Rightly or wrongly, I’ve always regarded mixtapes as stream-of-conscious endeavors, dedicated to offering a glimpse at an artist’s persona rather than delivering what we might think of as a traditional hit. Even if an individual song is given a music video, it still doesn’t necessarily feel like a “real” single. But if anyone is going … Continue reading
Cosmic Girls are at their best when they highlight the “cosmic” part of their name. Last summer’s Happy was a fun, peppy diversion, but tried to emulate too many other girl groups and came off as overly derivative. 2016’s Secret established the perfect signature sound for the group, and became one of that year’s biggest … Continue reading
Prior to their debut, N.Tic gained more notoriety from member Jion’s ultra anime style face than the prospect of any music they may be releasing. I suppose everybody needs a gimmick — and judging from the group’s low budget music video, any press will be good press for N.Tic. It’s surprising, then, that their debut … Continue reading
Since their debut in 2016, SF9 have flirted with a variety of genres and sounds. With October’s O Sole Mio they seemed poised for a breakout, exploring the kind of Latin influences that had been conquering the global music scene for months. Because of this, it’s surprising to hear that they’ve pulled a one eighty … Continue reading
Some matches are made in heaven, and Infinite‘s Kim Sungkyu + Nell’s Kim Jongwan is one of them. Not only did Jongwan compose all of Sungkyu’s 2015 mini album 27, but he’s often been lauded by the man himself as the performer that inspired him to become a musician. Now, the duo have returned after … Continue reading
As we continue to build towards the unveiling of NCT‘s first full-length album, Baby Don’t Stop is the second volley in a series of pre-releases by sub-units of the group. Last week’s Boss set the bar pretty high, but to be honest I didn’t expect much from Stop. Taeyong and Ten are two of NCT’s most … Continue reading
Twice have enjoyed a meteoric rise in Japan, quickly reigniting the female side of the hallyu wave. I only wish that this success was accompanied by music that felt as fresh as most of their Korean output. So far, singles One More Time and Candy Pop have largely adhered to the tropes one might expect … Continue reading
In the (almost) three years since their debut, CLC have cycled through just about every girl group concept you can imagine. Yet, none of these changes in style has led to lasting commercial success. And quite frankly, none has resonated all that strongly with me either. With new single Black Dress, the girls are moving … Continue reading
Less than a year into their debut, girl group Weki Meki have quickly become lodged in a frustrating dilemma: their album tracks are consistently superior to the songs they’re given to promote. This pattern began with August’s noisy I Don’t Like Your Girlfriend, which came across as nearly atonal compared to the five tracks that … Continue reading
Just over two weeks ago, BoA pre-released single Nega Dola. I was a bit hesitant with the song, but it’s since grown on me quite a bit. That’s one of the frustrating things about end-of-the-month releases. I never really get to reflect their growth in my “top 3 k-pop songs of the month” round-ups. One … Continue reading
Like a handful of mid-tier groups from their era, Boyfriend have established a more lucrative career in Japan than their native Korea. That’s a shame, because they have one of the strongest (Sweetune-produced) runs of title tracks that k-pop has ever given us. I’d love to see them make a resurgence in their homeland now … Continue reading
After last week’s pre-release Star, Highlight’s Yoseob is back with the title track from his second mini album. “Where I Am Gone” may be a baffling English translation that feels like an affront to the very idea of syntax, but its mid-tempo sound returns Yoseob to the days of his 2012 solo debut, Caffeine. It’s … Continue reading
This year, NCT have finally embarked on a promotional cycle as ambitious as their unique configuration. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be treated to new releases by various units within the now 18-member group — all leading up to their first full album. To kick things off, NCT U (a rotational unit free from genre … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks 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. Fans of BoA are quite spoiled this February, with both … Continue reading
In the overstuffed k-pop market of large-configuration groups, 14U have had difficulty standing out. It certainly didn’t help that they released the exact same song two times last year rather than begin to develop a more robust catalog. Like so many rookie groups, the budget seems to be very tight when it comes to 14U’s … Continue reading
Over the past month, I’ve been digging deeply into the gargantuan discography of prolific j-pop group AAA. They’re an act I’ve been wanting to get into for years now, but never found the right entry point until hearing the insanely awesome double a-side Aitai Riyū / Dream After Dream, taken from their equally immense 2011 album Buzz … Continue reading
Double title tracks are not particularly common in k-pop, and even less so when it comes to artists from small agencies. Despite this, boy group VAV have released two music videos in support of their recently released mini album. Lead single Spotlight has seemed to garner the lion’s share of promotional attention, with its big budget … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks 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. Seventeen’s comeback track Thanks is a complex arrangement of EDM … Continue reading
The winter of 2018 has yet to give us many great ballads. I’m certainly not complaining, as January yielded a steady supply of uptempo pop instead. But it does feel unusual not to be reviewing ballad after ballad this time of year. Highlight’s main vocal Yang Yoseob is here to remind us of the season, … Continue reading
Over the past few years, B1A4‘s Japanese releases have become a welcome continuation of the sound they’ve established in Korea. The group self-produces almost all of their material, and that extends to music composed for the j-pop market. This has proven to be a treasure trove for fans like me, as it means more title … Continue reading
