Of the three year-end song festivals, I’ve always considered MBC’s to be the most intimate-feeling, as well as the one with the most diverse line-up. Plus, it’s got the added celebratory nature of New Year’s Eve. In 2020, none of these strengths could really be capitalized upon. It’s hard to create that intimate feeling without … Continue reading
Tag Archives: feature
K-Pop New Year’s Resolutions: 10 Things I Want To See Happen In 2021
After taking a look back at 2020’s resolutions, it’s time to tackle 2021. At this point, I’m just happy that we’re turning the page on this awful year, so it feels a little presumptuous to ask for anything specific in 2021. But, this is a long-time Bias List tradition, so I present my ten most … Continue reading
Looking Back at Last Year’s K-Pop Resolutions — Did 2020 Deliver?
Oh, you sweet summer child… making resolutions for 2020 without knowing that your true wishes would be as simple as “I want to be able to go out with friends,” “I want to eat in a restaurant,” or “I want to travel farther than my own backyard.” Putting aside the craziness of 2020, my Bias … Continue reading
The Bias List’s 5th Anniversary Celebration!
Time sure flies, doesn’t it? Depending on your time zone, today The Bias List officially turns five years old. That’s half a decade of debuts, disbandments and so, so, so many comebacks. Over the course of these five years, I’ve watched the industry’s unprecedented international expansion, spearheading by BTS’s rise to global fame. I’ve experienced … Continue reading
2020 SBS Gayo Daejun: Recap & Best Performances
As has been the case with most of the Gayos of the past few years, SBS’s Gayo Daejun was a bit dull tonight. Performing without a live audience has its ups and downs, and the best moments of the show were when the production really embraced the potential of the circumstances it had been dealt. … Continue reading
2020 KBS Gayo Daechukje (Song Festival): Recap & Best Performances
A couple weeks after the MAMA Awards showed the potential of an audience-less, pre-recorded stage show, KBS went far less ambitious. Now, it could be argued whether this broadcast should have happened at all given K-pop’s surging Covid cases, but the producers opted to cobble together what they could. I’m curious why this year’s Gayo … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2020 (Day Five: 10-1)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2020 (Day Four: 20-11)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2020 (Day Three: 30-21)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2020 (Day Two: 40-31)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2020 (Day One: 50-41)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2020: Part Two (MBK, P Nation, RBW, Starship, TOP, TS, WM, Woollim)
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. Make sure to … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2020: Part One (Brand New, Cube, DSP, Fantagio, FNC, Jellyfish, Kakao M, KQ)
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
Recapping and Ranking the Ten Best Performances from the 2020 MAMA Awards
The theme of this year’s MAMA Awards was “New-topia,” which sounds a bit chilling in a weird way. But, things were definitely new here. This was unlike any MAMA yet, lacking a live audience. But even though everything was accomplished on soundstages, I think the producers did a great job making this still feel like … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2020: BIG HIT LABELS
After taking a look at the 2020 prospects of SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, it’s time for the final Big Four agency, Big Hit Labels! As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. The purpose of these … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2020: JYP ENTERTAINMENT
After taking a deep dive into both SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment, it’s time to move onto another of K-Pop’s bog four agencies: JYP Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. The purpose of these articles … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2020: YG ENTERTAINMENT
After taking a look at SM Entertainment‘s 2020 progress, it’s now time for YG Entertainment to take the spotlight. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. The purpose of these articles is to determine how well K-pop … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2020: SM ENTERTAINMENT
It’s that time of year again! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2020 went. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like … Continue reading
I-LAND: Finale Recap
Episode One Recap // Episode Two Recap // Episode Three Recap // Episode Four Recap // Episode Five Recap // Episode Six Recap // Episode Seven Recap // Episode Eight Recap // Episode Nine Recap // Episode Ten Recap // Episode Eleven Recap Part One: The power of discipline Well, my friends, we’ve made it. … Continue reading
I-LAND: Episode Eleven Recap
Episode One Recap // Episode Two Recap // Episode Three Recap // Episode Four Recap // Episode Five Recap // Episode Six Recap // Episode Seven Recap // Episode Eight Recap // Episode Nine Recap // Episode Ten Recap Part One: The judges (and Sunoo) take control This episode’s introduction makes it clear that the … Continue reading