About a month ago, we got word of an Infinite comeback. It was vague, but that combination of words will always get my heart racing. As the weeks went on, it became clear that this release would be a “song for the fans” anniversary single and not a full, promoted title track. I can’t say … 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
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. You spend over a decade waiting … Continue reading
Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that colored 2023, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. For me, most K-pop years are defined more by their rookies than older artists, and 2023 was no different. As usual, the criteria is built around these three facets: Quality of work Quantity of … Continue reading
As per tradition, the next few weeks on The Bias List will be stuffed with all sorts of year-end countdowns, mostly concerning the year in K-pop but also encompassing J-pop, global pop and even Japanese dramas! Basically, it’s a chance for me to take stock of my year in fandom and celebrate the things I … 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. November 2023 Overall Thoughts For the purpose of this blog, November marks the end of the … Continue reading
Upon the release of his first full album, fans are reeling at the revelation that Nam Woohyun was secretly battling a rare form of cancer earlier this year. Beyond the sheer ache we all feel for his struggle, I can’t help but admire his bravery in the face of a life-altering diagnosis. It’s impossible not … 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
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
1. Intro: 13 // 2. New Emotions // 3. Time Difference // 4. I Got You // 5. Find Me FIND ME Funny enough, Find Me is my least favorite track on this album but my favorite vocal performance. On the past three songs, I’ve struggled with the restraint of Infinite’s vocals and melodies. After … Continue reading
1. Intro: 13 // 2. New Emotions // 3. Time Difference // 4. I Got You // 5. Find Me I GOT YOU Apart from the (very good) intro track, I Got You is the only song on 13egin produced by a longtime Infinite collaborator. BLSSD composed 2018’s Tell Me and a trio of title … Continue reading
1. Intro: 13 // 2. New Emotions // 3. Time Difference // 4. I Got You // 5. Find Me TIME DIFFERENCE Fans disappointed in New Emotions‘ trend-chasing sound have flocked to Time Difference (시차) for a dose of the classic Infinite style. As far as 13egin‘s upbeat moments go, this is closest to what … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts This July was characterized by several things, but on this blog it … Continue reading
In K-pop’s summer of long-awaited second-gen returns, one group stands above them all for me. Infinite are my ultimate idol group — the act I’ve written most about on this blog and the one I hardly let myself believe would actually make a full-group comeback after such a long hiatus. But after founding their own … Continue reading
I wanted to do some kind of countdown or feature leading up to Infinite’s long-awaited comeback next week, but I quickly realized I’ve already written about pretty much everything Infinite-related on the blog. In fact, I’d wager no one on the internet has written as much about them as I have! So, rather than try … 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 like Sung Kyu’s Small Talk … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts In the coming days, I’ll be sharing my top picks from the … Continue reading
I’m following the reunion of Infinite with the eyes of a hawk. They’re my all-time favorite K-pop group, after all. It doesn’t seem that we’ll be getting any new music for the next few months, but I hold out hope the guys will make their looooong awaited comeback before the year’s end. Until then, leader … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of K-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. FULL8LOOM Years … Continue reading
Before I take a brief look at many of K-pop’s smaller agencies, there are a few that I have more to say about. Consider these “bonus” write-ups — shorter than the “big four” but longer than a paragraph or two could cover. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 