostly separate from what most people imagine K-pop to be, though its sound certainly holds sway over the larger industry. Every once and awhile, a trot singer branches out to more “K-pop” material and these two worlds collide. … Continue reading
