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. May 2020 Overall Thoughts Well… I’m officially worried. We’re almost halfway through the year, and at … Continue reading
As Woollim Entertainment’s roster has grown, I’ve longed for more inter-agency collaborations. A holiday song, a special mixed-group unit – something that would showcase all of this ta)lent in one place. It took a global pandemic for that to finally happen, as the agency has unveiled their healing song Relay (이어달리기). The track encompasses over … Continue reading
Chungha’s been hinting at a full album release in the near future, and she’s taking a promotional approach more widely seen in Western acts by unveiling several singles before the official comeback. This is a shame, as I really think that April’s Stay Tonight deserved the full title track treatment. Unfortunately, I can’t say the … Continue reading
This feature is usually reserved for more established groups, but Golcha don’t yet have enough title tracks to warrant a Top Ten Singles countdown, and there’s no way I’m letting Road To Kingdom’s grave injustice go by without spotlighting my current bias group today. If you’re new to Golden Child, consider this a crash course, … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! For once, I’m actually thankful for internet rumors. Knowing two weeks ago about how tonight’s elimination would play out allowed me to watch this episode without going absolutely catatonic. Instead, I’ve been fuming for weeks. I came into tonight’s episode angry, just hoping that … Continue reading
Solo releases can be a great way to uncover artists’ hidden charms – talents or styles they weren’t necessarily able to portray as part of their group. When it comes to Mamamoo, the quartet is packed with three power vocalists, leaving little room for Moonbyul to do anything beyond rapping. So, it’s not too surprising … Continue reading
Yeah, yeah, I know. This article’s title is problematic in all sorts of ways. But, hear me out. Obviously, Lady Gaga isn’t a K-pop idol, nor does her career follow the traditional K-pop process. But, I would argue that her ascendance influenced the idol industry to a great degree. Back in the mid-2000’s, pop music … Continue reading
Are you all sick of my bellyaching yet? This site has a storied history of rants against the K-pop industry – the very same industry that I profess to love. And yes, you can love something and be critical of it at the same time. In fact, I’d argue that the two often go hand … Continue reading
Once a titan of the K-ballad scene, Roy Kim got caught up in the wide-reaching Burning Sun scandal. And though investigations eventually cleared his name, the damage had already been done. The K-pop industry prizes image above all else, and once that’s been tarnished it’s hard for an artist to claw their way back. Linger … Continue reading
Stray Kids’ TOP has been rattling around for awhile now, but I wanted to wait until the music video was out before offering my thoughts. Though released in several different languages, TOP is essentially the group’s debut J-pop single – at least when it comes to original material. And as with most J-pop singles, it’s … Continue reading
I’ve spent pretty much all of ONEWE’s debut year complaining about their music’s lack of energy. I’d followed the group since before their re-branding, and it always seemed like they were playing fun, upbeat pop-rock at their busking shows. Yet, 2019-20 gave us the subdued trilogy of Reminisce About All, Regulus and Q. Two of … Continue reading
After a two-week delay, Monsta X has returned with their eighth (!) mini album. At this point, there’s not a lot to say about their title tracks. Apart from the occasional shift in sound, they’ve tended to follow the same general formula. If you like the Monsta X brand, you’re probably going to like Fantasia. … Continue reading
Rookie group DKB fit right within 2020 expectations by debuting with a noisy hip-hop track. But as forgettable as I found it to be, Sorry Mama did manage to incorporate a killer female vocal ad-lib that gave it a tiny bit of character. Unfortunately, that sliver of identity has been quashed by follow-up Still (오늘도 … Continue reading
Today is truly the day of male solo releases, with no less than three big-name tracks dropping. And of those three, Park Jihoon easily takes the win. I’m not sure I would’ve expected this. I’ve enjoyed his two title tracks, while finding their respective albums quite boring. But, for Wing he’s injected his music with … Continue reading
Whether purposefully or not, the Produce 101 franchise has resulted in a trend of soloists and duos. K-pop’s idol scene has long favored groups, and most of its performers are best suited to that configuration. It takes a special something to be a compelling soloist. Not every idol is cut out for it, and that’s … Continue reading
EXO’s Baekhyun has one of my favorite voices in K-pop. It’s been a huge part of my journey as a fan, but I found his debut mini album to be a bore. Someone once said that if idols were allowed to choose the music they performed, every single one would be doing lifeless trap/r&b or … Continue reading
After a promising start as a soloist in 2017, ex-2NE1 member Minzy kind of disappeared from the idol scene. But honestly, every 2NE1 member has struggled in some way when it comes to solo music. It’s a shame, because their legendary run as a group should have set them up for immense success in the … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! April … Continue reading
KEEMBO consists of ex-Spica members Boa and Bohyung, re-debuting as a duo. They’ve gotten precious little attention so far, but I’m here to change that for one very important reason: they’ve brought my lord and savior (and occasional Spica collaborator) Sweetune along for the ride! Sweetune have been MIA for too long now, only popping … Continue reading
At one point when discussing his groups’ concept during this night’s episode, VERIVERY’s Dongheon mentioned “night hags.” I thought to myself: “Why, that’s the perfect description for what I briefly became after watching episode three’s ranking!” I’ve pulled myself back from the brink of last week’s rant-a-thon. That ranking disaster, coupled with some convincing internet … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 