A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. After my first listen to Palm … Continue reading
WHIB are back with their second mini album of the year and their concept couldn’t be more different than January’s Rock The Nation. Such is the case with idol groups trying desperately to break out: throw anything you can at the wall and hope to god that something sticks. This tends to be a risky … Continue reading
Starship Entertainment’s new boy group AEN debuts as a hybrid K-pop/J-pop group, releasing versions of each song on their album in both languages. As someone who prefers having a “definitive version” of a song, I’m not usually a fan of tracks recorded in multiple languages, but I understand the commercial strategy behind it. At any … Continue reading
NOWZ’s struggle has not been one of quality but one of momentum. They were on a nice roll last summer with a few solid back-to-back singles, but Cube Entertainment seems to have a problem scheduling comebacks because it’s been almost nine months since we’ve heard from them and all the agency has to show for … Continue reading
Back when aespa released their latest album, I almost wrote a “buried treasure” post for Switchblade. It’s my favorite track on Lemonade and the rare case of a talk-heavy dance song delivering on its promise. aespa must have known they had a hit on their hands because they’ve taken the rare step of releasing a … Continue reading
Dayoung has carved out a nice little career as a soloist, which is probably for the best since it doesn’t seem like Starship Entertainment will ever promote a WJSN comeback again. Her material has pulled strongly from 2000s R&B, making her team-up with Jay Park feel like a natural pairing. The two join forces on … Continue reading
When last we heard from Kiss Of Life back in April, they were mining a Y2K sound the way so many of their peers have done over the past few years. Y2K has been one of their musical inspirations since debut, but they’ve found most success with sultrier summer fare like 2024’s Sticky. New single … Continue reading
When the tracklist for Picheolin’s “debut” album was released, I was excited to see the name “Hitchhiker” on the credits for its title track. The visionary producer doesn’t seem to work on much material these days and his out-of-the-box thinking is always appreciated. However, with each pre-release track released under this alter-ego schtick, it became … Continue reading
Once a K-pop group reaches a certain stature, comebacks feel like big events because they just don’t happen frequently anymore. The last time Red Velvet released new music as a full group was all the way back in 2024 with their very good Cosmic. This time, they’re back with a bossa nova sound and summer … Continue reading
This year, I’ve been pining for a musical highlight that captures the summer energy while also being… you know… a good song. Those have been very hard to come by the past few weeks, but there are a few active groups who have a track record of releasing nothing but bangers. And, dangling off in … Continue reading
There’s something to be said about promoting your entire album with music videos, but there’s also a reason why some songs are meant to be b-sides and some are chosen as singles. In BABYMONSTER’s case, it’s a matter of personal taste. I didn’t care for title track CHOOM at all, but the summery sounds of … Continue reading
EMOTI:M are a new boy group from DNA Entertainment, the agency that used to manage the prolific (yet eternally nugu) GreatGuys. While it’s too early to tell if EMOTI:M will release as much material as their predecessors, they’ve certainly got the “nugu” part mastered with debut single Spark. I’m always happy to see boy groups … Continue reading
K-pop is well known for latching onto a specific musical trend (usually a year or two late) and refusing to let go until they’ve drained the sound for all its worth. This is fine if we’re dealing with a fun, malleable trend, but becomes increasingly maddening when the trend is narrow and poorly executed. It’s … Continue reading
It’s been well over a year since we last heard from The Wind. Since then, their agency has partnered with a new management company to shift the group’s sound with an eye on global markets. Yes, The Wind are following the path that 99.9% of bright, melodic boy groups eventually succumb to. They’ve ditched their … Continue reading
The best thing I can say about POW’s material so far is that they’re doing their own thing. Their music has been quite trend-averse and hasn’t drawn attention to itself, which is rare in K-pop. To me, they feel like an indie group who just happen to be working within the idol system. New single … Continue reading
Though Hui is most well-known as the leader and main vocalist of Pentagon, he’s also the pen behind some fantastic K-pop tracks from other artists. We have him to thank for Wanna One’s Energetic, for example. Because of this, I’m always interested to hear his solo work. He knows his way around a good pop … Continue reading
KARD have taken the unusual approach of announcing their disbandment alongside their new album, giving fans one last victory lap before the race is over. This co-ed group debuted with much fanfare all the way back in late 2016, riding K-pop’s tropical pop wave to great effect during their first few years. Since then, their … Continue reading
Like FTIsland and CNBlue before them, DAY6 have settled into an elder statesman position as one of K-pop’s leading idol rock bands. The difference is that most members of DAY6 also sing on their tracks, offering the opportunity for multiple solo careers. Young K made his solo debut back in 2021 but hasn’t released an … Continue reading
NouerA haven’t made a comeback since (checks notes… firmly ignores notes) June of 2025, building their sound on dramatic electro arrangements the likes of which we don’t hear much in K-pop anymore. They certainly did not attempt a generic shout-chant hip-hop track produced by Lay “The Sheep” Zhang, for which we can all be grateful. … Continue reading
There’s probably an entire generation of Bias List readers unfamiliar with the fantastic teen-pop/rock group The East Light. I’d urge you to check out their discography immediately, as they had a surprising number of hits to their name. Now, two of its former members have rebranded as Peak & Pitch, releasing one digital single (a … Continue reading
