Back in February, IZ*ONE made their Japanese debut with the stirring Suki to Iwasetai. It remains my highest-rated song by the group, but it turned out to be a total red herring. Since that initial album, IZ*ONE’s J-pop singles have been shockingly unpolished. June’s Buenos Aires merged a poor vocal arrangement with an underdeveloped instrumental. … 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 struggled to decide whether to label this a “buried treasure” … Continue reading
When it comes to music, the Korean public and I rarely agree. Glance at the digital charts during any time of the year and you’re likely to see a glut of ballads, some subdued indie pop or r&b, and very few dance tracks. I guess this is streaming culture in a nutshell. The less polarizing … Continue reading
The weeks leading up to the Chuseok holiday are notoriously barren for K-pop, so beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to new releases. This means that I end up writing about groups I’d normally skip. To be honest, I didn’t even know We Girls existed until about a week ago — and they debuted … Continue reading
If any K-pop act is poised for Japanese success, it would have to be Dreamcatcher. Their rock-infused sound pulls heavily from J-pop aesthetics. Heavy metal guitars are still very much in vogue when it comes to Japan’s eclectic taste, making the group’s cross-country transition a natural one. Imagine my shock, then, when their first original … Continue reading
Because they debuted at such a young age, FTIsland have been able to consistently release music for twelve years without a military enlistment-forced hiatus. This is almost unheard of when it comes to male K-pop groups, and it’s positioned the guys as one of the industry’s staples. Zapping is their first album without leader Jonghoon, … Continue reading
There was a time when I would have been excited by the prospect of a Japanese Produce 101 spin-off, but the series has reached the point of over saturation. I’m kind of over the whole thing, especially when considering the franchise’s effect on K-pop as a whole. But, like it or not, Produce is still … 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
Over the course of their four-year career, CLC have run the gamut of sounds and concepts. Recently, they’ve settled on an edgy, attitude-laced style that’s brought them international attention. But back in March of 2015, the girls debuted with the bright, addictive Pepe. Though that song is rarely mentioned in the CLC conversation nowadays, it … 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
Vanner debuted earlier this year with a full album, which is incredibly unique for a rookie group. Unfortunately, this album was largely forgettable. It doesn’t matter how many tracks you record if none of them are outstanding. For their follow-up, the group has continued to work with the same team, but their sound has transitioned … Continue reading
Whether as album tracks or digital singles, the members of Mamamoo have each had their time to shine as soloists. Most of their material has played to the girls’ strengths, which means cool hip-hop for Moonbyul, sassy dance pop and slinky r&b for Hwasa and emotive ballads for Solar and Wheein. There’s nothing wrong with … Continue reading
After their incredible 2018 success, Momoland are in the process of navigating the tricky business of follow-ups. Their name is known throughout Asia, and they’ve attempted to capitalize on that by recording material aimed at different regions. When it comes to Japan, they’ve already exhausted their most notable Korean output, recording versions of Bboom Bboom … Continue reading
Woollim Entertainment is my favorite K-pop agency, and one of the things I like most about them is that they carve out a signature sound for their artists. This sound usually counters trends, opting for a more classic pop approach. But now that the agency has been sucked into the Produce 101 orbit, I fear … 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. August 2019 Overall Thoughts I was certain that August was an improvement over July, but after … 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. X1’s Flash seems to have been generally well-received, but most of … Continue reading
Oh, this is bad. Just… very bad. Not even so bad that it’s good. Still Nirvana imagines a world where computers have finally replaced human musicians, churning out cheap, mind-numbing trap beats with no sense of adventure and no heart. The word “skrrt” is this world’s common language, and can have several distinct meanings dependent … Continue reading
Now, this one’s interesting! Fanxy Red are an established C-pop group, re-debuting after spending some time training in Korea. I can’t remember this approach being used before — usually it’s Chinese K-pop idols leaving to perform in their (very lucrative) homeland. Fanxy Red are also known as a “girl boy group.” They all identify as … Continue reading
While their sibling group ONEUS releases a series of heavily-promoted mini albums, ONEWE has received a more subdued roll-out. I guess this makes sense. When it comes to K-pop, dance groups are an easier sell than rock bands. Still, it’s a shame that we didn’t get to hear the gorgeous Reminisce About All performed on … Continue reading
PSY’s new P Nation music label has been the source of much speculation this year. K-pop hasn’t seen this high profile an agency launch in years, and with YG Entertainment plagued by scandal after scandal, the timing is perfect for a new force in the industry. Add big-name stars like HyunA, E’Dawn, Jessi, Crush and … Continue reading
