With two members of BAE173 currently participating in other survival series spawned groups, the rest of the members have joined forces with Fantasy Boys (another survival series act) to form project group Double 0ne. In a perfect world, this would “maximize their joint slay,” but despite each group releasing a few tracks I really enjoy, … Continue reading
Though they’re not technically what you’d call a “title track,” I often write about the signal songs of popular survival series. Since the first season or Produce 101 in 2016, these songs have become K-pop’s most reliable burst of high-drama EDM energy. They’ve basically become their own genre now, tied together by the same musical … Continue reading
K-pop has been mired in early-2000s nostalgia for the past few years. In my opinion, the industry has often adopted the most boring musical trends of that era, but occasionally we’ll see a group hijack the iconic production style of Y2K superstar producers Timbaland and The Neptunes. For Seventeen’s newest album, they skipped the middleman … Continue reading
Last month, China partially lifted its nine-year ban on Korean content, including K-pop concerts and releases. This news didn’t receive nearly as much attention as it should have, especially considering the massive effect it may have on the industry. Given this year’s global affairs, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if K-pop agencies pulled resources … Continue reading
Since their Japanese debut in 2020, Stray Kids have amassed a rather large J-pop discography. JYP Entertainment has always been good at keeping multiple markets fed, and Stray Kids’ self-producing status ensures a certain level of continuity between their multi-language catalogs. New single Hollow hails from their upcoming third Japanese mini album and sees them … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. ITZY’s new mini album is strong … Continue reading
On this busy comeback day, NCT’s Doyoung stands as the sole male performer in a flock of competing girl groups/bands. Memory (안녕, 우주) comes from his second solo album and sees him continuing the sound he established on the first. His rich voice is well suited to OST-style music, sacrificing edge for comforting emotion. Because … Continue reading
QWER have quickly vaulted to the status of Korean chart royalty. Their style of bright pop/rock made a major breakthrough last year with T.B.H and they’ve managed to keep that momentum going with follow-ups. If you squint just a bit, you can make out sounds from Bias List favorites GFriend and Lovelyz within their catalog, refashioned … Continue reading
Rookie girl group izna released an enjoyable springtime bop with March’s Sign. That song was a case of so-so verses being lifted by a satisfying earworm of a chorus. However, teasers for new single Beep seemed to promise another sound effect filled onomatopoeia track, of which we already have too many this year. In fact, … Continue reading
Kiss Of Life are currently clawing their way back from one of K-pop’s bigger 2025 scandals, trying to assuage the very fans they insulted via a now-infamous livestream. Time will tell if their redemption arc is successful, but this being K-pop they’re chugging along with new music regardless. Title track Lips Hips Kiss comes courtesy … Continue reading
Back in 2019, ITZY’s debut ushered in a wave of confident, attitude-forward girl group tracks. They’ve since shifted their style in a number of ways, which was evident on the couldn’t-be-more-different-from-each-other Gold and Imaginary Friend last year. It feels like they’ve only struck the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the genres they … Continue reading
HYBE has made an aggressive push into the Japanese market over the past few years, both debuting their own J-pop groups and deploying their Korean acts with original material. The latest to join this push is LE SSERAFIM, who previously released Japanese-language versions of their Korean hits. Different marks their first original J-pop track and … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
With over 5,000 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
With over 5,000 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
It’s been a very slow week in K-pop, so a surprise pre-release from ILLIT saves me from digging in the archives and writing about something old today. Their comeback is slated for later this month with title track Do The Dance, but prior to that they’ve debuted the “brand film” for album opener Little Monster. … Continue reading
Compared to other HYBE groups, I’ve had a harder time getting into the groove of ENHYPEN’s discography. Each time they release a song that I love, they’ll follow it with two or three that leave me cold. That track record doesn’t exactly build confidence in new material, but I recognize how popular the group has … Continue reading
It’s been eight years since WM Entertainment debuted its latest group, and a full decade since their last girl group. Thus far, it’s been quality over quantity for this agency. B1A4, Oh My Girl and ONF all have discographies that are pretty bulletproof. Now, it’s time for another act to join this impressive roster. Enter … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. TWS’s first Japanese single Hajimemashite (Nice … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 