After taking a look at SM Entertainment over the long weekend, it’s time to move onto an agency with very different activity in 2019. Prepare yourselves, friends. It’s YG 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. … Continue reading
Tag Archives: g-dragon
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of November 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
Random Shuffle Review: G-Dragon – One Of A Kind
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
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2012 (Day Four: 20-11)
It’s time to flash back seven years to 2012, an era of huge choruses, thumping dance beats and an endless supply of sci-fi influenced music videos. 2012’s charms were endless, but here are fifty of the absolute best singles. To be eligible for this top fifty list, songs must have had a Korean release as … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2012 (Day One: 50-41)
It’s time to flash back seven years to 2012, an era of huge choruses, thumping dance beats and an endless supply of sci-fi influenced music videos. 2012’s charms were endless, but here are fifty of the absolute best singles. To be eligible for this top fifty list, songs must have had a Korean release as … Continue reading
The Top 40 K-Pop Album Tracks & B-Sides of 2017 (Part One: 40-21)
Hundreds (if not thousands) of songs are released each year in Korea, but only a fraction receive full title track promotion. This leaves behind many buried treasures in need of a spotlight. Here are forty of 2017’s best: + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 40. TWICE – 24/7 A … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Albums of 2017
As I was looking back in preparation for this countdown, I realized that it’s actually been quite a strong year for mini and full albums, even if 2017 as a whole seemed to lack impact compared to past years. Quite a few solid albums failed to make the cut due to this heavy competition, but … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2017 (Day Four: 20-11)
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the 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 must have had … Continue reading
G-Dragon Act III MOTTE World Tour in Seattle – Review & Recap
It might not be the k-pop hub that is L.A., but living in the Pacific Northwest, we get our fair share of concerts in neighboring Vancouver. Even so, when I saw that G-Dragon had extended his world tour to Seattle, it seemed like a minor miracle. I can’t remember a time when a big-name k-pop … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2017
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 2017 Overall Thoughts Of the 18 months I’ve been running this site, June was the strangest … Continue reading
Top K-Pop Albums of 2017 (So Far)
After taking a mid-year review of 2017’s songs last week, it’s time for the albums. In a landscape shifting more and more towards the digital single, I’ve been a longtime proponent of the classic pop album. 2017 hasn’t given us all that many, but there have definitely been a few standouts. Here are my favorites … Continue reading
Top K-Pop Songs of 2017 (So Far)
Before the Bias List‘s Top 50 songs countdown in December, it’s time to take a mid-year survey of the k-pop landscape in 2017. Compared to 2016, this year has been somewhat underwhelming. But that doesn’t mean 2017 hasn’t had its share of highlights. Unsurprisingly, my list includes a number of acts that overlap with last … Continue reading
Song Review: G-Dragon – Bullshit
Amidst everything going on with his band-mate T.O.P, G-Dragon made the right decision in releasing the emotive Untitled, 2014 as the first single from his new mini album. But this being G-Dragon, we knew we’d be getting at least one hip-hop hype track before the album campaign was over. The eye-catchingly titled Bullshit is the … Continue reading
Song Review: G-Dragon – Untitled, 2014
It’s such a thrill to write about a solo G-Dragon track. Though Bigbang has been active over the past few years, we haven’t heard from G-Dragon on his own since 2013’s brilliant Coup d’Etat album. But on a personal level, he was one of my first ambassadors to k-pop as a whole. I can’t think … Continue reading
K-Pop’s Best Albums: G-Dragon – Coup d’Etat
Released in September of 2013, Coup d’Etat built on the touchstones of G-Dragon‘s 2009 debut album and his 2012 One Of A Kind mini. At this point, his immense star power had been cemented, allowing for high-profile collaborations that brought a more international flavor to his work. Within this framework, Coup d’Etat is one of k-pop’s … Continue reading
Song Review: IU – Palette (ft. G-Dragon)
Many have given IU the nickname “digital queen.” Such is the strength of her wide-reaching popularity in Korea. Nearly anything she releases instantly jumps to the top of the charts, even if her music may not make the same waves internationally. She’s by no means unpopular outside of Korea, but like Taylor Swift in the States, … Continue reading
The Top 10 Most Viewed Posts on THE BIAS LIST in 2016
Getting super meta for a moment, I thought it would be fun to cap off the year with a look at which ten articles were the most read on this site in 2016. In its own way, it’s a completely unscientific gauge of which artists were most popular with English-speaking k-pop fans this year. I’m … Continue reading
2016 SBS Gayo Daejun Recap (+ the 10 Best Performances)
It’s the time of the year for Korea’s annual music festivals! It’s a particularly exciting few days for k-pop, filled with special performances and a look back at the year’s most influential hits. SBS is the first of the three networks to kick off the week of “gayos,” and unfortunately they set the bar incredibly … Continue reading
Song Review: BIGBANG – Last Dance
Swan songs have a particular aura around them, and although Last Dance may not be the last thing we ever hear from Bigbang as a group, it certainly feels like the end of something. As their final single released before years of staggered military conscription service, it’s at the very least the last song the … Continue reading
Song Review: BIGBANG – Fxxk It
Originally scheduled for release in September of 2015, Bigbang‘s full Made album is finally here — though with only three new songs it feels more like a repackage than a full comeback. Even so, it marks the last we’ll hear from the group as a whole for quite some time, as members begin their mandatory … Continue reading