K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Tag Archives: akdong musician
Song Review: AKMU – NAKKA (ft. IU)
AKMU’s newest release is a collaboration album, with each of its tracks featuring a guest artist. None of these guests feel too surprising or left-field, but their presence has inspired the duo to experiment with their sound. NAKKA (낙하) brings together AKMU and IU – a recipe for surefire chart success. But, the track also … Continue reading
Battle of the B-Sides: AOA, AKMU, Taeyang, 4minute, BTS
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Song Review: AKMU – Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes (ft. Lee Sun Hee)
Well, what do we have here? Honest-to-goodness new music during the month of July?? Will wonders never cease! Actually, our long musical drought will soon come to an end as AKMU ushers in a K-pop deluge with their collaboration album next week. Apparently, all of its songs will be given some form of music video, … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2020: YG ENTERTAINMENT
After taking a look at SM Entertainment‘s 2020 progress, it’s now time for YG Entertainment to take the spotlight. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. The purpose of these articles is to determine how well K-pop … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of November 2020
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. November 2020 Overall Thoughts November was absolutely packed with releases, and though only one title track … Continue reading
Song Review: AKMU (Akdong Musician) – Happening
Over a year since its release, AKMU’s 2019 title track How Can I Love The Heartbreak, You’re The One I Love is still lodged in the top twenty of the Melon digital chart. That’s the very definition of an enduring megahit, and a testament to just how much Korea loves this singer-songwriter duo. Because of … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2020
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 2020 Overall Thoughts After a fantastic September, October was another strong month. And, it was … Continue reading
Song Review: Lee Suhyun (AKMU) – Alien
It’s been over a year since AKMU’s last comeback, and that song is still sitting comfortably on the Korea charts. No matter what they do, this brother-sister pair is popular. So, it makes sense to branch out to solo careers. And though Lee Suhyun’s Alien is composed by her brother Chanhyuk, its dancefloor-ready sound is … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of May 2013
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! May … Continue reading
The 100 Best K-Pop Songs of All-Time: 60-51
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2019: YG ENTERTAINMENT
After taking a look at SM Entertainment over the long weekend, it’s time to move onto an agency with very different activity in 2019. Prepare yourselves, friends. It’s YG Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of April 2014
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! Which … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2019
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. September 2019 Overall Thoughts So… I don’t actually have a “top three songs” of September. I … Continue reading
Song Review: AKMU (Akdong Musician) – How Can I Love The Heartbreak, You’re The One I Love
It’s been over two years since I last wrote about Akdong Musician. I’ve missed their musical perspective, but most of all I’ve missed their voices. In the summer of 2017, right before Chanhyuk enlisted, the sibling duo released their spin on light, radio-friendly EDM. Dinosaur marked a fun shift in their acoustic sound, and left … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2015
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! Which … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of May 2014
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! Which … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Music Videos of 2017
K-pop is a highly visual medium, and although my song reviews try not to focus on the accompanying music videos, I certainly have my opinions! Here are my top ten visual moments of 2017, along with quite a few incredible honorable mentions. + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2017 (Day Four: 20-11)
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the 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, songs must have had … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of July 2017
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 2017 Overall Thoughts July is always the month I look most forward to when it comes … Continue reading