Only a day before their Korean comeback, DAY6 will drop their second original Japanese single. Japan seems like a natural fit for the group, as the country’s rock scene is still thriving amidst the arrival of trendier genres. And with Stop The Rain, the band has released a solid follow-up to March’s If (We Meet … Continue reading
Last year’s proliferation of idol survival shows continues to generate content. This time, it’s in the form of Woo Jinyoung and Kim Hyunsoo, two participants of YG’s failed MIXNINE project. Both hail from a subsidiary of Happy Face Entertainment, and will no doubt be thrown into a boy group sooner than later. But for now, … Continue reading
After what seems like a decades-long wait, BLACKPINK has returned with new material. This long hiatus approach has been a staple of YG Entertainment for years, and becomes especially problematic for the agency’s newer generation of artists. In BLACKPINK’s case, every title track they’ve released has gone straight to the top of the charts, but … Continue reading
With Clover, it feels like we’re entering the second stage of the post-Produce 101 boy group landscape. This will kick off in earnest next year when Wanna One disbands and its members are scattered throughout the industry. But before that, we had the dissolvement of popular 101 project group JBJ. Member Kim Donghan will have … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
Rookie group Girlkind debuted earlier this year with the hip-hop heavy Fanci, which displayed promise even if the song itself left something to be desired. I guess the girls felt embarrassed for sticking that “i” in place of the standard “y” in their title, because they spend most of follow-up single S.O.R.R.Y simultaneously apologizing and proving that … Continue reading
As SHINee move into the second part of their Story Of Light promotions, they’ve set a high bar for themselves. I’m still reeling from last month’s awesome Good Evening, which means new single I Want You arrives with some unfair expectations. The fact that the song adheres to k-pop’s seemingly unending tropical trend makes things … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Though they’ve yet to develop a unique sound for themselves, fromis_9 … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
V6 are the longest-running group still releasing music under j-pop agency Johnny’s Entertainment. Debuting all the way back in 1995, they’ve tackled almost every genre imaginable. And refreshingly, the group hasn’t allowed their age to drive their sound towards adult contemporary schlockiness. In fact, it feels like their team is taking the exact opposite approach … Continue reading
I had the pleasure of attending A.C.E’s first global fanmeet last month, and beyond marveling at their talent, my biggest takeaway was that this small group from an even smaller agency has been able to galvanize a dedicated international fan base with only three songs under their belt. New single Take Me Higher comes at … Continue reading
As a massive fan of ONF’s debut mini album, it’s been frustrating to watch their follow-up delayed because of their involvement with YG’s failed survival series MIXNINE. Two of their seven members ended up “winning” a place in the program’s resulting project group, only to have the whole thing cancelled months after the series ended. … Continue reading
The story of Katie Kim’s long-incubated debut is a frustrating one, to say the least. The husky-voiced singer won season four of K-Pop Star way back in 2015 — a series designed to catapult its victors toward instant fame. Kim ended up signing with YG Entertainment, where her career was essentially held hostage for over … Continue reading
Though fromis_9 is yet another group cobbled together from a survival program, they impressed with a strong debut mini album earlier this year. They’ve yet to offer anything new when it comes to girl group tropes, but working with producers like Iggy & Youngbae and 1Take & TAK has given their burgeoning discography a polished … Continue reading
To my mind, 2015’s Reboot was not only Wonder Girls’ best album, but one of the best k-pop albums of all time. It’s such a pity that the group never had a chance to follow up on its 80’s sound before disbanding. But this — unexpectedly — is where Yubin comes in. With debut solo … Continue reading
These Produce 101 groups are so frustrating. The program compiles such a talented and likable collection of performers, only to undermine that potential with frustratingly generic material. Wanna One’s outstanding first mini album gave me hope that they’d be able to develop a signature sound, but each release since has been a disappointment. New single … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
Earlier this year, Pepsi brought together a quartet of Produce 101 alumni for the addictive 80’s pastiche Love It Live It. This unit (YDPP) proved to be more fun than they had any right to be, so it only makes sense to repeat the project. This time, it’s the girls’ turn. WJMK drafts Seola and … 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. May 2018 Overall Thoughts All things considered, May was a pretty solid month. It definitely had … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 