Nearly a year since their last album, Super Junior are back with a special single release. The Road: Winter For Spring is a mouthful of a title, promoted with the much more concise Callin’. It’s the kind of track that feels targeted toward fans, hinging on sentiment rather than the desire to compete with flashier … Continue reading
For me, February has been a dull, slow month in K-pop. But, Rocket Punch’s Chiquita hung in the distance, promising a retro punch of pop energy to take us into March. My anticipation for the song was unexpected (I’ve never really loved the group’s music), but an ear-catching teaser ignited interest. K-pop acts don’t often … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
The Bias List is a K-pop blog that also covers a fair amount of J-pop. But along with most music fans, I enjoy tracks from all around the world. So, I thought I’d start a monthly round-up of some of the non-KP/JP songs that have caught my ear. No ratings — just highlights! Doja Cat … 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. BTOB’s new album is strange in … Continue reading
Exile Tribe’s Fantastics have been jumping from strength to strength these past few years. So many J-pop and K-pop groups embrace retro sounds, but it’s not always a perfect match. Fantastics feel designed for the aesthetic, and that continues with the upbeat city pop of Santa Monica Lollipop (サンタモニカ・ロリポップ). This song is a bit more … Continue reading
Writing about Sorn’s solo music on this blog is seriously challenging the definition of “K-pop.” But hey, it’s a slow music day and even if Sharp Objects comes from a Thai singer performing entirely in English, her former membership of Korean girl group CLC affords us some latitude. More importantly, Sharp Objects embraces the popular … Continue reading
This seems to be the week of bonkers girl group releases. From NMIXX to Billlie to CRAXY, these groups are serious about their worldbuilding and intricate concepts. But so far, the music hasn’t always followed suit. Yes, the songs twist and swerve in unexpected (sometimes jarring) directions, but they’re all built on ultra-familiar, overused sounds. … Continue reading
With titles like O.O and GingaMingaYo (The Strange World), K-pop is in an… interesting place at the moment. I know K-pop fans tend to be young, but these nonsense words feel like we’re going all the way back to kindergarten! O.O was an unwelcome aural assault, but Billlie have already proven themselves an interesting rookie … Continue reading
It’s been a very slow month (or year?) for K-pop, but the arrival of new JYP girl group NMIXX feels like 2022’s first big moment. Debuts from agencies of JYP’s caliber always bring a ton of hype, even if the song itself doesn’t meet expectations. With O.O, NMIXX deliver an attention-grabbing track, but I expect … Continue reading
With their new album Be Together, BTOB join the ranks of post-enlistment boy groups. Not every act makes it to this point, with all current members back together after years of service. The album also follows last year’s Kingdom competition, where members Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Changsub, and Peniel showcased the group’s range and versatility. With that … Continue reading
STAYC’s meteoric rise in popularity has quickly given Black Eyed Pilseung’s High Up Entertainment the clout needed to become a major player in the industry. Unfortunately (for me), this notoriety spawned from songs like ASAP and Stereotype rather than the group’s debut track So Bad. For those of us who adored So Bad’s unique energy … Continue reading
Building off my “Most Epic Days in K-pop” feature, I thought I’d spotlight some of the most epic weeks in K-pop history. K-pop is a Monday through Friday affair (at least in my time zone), with some weeks stuffed to the brim with releases. But, not all include multiple 9+ rated songs. This feature will … Continue reading
Building off my “Most Epic Days in K-pop” feature, I thought I’d spotlight some of the most epic weeks in K-pop history. K-pop is a Monday through Friday affair (at least in my time zone), with some weeks stuffed to the brim with releases. But, not all include multiple 9+ rated songs. This feature will … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
There was a time when Bae Suzy’s presence felt inescapable in K-pop. As a member of girl group Miss A and a very popular actress, her career straddled multiple facets of the Korean entertainment industry, earning her the title of “The Nation’s First Love.” She’s still a notable presence in dramas, but it’s been four … Continue reading
One of my biggest frustrations with K-pop at the moment is that there aren’t many acts whose comebacks I reliably look forward to. Groups switch producers and concepts so frequently. Consistently great singles runs are harder to find. Heck, consistently great songs are harder to find! Everything feels very piecemeal. With this in mind, Wonho … Continue reading
After a debut album stuffed with title tracks, I fear Treasure have entered the second stage of YG Entertainment’s “artist development”: radio silence, peppered by the odd comeback here and there. JIKJIN (직진) is the first title track from the group in over a year, and comes paired with a big budget music video and … Continue reading
It’s been two years since Apink had a proper comeback, though they’ve released music since then. New full-length Horn is deemed a “special” album, which usually means limited promotion. But, it’s great to have the group back with hit-making production team Black Eyed Pilseung. Though I wasn’t as effusive as others when it came to … Continue reading
For better or worse, I don’t immediately associate Taeyeon’s solo career with dance tracks. So, when it was announced that new single INVU would have house influences, my ears perked up. A vocalist as powerful as Taeyeon would make a natural fit for a big club banger. But, INVU takes a different approach, painting a … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 