The Boyz had a very strong run of 2023 singles, but their 2024 has been comparatively sparse — at least where new music is concerned. Moving on from their Phantasy series, the guys are back with an edgier sound. Trigger careens between high-tempo electro pop and bombastic theatricality. Unfortunately, that mix sounds better on paper … Continue reading
In the lead-up to their second album, Twice sub-unit Misamo unveiled a cover of Namie Amuro’s 2008 hit New Look. As a lover of the original song, I found the update supremely lacking. It drained all energy from an otherwise solid piece of music. Now, the girls are back to right the ship with original … Continue reading
The sheer audacity of ITZY’s uneven Gold has (sort of) won me over, but when their newest album was released most fans were more focused on its b-sides. I didn’t find many of these b-sides all that engaging myself. However, Imaginary Friend immediately stood out as a highlight. JYP seems to think so too, as … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Falling Asleep Again (from Parallel/Rainbow – 2017) We’re back to ballad territory with this one. I tend not to listen to ballads often on their own, but I appreciate them within the context of an album. Falling Asleep Again is a fine … 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! Fallin’ Light (from Fallin’ Light – 2019) What I said then: “Much of it plays like the quintessential GFriend song, but even when the beat kicks in for the chorus, it just doesn’t hit the highs I know they’re capable of. Apart … 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! Fall In Love (from LOL – 2016) Preceding the epic Navillera on an album was never going to be easy, but Fall In Love’s strings intro promises more excitement to come. The song is light and breezy, underpinned with distorted guitar to … Continue reading
Hello Gloom may still be a rising name in Korean music, but he’s crafted some of the best pop music of the past few years — both for himself and label-mate from20. His Mamacita is one of my favorite tracks of the year, delving deeper into dance music than ever before. New single Somebody slows … Continue reading
BTS’s Jin marks a big milestone by being the first member to return from the military and release music. And, I’m not talking about his Super Tuna from a few weeks ago! He’s ready to unveil an entire album, led by pre-release I’ll Be There. And with names like Gary Barlow and Arcades on the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Eye Of The Storm (from Song Of The Sirens – 2020) Okay, now we’re talking! I’m a sucker for Eye Of The Storm’s bombastic opening. It’s like the kickoff to a musical. You know you’re in for some drama, and the rest … Continue reading
Before he enlists in the military, NCT’s Jaehyun is set to hold a two day fancon and has released a new single to tide us over while he enters hiatus. Unconditional arrives only two months since his first solo album and continues the vibey, on-trend r&b sound he established there. This seems to be the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Emotional Days (from Fallin’ Light – 2019) GFriend’s Japanese work is very hit or miss for me, which is funny because their best material strongly recalls J-pop sounds. Emotional Days’ repetitive melody has potential, but the song never builds into anything spectacular. … Continue reading
tripleS “Visionary Vision” has to be one of the more ridiculous sub-unit names to emerge lately, fully embracing an adjective-noun repetition like an extraordinary extraordinaire. But hey, this is K-pop! Fun with language is just an added bonus. Group name aside, Visionary Vision marks the debut of tripleS’s first dance-based sub-unit. Hit The Floor delivers … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Eclipse (from Labyrinth – 2020) Eclipse feels like a blend of the earthy tones of this album’s title track (Crossroads) and the swinging energy of GFriend’s debut era. I love the violin that winds its way through the instrumental, giving over to … Continue reading
What does one do during a severely underwhelming month in K-pop? Return to the classics, of course! And there’s no performer more classic than Cho Yong Pil. The 74-year-old legend has returned with his first album since 2013’s very good Hello. It’s also his twentieth work. Remember, he was largely active at a time when … Continue reading
Around this time last year, AMPERS&ONE debuted with the ebullient On And On, setting expectations for a bright, exciting discography. This year’s follow-up Broken Heart swerved in a different direction, muddying those same expectations. That song grew on me a bit but felt like an overall dip in quality. Thankfully, new single He + She … Continue reading
Over the past few years, Purple Kiss have flirted with quite a number of genres. Their singles run tends to bounce between negative and positive reviews on this blog. I prefer their more melodic tracks, especially given the strength of their vocalists. New single On My Bike offers a bit of everything, melding their various … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Dreamcatcher (from Labyrinth – 2020) Dreamcatcher opens with evocative tones, promising a textured instrumental that largely comes to pass. The production is the most immersive thing about this track, providing a sense of fullness with beds of synth and percussion that reminds … Continue reading
DXMON are making their first comeback since the withdrawal of member Jo (the guy who used to sport the spiky red hair). I wasn’t a huge fan of their debut, but follow-up Girls, Love Boys, Love Girls stood as a late-spring highlight. I’d love to hear them go further down that melodic route, but new … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 