It’s been over a year since Favorite released a single, which is a lifetime when it comes to a group of their standing. They could certainly use an influx of new fans, and the best way of doing that is to release (good) music frequently. Last year’s Loca was a step in the right direction, … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. When thinking about picking a buried treasure for NCT 127’s newest … Continue reading
ITZY haven’t made a comeback since last summer, but their presence has definitely been felt within the K-pop industry during that hiatus. So many girl groups are taking influence from their bold, colorful sound and style, down to aping the unconventional structures of hits like Dalla Dalla and ICY. But like most imitations, a copy … Continue reading
The whole Produce X 101 and X1 phenomenon may have collapsed, but its biggest beneficiary was boy group Victon. They came roaring back last fall, their popularity buoyed immensely by the series. And now that X1 has disbanded, leader Seungwoo is able to join the guys for new single Howling (하울링). This should bring the … Continue reading
Though I’ve enjoyed Hey! Say! JUMP’s music for years now, I was still surprised by how much I loved last October’s Parade album. It felt like Johnny’s Entertainment at its best – widescreen, ambitious and infectiously joyful. With a roster of vocalists that I will politely call “nasally,” JUMP have never been a group to … Continue reading
So far, it feels like AleXa’s story and music videos have gotten more attention than her songs. Though I didn’t write about her October debut, I was impressed with the quality and ambition of its sci-fi video. But several months later, I can’t remember much about Bomb as an actual piece of music. Still, concept … Continue reading
Before the debut of AB6IX, duo MXM shone a spotlight on members Donghyun and Youngmin. The guys even released a full album in 2018, which included a solo track from each. Even with this added attention, I’ve never gotten a strong sense of Youngmin as a performer. Judging from all we’ve heard so far, he … Continue reading
Only a month after her last solo release, ex-Fiestar member Yezi has already returned with another track. For most of her solo career, she’s capitalized on her skills as a rapper. However, January’s My Gravity painted her as a power vocalist, pitched at the OST-loving public. New single Home continues this trajectory, but injects a … Continue reading
Between Korea and Japan, Dreamcatcher have been quite active these past few months. For each of their most recent promotional periods, they’ve released both a K-pop and J-pop single within mere weeks of each other. Their Korean work has been more willing to experiment, which resulted in the brilliant Scream last month. Japanese tracks like … Continue reading
Despite unlimited potential for new sub-units, NCT’s Korean promotion has largely boiled down to releases from either 127 or Dream. Both have secured plenty of fans under the NCT umbrella, showing a remarkable level of diversity when it comes to genre and style. Still, when I think of NCT 127, I immediately picture experimental soundscapes, … Continue reading
This February left us with a lot of sound-alike tracks, and that included a few debuts. With such a saturated market, K-pop agencies seem scared to offer anything new or risky. The thing is, I’d argue that playing it safe is rarely a good strategy for new groups. It’s so easy to be swept up … 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! May … Continue reading
With over 2,900 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
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. February 2020 Overall Thoughts What to say about February 2020? As the month went on, it … Continue reading
Despite only being home to two artists, MNH Entertainment has kicked off a digital platform similar to SM Entertainment’s Station. New.wav mirrors Station’s execution, if not its scope, offering a chance for the agency’s artists to showcase strengths that might not usually poke through in their title tracks. For girl group BVNDIT, that meant tackling … Continue reading
With over 2,900 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
AB6IX’s solo project 5NALLY is mostly one long dirge, where the members’ personalities take a backseat to the kind of trendy music that prioritizes “cool” over interesting. Lee Daehwi’s Rose, Scent, Kiss stands as a beacon of authenticity amid all the generic pop surrounding it. It’s not a tremendous track on its own, but benefits … Continue reading
Debuts from major agencies are always exciting, but we really haven’t seen any yet this year. TOP Media isn’t one of K-pop’s biggest agencies, but their roster (Teen Top, 100%, UP10TION) are certainly known to most idol fans. With Ice Age, rookies MCND officially join that line-up. This comes after pre-release TOP Gang, which I … Continue reading
It’s been a staggering twenty months since Elris’s last promoted comeback. That kind of lengthy hiatus is often a death knell for idol groups. At the very least, it necessitates an impactful return. A certain percentage of Elris’s fan base will hopefully remain loyal, but for many casual fans, this kind of long-awaited comeback might … Continue reading
You all know how I like stats and databases, so in order to present information in a new way, I’ve added an “In-Depth Album Reviews” page to the site. This will house any K-pop album that I’ve reviewed (and rated) in full. Right now, the artists who fit this criteria are Infinite, EXO, Golden Child … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 