ITZY were without their main vocalist for January’s comeback, but still managed to drop an early-2024 highlight with the rugged, exciting Untouchable. Now, Lia has returned to the group and everything’s golden. At least, that’s what their new single Gold seeks to portray. It’s an interesting sonic shift for them, throwing disparate musical elements together … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Cocktail Love (from Sugar Man 3 OST – 2020) So, this is technically a remake track featured on the (very great) variety show Sugar Man, but my K-pop A-Z feature is nothing if not comprehensive. Despite this cover being released in 2020, … Continue reading
Though they’ve lost members along the way, CNBLUE has slowly and surely grown into one of K-pop’s longest running bands. At this point, you can pretty accurately predict how their music will sound before even hearing it, which can be both comfortable and frustrating. New single A Sleepless Night (그리운건 그대일까 그때일까) is another solid … Continue reading
It’s exceedingly rare for a K-pop act to drop two full-length albums in the space of a year, but that seems to be EPEX’s plan. The date for their upcoming album hasn’t yet been set, but My Girl acts as its pre-release. The guys delivered an impressive one-two punch this spring, making me hope their … Continue reading
With as many digital singles as Xdinary Heroes have released this year, it hasn’t felt like the band has ever gone away. So rather than a comeback, Night Before The End acts as an extension. It also takes the opportunity to showcase a new texture to the band’s sound, slowing its energy for a dramatic … Continue reading
By any metric, it’s hard to argue that Seventeen aren’t the biggest K-pop act currently active. With this in mind, I keep waiting for another new single to wow me in the way so many of their past songs have. Maestro‘s chorus was an unsatisfying tease while last year’s God Of Music was pleasant but … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Click (from LOL – 2016) Early in their career, GFriend’s music could occasionally get a bit cutesy. Click’s exuberant cheerleader chants won’t be for everyone, and it doesn’t help that the song opens with them. However, the rest of the track offers … 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! Bye (from Time For The Moon Night – 2018) We’re back in ballad territory with the gentle Bye. Its orchestral opening sounds ripped straight from a Disney soundtrack about fairies. I don’t mean that in a bad way, though the approach will … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. It’s a fun time to be … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Mistranslations and nonsense titles are something … Continue reading
JD1 feels like one of those acts who are much more popular in Korea than abroad. This often pairs with music that sounds less internationally-minded, though his first two singles were palatable enough to appeal to a wide swath of listeners. As far as I’m concerned, he’s two for two so far. New single Be … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Better Me (Sowon & Umji) (from Walpurgis Night – 2020) For their final album, the group recorded tracks as units. Better Me sees Sowon and Umji taking a much more hip-hop influenced approach, which is cool but also a strange fit for … Continue reading
As their career progresses, XG have moved between two major modes: hip-hop and club music. Often, there are elements of both in their music, but songs like Something Ain’t Right and New Dance leaned heavily into melodic house influences. New single IYKYK builds upon this approach, adding smooth R&B-style vocals that give it a sleek, … Continue reading
I’m not deep enough into the BTS fandom to know this song existed prior to today, and I’m not even sure it warrants a review given its irreverence. However, new BTS releases are few and far between these days, and this is technically Jin’s first (though not new) song since being discharged from the military. … Continue reading
Billlie have a new album out later this month, their first Korean release in about a year. And as is the fashion lately, they’re kicking off promotions with a pre-release track. Trampoline merges their quirky worldview with the subdued nature of 2024 girl groups, adding a jazzy flair for good measure. This will make for … Continue reading
BLACKPINK’s Jennie has a sparse solo discography to her name, both in quantity and quality. 2018’s Solo and last year’s You & Me felt quite underdeveloped as songs. However, she played an integral part in Zico’s irresistible Spot! earlier this year, paving the way for more solo work. Mantra emerges as her third single, continuing … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Beautiful (from Fallin’ Light – 2019) The piano arpeggio that opens this track is gorgeous and promises a sense of dynamism that never quite materializes. The instrumental shifts as we hit the first verse and the track transforms into… for lack of … Continue reading
I never got a chance to write about BEWAVE’s debut Sing! earlier this year. That song didn’t do much for me, but I heard potential from this young group. New single Hard To Get To You (너에게로 가는 길이 너무 어려워) moves toward fulfilling that potential, unveiling a surging sound that’s refreshingly anthemic in its … Continue reading
Despite consistently releasing new music, AB6IX have struggled to recapture the buzz of their debut era. Instead, they’ve expanded their sonic palette, exploring a variety of genres with generally strong results. 2021’s funky Cherry was one of those successes and new single NVKED echoes that upbeat energy. NVKED has an effusive, bounding instrumental, pulsing with … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 