I’ve long believed that the NCT concept is not half as confusing as many make it out to be, but even I’m a bit stymied by this new Japanese release. Wasn’t a large selling point of NCT the idea that the brand could encompass multi-national units that each operated in different countries? If that’s so, … Continue reading
Cross Gene have been away from the Korean music scene since February of 2017, when they released their brilliantly dramatic Black Or White in tandem with its violent, horror show music video. New single Touch It (달랑말랑) feels like the comeback they should have made last summer when k-pop’s tropical trend was at its peak. No … Continue reading
With so many acts moving away from their usual producers this year, it’s kind of refreshing that Teen Top has stuck with good ol’ Brave Sound for new single Seoul Night (서울밤). Some matches are just meant to be, and this has been a particularly symbiotic relationship throughout the years. The group struck gold with … Continue reading
There’s some irony in calling a song “The New Era,” but crafting it to sound like every other song from the last era. I’ve had my issues with GOT7’s Korean discography of late, but their Japanese releases are really just on another level. Sales-wise, they seem to be successful, but I can’t wrap my brain … Continue reading
Watching (and obsessing over) Avengers: Infinity War last week has got me thinking. If I wielded the Infinity Gauntlet and had the power to shape the universe, how would I control K-Pop? Infinite comebacks every month! New Sweetune songs every week! Just kidding. I’m not going to be that biased. Instead, I thought it would … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks 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. The song title “Flower Garden” makes me imagine a cutesy … 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 brand new “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first … Continue reading
Most of the time, a 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 (and j-pop), I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. This is probably the most “buried” of buried treasures I’ve … Continue reading
Try as they might, Cube Entertainment just hasn’t been able to push girl group CLC over the finish line. This makes the decision to debut (G)I-DLE a little surprising — especially since these girls are peddling quite a similar sound. But business decisions aside, I’m always here for new female acts that opt for an … Continue reading
Being an idol rock group has to be difficult. If you incorporate choreography or dancefloor-driven electronics to your music, you start to lose any rock “credibility” you might have established. Yet, the idol scene craves the kind of trendy, concept-heavy pop/r&b that is difficult for bands to replicate. Rookie quartet IZ seem to be struggling … Continue reading
Well, isn’t this a nice surprise? I’ve always enjoyed Halo’s music, but the group hasn’t been able to break through with the Korean public in a meaningful way. This struggle has resulted in numerous comebacks that have passed by unknown to most casual k-pop listeners. With a limited budget and consistently decreasing hype, I didn’t … 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. April 2018 Overall Thoughts In my mind, April represents the beginning of k-pop’s peak season. From … Continue reading
So far, 2018 has the unfortunate distinction of being the year where almost all of my favorite acts return with underwhelming title tracks. This trend has made it difficult to keep excitement up over the past couple of months. So many groups are abandoning the producers who crafted their winning sound in favor of ones … Continue reading
The day has finally come. Snuper have released enough singles to warrant a top ten list! It’s disappointing that the song to put them over the top is the supremely underwhelming Tulips, but I’m happy to say that the top four entries on this countdown are near-perfect, A+ examples of k-pop. If you haven’t checked out … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks 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. When it rains in EXO-CBX land, it pours. In just … Continue reading
As with too many groups of their underrated stature, Berry Good has been pretty inactive of late. After carving a path of mature, melodic pop with 2016’s Angel and Don’t Believe, last year’s juvenile Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo marked a jarring tonal change that seems to have derailed their momentum. Perhaps this is a reason behind … Continue reading
It’s been exciting to watch The East Light’s music grow since their debut in late 2016, especially as they settled on the perfect disco-infused sound with January’s Real Man. Though the group hasn’t gotten all that much attention compared to some of their idol peers, their performances on weekly music shows are reliably energetic and … Continue reading
Out of more than 120 song reviews this year, only eleven singles have earned a nine or higher from my ratings system — and five of those were Japanese releases. Japan’s stalled Hallyu wave is beginning to make a rebound in an exciting way. While much of this year’s k-pop remains mired in certain trends, … Continue reading
Between Korea and Japan, barely a month goes by without new music from Twice. This prolific release schedule should be an asset, but all it’s doing is making each song feel interchangeable with the last. And now, we’re approaching the point of over saturation. Underwhelming Korean single What Is Love suffered a bit from this, … Continue reading
I’m a massive proponent of groups finding a small circle of collaborators and sticking with them long enough to develop a signature sound. Over the past few years, Snuper and Sweetune have been a match made in heaven, crafting a near-flawless run of distinct (but not identical) singles. With Tulips (튤립) — and the introduction of … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 