I missed XEED’s debut last December, but a slow day in K-pop draws my ear to their follow-up single Blue. I’m always game to support an underrated group from a small agency, and XEED definitely show promise. Blue brings me back to K-pop’s “tropical” days, mixed with a few synthwave elements that have been popular … 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. July 2023 Overall Thoughts This July was characterized by several things, but on this blog it … Continue reading
I never covered n.SSign’s pre-debut song Salty on the blog, but it’s quite solid and part of a standout mini album that features a few of my favorite classic K-pop producers. In fact, n.SSign’s producers are the main reason I’m interested in the group. Not only will their upcoming album feature a track from Sweetune … Continue reading
In the lead-up to their newest mini album, ITZY have teased a variety of sounds with pre-releases Bet On Me and None Of My Business. I wasn’t a fan of either track, but I appreciate hearing the group expand their sonic palette. Title track Cake switches things up once again, reverting to the bratty sound … Continue reading
In K-pop’s summer of long-awaited second-gen returns, one group stands above them all for me. Infinite are my ultimate idol group — the act I’ve written most about on this blog and the one I hardly let myself believe would actually make a full-group comeback after such a long hiatus. But after founding their own … 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
There’s a small cavalcade of (mostly underrated) J-pop groups I follow extensively. You’ll find me marching alongside Fantastics, Genic, Ryugujo, XY and One Love One Heart. All have consistently released some of my favorite music of the last year. After unveiling their debut album at the start of 2023, One Love One Heart have dropped … 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
After revealing the rocky, anthemic pre-release Back To Me last week, The Rose have returned with their latest single Alive. Like Back To Me, this is an English-language release. It sees the group tackling a groovier sound than normal — even incorporating a dubstep-influenced breakdown before the bridge. This experimentation is welcome, especially since I … Continue reading
Snow Man’s Dangerholic acts as the ending theme to member Meguro Ren’s newest drama Trillion Game. The series’ fast, freewheeling energy requires an equally splashy, confident song. Dangerholic delivers this energy, stuffed with brass and guitar and big, singalong hooks. The guys have performed shortened versions of this song for weeks now, so I’m not … Continue reading
Prior to listening to this song for the first time, I played the highlight medley for Treasure’s new album and thought: “This sounds great! Except for… Bona Bona.” After last year’s fun Hello and sub-unit T5’s excellent Move, YG Entertainment are up to their old tricks for this jarring, formulaic title track. I should have … Continue reading
Apologies for the click-bait title. I don’t often use them, but I really wanted to share this track and I wasn’t sure how to do it. I don’t write “Buried Treasures” for J-pop, nor do I feature a countdown dedicated to Japanese b-sides. So, I thought I’d attempt to catch everyone’s interest before writing about … Continue reading
Much of Xikers’ debut mini album felt like underwhelming ATEEZ cosplay, but follow-up single Rockstar stood out as an undeniable high point. Fresh and colorful teasers for their upcoming album have me cautiously optimistic, even if pre-release Koong is probably the worst K-pop song I’ve heard all year. Honestly, this borders on unlistenable for me. … Continue reading
There can often be a long lag between a J-pop song and its accompanying music video. I first wrote about Fantastics’ Tell Me when it came out in early June, but now that we have a video I can give it the full review it deserves. And I have to say, the wait was worth … Continue reading
The Wind’s debut album has been one of my K-pop highlights this year. They’re one of the few new-gen boy groups fully embracing melody and opting for an earnest, hummable sound that sets them apart. The group is set for their first comeback next week, but before that they’ve pre-released the buoyant Summer Vacation (여름방학). … Continue reading
In a summer characterized by second-gen comebacks, K-pop’s girl groups have kind of been left out. Aloha aims to fix that. It’s not the full Sistar return we’re all begging for, but it’s probably as close as we’re going to get. The song reunites Soyou and Bora with producers Duble Sidekick, the team responsible for … Continue reading
Fulfilling their promise to film a music video for every track on the new album, NewJeans are back with visuals for ASAP. When listening to the album, my highlights are definitely ETA and Super Shy. Those feel the most fully fleshed out of the tracks, while moments like ASAP are move vibey and interlude-esque. I … Continue reading
It’s been almost three years since I wrote about Saturday, which is practically a lifetime in K-pop. The group is down to four members and has substantially changed their sound for new single Stay (있을게). Along with ILY:1, they’re the second act to mine old Gfriend sounds today. As far as I’m concerned, this is … Continue reading
When we last saw ILY:1, they were mining Oh My Girl’s old production team for a glistening facsimile that became an early 2023 highlight. With the changing of the seasons, the group has also changed its influence. This time, My Color targets an early-GFriend sound — a style I happen to be an enormous fan … Continue reading
Eight years after debut, Monsta X has unveiled its first official sub-unit. Rather than give the unit some catchy, clever name, they’ve opted for the simple and forthright “Shownu x Hyungwon.” For those not familiar with the group, these two are Monsta X’s main and lead dancers. Love Me A Little was co-written and co-produced … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 