The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things 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
In what has become an annual tradition, it’s time to take a look at K-pop’s biggest agencies and offer my 2018 verdict. After yesterday’s focus on SM Entertainment, it’s time to move onto YG Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things … 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 2018 Overall Thoughts October was like one of those Halloween horror movies with a twist … Continue reading
The tried-and-true melancholic hip-hop ballad has been a staple of YG Entertainment’s discography for many years, but it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve heard a new one. Goodbye Road (이별길) fits neatly within this template, and is the first real ballad iKON has promoted since 2015’s Apology. Road makes a nice bookend … 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. August 2018 Overall Thoughts Well, if July was disappointing, August was downright anemic. For the first … Continue reading
iKON made quite a splash when they debuted in late 2015, but 2018 has really been their coming out party. Not only was Love Scenario one of this year’s biggest hits, but its chill hip-hop sound has gone on to inform many boy group releases since. Its chorus was an earworm to end all earworms, … 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. January 2018 Overall Thoughts It’s a brand new year, which means all possibilities are on the … Continue reading
YG boy group iKON had a frustratingly sparse 2017 in Korea, releasing only a double a-side single that came and went without much fanfare. Their late-2015 debut album hinted at a much more versatile group capable of delivering a variety of moods and tones. New single Love Scenario (사랑을 했다) hearkens back to those days, … 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
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. September 2017 Overall Thoughts September is oftentimes underwhelming, since it marks the point in the year where … Continue reading
At their core, double title tracks are designed to showcase two sides of an artist. With Bobby’s I Love You displaying a youthful, upbeat vibe, Runaway is given the task of digging a little deeper and hitting a more emotional tone. As such, it’s an important piece of a well-rounded comeback, even if the end … Continue reading
Boy group iKON feel like they’re in the same place as fellow YG artists Winner were last year. Their career kicked off with a highly successful debut that built them a steady and dedicated fan base, but their domestic promotions have started to stall in years two and three. What they need is a Really … Continue reading
Last year, I marked the halfway point of 2016 by looking at some tracks that had either grown better or worse with time. This year, I’m a little late — but better late than never! As with 2016, the vast majority of my reviews still reflect my thoughts about a song, but sometimes it’s impossible … 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
iKON is YG Entertainment‘s newest boy group, formed through a series of survival shows that saw them debuting one year after their peers Winner. The guys may have only recorded one full album so far, but with YG’s singles-oriented release schedule, they have just enough title tracks for a top ten countdown. iKON is currently one … Continue reading
With a title like B-Day (벌떼), a song could easily devolve into cringe-worthy territory. But with the first of iKON’s double title tracks trying too hard to paint the guys as swagger-filled hip-hop legends, a little levity is welcome. And although B-Day doesn’t receive top billing on the group’s new single album, it’s by far … Continue reading
Now that YG Entertainment has moved to a double title track only release schedule for most of their artists — often with a long break in between comebacks — it’s essential for every one of those songs to be amazing. If you start giving the music video treatment to subpar material, it weakens the whole … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
As part of their official sub-unit debut, Winner’s Mino and iKON’s Bobby have released double title tracks that each show off very different charms. After being thrilled with the upbeat exuberance of Hit Me, Full House (붐벼) brings the guys back to a lurching, stereotypical exercise in what apparently makes hip-hop cool. But here’s the problem: … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 