For the first time in their four-year history, mega blockbuster boy group EXO have returned with double title tracks. Designed to show us the lighter side of their music is Lucky One, which is more Love Me Right than Overdose. Though I can appreciate all sides of EXO’s sound, my taste naturally gravitates towards more … Continue reading
After giving us the brilliant Sympathy, rocker Jung Joon Young is back with his group (formerly known as JJY Band and now called Drug Restaurant). While his solo material tends to be more ballad-focused, Joon Young really gets the chance to rock out when he’s with his band mates. Mistake ups the tempo substantially, taking … Continue reading
U-KISS are back in Korea after an extended hiatus. Though they’ve been away for about a year and a half, it’s been even longer since they’ve returned with a dance track. The beat-driven Stalker recalls the glory years of their 2009-2012 output, while also sounding different from anything they’ve released so far. Stalker kicks off … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. EXID’s Street album is a bit of a frustrating listen for … Continue reading
Now that U-KISS is set to come back in Korea after quite awhile, it’s the perfect time to look back at their title tracks so far. U-KISS are one of about a half dozen groups/artists that debuted in 2008 and still enjoy some level of success. But their notoriety in Korea has taken quite a tumble over … Continue reading
SS501 was DSP Media’s juggernaut boy group in the mid to late 00’s. Along with groups like TVXQ, Shinhwa, Super Junior and Bigbang, they’re responsible for writing the template of modern k-pop, but unlike those other groups, I feel like they don’t often get as much recognition as they deserve. Leaving behind a stellar kpop discography, … Continue reading
Heize and DEAN are two artists looking to break out. At the moment, it seems like DEAN has the better chance of doing so. His more recent songs have charted well digitally, and he enjoys a certain amount of clout as a songwriter. Meanwhile, Heize has the benefit of Unpretty Rapstar behind her, though I … Continue reading
Seo In Young delivered an incredibly strong (and totally underappreciated) club track last year with Scream, but now she’s slowed things down with Embraced In Your Arms (너에게 안겨), which allows her to show off her unique vocal tone without many distractions. The track’s midtempo pop sound feels like it could have been sung by … Continue reading
I wasn’t a big fan of KNK’s debut a few months ago, and that hasn’t really changed. But, I also make sure never to write a group off based solely on their debut track. Rookie debuts often end up sounding unlike anything else in their discography, and this is definitely the case so far with … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
After the incredible one-two punch of Up & Down and Ah Yeah, it appeared that EXID had become an unstoppable force in k-pop. Then they released the less-incredible Hot Pink and revealed a chink in their pop armor. New single L.I.E (엘라이) promised us something completely different, and that’s certainly true. But I’m not sure … Continue reading
Girl group Fiestar have hit nearly every kpop genre imaginable, from cloying cuteness… to “light” sexy… to “dark” sexy. With Apple Pie, they merge these concepts into one for a sort of “cute-sexy” approach. Even though members Cao Lu and Yezi are enjoying a certain amount of notability as individuals, it doesn’t appear that anything … Continue reading
SM’s assembly line of solo releases continues with the first single from f(x)’s powerhouse vocal Luna. It was probably safe to assume that the song would be a ballad, but luckily the powers-that-be have decided on a high energy dance track instead. SM has had quite a love affair for this specific, early 90’s club … Continue reading
As CLC returns with their second title track of 2016, I’m realizing that they just may not be the girl group for me. Pepe was such a strong debut last year, but ever since then they’ve limped back to the kpop scene without a clear identity or purpose. Coming from a large company like Cube, … Continue reading
Five months after their most recent single, YG rookies iKON are back with the gentle #WYD, a prerelease for their upcoming promotions. So far, iKON has had a sound that’s been a bit all over the place, veering from hard hip-hop tracks to light pop confections without much focus. Luckily, they’re able to pull off … Continue reading
Since going solo, Xia has almost always come back with an edgy, ambitious title track that redefines the boundaries of what kpop can be. But time after time, I find myself wishing that this experimentation carried through the entire running time of his accompanying albums. As crazy-good a dancer as he is, it feels like … Continue reading
News has slowly inched their way to the very top of my J-Pop bias list, releasing brilliant pop song after brilliant pop song. They’ve been active for an incredible thirteen years now, first as a nine-member group, then as a six-piece and finally as the very strong four-member configuration they are today. Throughout it all, their … Continue reading
Another week, another SM Station release. One of the cool things this music platform has done is allow EXO members to have long-overdue solos. Granted, the songs aren’t really promoted or given the budget a full-fledged solo debut would have, but it’s still nice to hear the guys branch out a bit. Next on the … Continue reading
It’s hard to get very excited about the commemorative “songs for the fans” that tend to be released during groups’ anniversaries — especially when that group is Boyfriend and all I really want from them is another Sweetune-produced masterpiece. But before we (hopefully) get back to the awesome stuff, we must settle for the pleasant, if hardly … Continue reading
Oh My Girl continue to move from strength to strength, offering more invention and excitement within their kpop concoctions than almost any other group so far this year. As of May, their Pink Ocean album is my favorite girl group mini of 2016, and the inclusion of Windy Day only makes it stronger. It’s worth … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 