Seventeen’s Japanese discography has been a mixed bag, opening with the incredible Call Call Call in 2018 and never quite matching that energy. Many of their J-pop songs trend toward the lyrical, opting for dreamy soundscapes and subdued tempos. New single Dream may be their most reserved track yet. I’d go as far as calling … 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. October 2022 Overall Thoughts First off, I want to recognize Korea’s national period of mourning and … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
If you told me a decade ago that a member of the world’s biggest K-pop band would release a track written by Coldplay, I would’ve been shocked. But, global outreach and a popularity boom has resulted in collaborations like this becoming much more common. And with Jin, this team-up makes sense. His solo tracks on … Continue reading
K-Pop debuts can be tricky things. At times, they’re the best song a group delivers. Sometimes, they’re the only song a group delivers! But, debuts can also be huge wtf moments in an artist’s career. In this feature, I’ll be looking back at debut songs through the prism of time, re-evaluating how well they hold … Continue reading
Though Fearless could have used a bit more fleshing out in places, LE SSERAFIM’s mini album stands as one of the year’s strongest debuts. I found myself drawn to their aloof performance style and fashionable sound, and hoped their eventual comeback would build on the sound of b-sides like The Great Mermaid and Blue Flame. … Continue reading
After so many years, it feels weird to be writing about the solo debut of a Nu’est member. Their albums often featured solos (many of them highlights), but watching the guys embark on their own careers makes Nu’est’s disbandment really sink in. As the group’s career matured, Baekho became a driving force behind song composition. … Continue reading
For a group with so many members, Seventeen have done a nice job getting their individual voices into the spotlight. Many of the guys have already made solo debuts, though few of these have been paired with the relentless promo typically tied to K-pop comebacks. The seemingly free-spirited nature of these releases makes them feel … Continue reading
Just two weeks ago, no one knew who or what a “NewJeans” was, but thanks to a smart pre-debut blitz of music videos and the inarguable power of the HYBE empire, the group debuts with a massive number of album pre-orders and a million YouTube views. So much for slowly and steadily working your way … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
I’ve decided to try something new! Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of … Continue reading
After a brief respite, NewJeans’ pre-debut resumes in earnest with another new song and video. Judging from its title alone, I imaged Hurt to be a slower, more emotional track. Me being me, I was hoping they’d flip expectations and deliver a huge dance banger. But in the end, Hurt feels like a minor interlude … Continue reading
In an exciting turn of events, debuting girl group NewJeans are blitzing the K-pop market with a surprise set of pre-release videos before their album drops in August. This uncharacteristic approach feels very fresh for the industry and, so far, the music has felt quite new as well. Songs like Attention and Hype Boy have … Continue reading
The K-pop industry must finally be moving at rate so fast that I can’t keep up. I hadn’t even heard of NewJeans until today. This is even more surprising when you realize they’re debuting under a subsidiary of HYBE, our new overlords of K-pop. Between partnerships and audition shows and subsidiaries, the HYBE empire threatens … Continue reading
HYBE has a reputation for filming follow-up music videos for its acts. They rarely pick the songs I would, but that’s pretty much true for every K-pop agency. When it comes to ENHYPEN’s newest album, I’ve already put my weight behind the anthemic rock of Shout Out. But if I were to pick another song, … Continue reading
I enjoyed Seventeen’s Hot more than most seemed to, but the song didn’t have much longevity. In fact, it’s been years since a Seventeen title track has stuck around long on my playlist. It seems that, ever since Pledis Entertainment merged with HYBE, Seventeen’s sound has lost some idiosyncratic edge. Repackage track _World is a … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I know some of you have … Continue reading
BTS’s J-Hope pre-released More at the start of this month and somehow my even-keeled review spawned quite a discussion in the comments section! (That is, if you define “discussion” as unhinged character attacks with a wicked plot twist.) So, let me humbly begin this review by admitting that I don’t understand art. I’m too thick-headed … Continue reading
Recently, Seventeen have established an unsteady alliance with vocal processing. It’s hard to determine whether this is HYBE’s influence or simply a progression in the members’ musical taste, but it has markedly changed the group’s sound. Judging by their past few efforts, it’s almost hard to believe this is the same group that gave us … Continue reading
The other day, I was reminiscing about ENHYPEN’s October title track Tamed-Dashed. I realized I would’ve appreciated it even more if it had been released during the summer. But since K-pop boy groups are apparently limited to one sound only in 2022 (ie: shouting), we’re treated to the blustery Future Perfect (Pass The Mic) instead. … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 