Debuting with YG Entertainment in 2014, sibling duo Akdong Musician are the very best act to come out of competition series K-Pop Star. Their acoustic pop sound pulls in a seemingly endless mix of genres, bursting with creativity and a sense of boundary-pushing inventiveness. Despite only having three proper studio albums to their name, they’ve … Continue reading
Akdong Musician have always seemed older than their years, bringing a sense of world-weary maturity to even their lightest pop songs. Since their first album in 2014, they’ve been going from strength to strength on the back of older sibling Lee Chanhyuk’s brilliant songwriting. And with The Tree (나무), they’ve brought that idiosyncratic vision to … 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. January 2017 Overall Thoughts 2017 started with one of the strongest (and most packed) first weeks that we’ve … Continue reading
Last May, Akdong Musician brought us Spring, a mini album full of bright folk pop perfectly suited for the season. Now, just as the new year begins, they’re back with Winter, their second full-length album. It’s (presumably) the last before Chanhyuk’s two-year stint in the military, and has been heralded by an ambitious short film … Continue reading
In k-pop, music videos are nearly as important as the songs themselves. It’s become such a visual genre, regularly churning out glossy videos that look much more expensive than they are. Without focusing too much on the actual song (though it’s impossible to fully separate the two), here were the top ten visual moments of … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re starting 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. Unlike last year, j-pop releases will be placed in their own countdown, … Continue reading
October is officially here, which means the countdown to Halloween has started. Whether you’re cobbling together a mix for a Halloween party or carnival, or just looking for some seasonal selections to soundtrack your pumpkin carving, K-Pop has a lot to offer. Here are some of the best tracks. If your favorite Halloween K-Pop song … Continue reading
Of the two title tracks that Akdong Musician released as part of their new mini album, How People Move is the looser, more fun-loving sibling. It’s also one of the most bizarre mainstream kpop releases we’ve heard in quite some time. On first listen, many portions of the song come across as improvised. Though it’s … Continue reading
Akdong Musician have long been a favorite of mine, and it’s seemed like a lifetime since they had a proper comeback. Though kpop as a whole continues to become more musically diverse, there are no easy comparisons to this quirky sibling duo. For their new album, we’re treated to double title tracks, with Re-Bye being the … Continue reading
