Beast has been all over the place this year. We had the misguided hip-hop of March’s Guess Who, the gorgeous midtempo drama of Ribbon, and now Freaking Cute, which takes a much lighter pop approach. The group gave us a handful of brilliant Japanese tracks last year, but I fear that the creative juice has been used … Continue reading
Beat Win came back last year with the underrated Stalker, but they’re the kind of group that never creates much buzz around their releases. Because of this, I came to their new single, Your Girl (니 여자친구), without expectations of any kind. This was probably a positive approach, as the song instantly resonated with me much … Continue reading
Last week, Zhoumi pre-released the Chinese version of his stately ballad, Empty Room. With What’s Your Number, he flips that sound completely, opting for a synth-drenched dance track. It’s a break from the ultra-trendy EDM SM has been giving its solo artists of late, hearkening back instead to the carefree pop fellow SJ-M member Henry … Continue reading
I was not a big fan of Hello Venus’s previous collaboration with Devine Channel back in May, but Paradise promised something more uptempo and summery. July hasn’t seen a ton of great summer girl group tracks yet, so I prepared myself for something fantastic. I should know by now not to set expectations high without … Continue reading
Rock is not a typical genre in the k-pop idol world, especially that which could be safely described as “heavy” or “hard.” After releasing a more standard brand of radio-rock for many years, FTIsland were given leeway last year to record material more closely aligned to their personal preferences. This resulted in a heavier sound … Continue reading
Stellar are back with their second title track of the year. They’ve been making great use of the makestar crowdfunding site, which presumably has allowed them the budget necessary to work with a producer of Brave Brothers’ caliber this time around. My ears perked up as soon as I heard his name, since he’s one … Continue reading
Now that flagship JYP group 2PM is essentially more active in Japan than they are in Korea, it makes sense that their individual members would also pursue solo careers in that country. It’s been a success so far, both commercially and quality-wise. In fact, some of the guys’ best, most adventurous material has been tailored … Continue reading
Along with the rest of their artists’ music, SM’s Station project has seen an interesting shift towards the 90’s house genre. Starting as primarily a showcase for their roster of musicians to deliver one-off ballads, we’ve gotten to the point where a song like My Show sees an in-house producer pairing with a musical actress … Continue reading
Back in March, I suggested that Eric Nam move back to an uptempo pop track for his next comeback, and somebody must have been listening because Can’t Help Myself is his brightest, most exciting single since 2014. Buoyed by the fame his personality has helped foster, Nam finally gives us the aural equivalent to the … Continue reading
Poor Zhoumi. Always getting the short end of the stick. His comebacks arrive with little fanfare or explanation, and they’re gone before you know it. This is despite him being a part of Chinese sub-group Super Junior M, which used to be SM Entertainment’s core Chinese group. Empty Room arrives as (presumably) a pre-release before … 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. The concept of NCT is infinitely promising. But as much as … Continue reading
Together, Super Junior’s Kim Heechul and Trax’s Kim Jungmo form duo M&D, known for their unique brand of trot and anime influenced rock. It certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I found their debut mini album to be one of last year’s most pleasant surprises. The new release is more diverse in scope, but … Continue reading
Male vocal group VROMANCE tested the water by featuring on Huh Gak’s fantastic ballad Already Winter earlier in the year, but now it’s time for their full debut. They’re also Mamamoo’s “little brother group.” As a result, they have a lot to live up to. So how does debut title track She (여자 사람 친구) … Continue reading
Rookie group Snuper have forged their sound upon working exclusively with composing team Sweetune. They’re the only ones to do it consistently at the moment, and for that I’m very thankful. Their 80’s-tinged Platonic Love was a wonderful surprise back in March. New single You=Heaven (너=천국) is a different beast altogether. While it possesses many … Continue reading
GFriend is back with their second title track of the year and their fourth with ace production duo Seo Youngbae and Iggy. With each subsequent release, I’ve become more and more excited about new music from this group. January’s Rough is easily my favorite girl group song of the year so far, and Navillera (너 … 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. Astro has quickly sprung up to become one of my favorite … Continue reading
I was not impressed with girl group Matilda’s debut back in March, but I was hoping they’d pull a KNK and blow me away with the follow up. While Summer Again is leagues better as a song, the girls still have some work to do in order to create the pop masterpiece I know they … Continue reading
It’s been a long wait for Infinite fans. I’ve made no excuses for my bias towards them and their music, and I had totally pumped myself up for a July comeback only to hear that it would be postponed to late summer or fall. Luckily, they’ve thrown us a bone in the form of That … Continue reading
It’s been several years since SE7EN has released new material, and a large part of that gap included his mandatory military service. First comebacks after enlistment are always a big deal, but I’m Good also marks his first work since splitting from YG Entertainment. Operating as an independent artist allows SE7EN more musical freedom, but … Continue reading
I was so looking forward to this release. Back in April, NCT U impressed with The 7th Sense and utterly blew me away with Without You. And as I’ve gotten to know more about the guys in the group, they’re a rookie project that I’ve been anticipating more and more. NCT 127 (named for Seoul’s … Continue reading
