Is it weird that, even after the first note, part of me expected Hello (안녕) to be a cover of Adele’s 2015 mega-hit? To be honest, I wouldn’t mind hearing that. Instead, Chen’s latest release is the kind of ballad you’d expect this time of year in Korea. It’s been awhile since I’ve written about … Continue reading
Despite being a big fan of the group, no EXO solo or sub-unit has connected with me this year. The guys are now elder statesman in the K-pop industry, and with that comes guaranteed success for any new material they release. But rather than branch out and push K-pop forward, the guys have channeled their … Continue reading
As SM Entertainment’s biggest-selling group for the past several years, EXO’s solo and sub-unit potential has been severely underutilized. I expect that this will change as members start enlisting, but I can’t believe it’s taken this long to see an official solo album from the group (not counting Lay’s Chinese efforts, of course). And honestly, … Continue reading
Since SM Station’s inception, some of its biggest beneficiaries have been the guys of EXO. The project has often paired the members with unlikely collaborators or simply let them go solo, but many of the resulting tracks have ended up to be quite boring. I understand the desire to break EXO out of the glossy … 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
Thank the kpop gods! We finally have an SM Station release that isn’t a lifeless ballad! This alone is something to celebrate, but the fact that Lil’ Something is a great song in its own right is icing on the cake. For those unfamiliar, Chen is one of the main vocalists in mega-group EXO, and Heize … Continue reading
