One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Been Through (from Universe – 2017) Taken from the group’s third winter album, Been Through doesn’t share much connective tissue with the season other than its subdued nature. Its verses have a fitful structure — trap-adjacent without fully embracing the genre. 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
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Beautiful (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) Though 2015’s Exodus album includes some of EXO’s best tracks, I find its second half to be a bit sluggish. Beautiful is a fine mid-to-uptempo r&b track, but apart from its catchy synth … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Bad Dream (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) Led by a fluid instrumental that seems to exist in a constant state of flux, Bad Dream draws upon harmony as its greatest calling card. There are elements of … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Baby, Don’t Cry (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) One of EXO’s most iconic slow jams, Baby, Don’t Cry opens with an evocative piano riff that sets the tone for an extended r&b plea. In doing so, it pulls the best from EXO’s … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Baby (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) A large portion of EXO’s first full-length album was devoted to retro, mid-tempo r&b jams, and Baby slots within that framework well. Over a blend of fitful synths and skittering, 90’s throwback percussion, the track … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Angel (from Mama – 2012) As EXO’s earliest ballad, Angel provided the template for stirring work yet to come. It’s still one of their enduring melodies, underlined by a simple, piano-led arrangement that’s bolstered by the evocative vocals of the group’s then … Continue reading
Did you guess it correctly? “Season Two” of The Bias List‘s K-Pop A-Z feature kicks off tomorrow morning with the music of EXO! Over the next few months, I’ll be reviewing every song from EXO’s discography — one song a day, in alphabetical order. Though I don’t mention them as much as I used to, … 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
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
I’ve spent too much energy this month complaining about songs produced by Devine Channel. Between 1Team’s Rolling Rolling, Kang Daniel’s What Are You Up To and EXO-SC’s very own What A Life, this production team has played a big part in this July being one of the worst K-pop months I can remember. So, I … Continue reading
Before EXO’s Chanyeol and Sehun debuted as an official sub-unit, they paired together to deliver last year’s SM Station track We Young. That song offered a nice balance between hip-hop and harmonized melody, with a warm tone that took advantage of the interplay between the guys’ voices. This weekend’s pre-release Just Us 2 followed suit, … Continue reading
The rise in popularity of K-hip-hop and K-r&b has fundamentally changed the K-pop landscape, and we’re reeling from those effects this summer. Hip-hop sub-units are nothing new for idol groups (hello, Infinite H!), but in a climate where this sound is becoming more ubiquitous they no longer feel like an unpredictable novelty. Bringing together members … 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
As EXO starts to transition into a military enlistment-driven era that will undoubtedly see less group comebacks, the members have been branching out with solo projects and sub-units. As expected, this music has been tailored to each members’ personal taste and skill set. This meant way too many ballads for Chen. And now, it means … Continue reading
I’m tired of writing about farewell singles. It feels like we’ve had an inordinate amount of idols enlisting in the military this year, and most of them have ushered in their hiatus with a sentimental goodbye track for the fans. I don’t enjoy being critical of these songs. I know how much it stings to … Continue reading
To say that Lay’s solo music is not for me would be an understatement. Apart from a solid track here or there, I find that most of his work represents the worst of what modern-era pop has to offer. It’s hookless, joyless and utterly devoid of originality. Fun fact: he’s the owner of the lowest-rated … Continue reading
As The Bias List continues to grow, I’ve been thinking a lot about my musical influences and preferences, and how my history with pop music has shaped the reviews that I write today. With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to take a day for a more personal post. More than anything, … Continue reading
When all is said and done, it’s starting to feel like 2019 will be known as the year of debuts and military enlistments. The number of high-profile enlistments that have occurred over the past few months has been staggering, as K-pop’s much-loved second generation of male groups take various forms of hiatus. There’s a new … Continue reading
This may be a controversial opinion, but by focusing solely on solos and sub-units these past four months, it feels like SM Entertainment has kind of thrown away a third of the year. This isn’t to say that solos and sub-units are unwelcome, but most of the ones we’ve gotten from the agency in 2019 … Continue reading
