NXON is a new supergroup made up of the acts APEX and AWIN, which makes me feel a little crazy because I’m not familiar with either of those groups. However, when I hear something I enjoy (which happens too infrequently these days!) I want to share. The guys have released both Japanese and Korean versions … Continue reading
Lee Minhyuk’s “Huta” moniker is used for his solo work, which differs in sound from his work with BTOB. Not much of this music has done anything for me so far, but he’s a dynamic performer deserving of strong material. Summer is the perfect time for new material from him, especially given his strong connection … Continue reading
Not content to simply release solo music in a predictable way, Seventeen’s Dino has debuted as fictional alter-ego Picheolin. This character is the CEO of a music company specializing in retro sounds and we have an entire mini album and multiple singles to look forward to from him during the coming weeks. Joke or not, … Continue reading
As someone with summers off, “Forever July” sounds like a pretty good proposition to me. However, this July in K-pop hasn’t been particularly exciting so if we’re talking about the music alone I’m ready to move on to greener pastures. Sunmi’s Forever July might as well be called “Forever NewJeans” because it’s the latest in … Continue reading
Over the past few months, H Music Entertainment has attempted to revitalize interest in its groups WOOAH and DXMON through a series of digital releases, but rather than put all their might behind one great comeback they’re farting out these low-budget, amateurish tracks that won’t successfully accomplish their goals. I’m naturally biased toward summer-themed K-pop, … Continue reading
Over the years, Super Junior has had a lot of sub-units and solos. Like… a LOT. 83z is their seventh official sub-unit, bringing together members Leeteuk and Heechul. From what I can gather, the two share a passion for nostalgic pop culture and the classic, upbeat OST sound of debut single Promise (너를 위한 약속) … Continue reading
Unexpectedly, the summer of 2026 is becoming the summer of Kara. Just last week, buzzy group RESCENE released a note-for-note cover of their 2008 hit Pretty Girl and now Young Posse have delivered a song built on a sample of the 2009 blockbuster Mr. While it’s nice to be reminded of K-pop classics, I wish … Continue reading
DAILY:DIRECTION debuted earlier this year with the oddly titled yet easily forgettable ROOMBADOOMBA. Their sound aligned neatly with current trends — a sort of laidback, vibes-heavy take on hip-hop. New single Down With It evolves this sonic landscape with a bit more pep in its step. The production still feels overly loungey and aloof, but … Continue reading
For the second July in a row, producer EL CAPITXN has been very busy. He spearheaded the vast majority of AHOF’s mini album released last week and has done the same for the new idntt project. Of course, in this era of K-pop there’s never just one producer attached to a track so there’s no … Continue reading
After releasing a cover of TRF’s Boy Meets Girl last month, NCT Wish are back with the other half of their double A-side single. YO-I-DON! takes us into the frantic, fast-paced world inhabited by a certain style of J-pop. I’m not sure whether you’d call it Denpa or simply Eurobeat-influenced pop music, but whatever the … Continue reading
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. I don’t like messing with established … Continue reading
NCT’s Jaehyun recently completed his military service and will be joining 127 for their comeback later this summer. Before that, he’s back with new solo track 99 Degrees — a stark, emotive ballad with R&B flair. It takes a few key factors for me to enjoy a ballad. As I’ve said many times before, you … Continue reading
This isn’t a uniquely K-pop issue, but I keep waiting for a male pop star to pick up the mantle of showmanship previously held by such titans as Michael Jackson and Prince. K-pop used to be a haven for this style of virtuosic pop star with ambitious artists like Taemin, but the new gen seems … Continue reading
New girl group Heart Of Woman has done a nice job promoting their debut album with multiple video clips. Some of these have been lower budget than others, but with visuals such an important part of today’s K-pop industry it makes sense to tie some sort of imagery to the music. And since there’s no … Continue reading
I’m no fan of MEOVV’s latest mini album, as it abandons most of the sounds I enjoy from their past music. However, its third track In My Hands stuck out as the obvious highlight to me so I’m glad they’ve chosen to promote it with its own video. Most of Bite Now is braggadocios bluster … Continue reading
Girl group RESCENE have gone viral several times in their career, but this latest boom seems to be sticking. Their 2024 highlight Love Attack has been lodged in MelOn‘s top ten for awhile now. In fact, as of writing this review, it just hit number one. Rather than attempt to steal that song’s spotlight with … Continue reading
Since 2024, TRENDZ have occupied a rare space in Bias List history. They’re one of the few acts to earn a top 5 place in a year-end countdown only to never grace those charts again. As is often the case for groups from smaller agencies, their success is entirely dependent on who they collaborate with, … Continue reading
While it’s important for any group to stretch their sound and try new things, there’s a certain point where a sonic shift completely abandons the identity that made that group fantastic to begin with. Such was the case with AHOF’s Sugar High, which repainted them as the kind of badass, chant-happy boy group that already … Continue reading
The phrase “summer special single” always catches my attention. Summer’s my favorite season for music and “special” implies that the song will be distinctly tied to the season. Today, we’ve got a “special single” from rookie boy group AmbiO, who debuted earlier this year. The song’s heart is in the right place, but its execution … Continue reading
Golden Child may be no more as a group, but occasionally we still get new music from its members. Sadly, the indie nature of this music comes along with clear budget restrictions and limited promotion. Listeners who weren’t already a fan of the group might easily miss a song like Blue Moon. Blue Moon comes … Continue reading
