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
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
Two years ago, I took a look at my favorite “Songs of Summer” between 2012 and 2018. Now that we’re getting closer to the season, I think it’s time for an update! This time, I’m cheating a bit. I kept this feature’s original title for continuity’s sake, but my top song of summer for 2020 … Continue reading
As has been the case with most of the Gayos of the past few years, SBS’s Gayo Daejun was a bit dull tonight. Performing without a live audience has its ups and downs, and the best moments of the show were when the production really embraced the potential of the circumstances it had been dealt. … 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
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 2020 Overall Thoughts For the first time in months, I feel pretty good about where … Continue reading
April enjoyed a well-deserved breakthrough with this spring’s Lalalilala, which stands as their highest-charting title track yet. As a special thank you, the girls have released a short summer album, heralded by the buoyant Now Or Never. If it wasn’t already clear from my daily “Summer of K-pop” posts, I’ll always welcome a fun summer … 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. April 2020 Overall Thoughts With stay-at-home orders in effect all month, there was certainly time to … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. April’s new mini album has a very strong Cosmic Girls feel, … Continue reading
2020’s girl group slate has given us Dun Duns and Nun Nu Nan Nas, ASSAs and Dumhdurums. So, it only makes sense that this onomatopoeia train would wind up at its logical destination: a big, honking LALALILALA. This is the all-caps exclamation with which April have finally put a cap on their seemingly endless hiatus. … Continue reading
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
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
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 2018 Overall Thoughts October was like one of those Halloween horror movies with a twist … Continue reading
Launching in mid-2015, DSP Media’s April debuted with six members (including KARD’s Somin as their leader). Three years later, the group still has six members, but not without a few changes over time. What hasn’t changed all that much is their sound — an effervescent burst of innocent pop music with the occasional symphonic flourish. … Continue reading
A sense of innocence has tethered all of April’s music together thus far, but that’s too much of a simplification when it comes to talking about their discography. Structurally and stylistically, they’ve slowly become one of K-pop’s most interesting girl groups. Their singles run has pin-balled from one sound to the next, and now they’ve … Continue reading
Production team e.one has carved out quite a niche for themselves composing material for girl groups, and that includes the creation of most of April’s singles. Their signature style — a mix of the ornate and the electronic — has fared well for the girls, even if they’ve yet to nail down that one breakthrough … 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. September 2017 Overall Thoughts September is oftentimes underwhelming, since it marks the point in the year where … Continue reading
Girl group April have now released seven singles, but as solid as many of those tracks have been, none has felt like the type of moment that might define a unique sound for the girls. In many ways, they’ve been plagued by a common struggle when it comes to rookie acts. Rather than branch out … Continue reading
Last year, I marked the halfway point of 2016 by looking at some tracks that had either grown better or worse with time. This year, I’m a little late — but better late than never! As with 2016, the vast majority of my reviews still reflect my thoughts about a song, but sometimes it’s impossible … Continue reading
As DSP Media’s co-ed group K.A.R.D has continued to gain steam among international audiences, the agency is still trying to figure out what formula will help April break out. The girls initially went down the sickly-sweet bubblegum route, but January’s April Story offered a glimpse at a more mature sound. New single Mayday (메이데이) continues … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 