If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of K-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. FULL8LOOM Years … Continue reading
Upon the announcement of its official closure, I joked about owing K-pop’s Universe app a proper obituary. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really do need to document the demise of this longstanding frenemy. During its brief existence, Universe promised creepy AI-generated idol interactions (or so I’m told). … Continue reading
Over the past few years, Astro members have been more active in solos and sub-units than full-group comebacks. The most prolific has been the duo of Moonbin and Sanha. It’s hard to believe they’re already on their third mini album! They made a strong debut with 2020’s Bad Idea before embracing more atmospheric material with … Continue reading
I spend the whole year plucking “buried treasures” from K-pop’s vast slate of albums, and now it’s time for those b-sides to have their own countdown! As usual, some of 2022’s strongest music was never promoted with a glossy video or music show blitz. Over the next two days, I’ll be counting down my forty … 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
Welcome to Astro’s U&Iverse! It’s exactly like our universe, except every word that’s meant to start with “U” actually starts with “U&I”! U&Inderstand? To find out more about their U&Iverse, solve the questions in this Astro-themed crossword puzzle. Remember, every answer starts with “U&I,” but when transferring your answer to the crossword puzzle, leave out … Continue reading
We’ll take a brief hiatus from the usual Sunday Open Discussion post today because my annual “Risers and Fallers” feature always spurs conversation. Every July, I like to take a look at which songs have either grown or sunk on my own playlist. With years of reviewing under my belt and a pretty solid understanding … Continue reading
Yesterday, I struck a disappointed note when rounding up this year’s strongest singles, and this albums list is going to be quite similar. 2022 has delivered some decent albums so far, but nothing close to a My Name/City Of ONF, Don’t Call Me/Atlantis, YES, Summer Queen, Gatcha or The Chaos Chapter: Freeze. In fact, I’m … Continue reading
So… here’s the thing. This mid-year singles list is usually reserved for songs that are all-but certain to end up in my top ten at the end of the year. If judging by the quality of past years, the songs below would most likely fall in the teens or twenties, meaning we’re either going to … Continue reading
The Bias List launched at the beginning of 2016, making that year’s song countdown the first I published in any meaningful way. I’ve since gone back to look at 2015, 2013 and 2012 (hmmm… I guess I need to fill the holes that are left…). Now that it’s been almost six years, I thought it … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts So… we’re almost halfway through 2022 and…. hmmm. Compared to the songs … Continue reading
A K-pop act’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. Though I’m not yet sure how … Continue reading
Astro were one of my first musical obsessions after creating this blog. Their debut year delivered pop classic after pop classic, only to culminate in the brilliantly bright, brilliantly melodic Dream Part One album in 2017. Can you believe there was a time when both they and GFriend were reliably releasing Iggy/Youngbae-produced bangers? I miss … Continue reading
When Astro’s Moonbin and Sanha made their sub-unit debut in 2020, I was smitten by the funky pop of Bad Idea. I didn’t think much of the album itself, but that song seemed to offer a great template for future work. New mini album Refuge was preceded by last month’s Ghost Town — a trendy, … Continue reading
It seems Astro have entered a phase in their career that favors sub-unit and solo releases. This tends to happen after a group has established themselves, and it’s fun to see the individual members showcase their unique charms. Recent months have seen albums from main vocal MJ and dance/hip-hop unit Rocky and JinJin, but sub-unit … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts It’s a new K-pop year! I always feel optimistic in January because … Continue reading
A K-pop act’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. There were a ton of mini … Continue reading
As their industry stature has grown, Astro have begun to promote as units and solos. We had Moonbin and Sanha’s Bad Idea in 2020, MJ’s trot-tastic Get Set Yo last year and a steady stream of Cha Eunwoo dramas. Now it’s time for Jinjin and Rocky to put their own stamp on the ever-evolving Astro … 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
After the borefest that was KBS’s Song Festival, I wasn’t really in the mood to see what SBS had to offer. But, the cheesy-fun introductory stage, where all the artists joined together to sing Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, turned my frown upside down. We haven’t gotten many chances to see … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 