Block B has maintained a certain level of success (especially as soloists) over the past two years, but it feels like their group work has lost some of its momentum ever since their nearly two-year hiatus after 2014’s H.E.R. February’s boisterous Yesterday seemed to herald a return to form, and Shall We Dance‘s very title … Continue reading
With Dramarama, I think Monsta X have given k-pop its most awesome song title of the year. The word alone is so ridiculously overblown, conjuring a sense of rock opera action movie bombast (or maybe just “jazz hands”). It’s delightfully tongue-in-cheek — except this is k-pop, so of course it’s not actually tongue-in-cheek. My biggest … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, k-pop has enjoyed a much-needed resurgence of proper choruses. And though EXID never quite fell victim to the trend of instrumental riffs masquerading as hooks, there were a number of times during new single DDD (덜덜덜) that I feared the song may take that dreaded, melody-averse turn. But then again, … Continue reading
About two months ago, I gave up hope that the Every DAY6 Project would continue to be a year-long release of title track-worthy material. What started as an ambitious opportunity for the guys to display a variety of promoted songs has gradually turned into a complete-the-album b-side roll out. That would be fine, but DAY6’s … Continue reading
It took them awhile, but girl group Sonamoo have finally released two fantastic, back-to-back singles. This summer’s Friday Night was an unexpected, disco-infused treat, but I (아이) ups the ante by pulling influence from k-pop’s past. The song may have been produced by one half of the ubiquitous e.one production duo, but its dramatic, brass-spiked … Continue reading
Though the emotional EDM of May’s Don’t Wanna Cry was far from Seventeen‘s usual sound, it ended up being one of the year’s biggest growers. And as the group led up to their second full album with a string of sub-unit releases, fans were promised an evolving, newly matured style. But this is Seventeen, who … Continue reading
As part of their preparations for their first comeback in over two years, Super Junior have been releasing a documentary series online. If you’ve been watching, you’ll already have a pretty good idea of how Black Suit sounds. Upon hearing the first clip a couple of weeks ago, I feared that the song might be … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop 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 kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. As much as I’ve enjoyed Twice’s singles, I’ve never pegged … Continue reading
Since SM Station’s inception, some of its biggest beneficiaries have been the guys of EXO. The project has often paired the members with unlikely collaborators or simply let them go solo, but many of the resulting tracks have ended up to be quite boring. I understand the desire to break EXO out of the glossy … Continue reading
As GOT7’s Korean output has continued to evolve, their Japanese releases have tended to stick to a similar pattern. For better or worse, they’ve developed a swag-driven j-pop persona that favors attitude and bluster over melody. This has resulted in a guilty pleasure or two, but never a song that can rival their best work. … Continue reading
Producer Ryan S. Jhun has had a dynamite year so far, composing song after song after song of consistently high quality. And in between his more hyped releases, he’s partnered with rookie group VAV. The guys’ past three singles have all been crafted by Jhun, and now they’ve collaborated again for She’s Mine. If I’m … Continue reading
Ever since their debut, Astro has stuck with a lighthearted, ultra-pop sound. This is one of the reasons I’ve been so excited about their music. Many boy groups seem to be intent on showing how hard and edgy they can be, but with Astro it feels like the song and melody come before the posturing. … Continue reading
As a sub-unit, the Odd Eye Circle trio have delivered the LOONA project’s most interesting music to date — so much so that I almost wish these three would promote together on a permanent basis. LOONA itself has had such a lengthy roll out, and it remains to be seen whether all the build-up will … Continue reading
To say that Super Junior’s ascent as elder statesmen of k-pop has been a graceful one would be wishful thinking. With multiple controversies sidelining several members, it feels like this upcoming comeback’s very existence is a minor miracle. And though there may only be seven of the once thirteen-member group promoting this time around, the … Continue reading
In 2017, Twice has continued to dominate charts and secure their position as the number one girl group in Korea. But neither of their singles this year packed quite the impossibly contagious, long-lasting effect of their opening Like Ooh-Ah/Cheer Up/TT trilogy. This can be traced directly to production duo Black Eyed Pilseung, who sat the … Continue reading
With so many similarly-pitched idol competitions premiering at the same time, I fear the onset of k-pop survival series fatigue. And by releasing their theme song last out of the group, MIXNINE’s Just Dance (선공개) feels way too familiar in both inspiration and execution. But the song was co-composed by producer Teddy, who has long … Continue reading
Few rookie groups have suffered as long a hiatus as Playback. The girls debuted all the way back in June of 2015 and released two underrated singles that year. And now — twenty-five months since we last heard them — they’ve finally delivered a follow-up. Because of this, it’s almost more accurate to consider Want … Continue reading
After giving us its co-ed theme song and the boys’ group track, it’s time for The Unit to complete its trilogy of pre-releases before the series officially debuts tomorrow. This time the female contestants take center stage for the peppy Shine, and the song is a veritable case study for why I’m generally inclined towards … Continue reading
Three years after riding high as one of k-pop’s most successful breakout girl groups, AOA has found themselves in a bit of a slump. After member controversies and the departure of main vocal ChoA, it’s unclear where they’re headed next. We haven’t heard from the girls since January’s double title track release, and I can’t … Continue reading
The BOYS24 project has been an exhausting, drawn-out ordeal, with the prospect of its resulting boy group IN2IT getting less exciting by the month. But then the guys started dropping teasers for their official debut, filled with gorgeous scenery and a majestic, African-sounding instrumental that seemed as if could offer a breath of fresh air … Continue reading
