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
Two weeks ago, Snow Man released the first half of their upcoming double a-side on YouTube. The excellent Tapestry was made available in full, allowing listeners to indulge in the song’s satisfying builds without unnecessary edits. The rock-fueled W follows suit, unfurling the full track alongside a striking video. As far as I’m concerned, the … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts I hate to say it, but my interest in K-pop is kind … 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
King & Prince’s last single Tsukiyomi released just after it was revealed that three of the five members would be leaving the group this spring. Now, the group is running on momentum until that fateful moment. Double a-side Life Goes On / We Are Young serves double duty as a dual OST offering and a … Continue reading
Post-Johnny’s success can be elusive for idols who leave the agency, whether they were part of an established group or never debuted at all. One OK Rock’s Taka is the biggest counterexample, but more often than not these performers struggle against an entertainment industry largely beholden to Johnnys’ legacy. 7ORDER first emerged as Johnny’s Jr. … Continue reading
When I first delved into J-pop nearly a decade ago, the easiest entry points were K-pop acts performing in Japanese. They had built-in familiarity, and the acts tended to take a safe approach that complimented their Korean discography. Now that I’m steeped in Japanese music from Japanese creators and performers, I find most J-pop releases … 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
KAT-TUN released their eleventh album this week and it’s their most consistent work in years. Also, you can stream the standard eleven-track version worldwide! Way to go, Johnny’s! Fantasia promised to pay tribute to the group’s various eras and sounds, but the whole package feels pretty sleek and modern. It’s relentlessly upbeat, embracing sick dance … Continue reading
I haven’t featured a review of Genic’s music since back in April 2020 when the group debuted with the awesome Sun Comes Up. But over the past few months, I’ve revisited their discography and become a bit of a Genic fanatic. I love a co-ed group, and these self-producing superstars have the chops to back … Continue reading
I love when Johnny’s acts upload full music videos to YouTube! Not only is it an infrequent treat, but it means I can write about the song before the physical version of the single or album is released weeks later. In Snow Man’s case, their upcoming single is scheduled to include two promotional tracks and … Continue reading
The Rampage have been on a winning streak lately, releasing a new single almost every other month. Now, it’s time to gather all those singles into a new album scheduled for release next week. No Gravity acts as its lead track and pulls the group back to the propulsive EDM sounds explored early in their … Continue reading
Upon reviewing XG’s Shooting Star, multiple readers commented on the merits of its coupling track Left Right. Not being a huge fan of the group’s music thus far, I didn’t check out the b-side. But, now that Left Right has its own music video it’s time to see what all the fuss is about. I … Continue reading
When it comes to Korea and Japan, the difference between release scheduling presents an interesting dilemma for reviewers like myself. With K-pop, I’m usually writing about a song mere hours after it debuted, but J-pop’s extended cycle often allows more time for a track to settle in. There can be weeks — even months — … Continue reading
Since debut, CLASS:y have set their sights on both Korea and Japan, signed under Universal Music for the latter. They remain on the periphery of both markets, though their music is slowly improving. Like so many of their peers, their sound is a hodgepodge of various global elements. They cast their net wide rather than … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe NCT Dream hadn’t released an original Japanese single until now. Nearly seven years into their career, the unit has become one of NCT’s flagship brands. The brighter side of their music seems especially well-suited to a J-pop career. Best Friend Ever hearkens back to their earlier work and pairs them with … Continue reading
Thus far, INI have buried much of their best material on b-sides and random one-off releases. Last year’s Hero sticks out as a missed opportunity to showcase the group’s vocal skills (and rock star swagger) to a wider audience. Now we have New Day – another special digital single with a glossy performance video. It’s … Continue reading
As I mentioned during yesterday’s monthly K-pop round-up, the past two months haven’t been exactly thrilling when it comes to K-pop. So, I’ve taken the time to dive back into some old J-pop favorites and discover some artists I’d never listened to before. I tend to embark on these deep J-pop dives each winter as … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts For the second month in a row, I couldn’t really find any … Continue reading
One of my hopes for 2023 is a Korean comeback from TVXQ that honors the legacy of their best work. We’ll see if SM Entertainment has that in them, but until then we have a new Japanese single from the legendary duo. Parallel Parallel arrives five months after last year’s Utsuroi and ups the tempo … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 