It was just announced that DAY6’s Every DAY6 project will celebrate its halfway mark with a full album next month. Presumably, this will contain all ten tracks released so far plus the two June entries, and it’s just another example of how smartly JYP Entertainment has orchestrated this entire release schedule. I mean, it took … Continue reading
Okay SM Station season two, are you going to turn out to be nothing more than a bunch of ballads? Apart from Ten’s performance video and the total red herring that was the Stanley Clarke Band, nearly every high profile Station release so far has been slow and — quite frankly — kind of bland. This … Continue reading
Boy group VAV have been around for six singles now, but they’ve yet to release a song that has had the impact necessary to shoot them to stardom. February’s 80’s-influenced Dance With Me was a step in the right direction, and they’ve definitely chosen the right collaborator in producer/composer Ryan S. Jhun, but it feels … Continue reading
The last time Junhyung released a promoted solo single it was 2013’s absolutely brilliant Flower. 2013 was a high watermark year for the artists-formally-known-as-Beast. It also felt like the era that Junhyung’s composing partnership with Kim Taejoo — under the moniker “Good Life” — was really coming into its own. Fast forward to 2017 and … Continue reading
Regardless of how you feel about Lovelyz‘ music, they’ve been able to carve out their own sound within the girl group landscape. More often than not their material pulls in the lighthearted, cutesy elements that so many other acts have ridden to fame, but its all within a distinctly synth-heavy framework that has a hazy, almost … Continue reading
When it comes to Triple H’s sub-unit debut, more will probably be made of the controversial music video than the song itself. I don’t tend to write extensively about videos, but 365 Fresh is definitely one of the more memorable ones in recent memory. I’m not sure romanticizing things like suicide and drug use is … Continue reading
Despite its downbeat title, Sad Song (슬픈 노래) is actually the more uptempo offering from Sechs Kies‘ 20th Anniversary comeback. Calling it a dance track might be a bit misleading, as it retains the moodiness of its counterpart Be Well, but its persistent electro beat gives the song a stylish drive that raises the energy to … Continue reading
When Sechs Kies first signed with YG Entertainment, it was hard to imagine what their new music would sound like. They were one of the defining k-pop groups of the late 90’s, known for hard hitting dance tracks and delicate, mid-tempo singalongs. As with any comeback from a first generation band, I would have hoped … Continue reading
The last time we heard from k-pop royalty BoA, it was as part of another SM Station track. One-off singles are all well and good, but it’s surprising that SM hasn’t given one of their most iconic artists a proper comeback since 2015. With the second season of Produce 101 currently reminding viewers what a warm … 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. Regular readers are probably getting sick of my continued adoration … Continue reading
LOONA do not need to be any more confusing or convoluted than they already are, and the name of their new song is not helping things. It’s the most needlessly obscure title since Decalcomanie. Sonatine was a 1993 Japanese gangster movie, but I doubt that that was the inspiration for this particular track. I suppose the word could just … Continue reading
The cute and fluffy girl group track is an evergreen in the k-pop world, but it’s been particularly prevalent over the past couple of years. Momoland debuted last November with a track that crash boom banged its way into listeners’ memories in the most shameless, stuffed-with-candy style its producers could muster. New single Wonderful Love … Continue reading
Bullet Train (Choutokkyuu) have never been the most subtle of groups. I mean, just look at that song title. If it wasn’t already demanding enough, they just had to go and capitalize DANCE. But as k-pop continues to strive for the cooler and sleeker and trendier, it can be refreshing to listen to a group … Continue reading
Rather than a full-fledged comeback, Lonely (종현) is part of the second half of Jonghyun’s Story OP project, which collects songs he’s written based on stories sent in by listeners of his now-completed Blue Night radio program. It’s an interesting conceit for an album, and the work itself couldn’t be more different than the material … Continue reading
There’s something to be said for sticking with a producer for longer than a handful of releases. And when that producer is Sweetune, a group can be assured that they’re in good hands. Though Snuper may not have reaped the same commercial success as some of their peers, they have been the most consistent rookie group … Continue reading
Co-ed group K.A.R.D’s pre-release strategy has been ambitious and quite successful, and with Rumor they’ve completed the trilogy of singles that herald their upcoming debut. If K.A.R.D’s story so far is one of rising tension and interest, we should be heading toward a climax. But strangely enough, the group has given us similar-sounding tracks three … Continue reading
Many have given IU the nickname “digital queen.” Such is the strength of her wide-reaching popularity in Korea. Nearly anything she releases instantly jumps to the top of the charts, even if her music may not make the same waves internationally. She’s by no means unpopular outside of Korea, but like Taylor Swift in the States, … Continue reading
This time last year I was writing about Apink’s 2016 fan appreciation song, which managed to be a pretty solid representation of a sub-genre that’s severely limited in scope and creativity. There’s just not a lot you can do with this style of release. Always was never going to be edgy or inventive. Its production … Continue reading
Whenever you have a music market that’s over-saturated, there are bound to be groups that struggle to stand out. For DIA, this struggle has been a constant one. None of their singles have been unpleasant, but time after time it feels like they’ve been given another group’s leftovers. I don’t doubt the girls’ talent or … Continue reading
With Kyuhyun soon to fulfill his mandatory military conscription, there’s a hole for another solo Super Junior balladeer to fill. Yesung seems to be up to the task, releasing the very OST-sounding Paper Umbrella (봄날의 소나기). This follows his spring-like Here I Am from last April, which I was not a fan of. When it … Continue reading
