EXO’s Baekhyun has one of my favorite voices in K-pop. It’s been a huge part of my journey as a fan, but I found his debut mini album to be a bore. Someone once said that if idols were allowed to choose the music they performed, every single one would be doing lifeless trap/r&b or … 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! April … 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! March … Continue reading
May is quickly shaping up to be the month of superstar collaborations. Yours brings together EXO’s Chanyeol and DJ Raiden, and throws in Lee Hi and Changmo for good measure. This buffet of talent offers a little something for everyone, and each performer is used well – even if the song takes a minute to … Continue reading
Just a day after IU and Suga teamed up to deliver the kind of superstar collaboration that the digital charts wet themselves over, BOL4’s Ahn Jiyoung and EXO’s Baekhyun have paired to unleash some healthy competition. But while yesterday’s Eight bucked expectations as a driving pop track, Leo (나비와 고양이) sounds exactly how you would … 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! January … Continue reading
Different groups are loved for different reasons, but one of my favorite concepts within pop music is the “imperial phase” — a (usually) brief era when every promoted song an act releases is absolutely superb and iconic. This got me to thinking: what are K-pop’s greatest imperial phases? I combed through my exhaustive playlists and … Continue reading
So… the EXO solos haven’t exactly panned out the way I would have hoped. So far, it’s been an unending stream of ballads and mid-tempos, each blending into the other without any real artistic differentiation. It’s not that the music has been bad, but it feels like SM Entertainment have developed a real narrow pathway … Continue reading
2013 was a high-concept, musically diverse year in K-pop. Hip-hop hadn’t yet taken over, and melody was still king. Instrumentals aimed for the rafters of stadiums, bringing in explosive guitar, sledgehammer beats and bombastic electro riffs. Songs played around with structure in artful, unexpected ways, often polarizing opinion before unveiling themselves as future classics. Here … Continue reading
2013 was a high-concept, musically diverse year in K-pop. Hip-hop hadn’t yet taken over, and melody was still king. Instrumentals aimed for the rafters of stadiums, bringing in explosive guitar, sledgehammer beats and bombastic electro riffs. Songs played around with structure in artful, unexpected ways, often polarizing opinion before unveiling themselves as future classics. Here … Continue reading
2013 was a high-concept, musically diverse year in K-pop. Hip-hop hadn’t yet taken over, and melody was still king. Instrumentals aimed for the rafters of stadiums, bringing in explosive guitar, sledgehammer beats and bombastic electro riffs. Songs played around with structure in artful, unexpected ways, often polarizing opinion before unveiling themselves as future classics. Here … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! 3.6.5 (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) 3.6.5 feels like a good track to end this (seemingly endless) K-Pop A-Z segment. It’s not a complicated or groundbreaking song, but it’s an unusually potent burst of pop energy within EXO’s discography. The track … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! 24/7 (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) 24/7 rest largely on its titular hook. Even the instrumental revolves around the same melody. Because of this, the song is a little repetitive for my taste, without enough variation … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! XOXO (from Growl – 2013) XOXO lays out a solid groove and sticks with it for three minutes. It has an appealing, throwback charm even if its ambition is generally low. The percussive piano is a nice touch, but like so many … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Wolf (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) I think it’s accurate to call Wolf EXO’s most polarizing title track. The song gets a lot of guff, labeled cheesy or cringey. And yeah, the wolf howls are a bit much. But, when you … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! With You (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) With You fades in with a beautiful tranquility that continues even as more instrumental elements are added to the track. The vaguely trip-hop beat feels unique within their discography, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Winter Heat (from For Life – 2016) With all the winter songs EXO have recording, I feel like I’ve said all I can say about this kind of track. Winter Heat’s dynamic percussion allows it to stand out a bit, with each … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! White Noise (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) The first thing you’ll notice about White Noise is its odd, herky-jerky percussion that feels as if its constantly fighting to keep up with itself. This helps to forge experimental verses that take a … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! What Is Love (from Mama – 2012) I don’t often highlight vocal phrasing as a song’s greatest strength, but What Is Love is all about how EXO wraps their voices around the instrumental’s icy, alien-like beat. This is without a doubt my … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! What If… (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) As someone who came of age in the 90’s, I have a total soft spot for this kind of r&b slow jam. For those of us who might remember, the vocal hook … Continue reading
