It’s rare that we get a pre-debut music video that’s not a solo or sub-unit. From what I’ve heard, Pledis Girlz (hopefully not their final name) will debut as a ten-member group. We doesn’t feature all ten members, but feels like a good indication of their color, especially since the girls directly participated in its composition. … Continue reading
One of my biggest annoyances of the past year or so in k-pop has been the lessening influence of classic producers like Brave Brothers, Sweetune, Thomas Troelsen and Yoo Young-Jin. Yes, we have newly popular talent in the form of Black Eyed Pilseung, LDN Noise and the Iggy/Youngbae duo, but my love of k-pop was fostered … Continue reading
Beast has already had quite a year so far. Coming off of a commercially underwhelming 2015 (by their high standards), they lost a member in Hyunseung, turning their reliable 6-member team into a five piece. They’re in desperate need of a shot in the arm, allowing them to remind Korea why they are one of … Continue reading
SM Entertainment keeps their solo comebacks chugging along with Starlight, which is a prerelease for Taeyeon’s second album. Title track Why promises something more informed by dance music, but Starlight takes a laid back approach. It also pairs Taeyeon with up-and-comer DEAN, which feels like a smart business move for both of them. In fact, … Continue reading
Let’s get the super-biased, personal stuff out of the way first. Last year, I found Romeo to be one of the most promising rookie groups based on their work with composing/producing team Sweetune. We don’t get to hear enough from Sweetune anymore, and I was thrilled that this group seemed to be building their sound … Continue reading
Like many k-pop fans, I was highly entertained by season one of rap “survival” show Unpretty Rapstar. Even so, I was never interested enough in Kisum as a performer to check out her post-show music. Blame it on Rapstar‘s bigger personalities sucking all the oxygen out of the room, I guess. Whatever the reason, I’m … Continue reading
R&B crooner Babylon has featured on some pretty big hits, but has yet to fully break out as a solo artist. His voice is one half Taeyang and one half G.Soul, which works to both his advantage and detriment. Crush On You (처음 본 여자는 다 예뻐) does a fine job showcasing those vocals, yet … Continue reading
I haven’t had a chance to write about Japan’s mega girl group E-girls yet, though they are one of the few j-pop artists I listen to. More often than not, their sound is bright and cheerful, echoing much of what is going on in k-pop currently. For Strawberry Sadistic (Strawberry サディスティック), they maintain the up-tempo catchiness, … Continue reading
Newly debuted rookies O21 (O To One) have already received some attention for taking an edgier approach when most of their peers are sticking with an innocent sound. This was enough to catch my attention, but only a good song would maintain that interest. With Show Me, I feel myself drifting somewhere in between curious … Continue reading
What do you do when you want to love a group but you have no faith in the agency that supports them? Such is the case with Madtown. By all accounts, they have the skills, charisma and personality to make it big. Their most visible member, Jota, has also proven himself an eminently likable variety … Continue reading
For better or worse, Sistar have become known as the queens of summer. For the past few years, the primary sound of their title tracks has been bright, breezy and entirely indebted to a connection with the season of beaches and tank tops. I’ve seen a fair amount of criticism leveled at the girls because … Continue reading
When deciding which kpop tracks to skip when writing my reviews, the ones that usually pass by without any commentary are the ballads. There’s just not much to say about most of them. But on this uncharacteristically slow Monday, the only major releases to choose from are ballads. Of the choices, Baek Yerin is likely … Continue reading
Last time San E and Raina paired (back in 2014), they gave us the ubiquitous mega-hit A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness. It only makes sense that they’d re-team in an attempt to repeat their success. And while I don’t see Sugar & Me having nearly the same effect on the k-pop zeitgeist, it’s still a decent … Continue reading
SM Entertainment’s Station platform seems to have taken a turn towards the uptempo now that summer is approaching. This week’s track pairs SM royalty BoA with popular rapper Beenzino, and it’s a smart match. They’re given a somewhat generic dance track to work with, but manage to imbue it with enough of their own style … Continue reading
As BTOB continues to rise in their homeland, they’ve also carved out a pretty successful career in Japan. Though I find much of their j-pop material to be more reductive and schmaltzy than their Korean output, there’s no denying that the big balladry of L.U.V allows the guys a platform to display their substantial vocal … Continue reading
Last time we heard r&b soloist Wheesung, he was giving us a powerful, theatrical ballad-with-a-beat, so when Hold Over opens with EXID’s LE spitting an attitude-filled monologue, it comes as a bit of a surprise. In fact, the whole track sounds like it might have been at home on EXID’s latest album. Hold Over coasts … Continue reading
Long before I started covering k-pop exclusively, I learned the importance of following songwriters and producers, rather than just focusing on artists and groups. After all, a song doesn’t pop into the universe from out of nowhere. Even though a bias group may be able to elevate it with their talent and performance style, the same … Continue reading
As a member of popular 90’s group S.E.S, Bada could rightfully be considered k-pop royalty. As a solo artist, she hasn’t been very active for quite a few years, apart from a few singles and OST songs. Flower marks her first solo single in two years, and it’s an interesting take on the typical dance … Continue reading
I really had no idea what to expect from this collaboration. We’ve got veteran Younha, who’s most know for her soft balladry, Wonder Girls’ HA:TFELT (Yenny), who gave us the beautifully intense Ain’t Nobody two years ago, and Cheetah, the attitude-filled winner of Unpretty Rapstar season one. On paper, they each bring incredible strengths to … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I’ve noticed that there seem to be quite a few people … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 