DIA are back with their annual comeback, but this time they’re down two members. Apparently, this release operated on a volunteer basis, where willing participants chose to join promotions, and other members (Chaeyeon and Somyi) opted out. It’s a novel approach, and I’m all for artists have more control over their own career. But, this … 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
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. March 2019 Overall Thoughts After a slow start to 2019, March finally seemed to kick things … Continue reading
When it comes to girl group DIA, each comeback feels like a minor miracle. I’m not sure they’ve ever released new material that hasn’t suffered some sort of delay or change. Though it’s not their fault, the group’s atrocious management has made it difficult for them to gain a stranglehold on K-pop’s notoriously fickle market. … Continue reading
After what’s seemed like endless delays, DIA is finally back with their first album in ten months. And for title track WooWoo, they’ve paired once again with established producer Shinsadong Tiger, who’s already brought Momoland massive 2018 success by returning to a bright, synth-infused dancefloor template. In contrast, WooWoo slows things down with heavy influence … Continue reading
In these days of the waning tropical trend, artists really have to do something daring with the genre’s template to stand out. A simple fill-in-the-blank “trop bop” just won’t do. And with the repackaged single Good Night (굿밤), DIA have fully surrendered to the most grating aspects of this fad. For a group constantly struggling … Continue reading
DIA have fallen into a classic rookie group trap, releasing comeback tracks of so many different genres and concepts that it often feels like the girls are trying on a series of outfits rather than finding one style that actually fits. It doesn’t help that the group has also been in constant flux, gaining and … Continue reading
Whenever you have a music market that’s over-saturated, there are bound to be groups that struggle to stand out. For DIA, this struggle has been a constant one. None of their singles have been unpleasant, but time after time it feels like they’ve been given another group’s leftovers. I don’t doubt the girls’ talent or … Continue reading
Girl group DIA has been sampling the party platter of k-pop tropes, switching from one concept to another in their bid to find something that will stick. Trying on GFriend’s style back in June didn’t quite work, so with Mr. Potter (미스터포터) they’ve conjured up a track that recalls Red Velvet in their Ice Cream Cake days. Now, k-pop … Continue reading
Long before I started covering k-pop exclusively, I learned the importance of following songwriters and producers, rather than just focusing on artists and groups. After all, a song doesn’t pop into the universe from out of nowhere. Even though a bias group may be able to elevate it with their talent and performance style, the same … Continue reading
