TXT’s new (full) album weighs in at eight tracks and a paltry twenty-one minutes. This brevity isn’t unique to TXT and I don’t mean to call them out specifically, but it’s representative of choices the K-pop industry is currently making. So much effort seems to go into everything surrounding the music, even as the actual … Continue reading
I’ve had my eyes on Dragon Pony since their stellar debut last year. Follow-up Not Out took their music in an angstier direction, but maintained their knack for a strong chorus. New single Radio Silence (지구소년) finds a middle ground that infuses an energetic sound with plenty of emotion. An Tae Gyu’s vocals remain the … Continue reading
With last year’s NEMONEMO, Choi Yena took on the mantle of quirky K-pop performer formerly held by groups like Orange Caramel and Crayon Pop. With so many acts proclaiming their badassery in the most serious way possible, a little irreverence is more important than ever. She’s also got a rocker-girl aesthetic, and new single Being … Continue reading
Mandatory military enlistment can often be a big hurdle in a male idol’s career, but WOODZ has seen his popularity skyrocket during the time he was serving. I can’t remember such a huge enlistment-era glow-up happening before, and WOODZ seems eager to capitalize on the surge. Ahead of a new album, he’s released new song … Continue reading
AHOF debuted with a splash earlier this month, quickly winning music shows and my own playlist with their fantastic Rendezvous. The rest of their mini album is more subdued than I’d like, but the strength of its title track has me revisiting the b-sides more often than I usually would and every one of them … Continue reading
2025 has been the year of rookie boy groups spawned from survival series. NouerA, AHOF and Close Your Eyes have led the charge, each delivering great music that feels unique to them. Next up is SEVENTOEIGHT, emerging from SBS’s series SCOOL, which concluded late last year. Confusingly, there are six members of this new group, … Continue reading
Last week, EPEX teased their new album with pre-release Picasso — a track so confrontational and unpleasant that it seemed to put a curse on the entire industry. Seriously, every new song released in its wake has struggled to reach the high quality of July’s first half! Now, the group is grateful for our collective … Continue reading
By 2025 standards, The Boyz’ excellent VVV did everything it could to buck the year’s most regrettable trends, turning its energy way up, adding a great series of catchy melodies and stretching the track to nearly four (!) minutes to accommodate multiple musical goodies (a bridge! a dance break!). No wonder it’s one of the … Continue reading
As is often the case with J-pop singles, ENHYPEN’s Shine On Me has been available for a few weeks now, but today it’s finally paired with its half-animated, half-live action music video. As a straight-down-the-middle ballad, the song offers a different texture for the group. This style of lovelorn summer ballad rears its head every … Continue reading
When talking about girl group vocals I love, Woollim Entertainment’s Lovelyz often comes up. The group is home to some of my favorite vocal tones in K-pop, and Ryu Sujeong is certainly one of them. Since Lovelyz went on hiatus she’s developed an indie-pop solo career, most of which I haven’t written about here. However, … Continue reading
iKON’s Jay made his solo debut back in 2023 with a smooth R&B sound that was high on style but low on the kind of addictive melodies that usually make my ears perk up. He’s set to release a new album next week, and prior to that he’s dropped pre-release track We Can’t Explain. This … Continue reading
ASC2NT debuted last year and caught my attention with their strong vocals. Neither of their songs so far have fully taken advantage of this asset, but I can tell the group could do great things with the right material. New single Don’t Move gets closer to fulfilling that potential, offering an addictive electro thump. We’ve … Continue reading
Starship Entertainment is having a busy year, first debuting new girl group KiiiKiii and now new boy group IDID. IDID won’t have their official debut until September, but like so many other rookies they’re testing the waters with a pre-debut track. It’s a horrible feeling to be very excited about something only to have that … Continue reading
There have been many pre-release tracks this week, a strategy that K-pop seems to be very fond of lately. Yves has an album scheduled for next month and gives us an early taste with White Cat today. Her previous work has delved into hyperpop influences, no doubt inspired by the huge success of Charli XCX’s … Continue reading
ZEROBASEONE’s post-2025 future remains undecided, but they’re finally set to give us a full album on September 1st. Weeks before that, they’re back with pre-release Slam Dunk — an uncharacteristically hip-hop dance track. In K-pop, there’s often this urge to throw many different concepts and styles at a group rather than let them settle into … Continue reading
Apart from the K-pop ecosystem we all know and love, there’s a thriving trot industry in Korea that most foreign listeners may never be exposed to. I don’t often write about trot music, as it’s its own genre with unique quirks and vast history. However, sometimes a song crosses over in a way that embraces … Continue reading
Prior to this group comeback, One Pact released an EP of solo tracks. I wrote about my favorite one here. Those songs are included on the new album alongside a few new group tracks. Yes, No, Maybe acts as the title and offers a new concept for the guys. Though I wasn’t initially won over, … Continue reading
Apart from his activities with BTOB and undeniable presence at events like Waterbomb, Lee Minhyuk has developed a solo career under the moniker “Huta.” I can’t say that much of his solo music has appealed to me, but I appreciate how it sounds so different from that of his group. New title track Bora is … Continue reading
EPEX are ready to drop their third (!) full album next week, but before that they’ve returned with pre-release Picasso (피카소). EPEX aside, July has been a pretty strong month for K-pop so far. Sure, there haven’t been a ton of awesome 9+ rated tracks, but there haven’t been many outright clunkers either. I mention … Continue reading
Earlier this year, STAYC found their dancefloor groove with the addictive Bebe. Though that song didn’t totally click with me initially, it gradually grew into one of my most-played tracks of the year. With new summer single I Want It, they group keeps the energy high with an early-2010’s EDM twist. As soon as I … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 