It’s hard to believe that Hey! Say! JUMP celebrated their tenth anniversary last year. After a decade in the industry, most pop acts begin to fade, moving on to less potent material that often feels like a retread of earlier sounds. But JUMP debuted incredibly young, with its oldest members now only in their late … Continue reading
By their very nature, ballads are difficult to write at length about. The vast majority follow a similar template, with a greater focus on performance and sentiment than novel production touches. But, when a ballad hits, it hits big. This was the case for BTOB’s late-career breakout It’s Okay, which reinvented them as a compelling … Continue reading
iKON made quite a splash when they debuted in late 2015, but 2018 has really been their coming out party. Not only was Love Scenario one of this year’s biggest hits, but its chill hip-hop sound has gone on to inform many boy group releases since. Its chorus was an earworm to end all earworms, … Continue reading
Arashi spent much of 2017 experimenting with their sound. Whether it was the swing-inspired I’ll Be There, the symphonic and trap breakdowns of Mikan, or the eleven-and-a-half minute song suite that marked the climax of their sixteenth studio album, Japan’s biggest male group proved that their sense of adventure was not going to slow down … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that VIXX have been a part of the K-pop landscape for six years already. That’s senior artist territory, and they continue to lead the pack with their dynamic concepts and ever-shifting genre experimentation. With this elder statesman status comes inevitable solo work. The group’s rapper, Ravi, has already released a few … Continue reading
Over the course of their young career, SF9 have tackled a number of concepts. This constant shift in sounds may make it difficult for casual listeners to get into their music, but it’s proven the group’s impressive versatility. With new single Now Or Never (질렀어), the guys are tackling a genre they call “dark pop,” … Continue reading
A collaboration between Zico and IU is like a wet dream for Korean charts. Both artists routinely see their music lodged in the top ten for weeks (sometimes months) on end, seeming to attract a wide variety of fans. So why does the prospect of this pairing leave me cold? More and more, I’ve come … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. It’s funny. Despite Chungha embracing one of my least favorite K-pop … Continue reading
Co-ed group AAA have been dominating Japanese charts for over a decade, but their upcoming album will be their first without member Chiaki Ito. After she left the group early last year to start a family, AAA was left with a truly unique configuration — five men and one woman. Despite this uncommon gender imbalance, … Continue reading
Seungri’s new album has seemed to split opinion online, with some listeners declaring it the best full-length of the year and others feeling like its sound is outdated when thrown into the modern K-pop landscape. In many ways, the album feels like it could have been released in 2012 or 2013, and that’s precisely the … Continue reading
Laboum’s consistently strong singles run has never really settled on one defining sound, making it difficult for the group to differentiate themselves from their competition. We last heard from them one year ago, when they released a quintessentially generic (yet fun) girl group summer single. In contrast, Between Us (체온) finds them reinventing their sound … Continue reading
Though they released a great Japanese single last month, Grand Bleu is the first Korean work by boy group 100% since the passing of their leader Minwoo. We’ve been promised more music later in August, but for now Bleu acts as a pre-release to tide fans over. It’s heartening to hear the group back at … Continue reading
FTIsland have been a staple of the K-pop landscape for over ten years now. Having debuted so young, none of the members have yet embarked on their two-year military conscription, making their music a reliably steady presence. This consistency of comebacks threatens to blunt excitement for new material. After all, “absence makes the heart grow … Continue reading
In an unexpected twist, rookie group IN2IT seem to be finding their niche with a campy, concept-driven brand of dance pop. April’s Snapshot introduced this style with its catwalk appeal and voguing choreography. Now, the group has doubled down on the flamboyant fun with head-turning title track Sorry For My English. As the title of … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. With new single Always You, Astro have become the latest in … Continue reading
Thus far, Newkidd’s biggest claim to fame is member Ji Hansol, who trained with NCT and won a spot in The Unit’s project group UNB. Following an increasingly common trend of pre-release schedules, Newkidd hasn’t officially debuted yet. After last year’s forgettable sub-unit single album Will You Be Ma, the guys are back as a … Continue reading
As much as I complain about tropical house’s takeover of K-pop, there are a few acts who get a pass. KARD is one of them. Variations of the tropical sound have been their thing since pre-debut, so their continued reliance on the style doesn’t feel as patronizing as other groups. With that said, they’ve already … Continue reading
After kicking off a series of digital singles with last November’s Here We Are, Super Junior’s Donghae and Eunhyuk are on the cusp of dropping their first Japanese album in three years. For whatever reason, SM Entertainment never seemed that intent on establishing Super Junior in the Japanese market, but these two have found success … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Though rookie group ONF’s discography may be small, they’ve been on … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 