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
I combed through the Bias List archives and was surprised to find that it’s been over three years since I’ve written about new music from Seventeen’s The8. He’s released a couple of songs since then, but new single Orbit (轨道) bolsters his first EP. With Seventeen enjoying a mega-successful year, this release feels like icing … 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 (from Flower Bud – 2015) One sounds like an easy, breezy summer afternoon. This style of song tends to waft in one ear and out the other – very pleasant while it’s playing but not the kind of thing I’d seek … Continue reading
I feel like I may have inadvertently cursed NINE.i by placing them atop last year’s “Top 50 Songs” countdown. Since then, they’ve had agency issues and — apart from some great solo releases from member Vahn — have been musically inactive. That changes today with the release of new Japanese single Mirage (蜃気楼). Sadly, the … Continue reading
I’m shocked a K-Pop group hasn’t already repurposed the word “sleigh” into the homophone “slay” for a holiday track. With so many groups peddling bratty attitude, this seems like an obvious (though cringey) decision. This lyrical twist is present (see what I did there?) on the chorus of this new Chungha single, but thankfully she’s … Continue reading
We’ve entered December, which all but ensures a steady stream of ballads from both K-pop and J-pop. This softer energy tends to be quite seasonal, as listeners seek coziness over musical bombast. Japan has an especially insatiable appetite for ballads, making NiziU’s AlwayS the perfect release for this time of year. AlwayS starts life as … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 