Despite climbing to some of the highest highs in recent years, TXT’s title tracks tend to be hit or miss with me. They’ll release something utterly brilliant like Crown or Run Away or 0X1=LOVESONG, only to follow it with a single that hits many of my musical pet peeves (I’m side-eying you, Can’t You See … Continue reading
Some songs arrive with fanfare even before a single preview has dropped. Vibe represents not only the long-awaited return of Bigbang’s Taeyang, but a colossal meeting of two K-pop generations. During the early 2010’s, Bigbang helped construct the international crossroads that made K-pop such a global success. Years later, BTS paved those roads in platinum, … 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
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. December 2022 Overall Thoughts December is historically a very slow month in K-pop, but every once … Continue reading
Okay, I tried something new this time. Rather than watch the entire hours-long festival in one go, I just skipped to the performances on YouTube (which is probably what most sane people do!). This improved the overall experience by removing some of the bloat these year-end shows are well-known for. I’ve always appreciated the bigger … Continue reading
While I don’t incorporate a song’s video into the reviews on this blog, I’m definitely not immune to a striking visual. Music videos are a vital part of the industry, and it’s time to celebrate my favorites of 2022. 2022 YEAR-END MASTERPOST Honorable Mentions: ENHYPEN – Blessed-Cursed Onew – Dice IVE – After Like PSY … 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
To be honest, you may or may not see recaps for future end-of-year festivals this December. I’d like to write about all three big nights if possible, but over the past few years these events have become so boring and predictable. Basically, acts emerge with some dramatic intro (swords, pyrotechnics, flags, etc) before performing a … Continue reading
One of the coolest things about RM’s Indigo album is that it’s essentially a collaboration project. All but two tracks prominently feature guest artists, and these guests have been plucked from many eras, cultures and countries. None feel extraneous or tacked on for purely commercial reasons. Unlike BTS’s recent slate of English-language department store bops, … Continue reading
Before I share my thoughts about this song, it’s probably wise to address the elephant in the room — or the elephant on Twitter, to be more specific. Being my occasionally cantankerous self, I recently made a comment about the MAMA daesang award-winners of the past eight years. Look, I really don’t care about MAMA … 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. Following SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment‘s and JYP Entertainment‘s evaluations, it’s time for … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts First off, I want to recognize Korea’s national period of mourning and … Continue reading
If you told me a decade ago that a member of the world’s biggest K-pop band would release a track written by Coldplay, I would’ve been shocked. But, global outreach and a popularity boom has resulted in collaborations like this becoming much more common. And with Jin, this team-up makes sense. His solo tracks on … Continue reading
BTS’s J-Hope pre-released More at the start of this month and somehow my even-keeled review spawned quite a discussion in the comments section! (That is, if you define “discussion” as unhinged character attacks with a wicked plot twist.) So, let me humbly begin this review by admitting that I don’t understand art. I’m too thick-headed … Continue reading
Now that BTS are on group hiatus (or whatever HYBE wants to call it), it’s time for the members to further develop their solo pursuits. This kicks off with J-Hope, who already has several singles to his name. Ahead of his headlining performance at this year’s Lollapalooza, he’s set to release his first official album … 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
As BTS’s popularity has skyrocketed, the frequency of their output has dwindled – a surprising approach for an act as in-demand as they are. The past nineteen months have seen occasional solos and collaborations, but only a trio of full-group tracks. Now, we can add several more to their catalog. Their multi-disc compilation album Proof … 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
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
It’s been ages since I’ve written about anything BTS-related. Though the group’s name remains omnipresent, the members have taken a well-deserved break to recharge. But even before that, 2021 passed by without an official Korean comeback. Fans were treated to Japanese and English language hits instead. We’ll see what 2022 brings, but for now the … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 