Now that I’ve looked at the year’s best singles, it’s time to spotlight the standout albums of 2019’s first six months. It’s been a relatively solid year for albums so far, though not as strong as 2018 at this same point. As usual, minis have been more plentiful than full albums — especially when it … Continue reading
As popular as BTS are around the world, I’m surprised that their Japanese-language material hasn’t felt more essential. For me, the best thing to come out of their J-pop discography isn’t Japanese at all. Instead, it’s the galvanizing ‘Stadium Remix’ of Korean single IDOL (ie: my now-definitive version of the track). Barring a couple of … Continue reading
It’s been three long years since the release of Ailee’s last album, and even longer since she’s given us something relentlessly uptempo. My favorite Ailee song will always be the mighty U&I, which positioned her as a Beyonce-like superstar fusing undeniable attitude with unmistakable vocal talent. Just because you’ve got an amazing voice doesn’t mean … Continue reading
So far, 2019 has been an odd year for K-pop. If I were to sum it up, these first six months have pinballed between “thrilling” and “frustrating.” Taken as a whole, I think 2019 easily usurps 2018 at this same point. But, many of my favorite songs were released in close proximity to one another … Continue reading
I’m tired of writing about farewell singles. It feels like we’ve had an inordinate amount of idols enlisting in the military this year, and most of them have ushered in their hiatus with a sentimental goodbye track for the fans. I don’t enjoy being critical of these songs. I know how much it stings to … Continue reading
Over the past few years, GFriend have started to branch out when it comes to their sound. Gone are the days of Iggy/Youngbae-produced title tracks, replaced with a rotating list of composers intent on pulling new elements into the core GFriend style. This mix-and-match strategy has largely been successful, though it threatens to steer the … 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. June 2019 Overall Thoughts Well… June happened. The K-pop gods giveth and they taketh away, and … Continue reading
One of K-pop’s most coveted holy grails is the long-rumored f(x) comeback. Or, maybe it’s more of an urban legend — often discussed, but never actually coming to fruition. Like many agencies, SM Entertainment seems to have a hard time managing more than one girl group at once, so rather than continue f(x)’s powerful legacy, … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again. The sun comes out, the temperature climbs, and K-pop goes tropical! Well, it wasn’t always this way. A few years ago, summer didn’t instantly mean tropical pop music, and I hope we’re working our way out of this persistent trend. But tropical or not, many of my top K-pop … Continue reading
Only a group of BTS’s stature could elevate the OST for a mobile game into an event release. The guys have been releasing collaboration tracks for the past few weeks for their new BTS World soundtrack, but none have clicked with me in the way their music usually does. Heartbeat, though, features no guest artist … Continue reading
It’s been a decade since Sechs Kies’ Eun Jiwon last released solo material, though he’s been active with his group and in variety shows during the lengthy hiatus. As the first new music to come out of YG Entertainment since founder Yang Hyun-suk stepped down, comeback single I’m On Fire (불나방) is already infamous in … Continue reading
With so many K-pop survival shows on the market, not every series can be a hit. Unfortunately, “idol rebooting show” The Unit never resulted in much of a boon for its winning participants. Both resulting groups (UNB and U.NIT) delivered some solid material, but I wonder if all the work was worth it. Would it … Continue reading
(G)I-DLE have quickly jumped to the forefront of this generation’s girl group landscape, but that kind of meteoric rise is not without its growing pains. February’s Senorita wasn’t as universally admired as their 2018 work, raising the stakes for its follow-up. New single Uh-Oh rights the ship to some extent, even if its retro hip-hop … Continue reading
JYP artists must have the most demanding schedules of any K-pop agency. Between Korea and Japan, it feels like they’re just constantly releasing material (GOT7 and Twice, especially). This endless supply of music makes it hard to keep the quality up, and it’s usually the J-pop songs that fall by the wayside. Most of GOT7’s … 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
In a year already flush with debuts, it’s going to be hard for smaller agency acts to stand out. In Purplebeck’s case, at least their name is easy to google! I’m not sure what a ‘purplebeck’ is, but I’ve long since given up trying to understand K-pop monikers. They all become part of the common … Continue reading
Chungha has enjoyed sustained success since her post-IOI solo debut in 2017. With each and every single, I’m surprised by just how long her music stays on the charts. But, there’s definitely been a hole in the K-pop market for a female soloist — an heir to BoA’s throne, if you will. With the early … Continue reading
Cosmic Girls have slowly blossomed into one of my favorite girl groups working today, and with new single Boogie Up they officially have enough music videos for a top ten ranking! Over the years, they’ve developed an instantly recognizable style for themselves, but have also had the opportunity to explore new sounds. Some of these … 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. Red Velvet’s Zimzalabim has proven to be one of the year’s … Continue reading
With K-pop becoming more global by the year, it makes sense that we’re seeing more acts specifically target Western audiences. BTS have gone about this the right way, refusing to sacrifice their sound (or language) simply to fit in. Too many K-pop artist have tried to crack the American market with sub-par, English-language material. Few … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 