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
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
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
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
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
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
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
