Today in K-pop has been devoted to seasonal songs and Road To Kingdom comebacks. ONEUS check off both boxes with their new single Rupert’s Drop (루퍼트의 눈물), offering a stately winter ballad weeks after concluding their activities on Road To Kingdom. The group won second place on the series, just behind CRAVITY (who also released … Continue reading
This time of year usually means sleighbell driven cheer or comfy ballads. A series of winter tracks have already been released and girl group Fifty Fifty have chosen the latter approach for their delicate When You Say My Name. You all know I’m not the biggest fan of ballads, but some of my favorite seasonal … Continue reading
The next few weeks on The Bias List will be stuffed with all manner of end-of-year countdowns. From K-pop to J-pop to global pop to dramas, it’ll all be covered. This is a fun way to tie a bow on the year and celebrate all the things I loved in 2024. These countdowns kick off … Continue reading
Several years ago, Stray Kids took a humorous approach to Christmas with the off-kilter Christmas EveL. It’s rare that a K-pop group releases more than one holiday single, but the guys are back with a treat for their Japanese fans. Christmas Love is far jollier and more obviously targeted to this season. In fact, it … 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
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Please Save My Earth (from The Awakening – 2017) Previous Thoughts: “The earnest hook is classic GFriend, but it feels more dreamlike here. There’s a lot going on in the track itself, but it’s so tightly packed that every element seems to … Continue reading
Thank you all for participating in the first ever BIAS LIST READER’S SURVEY! I received nearly 700 responses over the past few days and it’s been really fun digging into the results. I wanted to share the overall trends and offer some commentary of my own. It looks like we’ve got a seasoned group here, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Paradise (from Fever Season – 2019) To be honest, this is a song I rarely remember exists. The whole Fever Season mini album isn’t one of GFriend’s works I return to often, and this is one of its most forgettable tracks. I … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Our Secret (from Time For Us – 2019) Previous Thoughts: “I love its breathless verses, which have a sense of propulsion that really gets the energy going. The song’s tropical synth loop is derivative as hell, but still manages to be catchy … Continue reading
I haven’t listened to Rosé’s debut album yet, but judging from the promotion so far I feel that the raucous Bruno Mars duet APT. will be a sonic outlier. It’s always annoying when an album’s biggest hit sounds nothing like any other song surrounding it. This is less of a concern in the age of … Continue reading
JYP founder Park Jinyoung was one of K-pop’s first global visionaries, seeking Western partnerships far before it was the trendy thing to do. Without Wonder Girls’ 2009 foray into the States, a track like Strategy might not exist at all. Twice have already made themselves known worldwide, but this new single offers their first big-name … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Only 1 (from Time For Us – 2019) Only 1 hesitates a bit at first but grows and grows as we reach the chorus. Then, verse two revs up again with the promise of another pop peak lurking just around the corner. … Continue reading
Remember when Tempest couldn’t stop shining? Hell, I’d gladly rewind to their Dangerous days of 2023. This year has been such a buzzkill for the group. Losing member Hwarang was a huge blow and musically their burgeoning Japanese discography feels like a misguided attempt to brand them into some bad boy stereotypes. From Vroom Vroom … Continue reading
I find it strange to tie your album release to a seasonal single, but K-pop (and J-pop) do it quite often. If releasing an album in the month of December, you’re bound to get at least some holiday fare. We saw this from NCT Wish last month and now it’s &TEAM’s turn. Their album isn’t … Continue reading
Fresh off their victory on the newest season of Road To Kingdom, CRAVITY are striking while the iron is hot with a new single album. It’s uncommon to promote in the month of December, but I’m happy to hear new music during a traditionally slow period. Now Or Never makes for a suitable follow-up to … Continue reading
After a relatively quiet year, Treasure have promised a new album in 2025. Before that, they’re closing out 2024 with pre-release Last Night. The song sees them shifting away with heavy hip-hop sounds of the past and toward a surging pop style that showcases vocal and dance. When Treasure debuted back in 2020, this is … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! One-Half (from Parallel/Rainbow – 2017) The more I think about it, the more I realize what a solid album Parallel is. One-Half comes toward the end of the track list but loses no energy or bounce. The chorus is almost carol-like in … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 