My anticipation for TVXQ’s long-awaited comeback was through the roof last year, but things didn’t go exactly as I’d hoped. Yes, the duo delivered two very solid albums, but each lacked the classic SM Performance sound that I’ve long associated with their music. Luckily, Yunho is making up for that with his (even longer-awaited) solo … Continue reading
Paired with the more uncharacteristic Breakthrough, Happy Happy is one half of a double-sided blitz from Twice’s upcoming Japanese promotions. The two songs come together to represent contrasting moods for both hot summer days and steamy summer nights. As you might have guessed from its title, Happy Happy is dedicated to fun-in-the-sun excitement, and falls … Continue reading
With a title like Breakthrough, you better have the goods to deliver. Thus far, Twice’s Japanese material has ranged from fair to frenetically frustrating. Last year’s BDZ hinted at some musical progress, but their immense popularity doesn’t exactly spawn motivation to change. More than a breakthrough, the group needs to take a sledgehammer to their … Continue reading
After the disbandment of Wanna One, many of its members had newly-formed groups to conveniently slide into. But, some of the most popular Wanna One personalities were heading back to an agency without any announced plans. In some cases (Kang Daniel), this resulted in a messy situation. For others (Ong Seungwu), it’s more of a … Continue reading
The smartest thing that ATEEZ have done so far is stick with the same team of producers for each and every track. Like many newer K-pop acts, they self-produce a fair share of their material, but the already-iconic ATEEZ sound is driven most strongly by behind-the-scenes talent in the form of Leez, Eden, Buddy and … Continue reading
I would not be surprised to see ATEEZ completely blow up over the next few years. They give me similar vibes to early BTS, both in sound and ambition. For their third mini album, the guys hosted a public vote between songs Illusion and Wave. Both would receive music videos, but only one would be … Continue reading
With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
