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
Tag Archives: exo
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: July 2023
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
EXO Exist: In-Depth Album Review – Another Day
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
EXO Exist: In-Depth Album Review – Love Fool
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
EXO Exist: In-Depth Album Review – No Makeup
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
EXO Exist: In-Depth Album Review – Cinderella
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
EXO Exist: In-Depth Album Review – Private Party
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
EXO Exist: In-Depth Album Review – Regret It
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
Song Review: EXO – Cream Soda
I’ll always have a soft spot for EXO. They were one of my gateways into K-pop, way back when they made their debut eleven years ago. It’s been a rocky ride the past few years, with member enlistments and other roadblocks preventing the group from making their yearly comeback. Instead, fans have waited two years … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2023
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. June 2023 Overall Thoughts In the coming days, I’ll be sharing my top picks from the … Continue reading
Song Review: EXO – Hear Me Out
We have just over a week to go until the release of EXO’s long-awaited seventh full album, and the group has now unveiled two pre-release tracks. Following emotional ballad Let Me In, Hear Me Out picks up the tempo ever so slightly to craft a throwback summertime groove. I’m just… so underwhelmed by these pre-releases. … Continue reading
Song Review: EXO – Let Me In
In a summer stuffed with second-gen comebacks, it seemed EXO might be left out of the rush. There’s been a ton of legal drama behind the scenes, potentially sidelining their planned return. But according to reports, we’ll be getting a new studio album after almost four years. Before its title track drops in a few … Continue reading
Song Review: Kai (EXO) – Rover
Prior to his solo debut in 2020, I had imagined this huge Michael Jackson style career for Kai. Big songs, showstopping performances and tons of theatricality. Reality hasn’t played out like that, as he seems more intent on pursuing vibey tracks that lean further into R&B. This is absolutely fine (who am I to tell … Continue reading
Battle of the B-Sides: SHINee, SF9, MBLAQ, Baekhyun, (G)I-DLE
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Song Review: Chen (EXO) – Last Scene
I’ll make a potentially unpopular confession: I’m just not a fan of Chen’s solo material. Given his status as a balladeer, the headwaters were always going to be against him. I don’t have much space in my music library for soft ballads. But, I love his voice and there are quite a few EXO ballads … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: Xiumin (EXO) – Feedback
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. According to Xiumin, Feedback was considered … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2022
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. September 2022 Overall Thoughts Well, September was certainly a contrast to August! With hindsight, August was … Continue reading
Song Review: Xiumin (EXO) – Brand New
We still have some time to go for another EXO comeback, but in the meantime its members are keeping busy with solo work. Next up is Xiumin, who makes his official solo debut with a mini album (though he did release a fun duet with NCT’s Mark a few years ago and an SM Station … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Songs of 2016: Revisited
The Bias List launched at the beginning of 2016, making that year’s song countdown the first I published in any meaningful way. I’ve since gone back to look at 2015, 2013 and 2012 (hmmm… I guess I need to fill the holes that are left…). Now that it’s been almost six years, I thought it … Continue reading
Battle of the B-Sides: N.Flying, AOA, Red Velvet, Beast, EXO-CBX
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading