The members of iKON continue to stretch their wings, releasing more and more solo releases in varying genres. It’s already been a busy year in this regard, and now lead vocalist Song Yunhyeong is throwing his hat in the ring with the energetic It’s Call (콜이야). Its boisterous trot sound may be surprising at first, … 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. February 2024 Overall Thoughts Due to its positioning in the dead of winter and the cancelling … Continue reading
iKON’s Bobby has returned with his third album and a dramatic new hairstyle. He’s also paired with Japanese artist Chanmina, trading blows over the banging Harmless. The song brings him back toward cathartic, confrontational hip-hop. Bobby has always pulled off this style well, and Harmless‘s electronic edge has plenty of potential. Its rugged bass immediately … Continue reading
After last week’s pre-release, iKON’s DK is back with the title track from first solo album. Groovin vaults him out from the murky mire of LTNS and deposits him in the club. The song’s minimalist sound is surprisingly effective. It’s more of a “vibe” track than a dance track, but DK’s smooth vocals glide over … Continue reading
Since switching agencies, iKON members have had more opportunity to develop solo careers and explore different sounds. DK (Kim Dongyuk) is known as the group’s main dancer, but his music takes a more downbeat, angsty turn for pre-release LTNS (오랜만이야). This track melds rock textures with mid-tempo percussion. The vocals are heavily filtered, giving them … Continue reading
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. Following SM Entertainment‘s analysis earlier this week, it’s time to dive into … Continue reading
Freed from the clutches of YG Entertainment, iKON and its members have a newfound freedom of expression that’s resulting in a wide variety of music. Bobby’s solo work has run the gamut, at times melodic but often combative. f is driven by rock energy, and the punchy guitar makes for an ideal setting for Bobby … Continue reading
Freed from YG Entertainment’s clutches, iKON are now releasing music with greater frequency. Panorama arrives just months after the group’s latest album and sees the guys working with new collaborators. However, the track retains iKON’s classic sound. At its best, Panorama works as a pleasant, sing-song mid-tempo that showcases a lighter side of iKON’s musical … Continue reading
Hours before his military enlistment, iKON’s Jay has dropped his first EP. As the group’s main vocalist, his solo sound offers a sensual atmosphere and plenty of space to show off his voice. Blue Moon is pleasing in a purely aesthetic way, but barely registers as a song. Blue Moon is brittle and slight, driven … Continue reading
It’s amazing what can be accomplished when the shackles of a big agency like YG Entertainment are thrown away. In just a couple of months, iKON members have released a full album and solo tracks/features. This is lovely to see, especially with so many years of infrequent comebacks. Lead vocalist Jay (also known as Jinhwan) … Continue reading
Kim Jaehwan’s finally gone and done it. He’s promoting a funk song! Ever since 2019’s excellent Designer, I’ve been on his case about releasing more upbeat material. Yes, big voices are well-suited to ballads — but there is nothing better than a skilled, powerful singer flexing their skills over an equally powerful dance beat. Lucky! … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts We’re not quite to the halfway point of the calendar year, so … Continue reading
Days after hitting us with pre-release Tantara, iKON have delivered their first album under new management. And if title track U is any indication, the group is in a very happy place. This is their most upbeat single yet, offering their take on the popular disco-party sound. Given the song’s co-write from member Bobby, I … Continue reading
It’s time to see what iKON can do on their own! Tantara is the first taste of a post-YG future for the group, released ahead of their upcoming album. They’ve always had a hand in their own production, so the continuity between this song and the last isn’t surprising. Tantara isn’t so much a reinvention … Continue reading
I wrote about Bobby’s Cherry Blossom just yesterday, and now he’s back already with the title track of his just-released solo single. Drowning pairs him with vocalist Sole and ups the energy considerably. I didn’t expect to hear this style of city pop beat from him, but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised given … Continue reading
Late last year, Bobby and the other members of iKON left YG Entertainment to join a new agency. It was a smart move if they want to release new music with any regularity. Ahead of a teased group album this spring, Bobby has returned with his first solo work since 2021’s U Mad. When it … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s 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, … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
This feature has gradually shifted from a December to a November tradition, leaving more space for next month’s sprawling end-of-year countdowns. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2022 went. Following SM Entertainment‘s analysis earlier this week, it’s time to dive … Continue reading
We’ll take a brief hiatus from the usual Sunday Open Discussion post today because my annual “Risers and Fallers” feature always spurs conversation. Every July, I like to take a look at which songs have either grown or sunk on my own playlist. With years of reviewing under my belt and a pretty solid understanding … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 