Battle of the Title Tracks: BEAST’s ‘Breath’ vs. YOUNIQUE UNIT’s ‘Maxstep’ vs. 2PM’s ‘Beautiful’
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Battle of the Title Tracks: BEAST’s ‘Breath’ vs. YOUNIQUE UNIT’s ‘Maxstep’ vs. 2PM’s ‘Beautiful’

As a spin-off to my Battle of the B-sides feature, I’m pleased to announce the arrive of “Battle of the Title Tracks!” In this feature, I’ll be pitting three K-pop title tracks/singles against each other and choosing a winner. These songs will mostly be from pre-2016 since I’ll try to focus on music I haven’t … Continue reading

Song Review: 2PM – Make It
Review

Song Review: 2PM – Make It

One of 2021’s most welcome trends has been the resurgence of classic second-gen groups. Whether this comes via rediscovery of old tracks or the embrace of new comebacks, it’s gratifying to see these established acts get their due. The latest group to make a long-awaited return is 2PM. Make It (해야 해) arrives almost five … Continue reading

The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2013 (Day Three: 30-21)
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The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2013 (Day Three: 30-21)

2013 was a high-concept, musically diverse year in K-pop. Hip-hop hadn’t yet taken over, and melody was still king. Instrumentals aimed for the rafters of stadiums, bringing in explosive guitar, sledgehammer beats and bombastic electro riffs. Songs played around with structure in artful, unexpected ways, often polarizing opinion before unveiling themselves as future classics. Here … Continue reading