I haven’t listened to Rosé’s debut album yet, but judging from the promotion so far I feel that the raucous Bruno Mars duet APT. will be a sonic outlier. It’s always annoying when an album’s biggest hit sounds nothing like any other song surrounding it. This is less of a concern in the age of … Continue reading
Tag Archives: blackpink
Song Review: Rosé (BLACKPINK) – Number One Girl
Rosé’s first full album is just around the corner, and it’s already buoyed by a global megahit in the form of APT. with Bruno Mars. That single’s addictive sound has proven to appeal to a vast array of tastes. You know a song has broken through with the general public when they start using it … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2024: YG ENTERTAINMENT
It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 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. October 2024 Overall Thoughts I’ve probably opened with this overused phrase during previous Octobers, but I’m … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: October 2024
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
Song Review: Rosé (BLACKPINK) x Bruno Mars – APT.
After years of infrequent releases, the BLACKPINK members have blitzed the market with solo singles over the past few weeks. Some of these have featured international stars, like Lisa’s duet with Spanish pop queen Rosalía. Now, it’s Rosé’s turn to join forces with a global hitmaker, pairing up with Bruno Mars for the quirky, irreverent … Continue reading
Song Review: Jennie (BLACKPINK) – Mantra
BLACKPINK’s Jennie has a sparse solo discography to her name, both in quantity and quality. 2018’s Solo and last year’s You & Me felt quite underdeveloped as songs. However, she played an integral part in Zico’s irresistible Spot! earlier this year, paving the way for more solo work. Mantra emerges as her third single, continuing … Continue reading
Song Review: Lisa (BLACKPINK) – Moonlit Floor
It’s always interesting to measure the lag between a very popular western pop song and the inevitable K-pop progeny. I’m not sure Lisa’s solo material can be considered “K-pop” given its language and her nationality, but you can definitely hear how new single Moonlit Floor echoes the approach of Sabrina Carpenter’s breezy global smash Espresso. … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of August 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. August 2024 Overall Thoughts Over the past few years, the month of August has trended toward … Continue reading
Song Review: Lisa (BLACKPINK) – New Woman (ft. Rosalía)
Fresh off the success of her recent single Rockstar, BLACKPINK’s Lisa is back with a big-name collaborator in tow. Spanish singer Rosalía makes for a compelling feature, herself a genre-bending, forward thinking popstar who can certainly match Lisa’s charisma. And as a song, New Woman is infinitely more interesting than its predecessor. However, “interesting” doesn’t … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Songs of 2017: Revisited
A few years ago, I took a look back at my top K-pop songs of 2016 and did some reshuffling. To be honest, that list still needs a couple slight changes to be totally accurate in my current thinking, but rather than be overly fussy I’d like to move onto the following year. 2017’s K-pop … Continue reading
2024 LEGENDARY SONGS Inauguration Ceremony
Many readers have been asking for it, and I’m finally ready to unveil this year’s Bias List Legendary Songs Inauguration Ceremony! A total of forty-nine songs have already been inaugurated as part of this feature, including a few J-pop highlights. As a rule, this ceremony only covers material released since The Bias List‘s inception (Jan … Continue reading
Song Review: Lisa (BLACKPINK) – Rockstar
BLACKPINK members have managed to sustain their global popularity despite a dearth of actual music. The long wait between releases adds mystique to their name, ensuring every group or solo track incredible chart success. In Lisa’s case, a song doesn’t even have to be an official single to smash. 2021’s Money trended for many months … Continue reading
Song Review: Zico – Spot! (ft. BLACKPINK’s Jennie)
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from either Zico or BLACKPINK, making this new duet instantly buzzy. Amidst all the uproar happening in the industry at the moment, HYBE might be hoping this superstar collaboration could be a bit of a distraction. But at the end of the day it’s the music itself that should … 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
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2023: YG ENTERTAINMENT
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‘s analysis earlier this week, it’s time to dive into … Continue reading
Song Review: Jennie (BLACKPINK) – You & Me
Combing through my archives, I was shocked to find the last time I wrote about a Jennie song was way back in 2018 with Solo. That’s pre-pandemic, folks! You & Me marks a welcome return for the BLACKPINK member, though the song has been kicking around for a few months after being performed live. You … Continue reading
Song Review: Taeyang – Shoong! (ft. Lisa of BLACKPINK)
After six years without a new album, Taeyang is treating fans to multiple title tracks. After January’s Vibe, Shoong pairs the veteran performer with another K-pop titan. This time, it’s an in-house collaboration with BLACKPINK’s Lisa. When it comes to solo material, Taeyang often pairs himself with rappers. Bandmate G-Dragon has filled that role more … Continue reading
Song Review: Jisoo (BLACKPINK) – Flower
Jisoo is the final member of BLACKPINK to make her solo debut, four-and-a-half years since Jennie kicked things off with Solo. Long waiting periods are nothing new for fans of this group (or YG in general), but long hiatuses would be worth it if they resulted in classic material. Sadly, the opposite has occurred. I … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2022: YG ENTERTAINMENT
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‘s analysis earlier this week, it’s time to dive … Continue reading