By their very nature, ballads are difficult to write at length about. The vast majority follow a similar template, with a greater focus on performance and sentiment than novel production touches. But, when a ballad hits, it hits big. This was the case for BTOB’s late-career breakout It’s Okay, which reinvented them as a compelling … Continue reading
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. Ferdy Years … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of k-pop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Back in k-pop’s second generation (approximately 2003-2011), agency collaboration albums were … Continue reading
Ever since their 2015 commercial resurgence with cathartic ballad It’s Okay, BTOB have fallen into a pattern of increasingly toothless pop music. They’ve never been more successful than they are now, so it’s hard to fault them from sticking to a winning formula, but I fear that any bit of edge has been completely ironed out … Continue reading
Since last summer’s Produce 101 ended, Kim Samuel has hit the ground running. In less than a year, he’s delivered three albums (one full, two mini) and a Japanese debut. That’s pretty prolific for a sixteen-year-old soloist. And though his work has never gone beyond the confines of what we might consider “teen pop,” each … Continue reading
I’ll admit that it’s completely unfair, but whenever we get a solo project from the rapper of an idol group, I instantly compare it to G-Dragon. In many ways, GD invented this particular role, and popularized it internationally by way of his immense charisma and genre-blurring execution. Perhaps BTOB’s Jung Ilhoon has noted this as … Continue reading
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. When it comes to ballads, I love it when groups … Continue reading
It’s been well over a year since BTOB came back with a ballad. After the success of 2015 single It’s Okay, it seemed as if they were going to become stuck in ballad-mode forever, having finally found their commercial sweet spot. But with the changing of the seasons, the time is right to remind the … Continue reading
Since their late-career surge in 2015 with the brilliant ballad It’s Okay, BTOB have hit the ground running, releasing a steady stream of albums just as their contemporaries are beginning to slow down. And now that Beast has left Cube Entertainment and 4minute has disbanded, the group are at the top of the pack within their … Continue reading
Getting super meta for a moment, I thought it would be fun to cap off the year with a look at which ten articles were the most read on this site in 2016. In its own way, it’s a completely unscientific gauge of which artists were most popular with English-speaking k-pop fans this year. I’m … Continue reading
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. + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 40. OH MY GIRL – KNOCK KNOCK … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Of all the title tracks that I’ve written about this month, … Continue reading
As the weather gets chillier and December approaches, it’s the time of year to dust off the old K-pop Christmas playlist. Korean acts have been giving us special holiday songs for years, but I narrowed my ten picks to tracks released over the past five years. Some have official music videos, and some do not. … Continue reading
As BTOB has essentially turned into a ballad group, fans have been waiting for when they would finally come back with something more uptempo. After all, amidst the slower material on their most recent albums, the group has proven that they can still throw out a ridiculously fun, new-jack swing influenced dance track. But Pray … Continue reading
October is officially here, which means the countdown to Halloween has started. Whether you’re cobbling together a mix for a Halloween party or carnival, or just looking for some seasonal selections to soundtrack your pumpkin carving, K-Pop has a lot to offer. Here are some of the best tracks. If your favorite Halloween K-Pop song … Continue reading
With BTOB’s transition into a ballad-focused group, I feel like most of the issues I’ve had with their recent material has centered around the awkward shoehorning in of rap sections. But with this new sub-unit, composed of vocalists Eunkwang, Sungjae, Changsub and Hyunsik, rap is definitely not a concern. True to expectations, BTOB-Blue are given … Continue reading
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. SEO YOUNG-BAE … Continue reading
As BTOB continues to rise in their homeland, they’ve also carved out a pretty successful career in Japan. Though I find much of their j-pop material to be more reductive and schmaltzy than their Korean output, there’s no denying that the big balladry of L.U.V allows the guys a platform to display their substantial vocal … Continue reading
As Cube Entertainment’s second boy group after Beast, BTOB had a lot to live up to. They debuted strongly in 2012, but began to see a lull in the years that followed. Then, in 2015 they enjoyed a resurgence as a pop ballad group. So, which side is their best side? Read on to find out! Updated … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 