Over the last few years, mixtapes have become an increasingly bigger focus in the development of idol groups. Most of the time, the rapper position in these groups is limited by the needs of a title track. There’s not a whole lot of opportunity to get personal or specific, which explains the generic, swaggy nature … 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
When it comes to new K-pop releases, April has been unusually slow — like… practically barren. The triple punch of BLACKPINK, BTS and Twice seems to have scared everyone else away, leaving only the rookiest of rookies to write about. Usually, girl group Hashtag would be too under-the-radar to warrant a full review on this … Continue reading
With each Great Guys review I write, I feel obligated to repeat how awful I think their group name is. Seriously, it’s gotta be the worst K-pop name out there right now. It felt particularly out of place when coupled with the group’s last single, which took on a darker, theatrical concept similar to acts … Continue reading
Since opening Label SJ (a sub-label supported by SM Entertainment), Super Junior have taken a more active role in the production of their music. This is (understandably) the ultimate goal for many idol artists, but it doesn’t always end up creating the strongest material. In Super Junior’s case, the added input has resulted in an … 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. Song for song, BTS’ Map Of The Soul: Persona is a … Continue reading
When it comes to groups spawned by survival shows, it’s hard to predict what genre their music will take. More often than not, these projects simply cycle through whatever trends may be hot at the moment, with little regard towards building a cohesive discography. 1THE9 have already tackled downbeat r&b with the Crush-penned Domino, and … Continue reading
Where does an idol group go after they’ve reached the pinnacle of success? So many pop culture phenomena plateau at this point, or – worse yet – come to an abrupt end. My favorite era in any artist’s career tends to match their gradual ascent to the top. Once expectations and attention climb too high, … Continue reading
Sometimes you just fall in love with a voice. This actually doesn’t happen to me all that often, as I’m usually more concerned with melody and song construction, but last winter I found myself obsessed with balladeer Yongzoo on survival series The Fan. I was so enamored with his tone and performance style that I … Continue reading
BVNDIT’s debut album is titled “BVNDIT, Be Ambitious,” yet it’s anchored by a title track so generic and workmanlike that it becomes difficult to recall once it’s over. There’s a special level of irony in that. 2019 has already been a year flush with rookies, making it difficult for yet-to-debut groups to stand out. BVNDIT … 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
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. I’m not sure I’ve ever loved a Produce 101-related album all … Continue reading
MBC’s Under Nineteen survival series played like a budget version of Produce 101, but it cobbled together a surprisingly strong group of guys for its winning group 1THE9. Like other shows of its ilk, the whole thing feels corporation-driven rather than artistically inspired, down to that awful group name. But, I’m excited to see where … 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. Though I never featured it as a Buried Treasure, I felt … Continue reading
It’s been gratifying to watch Astro’s surge in sales numbers this year. 2018 was rough for the group, without a fully-promoted comeback as the fate of their agency seemed unclear. But, their first full album was a surprise success this January, and now the guys are entering the Japanese market. With J-pop’s love for bright … Continue reading
From late-2016 to 2017, BLACKPINK seemed destined to fill the huge hole left behind by fellow YG Entertainment artists 2NE1. Both Playing With Fire and As If It’s Your Last were excellent pop songs, hampered only by a lack of b-side material to go along with them. Last year’s mega-hit Ddu-Du Ddu-Du took the girls … 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. If you’ve seen my top three songs of March, you’ll already … Continue reading
Three years ago, who would have predicted that the reunion of a 5-member Nu’est would be one of 2019’s most anticipated moments? Back in 2016, few listeners seemed to care about the group’s work, but that is certainly going to change when the guys release their first album after the highly successful Wanna One and … Continue reading
Last year, BOL4 delivered their version of a summer song, and Travel went on to become a huge crossover hit. New single Bom (나만, 봄) takes its cues from spring — a season where K-pop goes crazy with drowsy mid-tempos and wistful ballads. As such, the song isn’t as much giddy fun as Travel was, … Continue reading
As SM Entertainment’s biggest-selling group for the past several years, EXO’s solo and sub-unit potential has been severely underutilized. I expect that this will change as members start enlisting, but I can’t believe it’s taken this long to see an official solo album from the group (not counting Lay’s Chinese efforts, of course). And honestly, … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 