Tomorrow, The Bias List‘s comprehensive end-of-year countdowns will officially kick off with the first ten songs on my Top 50 countdown. Over the course of the next few weeks, you’ll get round-ups from every angle of K-pop: rookies, artists, b-sides, etc. I’ll also continue my tradition of recapping the industry’s year-end music festivals. In other … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
Earlier this year, CIX’s Thunder became a favorite of many fans. I liked the song too, though it has enjoyed little-to-no staying power on my playlist. Still, its crunchy electro funk felt like a nice makeover for the group’s sound. That sense of bombast seems to be a one-off as new single Wonder You (니가 … Continue reading
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
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 2025 Overall Thoughts It’s a new year! But it… kind of doesn’t feel like it … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
Sandwiched between Western and Lunar New Year, January has been pretty dry when it comes to new music. And, most of what’s been released hasn’t felt particularly noteworthy. In many ways, it’s as if we’ve simply kicked the start of 2025 down the road, finally ready to open the floodgates next month. If that’s the … Continue reading
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
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
When we last saw CIX, they were mired in an angsty music video with surprisingly dark subject matter. Save Me, Kill Me‘s sound was a far cry from my favorite CIX track: 2021’s jubilant Cinema. New single Lovers Or Enemies splits the difference, melding edgier ideas to a funky synth palette. Though the song is … Continue reading
The most notable aspect of CIX’s Save Me, Kill Me is its music video, which brings back the “drama storyline” approach many older K-pop mvs used to favor. It’s angsty and over-the-top and grabs attention. Unfortunately, this drama needs a better soundtrack. Save Me, Kill Me is a real slog. It’s like BTS’s I Need … Continue reading
Upon the announcement of its official closure, I joked about owing K-pop’s Universe app a proper obituary. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really do need to document the demise of this longstanding frenemy. During its brief existence, Universe promised creepy AI-generated idol interactions (or so I’m told). … Continue reading
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 2022 Overall Thoughts Too often this year, my monthly round-ups have been… kind of a … Continue reading
If my count is correct, it’s been 370 days since CIX released their first studio album. This makes for a surprisingly lengthy hiatus between comebacks. They’ve returned with a different sound, taking a few cues from their debut era but bringing a newfound sense of maturity. As a fully-realized song, 458 doesn’t always get there. … Continue reading
Each year, it feels like my B-Sides and Album Tracks list grows stronger and stronger. Too often, K-pop agencies miss the boat on releasing these incredible songs as title tracks. 2021 was no different, revealing a host of gems that would have topped my Singles list had they been promoted. Instead, I’ve got two days … Continue reading
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
A K-pop group’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. This week in K-pop followed 2021 … Continue reading
CIX’s debut-era sound wasn’t for me, but they captured my attention with the bright, melodic Cinema. With the release of their first full album, the group continues to move toward a lighter style, even donning the age-old K-pop sailor suits for promo shots. While clichés like that don’t usually bode well, I appreciate the group’s … Continue reading
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. July 2021 Overall Thoughts Well, July was… interesting. And by “interesting,” I mean unimaginably dull. Other … Continue reading
A review is just a snapshot in time, and sometimes I end up regretting the way I rated a song. There are so many factors that influence the longevity of K-pop. Familiarity, album context, live performances and cultural saturation can all boost or sink a song’s fortune. I run this feature during the mid-point of … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 