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. 1Take & … Continue reading
Tag Archives: boys24
Song Review: IN2IT – Amazing
The BOYS24 project has been an exhausting, drawn-out ordeal, with the prospect of its resulting boy group IN2IT getting less exciting by the month. But then the guys started dropping teasers for their official debut, filled with gorgeous scenery and a majestic, African-sounding instrumental that seemed as if could offer a breath of fresh air … Continue reading
Song Review: BOYS24 Unit Black – Steal Your Heart
Even with all its quirks and innovations, I consider myself to have a very solid understanding of the k-pop landscape. NCT’s ever-evolving configuration? Easy. LOONA’s year-long debut process? Not a problem. But the whole BOYS24 project is still a bit of a head-scratcher. This is despite watching (and enjoying) the entire competition series that launched … Continue reading
The Top 40 K-Pop Album Tracks & B-Sides of 2016 (Part Two: 20-1)
Wrapping up the end of year countdowns, it’s time to delve deeper into the albums 2016 gave us. Among hundreds and hundreds of tracks released this year (and last December!), here are forty of the absolute best. PART ONE HERE + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 20. UP10TION – STUCK … Continue reading
The Top 5 K-Pop Producers of 2016
An idol group is nothing without their actual music, and that music doesn’t come to life on its own. K-pop producers and composers shape a year’s sound more than anybody else, and in 2016 there were five that stood out as being particularly energizing. + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end … Continue reading
Song Review: BOYS24 – E (Unit Yellow Version)
When it comes down to it, the whole BOYS24 experience has been kind of frustrating. Though the program didn’t have close to the cultural impact of its similarly-minded predecessor, Produce 101, it was a highly entertaining series with great talent. Even better, it resulted in a very strong mini album of original songs that were used … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: BOYS24 – Time Leap
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Time Leap, along with the other original songs from BOYS24‘s … Continue reading
Song Review: BOYS24 – Rising Star
After the tremendous success of girl group competition show Produce 101 and the domination of its resulting group, I.O.I, it makes perfect sense that MNET would green light an all-male spin-off series. And like Produce, which had its representative song in the form of the quirky Pick Me, BOYS24 has released the pop bombast of Rising … Continue reading