Despite a general shift toward lighter, more ebullient fare in k-pop over the last year, Monsta X have never strayed too far from their hard-hitting sound. Last October’s bombastic Fighter was a red herring in their discography, but one that I personally enjoyed very much. With Beautiful (아름다워), they’re back to what most listeners love … Continue reading
Of all current k-pop acts, none feels more closely tied to America than BTS. This is kind of ironic, since many groups nowadays count American members among their ranks. In contrast, all seven members of BTS hail from Korea, and only their leader Rap Monster speaks fluent English. Nonetheless, their music speaks to international audiences in … Continue reading
It’s been eight years since CNBLUE made their debut. After so long, it’s got to be hard to keep new material fresh. I imagine that rock groups find it particularly difficult, as the k-pop world affords them a smaller selection of concepts compared to their more performance-based peers. And as much as I have enjoyed CNBLUE’s … Continue reading
As Beast closed out their career with the melancholic drama of last summer’s spectacular Ribbon, the newly renamed Highlight opens theirs with a much more upbeat offering. The guys have been self-composing their material for awhile now, but leaving their former agency has given them license to try on some new sounds. This is a pretty … Continue reading
Debuting with YG Entertainment in 2014, sibling duo Akdong Musician are the very best act to come out of competition series K-Pop Star. Their acoustic pop sound pulls in a seemingly endless mix of genres, bursting with creativity and a sense of boundary-pushing inventiveness. Despite only having three proper studio albums to their name, they’ve … Continue reading
It’s no secret that plastic surgery is rampant within the idol world (and really, Korea as a whole), but crafting an entire comeback concept around it is pretty audacious. Sixbomb are no stranger to controversy, and Becoming Prettier (예뻐지는 중입니다 After) sees them physically altered as a sequel to their pre-surgery single last month. Some … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. E-TRIBE Years … Continue reading
It must be a tricky choice when deciding how to debut a new group from a small agency. Without name recognition or pre-debut hype, a rookie’s success lies solely on how their first several tracks are received by the public. So do you try something out-of-the-box in hopes to appeal to Korea’s fickle taste? Or, do you … Continue reading
Akdong Musician have always seemed older than their years, bringing a sense of world-weary maturity to even their lightest pop songs. Since their first album in 2014, they’ve been going from strength to strength on the back of older sibling Lee Chanhyuk’s brilliant songwriting. And with The Tree (나무), they’ve brought that idiosyncratic vision to … Continue reading
With less than a week to go until spring, it’s the time of year when Korea unleashes a torrent of light, acoustic pop in keeping with the season. It’s hard for me to write about songs in this k-pop sub-genre without bias coming in to play. It’s not that I can’t appreciate a laid-back, guitar-strumming … Continue reading
Of the many, many rookie groups in k-pop at the moment, the one I’m rooting for the most strongly is Snuper. Their endearing goofiness and solid teamwork reminds me a lot of Infinite during their debut years. And then there’s the Sweetune-produced music, which has been absolutely fantastic. Over the past few months, the group has gained … Continue reading
B1A4 have recently switched agencies for their Japanese material, signing with the massive Universal Music Japan. While this irritates me on a personal level since Universal almost never uploads full versions of music videos, it’s certainly an upward move for the group. I love how both of their j-pop labels have let them compose most … Continue reading
It’s already mid-March, but it doesn’t feel like 2017 has given us any real notable debuts yet. This time last year, we’d already seen the first releases by Astro, KNK, Cosmic Girls and Imfact. 2017 hasn’t been quite as prolific so far, but it just got a kick-start with MVP’s Take It (선택해). The new … Continue reading
I’ve deliberately refrained from writing about the ongoing LOONA project, even though members of the upcoming girl group have been releasing songs steadily for the past five months. It’s an ambitious debut (by the time the actual group is unveiled, they will have had well over a dozen pre-releases), but so far it’s seemed like … Continue reading
Of all the comebacks and dramas that are likely to happen in k-pop this year, Beast‘s transformation into Highlight might just be the most interesting. Acts have left their agencies before, but I can’t think of another group of Beast’s caliber that have had to change their entire brand because of a switch in management. … Continue reading
Oh, GOT7. How I used to love you when you recorded songs with actual choruses. I still have great fondness for the group, but ever since they embarked on this year-long Flight Plan project, there’s been a noticeable change in their music. To say that the past three singles have been completely devoid of memorable … Continue reading
Every story has a beginning, and k-pop’s idol world starts with first generation groups like H.O.T. Though their music is forever tethered to the 90’s, their experimentation paved the way for many of the genre’s tropes that are still in use today. Here’s a look at my top ten favorites from their singles run (and … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. RYAN S. … Continue reading
By all accounts, the original Pick Me wasn’t a great song. Yet, it waltzed its way into the top twenty of my 2016 best-of countdown. On the surface, its incessant, chirpy repetition seems utterly ridiculous, but within the context of Produce 101‘s kitschy battle royale pageantry, it became a real showstopper of a moment — and eventually, a … Continue reading
Other than the inherent awkwardness that comes with pairing underage Somi with 28-year-old Eric Nam for a love song, You, Who (유후) makes total sense on paper. Both artists are known for their amiable personalities. Both have international roots and enormous fan bases. And while neither is what you would call a powerhouse vocalist, both … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 