Despite my initial hesitance, MCND’s Ice Age has slowly become one of my favorite boy group tracks of 2020. Of course, it hasn’t exactly had much competition in that realm, but its goofy charm has been a welcome salve in this era of trap-fueled angst. However, the rest of the group’s debut album was too … Continue reading
After almost six years of music, Winner’s third full album Remember arrives just as the group is set to go on hiatus. It’s also on the heels of member Jinu’s military enlistment, essentially ending this era of Winner. And, what a turbulent, musically diverse era it’s been. The group first debuted with a solid, sophisticated … Continue reading
As entertainment industries around the globe slowed down in March, Johnny’s Entertainment powered ahead. The month brought us no less than three full JE albums, including one from my faves Kis-My-Ft2. Granted, these releases had been scheduled and announced months in advance, but it was still a nice treasure trove just when I needed it … Continue reading
So, inquiring minds want to know: where has our beloved Sweetune gone? Well, they’ve seemingly shifted into ballad mode, working with idol band IZ and ex-Boyfriend member Jeongmin over the past year. While it’s always nice to have them around, this is certainly a worrying development. Sweetune can rattle off an excellent pop ballad in … 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! September … Continue reading
Most of SM Entertainment’s solo releases could be classified as such: ballad, ballad, rock ballad, piano ballad, retro ballad, etc. Given this, it was only natural for me to expect yet another ballad from TVXQ’s Changmin. After all, that’s already his sweet spot. But, when the teasers for Chocolate started dropping, my hope renewed. Then, … Continue reading
(G)I-DLE seemed to debut right at the perfect time, finding instant success with a sound that was both trendy and addictive. Their run on last year’s Queendom series only boosted their appeal, spotlighting some of the lesser-known members and painting the group as a do-it-yourself idea bank. The concept of self-producing idol groups is not … Continue reading
Like most everyone in the world right now, I’ve suddenly found myself with a surplus of indoor time. Too much indoor time, if I’m being honest. I could be spending that time churning out blog post after blog post, but it’s funny how the upending of a schedule also upends productivity. So instead, I’m mostly … Continue reading
When writing about their debut Nun Nu Nan Na, I gave Cignature a lot of flack for an approach that’s plagued too many current girl groups. More often than not, their performance style favored chirpy, infantile affectations rather than robust singing, making their music feel more like a nursery rhyme or playground taunt. Follow-up single … Continue reading
Like Japan’s leading purveyor of male idol acts, Johnny’s Entertainment, the groups of Exile Tribe have their own individual quirks but largely adhere to a proven house style. Generations are the agency’s most quintessential boy band, complete with a princely, straight-out-of-an-anime character in vocalist Katayose Ryota. They’ve been churning out music for over seven years … Continue reading
Of all the Jr. Exile groups, The Rampage have consistently been my favorite. Though they have sixteen (!) members among their rank, I’ve always found their trio of vocalists to be their greatest appeal. Group center Kawamura Kazuma is a particularly magnetic performer, with one of the most charismatic hip-hop tones of this pop era. … Continue reading
I haven’t written much about any of the artists from Japan’s LDH empire since 2016, but I’m hoping to change that this year. Over the past few months, I’ve actively engrossed myself in the history of the agency’s Exile Tribe brand of groups, inspired by a late-2019 streak of excellent singles. That streak has continued … Continue reading
Hong Jinyoung’s new music often seems to arrive as we’re moving into spring, and she’s just the right person to soundtrack that transition. As K-pop’s leading purveyor of trot crossover, her singles are usually upbeat and enthusiastic – two qualities we could certainly use right now. Last year’s Love Tonight veered in a more straightforward … Continue reading
Though ONEWE’s most recent single never made it onto any of my year-end lists, I ended up liking Regulus far more than my initial review let on. I enjoyed it despite its unnecessary, trap-inspired moments because when the song actually embraced ONEWE’s strength as a band, it totally soared. But overall, I don’t understand RBW … 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. March 2020 Overall Thoughts I don’t know about you all, but my mind wasn’t exactly on … Continue reading
Even in the middle of a global pandemic, Monsta X are reliably churning out new music. Their trilingual career is turning out to be one of modern K-pop’s most prolific. Seriously, hats off to their work ethic. Though to be fair, I’ll bet Wishing On The Same Sky was recorded some time ago. After all, … Continue reading
The scandal and dissolution of MNET’s Produce 101 series has left the guys of X1 in a lurch. While the series’ popular 2017 season buoyed nearly every trainee who was lucky enough to be part of it, the 2019 Produce X aftermath has been far messier. We’ve seen a few winners (Victon, Lee Jinhyuk), but … Continue reading
New boy group TOO has a cool-sounding (and completely ridiculous) name. TOO stands for “Ten Oriented Orchestra,” which makes me imagine some super ambitious, symphonic performance group. In reality, the guys were formed through yet another MNET survival series called World Klass. This show had a heavy presence at last year’s KCON LA, with the … Continue reading
So… the EXO solos haven’t exactly panned out the way I would have hoped. So far, it’s been an unending stream of ballads and mid-tempos, each blending into the other without any real artistic differentiation. It’s not that the music has been bad, but it feels like SM Entertainment have developed a real narrow pathway … 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! August … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 