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. May 2022 Overall Thoughts So… we’re almost halfway through 2022 and…. hmmm. Compared to the songs … 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. Though I’m not yet sure how … Continue reading
Astro were one of my first musical obsessions after creating this blog. Their debut year delivered pop classic after pop classic, only to culminate in the brilliantly bright, brilliantly melodic Dream Part One album in 2017. Can you believe there was a time when both they and GFriend were reliably releasing Iggy/Youngbae-produced bangers? I miss … Continue reading
When Astro’s Moonbin and Sanha made their sub-unit debut in 2020, I was smitten by the funky pop of Bad Idea. I didn’t think much of the album itself, but that song seemed to offer a great template for future work. New mini album Refuge was preceded by last month’s Ghost Town — a trendy, … Continue reading
It seems Astro have entered a phase in their career that favors sub-unit and solo releases. This tends to happen after a group has established themselves, and it’s fun to see the individual members showcase their unique charms. Recent months have seen albums from main vocal MJ and dance/hip-hop unit Rocky and JinJin, but sub-unit … 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. January 2022 Overall Thoughts It’s a new K-pop year! I always feel optimistic in January because … 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. There were a ton of mini … Continue reading
As their industry stature has grown, Astro have begun to promote as units and solos. We had Moonbin and Sanha’s Bad Idea in 2020, MJ’s trot-tastic Get Set Yo last year and a steady stream of Cha Eunwoo dramas. Now it’s time for Jinjin and Rocky to put their own stamp on the ever-evolving Astro … Continue reading
After the borefest that was KBS’s Song Festival, I wasn’t really in the mood to see what SBS had to offer. But, the cheesy-fun introductory stage, where all the artists joined together to sing Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, turned my frown upside down. We haven’t gotten many chances to see … Continue reading
Over the past couple years, KBS has moved their song festival forward to mid-December. I’ve got a bone to pick with them when it comes to this change. I mean, don’t they know I’ve got a Top 50 Countdown to wrap up?? A pre-Winter Break nap to take??? Spare a thought for us bloggers, KBS! … 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. November 2021 Overall Thoughts We may still have December before us, but according to the norms … Continue reading
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 any other fan would know. The purpose of these articles is to examine how well these agencies are serving their artists and the general K-pop fan-base. If you’re curious … Continue reading
With Fantagio Entertainment laser-focused on Astro, it feels like Weki Meki have often been tossed by the wayside. This is despite a strong discography with a few big highlights. It’s been over a year since their last comeback, which might as well be a lifetime in K-pop standards. Last year’s Cool was well-titled, establishing a … Continue reading
Trot music doesn’t often pop up on this blog, despite the genre being a huge part of the Korean music industry. Some artists cross over and blend trot with more typically “K-pop” aspects, such as Hong Jinyoung. Others don’t perform on weekly music shows at all. It’s rare for an idol to make a debut … Continue reading
Astro are the latest group to release a song via the Universe app, meaning its full music video is only available to subscribers. So far, this barricade hasn’t been too much of a drawback because few of the Universe songs are any good. Most of the time, these tracks feel like cast-offs, pulled from the … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts When it comes to new music, I often mention the “expectations game.” … Continue reading
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
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
For years now, I’ve been crossing my fingers for Astro’s return to the bright, carefree pop of their debut era. Those fingers also begged for a reunion with producers Iggy and Youngbae, who crafted a definitive sound for the group. But, the world rarely gives you everything you want, so in place of another Hide … Continue reading
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
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 