As a K-pop fan, it’s hard not to get caught up in imagined futures. That’s why I always try to urge myself to temper expectations, because as soon as I hear news of a comeback I picture what it could be – what I want it to be. And since I have no telepathic line … Continue reading
After looking at the year’s best singles (so far), it’s time to turn attention to 2020’s albums. I’ll reiterate what I said yesterday: relative to previous years, it’s been slim pickings. Consistently good mini albums have been particularly hard to find this year, at least in my opinion. But even though the overall picture may … 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 want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. As usual, DAY6’s new album is far more exciting and adventurous … Continue reading
Late last year, DAY6 shocked me with their fantastic – and musically varied – full album The Book of Us: Entropy. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the group’s music before, but Entropy really pushed their sound to another level. Retro anthems like Deep In Love and Emergency were particularly impactful, and gave me hope … Continue reading
Over the years, I’ve been asked several times to create a post where I reveal my previously-reviewed songs that I would now bump up to a perfect, 10/10 rating, allowing them to officially join my Legendary Songs category. I guess it took a global pandemic for me to finally spend the time to compile this … Continue reading
This is always a difficult list to form. After all, there are way more b-sides than singles to choose from each year, and with K-pop’s love of promoting genre trends, the most interesting music is often hidden within albums that not every listener bothers to check out. Following up from yesterday, I’m counting down my … Continue reading
2019 was a great year for albums, with an onslaught of full-length releases coming in its second half. Given this, I decided to so something different this year. It seems unfair to compare mini and full albums, since it’s obviously much easier to craft an excellent, filler-free mini than it would be to stretch that … Continue reading
This particular countdown tends to be polarizing. How do you judge a “best artist,” after all? To be clear, this isn’t an objective list. It’s not based on facts and figures. Nor is it a straight-up bias list, though bias definitely plays a big part. My criteria for this category is simple, and encompasses three … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things 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
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things 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
After taking a look at SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment earlier in the week, it’s time to move onto another of K-Pop’s leading agencies: JYP Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. The purpose of these … 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 want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I wasn’t all that enamored with DAY6’s latest title track, but … Continue reading
Throughout DAY6’s prolific career, they’ve fused their core rock band sound with various genre influences. I tend to prefer when they aim for the pop jugular — even better if it involves 80’s synths and anthemic choruses. With this in mind, there’s a lot to love on their newest album. The group has taken a … 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 2019 Overall Thoughts How do I adequately describe just how much of a crippling disappointment … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! Which … Continue reading
In a July that has seen an unprecedented amount of downbeat, forgettable comebacks so far, DAY6 have returned to inject some life into the month. We last heard from the band in December, when they released the excellent Days Gone By. December releases tend to fade from memory this time of year, but Days still … 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. December 2018 Overall Thoughts What is there to say about December, really? This month is basically … Continue reading
2018 was a fantastic year when it came to album tracks. In fact, many of them were stronger (and more interesting) than their title track counterparts. This makes for a very competitive top 40 list, as well as a host of honorable mentions. Honestly, I could’ve tripled the amount of honorable mentions and still had … Continue reading
Almost six months after their title track Shoot Me, the second part of DAY6’s Youth series is upon us. Beyond the sequential numbering of the mini-albums, there doesn’t seem to be a huge musical thread running between the two projects. But, as strong as the material has been, I’m not too concerned with continuity. On … Continue reading
In what has become an annual tradition, it’s time to take a look at K-pop’s biggest agencies and offer my 2018 verdict. Last weekend, I looked at SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment, and now it’s time to complete the “big three” with JYP Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any … Continue reading
