Not content to simply release solo music in a predictable way, Seventeen’s Dino has debuted as fictional alter-ego Picheolin. This character is the CEO of a music company specializing in retro sounds and we have an entire mini album and multiple singles to look forward to from him during the coming weeks. Joke or not, … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
This isn’t a uniquely K-pop issue, but I keep waiting for a male pop star to pick up the mantle of showmanship previously held by such titans as Michael Jackson and Prince. K-pop used to be a haven for this style of virtuosic pop star with ambitious artists like Taemin, but the new gen seems … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
I generally consider myself a pretty positive, optimistic person and really want this blog to be a space that focuses on the good, but 2026 has been a uniquely challenging year when it comes to K-pop releases. I can’t remember a year where I wrote as many negative reviews, so I’m going to try something … Continue reading
When looking back at this year in K-pop, there wasn’t really an album that caught my attention until April. Thankfully, things moved in a more positive direction after that. However, for the first time that I can recall all of the albums on this list are minis. I’m not sure what (if anything) that says … Continue reading
We’re halfway through the year, which means it’s time to check in and see how K-pop is doing in 2026. If I were grading the year in comparison to others, we’d be in trouble. There have been brief spikes of excitement, but overall 2026 has been characterized more by its many missteps than its few … 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. June 2026 Overall Thoughts This month felt like it was divided in half, with most of … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … 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
Two weeks after the release of their first full album, BOYNEXTDOOR are back with a surprise follow-up track. Though I enjoyed title track Viral quite a bit, most of the album is on the slower, sleepier side. Adios! was the only b-side that stuck out to me, so I’m glad it’s the one getting a … Continue reading
It’s unusual for a member of a popular K-pop group to cut ties before contracts are up, especially if they stick with the agency to promote as a soloist. From all accounts, Heeseung’s departure from ENHYPEN could be chalked up to creative differences. He wanted to release the music he was into. This begs the … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … 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’m not sure you can call … Continue reading
The idea of a super group in K-pop is very exciting. Anyone remember SuperM? As far as I know, this trio of HYBE acts don’t plan to promote together past this one-off single, but the combination of LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and Katseye has the potential to maximize a joint slay to the nth degree. However, … Continue reading
Despite really enjoying BOYNEXTDOOR, their past few comebacks haven’t done much for me. Then, I thought it might all be over with the blustering hip-hop pre-release ddok ddok ddok. However, that song ended up growing on me in a way a track like Hollywood Action never did, and I’m not quite sure why. Regardless, this … 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. May 2026 Overall Thoughts While May wasn’t quite as stuffed with highlights as April, it was … Continue reading
