TXT’s comebacks have been divided between series of albums and special “minisodes” that offer brief breaks from the lore. This branding doesn’t really affect the music. There have been highlights from both formats. The group found especially solid footing in 2021 when their title tracks embraced angsty pop/rock. The teasers for new single Deja Vu … Continue reading
Tag Archives: big hit
Song Review: J-Hope (BTS) – Neuron (with Gaeko & Yoonmirae)
Just weeks after V released his own post-enlistment single, bandmate J-Hope is back with a full-on hiatus era album. Not only that, but his Hope On The Street is billed as a “volume one,” meaning we likely have much more coming. For the album’s single Neuron, he’s enlisted (pun totally intended) some of K-hip-hop’s big … Continue reading
Song Review: V (BTS) – FRI(END)S
It’s taken awhile, but artists and agencies have figured out how to keep momentum going as idols make their mandatory military enlistment. It used to be unheard of to deliver “new” content during these extended hiatuses, but now it’s become commonplace to record music and even videos for future release during enlistment. ONF managed to … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of January 2024
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 2024 Overall Thoughts Well, what a nice surprise this month has been! After many years … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: TXT x SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] – LEvel
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. Readers, this is why I’m always … Continue reading
The Ten Most Popular BIAS LIST Posts of 2023
Every year at this time, I like to look back at which of my posts received the most views. If nothing else, it’s a good gauge of artist popularity. I know there are readers who take a look at everything I post, but there are also a lot of people who come to the blog … Continue reading
Year-End List Recap: The Best Overall K-Pop Comebacks of 2023
Now that I’ve finished all my K-pop related countdowns of the year (yay!), I liked to take a macro view and determine which specific comeback or debut was my overall strongest of the year. There are always some personal surprises here, but the numbers don’t lie. As before, I took five categories and gave them … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Music Videos of 2023
To be honest, this year I tended to watch most K-pop music videos one or two times before moving onto the song and leaving the visuals behind. The water mark for music videos has become very high, with the industry churning out cinematic, big-budget works every other day. While many videos could comfortably slot into … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Choreography of 2023
2023 was a weird year for K-pop choreography. There didn’t seem to be too many iconic point moves, even as TikTok challenges continue to necessitate catchy, easy-to-replicate routines. As usual, this is not a ranking of the most technically impressive performances of the year. Instead, here are ten routines that caught my eye in 2023. … Continue reading
Song Review: Jimin (BTS) – Closer Than This
I wasn’t sure whether to write about Jimin’s Closer Than This or not. These fan songs and nostalgic behind-the-scenes videos skirt the line between “single” and “b-side,” but he seems too big of an artist to ignore. This style of track tends to follow a familiar template, making it hard to have a strong opinion … Continue reading
The Top 40 K-Pop Album Tracks & B-Sides of 2023 (40-21)
One of the unique features of The Bias List is its “buried treasure” write-ups. I try my hardest to comb through every major K-pop album released each year and when a song catches my ear I highlight it on the blog. This countdown is an encapsulation of those write-ups, ranking my top 40 b-sides and … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Artists of 2023
Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that colored 2023, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. For me, most K-pop years are defined more by their rookies than older artists, and 2023 was no different. As usual, the criteria is built around these three facets: Quality of work Quantity of … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2023 (Day Four: 20-11)
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
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2023 (Day One: 50-41)
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
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of November 2023
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 2023 Overall Thoughts For the purpose of this blog, November marks the end of the … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2023: HYBE LABELS
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. Following SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment‘s analysis, it’s time for … Continue reading
Song Review: Jungkook (BTS) – Standing Next To You
Of all the BTS solo efforts, Jungkook’s music has connected most with me. Both Seven and 3D (minus Jack Harlow’s awful verse) have had unexpected staying power and I appreciate how they wear their influences on their sleeve. Both those songs hearkened back to early-2000’s sounds, but title track Standing Next To You mines earlier … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2023
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 2023 Overall Thoughts Though it boasted a more exciting line-up of big-name comebacks, October felt … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: October 2023
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: TXT – Growing Pain
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. TXT’s new album has exactly two … Continue reading