At this point, I think I’d rather SM Entertainment abandon their digital Station project to focus more completely on full-fledged comebacks. It’s not that Station hasn’t resulted in some standout songs, but overall last year’s discography felt pretty forgettable. I fear that, rather than adding to artists’ catalogs in an interesting way, many of the … Continue reading
Tag Archives: f(x)
K-Pop Producer Spotlight: Erik Lidbom
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. ERIK LIDBOM … Continue reading
K-Pop Producer Spotlight: MonoTree
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. MONOTREE Years … Continue reading
K-Pop Producer Spotlight: The Stereotypes
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. THE STEREOTYPES … Continue reading
Song Review: Luna X Hani X Solar – Honey Bee
Honey Bee is one of those songs that’s just oozing potential from the get-go. Taking f(x)‘s Luna, EXID’s Hani and Mamamoo‘s Solar and setting them loose on a big diva pop track is definitely an exciting prospect. But as we learned with last year’s Triple T collaboration, big names don’t always mean quality songs. While … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best K-POP CHRISTMAS Songs
As the weather gets chillier and December approaches, it’s the time of year to dust off the old K-pop Christmas playlist. Korean acts have been giving us special holiday songs for years, but I narrowed my ten picks to tracks released over the past five years. Some have official music videos, and some do not. … Continue reading
Song Review: Amber & Luna (f(x)) – Heartbeat
With Heartbeat, SM Entertainment has completed their f(x)-driven EDM trilogy that started with Wave in May and continued with July’s All Mine. Given the strict adherence to genre structure, all three tracks feel somewhat interchangeable, but this helps create a welcome sense of continuity when they’re taken together, one right after another. Heartbeat was released as … Continue reading
K-Pop Producer Spotlight: Hitchhiker
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. HITCHHIKER Years … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of July 2016
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
K-Pop Producer Spotlight: Thomas Troelsen
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. THOMAS TROELSEN … Continue reading
Song Review: f(x) – All Mine
This week, SM’s Station gives us something close to an actual comeback. All four members of f(x) perform All Mine, a modern EDM track that fits nicely alongside much of SM’s recent output. I’m in two minds about the song. Oddly enough, I’m finding that I can adore it and be angry with it at the … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of May 2016
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
Song Review: Luna (f(x)) – Free Somebody
SM’s assembly line of solo releases continues with the first single from f(x)’s powerhouse vocal Luna. It was probably safe to assume that the song would be a ballad, but luckily the powers-that-be have decided on a high energy dance track instead. SM has had quite a love affair for this specific, early 90’s club … Continue reading
Song Review: Amber – On My Own (ft. Gen Neo)
When f(x)’s Amber released her debut mini-album last year, my favorite track by far was the lush Love Run. What’s notable about this is that the track is entirely sung, despite Amber being known as the rapper in her group. I don’t think anyone would crown her as a powerhouse vocalist, but Love Run was the first time … Continue reading
The Top Ten Best Songs by f(x)
SM girl group f(x) has rewritten the expectations for female kpop performers more than once during their career. Always looking forward, the girls have given us some of the most experimental, ambitious pop music in all of Korea. Yet somehow, each song’s complicating trappings are always wrapped in catchy, accessible hooks that offer the perfect balance between avant … Continue reading
Song Review: Amber & Luna [f(x)] – Wave (with R3hab, Xavi & Gi)
Wave is not only the latest SM Station release, but also the first under the company’s new EDM sub-label. It makes sense that f(x)’s Amber and Luna would take hold of this sound first, as their group’s most recent album already veered slightly in this direction. Working with a cavalcade of producers, the “featuring list” … Continue reading
Song Review: Amber – Borders
So far, SM’s weekly Platform experiment has been a disappointment, supplying almost exclusively slow and unmemorable side tracks. The fact that it’s billed as being a bonus or supplement to the agency’s usual releases makes it hard to be completely annoyed with it, but it still feels like a missed opportunity. I’m not going crazy over … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: f(x) – Airplane
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Airplane is a song from f(x)’s 2013 album Pink Tape. It’s … Continue reading