After taking a look at K-pop’s biggest agencies, I’d like to turn my attention to the smaller (but still important) players in the K-pop game, three at a time. Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on K-Pop’s biggest agencies, this is written from an outsider’s perspective. I’m not privy to any business-related financial information beyond what … Continue reading
A few years ago, many of K-pop’s best tracks were buried as b-sides. This year was different, with most of my favorite music promoted as title tracks. I certainly prefer this approach. After all, great songs should be paired with great visuals/choreo whenever possible. However, it made for a slightly less prolific slate of “buried … Continue reading
Before I take a brief look at many of K-pop’s smaller agencies, there are a few that I have more to say about. Consider these “bonus” write-ups — shorter than the “big four” but longer than a paragraph or two could cover. As usual, the thoughts below are my own and aren’t privy to any … 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 2024 Overall Thoughts Over the past few years, the month of August has trended toward … Continue reading
Apart from the status of Golden Child’s contract (by my count, their renewal deadline is in… nine days?), the biggest Woollim Entertainment mystery is which of its artists will be the first to break the agency’s dreaded three-track album curse. The last time a Woollim artist released more than three songs at once was all … Continue reading
This year’s KCON was bigger and better than ever, stretched out over three days and dozens of stages. It’s my eighth year attending so I feel like a veteran at this point, but each year’s a bit different. 2023 was a stressful experience in several ways so I wasn’t sure what to expect in 2024. … 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. April 2024 Overall Thoughts K-pop years aren’t always frontloaded, but January was so strong that its … 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
A K-pop act’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. I was probably a little hard … Continue reading
Nothing has been more depressing than watching the slow downward drift of Woollim Entertainment. They’ve long been host to my favorite K-pop artists and an A&R team who reliably selects top tier songs. However, the agency hasn’t released more than a three-song single album since November 2022. I’m not sure what’s going on, but their … Continue reading
Tomorrow, I’ll post a year-end recap and my ten honorable mentions before launching into my Top 50 K-pop Songs of 2023 countdown on Monday. But in the spirit of my monthly “Risers and Fallers” feature, I thought it would also be fun to take a look back at the top tens of last year’s countdowns … Continue reading
Before I take a brief look at many of K-pop’s smaller agencies, there are a few that I have more to say about. Consider these “bonus” write-ups — shorter than the “big four” but longer than a paragraph or two could cover. As usual, the thoughts below are my own and aren’t privy to any … 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
DRIPPIN unveiled a fruitful era last year with their multi-part Villainz project, scoring two spots in my top ten K-pop songs of 2022. Much of that was due to the involvement of production team Newtype, who continue to work with the group on new single Seven Sins. Unsurprisingly, the song is solid. But, its sound … 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. FULL8LOOM Years … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
I’m a Woollim mega-fan, but I’ve been deliberately silent about the agency’s upcoming activity because I’m quite annoyed with the current state of affairs. Whether driven by budget, scheduling or staffing, it feels like Woollim has left us supporters in a lurch. Its artists have essentially gone M.I.A since mid-November and the upcoming enlistment of … 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
There are still two more countdowns to come (Top 40 pop songs and Top Dramas), but now that the K-pop-specific lists are complete it’s time to add up the categories and find out which comebacks ranked strongest overall. From a pure numbers standpoint, I guess this is the most important list I’ll publish! Just like … Continue reading
When it comes to K-pop choreography, I tend to focus on routines that feel iconic or eye-catching. The industry is stuffed with strong dancers, and I’m certainly not qualified to offer a technical breakdown. So with that in mind, here are the ten K-pop choreos that lingered in my mind throughout 2022. 2022 END-OF-YEAR MASTERPOST … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 