Fans have barely had a chance to breathe between SM Entertainment’s SuperM album and this new, ambitious NCT project. Resonance brings together all twenty-one members, plus two new faces, for part one of a compilation album that mixes and matches the guys into various units. Resonance will be promoted by two title tracks, and 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! October … Continue reading
Alongside Kissin’ My Lips, Snow Man’s new double a-side single includes Stories, which acts as the opening theme for anime Black Clover. Johnny’s Entertainment has a long history with anime, as does pretty much all of J-pop. Before even listening to Stories, you probably have a sense for how it might sound. And, you’d be … Continue reading
Snow Man debuted alongside SixTONES this January, ushering in a new era of Johnny’s talent. Both groups have gone on to enjoy incredible commercial success, proving that it’s time for the agency to open the floodgates and debut a few more of their promising junior acts (I’m personally waiting for HiHi Jets…). After a relatively … Continue reading
Whether we call Reborn a promoted track or a buried treasure depends on where GHOST9 and their agency takes it. But whatever it ends up being, its quality and the impressive nature of its “performance video” warrants attention. GHOST9 have landed on my radar in a big way, delivering the same energy and potential I … Continue reading
Like they did back in the winter of 2018, NCT is making full use of their malleable roster for a new 2020 project. Unlike 2018, which saw multiple title tracks unveiled over the course of several weeks, this album’s promotion seems to be occurring in a tighter timeframe. But, NCT has exploded in popularity over … Continue reading
I’m going to try hard not to compare Dawn to G-Dragon throughout this entire review, but there are too many similarities to ignore. G-Dragon was one of my entry points into K-pop, and still one of my absolute favorite artists, so this comparison is definitely not a dig. And, it’s clear that Dawn seeks to … Continue reading
As usual, Golden Child gets the “bias group advantage” on this site. This means not only their title track and a buried treasure will be reviewed, but I’ll be taking a look at the entire new single album Pump It Up. 1. Pump It Up // 2. That Guy // 3. Lean On Me LEAN … Continue reading
When Weki Meki debuted in the summer of 2017, they billed their concept as “teen crush.” Over the years, their singles have occasionally lived up to that moniker. However, their recent one-two punch of Dazzle Dazzle and Oopsy strayed too far into cutesy chant-pop for my taste. New single Cool returns them to their edgier … Continue reading
As usual, Golden Child gets the “bias group advantage” on this site. This means not only their title track and a buried treasure will be reviewed, but I’ll be taking a look at the entire new single album Pump It Up. 1. Pump It Up // 2. That Guy // 3. Lean On Me THAT … Continue reading
For a group whose music should be conquering Japan, IZ*ONE’s J-pop discography has been very inconsistent. Debut single Suki to Iwasetai was an undisputed triumph, but follow-ups Buenos Aires and Vampire were both marred by awful production and halfhearted performances. Unfortunately, new single Beware succumbs to the same issues. It’s aptly named, as listeners should … Continue reading
After four years of steadily-increasing success, WJSN (Cosmic Girls) have unveiled their first sub-unit. The ridiculously-titled Chocome consists of members Soobin, Luda, Yeoreum and Dayoung, and promises a quirkier concept than the group’s usual space-and-fantasy themed material. As with all sub-units, the quality of Hmph (흥칫뿡) could go either way. Thankfully, the girls fully commit … Continue reading
Golden Child have spent the past year exploring a musical trilogy that pulled their sound in darker, angstier directions. This resulted in some stellar songs, but the Golden Child I first fell in love with made their name on a bright, energetic style. Once K-pop boy groups journey down a moodier route, they tend to … Continue reading
With over 3,000 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
Back when Nu’est were really struggling commercially, they turned to Japan for the release of their Bridge the World album. Its overall sound is miles away from what the group is producing now, though I always thought that 2015’s Na Na Na Namida was an extremely underrated single. But, what a difference five years make! … Continue reading
Marking their fourth anniversary, boy group SF9 have released one of those “for the fans” ballads, though this time it’s anchoring a special single album. The guys are right to take a victory lap, as years of hard work have really paid off for them. Their success in 2020 has been a little surprising, and … Continue reading
New group WEi comes armed with an already-established fan base, thanks to its members gaining fame through the Produce 101 franchise. To be honest, they feel almost like a supergroup, cobbled together from ex-members of X1, JBJ, Rainz and 1THE9. Given this pedigree, WEi are guaranteed success – at least in the short term. 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! September … Continue reading
It’s been awhile! As I’ve started covering more J-pop singles on the blog, there haven’t been as many tracks to feature in a J-pop round-up. But, one of the purposes of this feature is to unearth buried treasures. The seven songs below are a mix of singles and b-sides that have caught my attention over … Continue reading
With over 3,000 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
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 