Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … Continue reading
It feels like &TEAM have promoted recent single Firework more frequently on Korean broadcasts than in their native Japan, making the whole ‘Korean-agency-debuts-Jpop-act’ approach even more nebulous. Thus far, &TEAM’s output has basically been K-pop performed in Japanese — a trend many agencies are attempting to replicate. My thoughts on this aside, Firework is a … Continue reading
Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … Continue reading
Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … 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 have only a passing familiarity with Tokyo Gegegay (mostly through their collaborations), which caused me to miss the video for Break The Romance (破壊ロマンス) when it was released two weeks ago. But with a new album out this week, I dove into this single and won’t be looking back. I love when a song … 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. Starship Entertainment’s current A&R team is … Continue reading
Formed through Yoshiki Superstar Project X, XY is more like a performance troupe than a traditional boy group. It’s an insanely ambitious idea: bring together vocalists, dancers, a rock band (and a baton twirler for good measure) and see what you can come up with. The result is absolute magic. I feel similar about XY … Continue reading
I’m pretty obsessed with this list of singles and albums. I’ve been a J-pop fan for almost a decade now, but this year I’ve made a concerted effort to really dive deeply into the industry. Part of this initiative includes weekly J-pop round-ups that are posted every Sunday on this blog. My efforts have been … Continue reading
Unlike every Johnnys group before them, Travis Japan’s debut year has been characterized by a stream of digital single releases. This is much more in line with Western pop roll-outs, and gives the group a chance to quickly display the various sides to their music. Luckily, Travis Japan’s singles keep getting stronger. Candy Kiss is … 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
XG are an interesting prospect. Managed by legendary J-pop company Avex, they’re finding much more success outside their home country than within. This seems to be by design, as they perform in English and target many K-pop venues and audiences. I haven’t seen them appear on any of Japan’s numerous music shows, but they’ll be … Continue reading
NiziU’s second album is scheduled for release in mid-July, but its lead single has been unveiled early. Coconut is NiziU’s bid for a summer hit and contains many of the elements we associate with the season. I’ve had a hard time embracing NiziU’s music. Apart from the occasional standout, I find it too closely-aligned to … Continue reading
While fans wait impatiently for a Korean comeback (it’s going on four-and-a-half years, now…), TVXQ are back with another Japanese single. Lime & Lemon adds to their summertime playlist, offering a shot of uptempo dance music well-suited for the season. This will always be a style that appeals to me, but it’s become its own … Continue reading
Twice’s first promoted sub-unit Misamo debuts not with a Korean release, but a J-pop song. This is a little surprising, especially since the mellow Marshmallow seems suited to Korean tastes. But when you realize who’s involved in this unit, the decision couldn’t be clearer. Misamo gives the group’s three Japanese members a chance to shine … Continue reading
Though they’re not exactly the same, I like to think of Mrs. GREEN APPLE and Official HIGE DANdism as parallel artists. Both have seen an incredible rise in popularity over the past five years with a rock sound that embraces hearty melodies and cathartic energy. Both have powerful vocalists at their helm. And, both have … Continue reading
It seems I’m writing about a HYBE act or a HYBE-adjacent act every other day on this blog. The monolithic company has taken over K-pop and has its sights set on J-pop as well. The resulting music is of mixed quality, but HYBE’s ever-expanding roster of artists have all found success so far. Love them … Continue reading
Sexy Zone’s The Highlight was one of my favorite albums of 2022… in any genre. And, the group knows exactly what they’re doing with its follow-up — aptly titled “Chapter II.” They’ve revisited many of the successful sounds from last year to great success. After just one listen, I’ve already got multiple standouts. This approach … Continue reading
I so appreciate J-pop’s ability (and desire) to surprise. The market is vast and varied, and that means you’ll never really know what you’ll encounter from day to day. Yes, there are plenty of songs that conform to predictable trends, but there are also moments like Red:birthmark, where critical cynicism melts away and you’re left … Continue reading
Sakurazaka46 has their “aggrieved protagonist vents frustration through combative dance routines” format down pat, and its sense of empowerment feels more genuine than much of what passes as empowering in pop music. If you’re looking for catharsis in the form of a song, this is the group for you. Start Over is an absolute beast, … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 