There’s some irony in calling a song “The New Era,” but crafting it to sound like every other song from the last era. I’ve had my issues with GOT7’s Korean discography of late, but their Japanese releases are really just on another level. Sales-wise, they seem to be successful, but I can’t wrap my brain … Continue reading
Watching (and obsessing over) Avengers: Infinity War last week has got me thinking. If I wielded the Infinity Gauntlet and had the power to shape the universe, how would I control K-Pop? Infinite comebacks every month! New Sweetune songs every week! Just kidding. I’m not going to be that biased. Instead, I thought it would … Continue reading
Oh, GOT7. I want to love your music. I really do. Your first two years were full of addictive hits that struck a perfect balance between pop and hip-hop. But ever since 2016’s Fly, I’ve struggled to connect with what is clearly becoming your signature style. Seriously, though, I feel like a broken record whenever … Continue reading
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. FRANTS Years … Continue reading
What is it about Chinese releases from k-pop stars being consistently terrible? The Chinese music industry is so restrictive to Western listeners that it’s hard to accurately gauge the country’s pop climate, but all c-pop can’t be this bad, right? As with Jackson’s last solo endeavor (the embarrassing Papillon), I feel like I have to … Continue reading
As GOT7’s Korean output has continued to evolve, their Japanese releases have tended to stick to a similar pattern. For better or worse, they’ve developed a swag-driven j-pop persona that favors attitude and bluster over melody. This has resulted in a guilty pleasure or two, but never a song that can rival their best work. … Continue reading
I haven’t been a big fan of GOT7‘s shift in style over the past year and a half, but sub-unit JJ Project’s melodic Tomorrow, Today was one of this summer’s nicest surprises. By bringing back a sense of classic pop songcraft, JB and Jinyoung successfully laid the groundwork for the resurgence of melody in GOT7’s … Continue reading
Before I go on to ravage parts of Papillon, let me introduce this review by stating that Jackson is one of my very favorite k-pop personalities. Though I’ve been a listener of k-pop for a long time, I never really got into the variety show side of things until mid-2014. It was then that the … Continue reading
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. July 2017 Overall Thoughts July is always the month I look most forward to when it comes … Continue reading
Before there was GOT7, JJ Project debuted with soon-to-be members JB and Jinyoung. Their 2012 single Bounce was a fun, uptempo party track that blended a wide assortment of genres to create an addictive burst of k-pop energy. In the years since, GOT7’s material has strayed away from the “fun” side of things to explore … Continue reading
GOT7 have steadily began to have more creative input when it comes to their Korean material, but their scattershot j-pop releases are still driven mostly by composers from that genre. Sometimes I wonder how k-pop groups feel about their Japanese work. Do they treat the song as an important part of their overall discography, or … Continue reading
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
As a companion to my Top Ten Singles lists, it’s time to look at some of the best album tracks and b-sides from the best artists. GOT7 are one of those groups that keeps a pretty steady quality when it comes to their music. I found it difficult ranking b-sides because there are so many … Continue reading
Oh, GOT7. How I used to love you when you recorded songs with actual choruses. I still have great fondness for the group, but ever since they embarked on this year-long Flight Plan project, there’s been a noticeable change in their music. To say that the past three singles have been completely devoid of memorable … Continue reading
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. JYP (PARK … Continue reading
Wrapping up the end of year countdowns, it’s time to delve deeper into the albums 2016 gave us. Among hundreds and hundreds of tracks released this year (and last December!), here are forty of the absolute best. + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 40. OH MY GIRL – KNOCK KNOCK … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re starting 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. Unlike last year, j-pop releases will be placed in their own countdown, … Continue reading
It was a night of emotional acceptance speeches, expensive set pieces and, of course, a little behind-the-scenes drama as well. The MAMA Awards are always an exciting, larger than life capper on the year of k-pop, and this year’s broadcast was strong in a number of ways. But as with all award shows dedicated to … Continue reading
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
What is up with GOT7’s Japanese discography? I can’t think of any other k-pop act with such a wide discrepancy between their Korean and Japanese material. Yes, Japan is a very different market with their own likes and dislikes, but Hey Ya (along with their other j-pop releases) doesn’t even fit neatly into current Japanese … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 