Ahead of their album release next week, aespa have returned with the evocative Welcome to MY World (yes, the capitalization of “MY” is intentional!). Rather than hitting us over the head with intense hyperpop sounds, the track offers a more languid energy. Welcome to MY World builds gradually, moving from downbeat, rock-influenced trap-pop to symphonic … 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
This isn’t a title track or a “buried treasure,” but aespa’s new Tetris OST seems noteworthy enough to receive a write-up. Yes… you read that right. “Tetris OST.” We’re living in the upside-down, here. Thankfully, this upcoming Tetris movie is billed as a biopic/thriller and not one of those awful animated cash-ins that ruin a … Continue reading
Christmas songs. Lots of Christmas songs. That’s pretty much what December in K-pop entails – especially this year. Usually, the month will open with a few big-name releases before devolving into wintery fare, but I think the World Cup has pushed most new comebacks to next year. SM Entertainment seems particularly festive this December, blitzing … Continue reading
This feature has gradually shifted from a December to a November tradition, leaving more space for next month’s sprawling end-of-year countdowns. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2022 went. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. July 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
Based on agency clout alone, aespa were always going to be successful. However, I recall their AI, lore-heavy concept raising many eyebrows pre-debut. And although it was a hit for me right away, the addictive Next Level took time to seep into public consciousness. But quicker than you can say “Kwangya,” we’ve arrived at the … Continue reading
Though HYBE has made the BTS brand synonymous with K-pop around the world (at least to casual listeners), I still think SM Entertainment is the agency others are most seeking to emulate. Even during times their industry cachet has lulled, SM has remained an inexorable through-line when thinking about K-pop on a macro scale. Aespa … Continue reading
Several years after launching their ambitious SuperM project, SM Entertainment has developed a similar strategy for their female artists. From what I can gather, Girls On Top will encompass multiple mix-and-match units. First up is GOT The Beat – a performance unit comprised of BoA, SNSD’s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Wendy, and … Continue reading
We’re down to the wire now with K-pop’s final year-end festival. MBC’s show is usually my favorite. It feels the most festive, bridging the gap between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It also tends to have the most robust artist line-up. Like every festival of the past two years, this one revolved around … Continue reading
You simply can’t have a great K-pop comeback without eye-catching choreography. With each passing year, it’s become more vital to the industry. Dance routines are excellent for a variety of reasons, ranging from intricate “how did they do that?!?” moments to simple point moves that become trendy touchstones. This list covers both of these extremes … Continue reading
Each year, it feels like my B-Sides and Album Tracks list grows stronger and stronger. Too often, K-pop agencies miss the boat on releasing these incredible songs as title tracks. 2021 was no different, revealing a host of gems that would have topped my Singles list had they been promoted. Instead, I’ve got two days … Continue reading
Even decades after formation, some things haven’t changed about SM Entertainment. They’re still clever vultures, digging through old pop detritus and repainting it to craft shiny new baubles. A recent example is aespa’s Next Level (pulled from an old Fast & Furious soundtrack), but SM has been doing this since the 90’s. SES’s 1998 hit … Continue reading
After ranking my favorite rookies of 2021, I turn my attention to K-pop’s more established artists. This year, the criteria is the same as ever: Quality of work Quantity of work Influence of work on the industry As usual, the first criteria far outweighs the next two, and is entirely subjective. This is not a … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
It’s not quite December yet, but I’m going to kick off this annual feature a little early this year! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2021 went. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. October 2021 Overall Thoughts When I averaged all my song ratings of October, I was surprised … Continue reading
A K-pop group’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. However you may feel about aespa’s … Continue reading
As a day-one admirer of aespa’s Next Level, I’ve loved watching the song work its way into public consciousness and become one of 2021’s most iconic K-pop tracks. SM Entertainment is clearly angling for an edgier sound for the group, perhaps in an attempt to replicate BLACKPINK’s global success. But so far, their tracks have … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. May 2021 Overall Thoughts 2021’s momentum stalled a bit this month. But, it wasn’t for a … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 