NCT Wish released a late-summer highlight in the form of their buoyant Surf and promptly followed it with a second pre-release (the much more confounding Baby Blue). With the theme of color driving their new album, you’d expect the music to be as vibrant as possible. Title track Color is certainly stuffed with sound, rarely … Continue reading
Song Review: Monsta X – N The Front
Monsta X are celebrating their tenth anniversary — a huge milestone for any group. Album promotions kicked off with pre-release Do What I Want last month and now they’re back with their title track N The Front. It’s a Dem Jointz production, whose work I haven’t always gelled with. But if anyone’s going to carry … Continue reading
Song Review: ZEROBASEONE – Iconik
With the end of ZEROBASEONE’s contract looming in the (very near) distance, fans are concerned this might be their last comeback — at least in their current iteration. It’s impossible to know for sure what the future holds, but the guys are no doubt throwing everything they have into their first full album and the … Continue reading
Song Review: Chaeyoung (Twice) – Avocado (ft. Gliiico)
It took awhile before members of Twice embarked on solo careers, but we’re now at a stage of their career where that feels like an appropriate extension of their brand. I can’t say I have any particular allegiance toward one member or another, but Nayeon’s solo work has been most suited to my pop-loving taste. … Continue reading
Song Review: ILLIT – Toki Yo Tomare
ILLIT made a sneaky Japanese debut with a soundtrack song, though their 2024 mega-hit Magnetic was also omnipresent in Japan. Like fellow HYBE artists TWS and BOYNEXTDOOR, their sound feels tailor-made for J-pop so it’s nice to hear them leaning into that on new single Toki Yo Tomare. After being somewhat hesitant about ILLIT last … Continue reading
Song Review: Stray Kids – BLEEP
Each time Stray Kids release a new album, they tend to film music videos for multiple tracks. As my interest in their music has waned over time, I haven’t always written about these follow up songs — especially now that I have a weekly post where I can spotlight any notable b-sides. Album opener BLEEP … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of August 2025
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. August 2025 Overall Thoughts In the immortal words of BABYMONSTER: “Sheesh!” Based on recent history, I’ve … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from August 24 – 30
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (August 31, 2025)
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
BOYS II PLANET: Episode Nine Recap
PREVIOUS RECAPS: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven // Episode Eight This week, we continue with the Class Switch Position Battle on a performance-stuffed, three-hour marathon episode. We’ve got nine performances this week! Whew… VOCAL STAGE: Run To You (original: Seventeen) … Continue reading
K-Pop’s SONGS OF SUMMER 2025
Technically, there are still a few weeks left of summer in my area, but with days getting shorter and back-to-school looming around the corner, we’re quickly transitioning to fall. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to look back at the past few months and determine my ultimate 2025 summer playlist. I … Continue reading
Song Review: Miyeon (i-dle) – Sky Walking
It’s been a very slow week in K-pop, which means I’m turning my eye to “special videos” in the absence of proper comebacks. Miyeon’s Sky Walking was first released all the way back in December 2024, but has now been repurposed as a tourism campaign for Macau. So while I missed the track last year, … Continue reading
Song Review: Soojin – Baditude
Former (G)I-DLE/i-dle member Soojin made her solo debut back in 2023 and has released a comeback each year since then. Her music so far hasn’t been for me, as the songs felt underdeveloped and over-reliant on stylish sounds rather than strong melodies. New single Baditude brings a heightened sense of energy but continues her run … Continue reading
Song Review: Sunmi – Blue!
It’s been over a year since we last heard from Sunmi, and even longer since she’s released anything more than a digital single. An album is reportedly in the works, but before that we have another standalone song with Blue!, which continues the softer sound of last year’s Balloon In Love. K-pop’s in this weird … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT Wish – Baby Blue
NCT Wish’s buoyant Surf has proven to be a real grower, as summer-themed songs often are for me. The group is spoiling fans with multiple pre-releases for their upcoming mini album, with new track Baby Blue the second in line before the title track is unveiled next week. By its very nature, Baby Blue has … Continue reading
Song Review: RE:WIND – Little Too Late
New K-pop trio RE:WIND impressed me big time with their pre-debut RE:SET earlier this year. I also enjoyed the early-2000’s pastiche of Forever even if a muddled arrangement dulled much of its effect. The guys recently released their first EP and have now unveiled the music video for new track Little Too Late. Like Forever, … Continue reading
Song Review: In A Minute – How We Do
New trio In A Minute made their debut earlier this year, but without a music video to promote their song I never wrote about them on the blog. Now, they’ve returned with their first comeback and their first video. How We Do has a refreshing funk pop sound that begs for further development. At two … Continue reading
Song Review: Chanyeol (EXO) – Upside Down
Last week, EXO’s Chanyeol pre-released the incredibly soft Happy Accident as a teaser for his new album. When listening to that song, I hoped he had something with more bite coming down the line next. Throughout his solo career, Chanyeol has experimented with rock textures and that’s proven to be a good match for him. … Continue reading
Song Review: AB6IX – Stupid
AB6IX are like K-pop’s “little engine that could.” They’re far past their commercial peak, yet keep churning out new music with regularity. And, that music often carries an upbeat energy that makes it feel as if the group is just getting started. New single Stupid takes an emotive approach, recalling K-pop’s early efforts in pulling … Continue reading
Song Review: IVE – XOXZ
Though IVE have occasionally dipped into different genres, they’ve enjoyed their biggest chart success with a bombastic pop sound. You don’t have to look any further than this year’s Rebel Heart and Attitude, with the anthemic pre-release easily outperforming the actual title track. New single XOXZ sees them returning to an edgier hip-hop sound with … Continue reading