Given TWS’s incredible success last year, there are worst song titles to debut with than “Plot Twist“! AtHeart have used the familiar title for their first foray into the industry, though they teased us with a pre-debut earlier this year. The group hails from Titan Content — an American based company that seems to have … Continue reading
Back when she was rattling off power notes with GFriend, I considered Yuju to be one of my favorite vocalists in K-pop. However, vocals don’t matter much without great material to showcase them and her solo career thus far has been mired in a lack of musical ambition that’s quite frustrating. Like so many idols-turned-soloists, … Continue reading
Oh, AMPERS&ONE. You debuted with such a strong track, but since then it’s been dimished returns for every single comeback. The guys have quite a few great b-sides to their name (and their new album’s highlight medley suggests there will be more), but their title tracks have struggled to harness any hint of unique identity. … Continue reading
Everyone and their mother has had a pre-release this year, and NCT Wish are the latest to jump on the trend. Ahead of their new mini album, they’ve unveiled summer single Surf. Though we’re currently in the middle of a heat wave in my neck of the woods, it feels a bit late in the … Continue reading
In a year already stuffed with competitive boy group debuts, it’s time for another new act. idntt (pronounced “Identity”) is the brainchild of Jaden Jeong, the man behind LOONA, tripleS and ARTMS. The group follows the same interactive system as tripleS, with twenty-four members split into sub-units based on fan input. The agency is also … Continue reading
In a year already stuffed with competitive boy group debuts, it’s time for another new act. idntt (pronounced “Identity”) is the brainchild of Jaden Jeong, the man behind LOONA, tripleS and ARTMS. The group follows the same interactive system as tripleS, with twenty-four members split into sub-units based on fan input. The agency is also … Continue reading
In a year already stuffed with competitive boy group debuts, it’s time for another new act. idntt (pronounced “Identity”) is the brainchild of Jaden Jeong, the man behind LOONA, tripleS and ARTMS. The group follows the same interactive system as tripleS, with twenty-four members split into sub-units based on fan input. The agency is also … Continue reading
About a month ago, Jeon Somi released the underdeveloped Extra, which turned out to be a pre-release for her new mini album. This is only her second mini album in seven years, and third album overall. The pace may be glacial, but it’s nice to finally hear something more substantial from her. Closer acts as … Continue reading
SHINee’s Key has a history of becoming a K-pop savior on this blog, breaking long streaks of “7” and “8” rated songs with music that pushes bolder and further. That certainly occurred in early 2023 with his single Killer, but his follow-ups have been less adventurous. Both Good & Great and Pleasure Shop found him … Continue reading
As if BoA wasn’t busy enough with her album released last week, she’s back with a new Japanese single as well. We have groundbreakers like BoA and Tohoshinki to thank for K-pop’s popularity in Japan, and it’s always nice to see them take another well-deserved victory lap. Good For U may not be a revelatory … Continue reading
It’s always exciting when a new group debuts under a major agency, and CORTIS have a big legacy to live up to. GO! is technically a pre-release, so we can’t call it their official debut yet, but it offers a glimpse of Big Hit’s first new boy group since TXT’s debut in 2019. Information about … Continue reading
In my house, there exists a hallowed “Damdadi” that heralded the arrival of a personal favorite idol group, so there’s no way I’m not instantly imagining baseball uniforms and hip-shaking choreo when I see that title. However, producer R.Tee and i-dle’s Soyeon have also ventured into “Damdadi” territory with this new collaboration. While there’s no … 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
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again! Now that there’s been enough time for songs to settle, I’m ready for another Bias List Legendary Songs Inauguration Ceremony. I inaugurated a ton of songs last year (maybe too many?), so this year’s ceremony is far smaller and only covers songs released in 2024. As usual, only material released … Continue reading
PREVIOUS RECAPS: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four The Fated Meeting At the beginning of the episode, the Planet K and Planet C survivors were revealed to each other via a dramatic falling curtain flourish. I have no idea how they got everyone situated behind each side of the curtain … Continue reading
It’s been a pretty lousy year for J-pop, but my favorite acts have actually remained pretty reliable. We’ve seen highlights from Ryugujo, Genic and Kis-My-Ft2, and co-ed group One Love One Heart has recently been churning out solid material as well. Best of all, they finally seem eager to draw upon their biggest strength: the … Continue reading
I last wrote about Queenz Eye all the way back in 2023 and can’t remember anything about their music. Such is the fate of too many nugu groups, under-promoted and given infrequent comebacks to the point where everyone but their most dedicated fans forget they exist. With new track Feel The Vibe, they’re back to … Continue reading
In a move that no one asked for, SM Entertainment is back with the second single from their virtual idol nævis. The agency seems intent on throwing money at this strange project, and I assume that’s part of a bigger goal of establishing virtual artists as a norm within the industry. After all, virtual performers … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 