One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Sunrise (from Time For Us – 2019) Previous Thoughts: “Sunrise ups the tempo after a brief piano opening, giving the song some kick as we build toward the chorus. The verses veer from languid to sprightly with a balletic finesse, though the … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Sunny Summer (from Sunny Summer – 2018) Previous Thoughts: “The synths shimmer with breezy lightness, the brass-kissed chorus feels propulsive without ever challenging expectations, and the instrumental pulses with a nimble stream of funk percussion. As derivative as this all may be, … Continue reading
(Note: If you’re unable to view this post on a phone, please try on another device. I believe the number of video embeds is causing trouble on certain browsers.) Yep, I’m back to writing about K-pop’s year-end festivals. They were some of the earliest events I covered on this blog but over the past few … Continue reading
This is always one of the countdowns I feel least confident about because I tend to listen to K-pop more often than I watch it. It’s also a very subjective category, as my visual/storytelling/conceptual preferences may not match others’. The truth is, K-pop has become so adept at crafting fantastic music videos that I could … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Summer Rain (from Rainbow – 2017) Previous Thoughts: “So, we’re at a point where disappointment becomes frustration. Summer Rain includes many of the group’s hallmarks, from its retro 90’s beat to the classical sample that bolsters its instrumental. I’ve even seen some … Continue reading
I remain committed to shining a spotlight on K-pop producers each year, but this list is becoming harder to create. The days of “super producers” with signature sounds seem to be behind us. The industry now stuffs its song credits with many names, making it more difficult to discern which producer is responsible for what. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Stairs In The North (from Song Of The Sirens – 2020) GFriend take the energy down for this lighters-in-the-air singalong. This is a nice guitar-laced ballad, following many OST tropes despite not being an actual OST. It’s a bit forgettable in their … Continue reading
A few years ago, many of K-pop’s best tracks were buried as b-sides. This year was different, with most of my favorite music promoted as title tracks. I certainly prefer this approach. After all, great songs should be paired with great visuals/choreo whenever possible. However, it made for a slightly less prolific slate of “buried … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Someday (from Snowflake – 2016) Snowflake is a strong album, but sometimes its b-sides can be dwarfed by Rough’s immense shadow. Someday is light and bouncy but there’s still enough going on within its production to make it an early career standout. … Continue reading
Before their full-group comeback next month, GOT7’s Yugyeom has returned with a new digital single. Many of December’s releases are holiday-themed and don’t warrant much of a review, but Sweet Like takes a different approach. Its soft percussion melds house music with Afrobeats for a very trendy entry in his growing discography. Being a K-pop … Continue reading
A few years ago, many of K-pop’s best tracks were buried as b-sides. This year was different, with most of my favorite music promoted as title tracks. I certainly prefer this approach. After all, great songs should be paired with great visuals/choreo whenever possible. However, it made for a slightly less prolific slate of “buried … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Smile (from Fever Season – 2019) This is one of those songs you put on during a summer road trip. It’s mildly diverting and stuffed with good vibes, but doesn’t steal attention away from driving. The chorus is a bit cutesy but … Continue reading
K-pop has been a singles-driven market for awhile now, but that only seems to be truer with each passing year. Either comebacks don’t have enough songs to be called an “album,” or the b-sides are clearly designed to pad a tracklist rather than stand out on their own. With that said, there were a handful … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Show Up (from Time For Us – 2019) Show Up opens with a burst of tropical synth before segueing into a breezy dance beat. This arrangement remains consistent throughout, blooming into a more robust energy as we hit the chorus. It’s a … Continue reading
With each new digital single from NCT’s Mark, we get closer to the release of his long-rumored solo album. That album seems to be slated for next year, but he’s capping off 2024 with a collaboration with popular rapper Lee Youngji. Fraktsiya (프락치) means “fraction” in Russian and sees him experimenting with production for a … Continue reading
Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that dominated 2024, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. Though my favorite group of the year was a rookie, most of my favorite music came from artists who debuted in years prior. As usual, the criteria is built around these three factors: Quality … Continue reading
HYBE’s Japanese group &TEAM has been building up to their second album this year, gradually forging a softer, more melodic sound that worked particularly well on summer singles Koegawari and Aoarashi. Earlier this month, they pre-released the wintery Illumination and now we have title track Yukiakari days before the release of the full album. This … Continue reading
It’s a longstanding tradition for YG Entertainment to release follow-up music videos from its artists’ albums. This approach has faded a bit in recent years, but the agency seems determined to solidify rookies BABYMONSTER within their successful lineage. Part of me wishes they would have terrorized us with an mv for the ghastly Woke Up … 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
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 