Girl group DIA has been sampling the party platter of k-pop tropes, switching from one concept to another in their bid to find something that will stick. Trying on GFriend’s style back in June didn’t quite work, so with Mr. Potter (미스터포터) they’ve conjured up a track that recalls Red Velvet in their Ice Cream Cake days. Now, k-pop … Continue reading
Members of veteran boy group 2PM are soon to enlist in their mandatory military service, but before they take that two-year break from releasing music, they’ve got one more album and title track to give us. Promise (I’ll Be) piggybacks on the sound of main vocal Jun. K’s recent solo Think About You, offering a modern … Continue reading
Soloist Kim Juna gained popularity on girl group survival series Produce 101, and she’s the latest “eliminated” contestant to debut this year. So far, the track record for these debuts has been pretty spotty, both commercially and quality-wise, but Juna attempts to take on a different, more westernized sound with Summer Dream. While girl group … Continue reading
When I think about Korea’s most boundary-pushing solo artists, both in terms of music and visual, two names immediately stick out. For the guys, it’s gotta be Xia (Kim Junsu), who favors complex, avant garde concepts and continually shifting genre influences. For the girls, it’s most definitely Gain, who pushes boundaries so consistently that it’s … Continue reading
As part of their official sub-unit debut, Winner’s Mino and iKON’s Bobby have released double title tracks that each show off very different charms. After being thrilled with the upbeat exuberance of Hit Me, Full House (붐벼) brings the guys back to a lurching, stereotypical exercise in what apparently makes hip-hop cool. But here’s the problem: … Continue reading
For the past few days, Winner’s Mino and iKON’s Bobby have been building up to their sub-unit with solo releases. And as enjoyable as they’ve both been, it turns out that (for Hit Me, at least) the two are strongest together. I can’t even begin to describe how refreshing it is to hear them actually … Continue reading
A day after iKON’s Bobby released his solo single, fellow YG rapper Mino has unveiled Body (몸), which was billed as a slower, sexier counterpart to his label-mate’s boisterous hype track. This doesn’t necessarily seem like the more interesting description on paper, but in the battle of the solo tracks, I think Body just barely edges … Continue reading
SM girl group Red Velvet have been bouncing between their dual concepts, giving us delirious pop hits (red) and low-key slow burns (velvet) for the past couple of years. With Russian Roulette (러시안 룰렛), it seems that they’ve found some middle ground, tempering what is essentially a high energy synthpop track with a more subdued … Continue reading
This week marks the long-awaited release from The MOBB, which is the sub-unit of rappers Bobby and Mino (from YG groups iKON and Winner, respectively). But before we get to that collaboration, we’ll be treated to a solo track from each. First up is Bobby, who’s delivered a hype track with a truly obnoxious title. … Continue reading
Lim Chang Jung is an absolute juggernaut in the world of Korean ballads. His fantastic Love Again single was one of last year’s biggest hits and has enjoyed incredible longevity on the charts. Like it or not, this is the kind of sentimental music that does gangbusters in Korea, even if it may not be the most sonically (or … Continue reading
J-Pop group w-inds. have had a long and varied career, moving through different pop sounds as they’ve progressed as a group. Over the past few years, they’ve settled on a kind of throwback funk template that suits them well. With new single Backstage, they add some modern tropical house flavor, which results in a nice … Continue reading
Ever since their debut in 2014, Halo have been on my list of underrated k-pop groups. I worry for them. Despite releasing an excellent pop track back in December, they weren’t even able to film a music video to accompany it. Thankfully, through the crowd-sourcing Makestar platform, their new single Mariya (마리야) gets a charmingly … Continue reading
It’s not uncommon for an agency to use one of its established stars to introduce a new rookie group, and that’s exactly what Plan A (formerly A Cube) are doing with their “Plan A Boys.” Pairing with solo singer Huh Gak, the boys are given a slight head-scratcher of an introduction in the form of … Continue reading
Just over a month after their excellent High Heels comeback, Brave Girls has surprised us with Yoo Hoo (유후 (우린 아직 여름)), a very summery track released just as we’re moving closer to fall. It’s odd timing, and relegates Yoo Hoo to feeling like a bit of an afterthought. Part of that is due to … Continue reading
The story of Sunny Hill is that of a group slowly and incrementally losing their color. It’s hard to believe that the girls giving us On The Way Home (집으로 가는 길) are the same ones who delivered such creative dance tracks as Midnight Circus and The Grasshopper Song. It’s even harder to imagine that the group actually … Continue reading
It’s been a long while since I last reviewed a straight-up Korean ballad, but it’s a slow Tuesday and vocal duo Homme are the sole big release of the moment. Though their music has little in common with labelmates BTS, Dilemma (딜레마) was co-written by that group’s leader, Rap Monster, as well as frequent BTS-collaborator … Continue reading
Two comebacks in, and it’s clear that Nu’est has fully reinvented their sound. I think this is smart. As labelmates Seventeen are going full pop, Nu’est are establishing a more mature, artistic style that sets them apart. But on a personal note, I’m realizing that this new Nu’est just isn’t going to be for me. … 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. Time Leap, along with the other original songs from BOYS24‘s … Continue reading
How can a song featuring so many esteemed and exciting artists end up being so dull? In theory, Born To Be Wild should be a momentous hodgepodge of cross-agency collaboration, but it’s ultimately just as messy as its parentheses-filled title. I applaud SM for reaching out to artists and producers from competing agencies. I have … Continue reading
Girl group Spica has been absent from the k-pop scene for two years, causing them to have a lot of rebuilding and rebranding to do. The world of k-pop moves quickly, and unless you’re an a-list super group, it’s not particularly easy to come back after such a long time away. Making things even more … Continue reading
