Since debuting as a soloist, Sunmi has been a reliable producer of high-quality, slightly left-of-center K-pop. She had a particularly strong 2018, perfecting a musical style that drew heavily on 80’s inspirations. She’s been quieter this year, spending more time on tour than on music shows. During her concerts, she’s unveiled a couple new tracks … Continue reading
As fraught with disappointment as the Produce 101 discographies can be, they can usually be counted on to deliver a strong debut track. As far as I’m concerned, no song has yet matched 2017’s Energetic, which is a dynamite release with or without the Produce label attached to it. The series’ latest victors, dubbed X1, … Continue reading
Since winning the first season of K-pop Star, Park Jimin has jumped from gig to gig — as part of pop duo 15&, as a co-host on After School Club, and as a soloist. She’s about to make her biggest leap yet: straight out of JYP Entertainment. It’ll be interesting to see what the future … Continue reading
It was only a matter of time until we got an idol group song called “Rock Paper Scissors.” I mean, the game is used to decide everything in the K-pop world. I wouldn’t be surprised if agencies used it to determine comeback dates! And, it’s not shocking that a novelty track like this would come … Continue reading
Now that we’re a month or so out from the Produce X 101 finale, it’s time to welcome the endless parade of releases from the series’ contestants. Every agency is out to make a quick buck, and that rarely involves a lot of forethought or musical quality. In addition to appearing on the show, Kim … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. Though completely solid, The Boyz’ new mini album continues to exacerbate … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. To be completely honest, I’m not a huge fan of the … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. I haven’t reviewed Snuper’s newest Japanese single because… well, it’s pretty … Continue reading
Greyish can’t quite decide if they want to throw a hyphen after the “G” in their name, as it seems to change with every other comeback. For consistency’s sake, I’m leaving it out — but I am fascinated with when and how K-pop decides to utilize grammatical quirks. When we last saw the girls, they … Continue reading
I was surprised when it was first announced that members of UP10TION would be participating in Produce X 101. I knew that the buzz around the group had slowed in recent years, but I always thought they were relatively high-selling. Maybe their agency just realized they needed more of a push when it came to … Continue reading
What does a rock song composed and produced by Sweetune sound like? Well, if IZ’s May release Eden was any indication, it doesn’t sound like Sweetune at all. Their partnership with IZ has been one of the year’s biggest surprises. I’m not unhappy about it (unless it’s preventing more classic Sweetune music from being released…), … Continue reading
Apink have quietly become one of the longest running girl groups still active in today’s idol industry. They rarely make waves (at least internationally), but have sustained their popularity over eight years — an eternity in K-pop. When it comes to solo material from the group, main vocal Eunji is probably the first member to … Continue reading
With YG Entertainment in continual freefall, the company seems unable to release anything but threadbare solo albums from its artists. BLACKPINK’s stuck in a one-per-year promotional schedule, iKON is in limbo after losing its leader, and Treasure 13’s debut has been postponed for who knows how long. In their place, YGX (an agency subsidiary) has … Continue reading
In K-pop, it’s all too common for little-known rookie groups from smaller agencies to switch wildly between concepts in the hope that something — anything — will help them stick in the public conscious. Unfortunately, this approach very rarely works, and usually feels more inauthentic than exciting. There is no perfect road-map to K-pop success, … Continue reading
This April, The Boyz explored lighter territory with the bubblegum pop of Bloom Bloom. While I will always be leading the charge for more bright boy group material, Bloom’s incessant catchiness was almost too sugary to stand as one of the Boyz’ classic title tracks. New single D.D.D pulls back a bit, coming across as … Continue reading
In a year flush with debuts, Everglow’s Bon Bon Chocolat stood out thanks to its edgy sound. I wasn’t as enthralled with the song as others seem to be, but I’m always eager for more girl groups who push against the grain. New single Adios continues this approach, borrowing from BLACKPINK’s repertoire to craft what … Continue reading
Red Velvet’s past three Korean title tracks have split opinion, each becoming more experimental than the last. It’s a wonder, then, that the group have maintained their popularity with music that has been so polarizing. The girls opened their “ReVe Festival” trilogy only two months ago with the release of the carnival-esque Zimzalabim. Though that … Continue reading
With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
