Honestly, I came into tonight’s festival feeling pretty pessimistic. KBS’s Gayo was largely forgettable, and tonight’s line-up was missing some of my favorite acts. But, MBC ended up balking expectations and being the most enjoyable of the three gayos overall. When I think about it, this isn’t too surprising. I’ve always loved MBC’s more intimate … Continue reading
If I’m being completely honest, the first few months of PSY’s P Nation have been a dull disappointment. The agency has delivered a string of digital singles, none of which has pushed their artists in new or interesting directions. For all the hype, P Nation feels like business as usual. If anyone is ready to … Continue reading
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
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
Triple H made their unit debut in May of 2017, bringing together soloist HyunA and Pentagon members Hui and E’Dawn to form a trouble-making trio. 365 Fresh was a wonderfully retro funk track that got a bit overshadowed by its controversial music video. One might think that this muted commercial response would cause Triple H … Continue reading
As part of my 2018 mid-year retrospective, it’s time to look at those songs that either rose or fell as the months have passed. Some songs are slow-burners. Others impress in the moment but fizzle out quickly. And sometimes, a song surpasses expectations to become a cultural phenomenon. This year has actually seen more risers … 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. December 2017 Overall Thoughts 2017 certainly ended with a whimper. December is usually a pretty barren month, … Continue reading
MBC’s Gayo Daejejun had the best theme of the three end-of-year specials, and as usual it had the most stacked line-up. But I can’t help but feel like it lacked the kind of watercooler moments that make these specials so thrilling. The idea of pairing idol groups with fans resulted in some really endearing performances. … Continue reading
More often than not the KBS Gayo feels like the most intimate of the three end-of-year festivals, held in a theater rather than a stadium. This has its pluses and minuses, but the idea to structure this year’s special more like a traditional concert was an interesting choice. It was one made out of necessity, … Continue reading
K-pop is a highly visual medium, and although my song reviews try not to focus on the accompanying music videos, I certainly have my opinions! Here are my top ten visual moments of 2017, along with quite a few incredible honorable mentions. + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! … Continue reading
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
No matter how popular HyunA is, she will always be a divisive artist. K-pop pushes sexuality as much as any genre of entertainment, but it’s usually clouded in a confusing mix of innocence and perceived wholesomeness that plays to a sense of cultural modesty. HyunA, on the other hand, throws it all out there. This … Continue reading
Some may argue to the contrary, but for my money HyunA hasn’t given us a truly great solo single since 2014’s Red. Instead, she’s been caught in an unending loop of releasing essentially the same song year after year. For this reason, Babe‘s shift in sound is worth celebrating alone. HyunA cemented her solo super-stardom … 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 2017 Overall Thoughts May was a month of contrasts. The first two weeks were among the … Continue reading
When it comes to solo female artists in k-pop, few have become as iconic as HyunA. Rather than go down a cute, innocent route, she’s harnessed her own sexuality and charisma to cause a stir every time she releases new music. No one would classify her as a power vocalist, but her blend of hip-hop … Continue reading
When it comes to Triple H’s sub-unit debut, more will probably be made of the controversial music video than the song itself. I don’t tend to write extensively about videos, but 365 Fresh is definitely one of the more memorable ones in recent memory. I’m not sure romanticizing things like suicide and drug use is … Continue reading
Girl group CLC have been active for nearly two years now, but four mini albums later and they’re still struggling to break through and distinguish themselves from the pack. This is despite a very promising debut with the addictive Pepe in March of 2015. Given this dilemma, a total aural and image overhaul was a … Continue reading
Listening to How’s This? (어때?), it’s hard to believe that HyunA’s Red was one of my favorite k-pop songs of 2014. Since then, the quality of her music has seemed to devolve with each passing release, culminating in what I hope is her low point. “How’s This?” — she asks us? Well, it’s pretty darn … Continue reading
