In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
MAMA used to be such a big deal in K-pop, but I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t even know when it was happening this year! The hype definitely seemed underwhelming. So rather than slog through the entire show and its meaningless awards, I hopped on YouTube and watched the performances. Here are the three that … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. November 2023 Overall Thoughts For the purpose of this blog, November marks the end of the … Continue reading
The other day, I looked back at my top ten K-pop songs of 2019 and realized how much of a slide most of these artists have taken since then. This is subjective, of course. As my interest has waned, they’ve all went on to have tremendous commercial success. I get that I’m probably in the … Continue reading
I just can’t with these “virtual” groups. I’m already irritated by how industry titans like HYBE use effects to strip away all character from their artists’ voices, slowing turning K-pop idols into pretty, performing robots. But crafting an entire group from CGI is another level entirely. With so many acts already vying for attention, I … Continue reading
DKB are at a transitional moment, recently losing member Teo after a drunk driving incident. No one could blame them for being upset, and the aggressive energy of What The Hell seems to channel that feeling. Most of this song is boy-group-by-the-numbers, unveiling a mixture of crooning and bad boy rapping over a rugged beat. … Continue reading
Prior to today’s debut, new boy group One Pact have dropped several pre-release songs. Unfortunately, none of this music has appealed to me (though I did enjoy member Jay Chang’s solo songs last month). After this series of more bombastic, performance-oriented tracks, the guys have pulled way back for Must Be Nice (좋겠다). I’m surprised … Continue reading
I don’t often write “buried treasure” posts for Japanese b-sides, but I almost made an exception for &TEAM’s Dropkick. As fate would have it, HYBE decided to release the song with its own music video and send the guys to promote it on music shows. That’s one hundred percent the correct choice, since Dropkick laps … Continue reading
The Good Prior to the agency undergoing dramatic changes this fall, the entity-formerly-known-as-Johnny’s (seriously, I don’t even know what to call it!) had a solid enough start to the year. Its acts continued to dominate, with record sales numbers for King & Prince ahead of their reconfiguration and Snow Man leading the charge for the … Continue reading
Upon the release of his first full album, fans are reeling at the revelation that Nam Woohyun was secretly battling a rare form of cancer earlier this year. Beyond the sheer ache we all feel for his struggle, I can’t help but admire his bravery in the face of a life-altering diagnosis. It’s impossible not … Continue reading
This year’s been light on original K-pop holiday carols so far, but I guess we’re just now knocking on December’s door. Rookies ATBO have made an early-career bid for winter ubiquity, releasing a single album themed to the season. Must Have Love checks off all the Christmassy tropes, bounding along a sleighbell-assisted beat. At its … Continue reading
Seventeen members have made smart use of mixtapes to tiptoe into solo work without all the fuss of full comeback promotions. I’m not sure how a single song can constitute a “mixtape,” but music is music whatever you call it and I’m happy to see Dino stretching his wings with more solo material. As one … Continue reading
Though she’s featured in SM Entertainment’s super group Got The Beat and made a successful return with Girls’ Generation last summer, it’s been a long wait for new solo music from Taeyeon. It’s hard to believe INVU was nearly two years ago! Now, she’s back with a new mini album and title track To. X. … Continue reading
Ryugujo are my favorite 2023 debut in any music market. I find the concept of a boy group taking on Avu-chan’s genre-bending, gutsy alt-rock very compelling and unlike anything else on the market. Part of the fun is watching them grow into this challenge. You don’t simply sing an Avu-chan track, nor are there many … Continue reading
It’s been over seven years since YG Entertainment debuted a girl group. This is the agency that gave us 2NE1 and BLACKPINK, so when it comes to new projects expectations will always be high. BABYMONSTER has been teased for quite a long time, further heightening curiosity as we approached their long-awaited debut date. So, why … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on K-Pop’s biggest agencies, this is written from an outsider’s perspective. I’m not privy to any business-related financial information beyond what any other fan would know. The purpose of these articles is to examine how well these agencies are serving their artists and the general K-pop fan-base. If you’re curious … Continue reading
Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on K-Pop’s biggest agencies, this is written from an outsider’s perspective. I’m not privy to any business-related financial information beyond what any other fan would know. The purpose of these articles is to examine how well these agencies are serving their artists and the general K-pop fan-base. If you’re curious … Continue reading
Is iii’s Forbidden Midnight the most K-pop song to ever K-pop? I ask this knowing that K-pop — at its best — goes far beyond the easy critiques lodged at the industry from people who’ve never actually listened to the music or engaged in the fandom. But boy, does a pre-release like this give fuel … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 