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! July … Continue reading
Tag Archives: FNC
Song Review: N.Flying – Oh Really.
Idol rock group N.Flying have been absent since last October, when they released the groovy, understated Good Bam. Personally, I’ve been waiting for them to return to a more raucous sound. For me, the one-two punch of The Real and Hot Potato remains their defining era, even though the more straightforward Rooftop was the song … Continue reading
The Most Epic Days in K-Pop: June 22, 2015 (AOA, Sistar, Teen Top)
As the K-pop market has become more flooded with acts, it’s not unusual to see days with multiple comebacks. Usually, these are a grab bag of varying quality, but every once in awhile you’ll get a day that unveils multiple classics at once. This feature is dedicated to those epic days – days in which … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of March 2012
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
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of January 2012
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
Song Review: Cherry Bullet – Hands Up
Cherry Bullet had a rocky debut year, kicking off 2019 with the popular Q&A but soon losing momentum after an underwhelming comeback and months-long hiatus. Making matters worse, the group lost three of its ten members. That’s a pretty big shift less than a year into an idol career. Still, it’s not without precedent when … Continue reading
Song Review: SF9 – Good Guy
The release of a group’s first full-length album is a big deal, but the roll-out for SF9’s First Collection has felt simultaneously rushed and muted. Today was an especially confusing landmark, as we received the track list, highlight medley and music video all within hours of each other. And, the album’s not even out until … Continue reading
2019 KBS Gayo Daechukje Recap (+ the 10 Best Performances)
For me, any end-of-year K-pop festival isn’t complete without a bit of trot. And though none of tonight’s trot performances made my list, I was happy to hear them sprinkled throughout the show. The opening artist intro was particularly fun. I’m also glad that KBS moved out of their usual performance hall for this event. … Continue reading
Song Review: AOA – Come See Me
Though I’ve always loved AOA’s discography, I was only familiar with a few of the members prior to this year’s Queendom series. Because of this, I was delighted to find a group of ladies with an appealing sense of self-deprecating humor and a down-to-earth warmth at odds with their often-glamorous image. Korea seems to have … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2019: Part One (Brand New, Cube, DSP, Fantagio, FNC, Jellyfish, MBK, Play M)
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
Song Reviews: Ranking Queendom’s Final Comebacks
Queendom has become one of K-pop’s most pleasant surprises this year. Its conceit — five girl groups (and one soloist) competing for performance-based dominance — was shockingly good-natured in reality, allowing each act to showcase their charms without the kind of needless drama these series usually thrive on. In fact, I’d be just as happy … Continue reading
Song Review: N.Flying – Good Bam
Ever since breaking out with the self-penned Rooftop earlier this year, N.Flying have taken more creative control of their music. This has been something of a mixed bag. Their follow-up single, Spring Memories, was an oddly subdued choice and failed to set the charts alight in the same way as its predecessor. With new release … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of March 2015
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
Song Review: FTIsland – Quit
Because they debuted at such a young age, FTIsland have been able to consistently release music for twelve years without a military enlistment-forced hiatus. This is almost unheard of when it comes to male K-pop groups, and it’s positioned the guys as one of the industry’s staples. Zapping is their first album without leader Jonghoon, … Continue reading
KCON LA 2019 – Recap & Review
With another year of KCON behind me, I’m feeling recharged. This is something I needed after a lackluster K-pop summer. Though KCON seemed a bit cursed at the beginning (both ONEUS and Chungha had to cancel, following Everglow who pulled out weeks earlier), it turned out to be a great year. It’s my fifth KCON … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2015
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
Random Shuffle Review: AOA – Like A Cat
With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2015
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
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2014
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
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2015
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