Late last night, as I was sleeping, the Bias List officially racked up its millionth view. In the grand scheme of things, I know that I’m a relatively small fish in a big pond. Hell, many of the k-pop acts I write about routinely manage over a million views in under an hour! But I’m … Continue reading
Producers and composers are the fuel that keeps k-pop going, and they’re the very first album credit that I check when a new project is being teased. Last year, I counted down the top five producers, but I’m doubling that in 2017 to shine focus on some of the incredible talents that crafted this year … Continue reading
Artist of the year countdowns are controversial by nature, and if I was re-creating this list based solely on commercial success and impact on the k-pop industry, it would look very different. But there are enough of those countdowns floating around (and the consensus is usually pretty even across-the-board). This is a countdown for the … Continue reading
I’m putting the end-of-year countdowns on hold until tomorrow because it seems crass to post as normal today. In the meantime, I was struggling to decide what to write about SHINee’s Jonghyun that hasn’t already been written. SHINee were one of the groups that first got me into k-pop, and still one of my absolute … Continue reading
As I was looking back in preparation for this countdown, I realized that it’s actually been quite a strong year for mini and full albums, even if 2017 as a whole seemed to lack impact compared to past years. Quite a few solid albums failed to make the cut due to this heavy competition, but … Continue reading
Start here for an indexed post of all of The Bias List‘s end-of-year countdowns. This will be updated as new countdowns are added and stickied to the front page for the rest of the year. Check back frequently as we approach 2018! >> TOP 50 K-Pop Songs of 2017 50-41 40-31 30-21 20-11 10-1 TOP … Continue reading
For me, the arrival of rookie groups can often be more exciting than the work of their established peers. I love nothing more than discovering a new artist and witnessing their potential unfold as they grow. 2017 was a year without any major agency debuts, making the rookie field much more competitive. Like last year, … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had … Continue reading
B.A.P have nearly replicated their prolific 2016, making another three comebacks this year. That constant work ethic has to be lauded, even if the material hasn’t always kept up the same level of consistency. New single Hands Up throws back to the group’s debut sound, marrying its modern verses to a gruff, 2012-era hook. This … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had … Continue reading
For all its merits, mainstream k-pop is too often dependent on the newest and shiniest idol acts. Its current incarnation may have developed in the 90’s, but there just aren’t enough of those original superstars left who can compete with today’s trends. Luckily, dance floor diva Uhm Jung Hwa made a very welcome, long-awaited return … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had … Continue reading
Over the past few years, SM Entertainment has made an annual tradition of releasing the same sort of gentle piano ballad for Christmas. All have been enjoyable in their own right, but none have matched EXO’s utterly gorgeous Miracles in December from 2013. EXO will be coming back with another winter single next week, but … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that this is already Twice’s fourth single of 2017 (fifth, if you count Japanese release One More Time). To say the girls have had a big year is an understatement, but that type of frequent promotion should be expected from Korea’s biggest girl group. With new single Heart Shaker, they once … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! 60 Seconds (from New Challenge – 2013) Though leader Sungkyu’s original solo recording remains the definitive version of 60 Seconds and would easily garner a rating in the 9’s, the full group brings a certain amount of weight to the already-excellent track. It’s … Continue reading
The Bias List‘s end of the year countdowns officially kick off tomorrow, and I’m starting with the big one. The first ten selections of my Top 50 Singles of 2017 will be unveiled on Monday, with ten more each weekday until the number one song is revealed on Friday. After that, I’ll be looking at … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! 24 Hours (from For You – 2015) Coming off Dilemma’s hard rock stomp, 24 Hours reverted to a much more standard j-pop sound for their second original Japanese single. The song is overlong by about a minute, but it’s refreshing to hear Infinite … Continue reading
Currently, Snuper have become more popular in Japan than their native Korea. And while I’m happy for their success, this presents a problem when it comes to their music. While their Sweetune-produced k-pop material has been consistently fantastic, their j-pop sound feels worlds away. I’ve never really liked it when a group pursues such different … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 