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 2021 Overall Thoughts Well, July was… interesting. And by “interesting,” I mean unimaginably dull. Other … Continue reading
Over the past few years, several Johnny’s groups have started recording more English-language material. This surprises me given the agency’s lack of access to English-speaking markets. Just like K-pop, I’m not sure I want these acts to be vying for international attention – especially if it means diluted the aspects that make them unique and … Continue reading
Compared to last year, I’ve been kind of underwhelmed by 2021’s releases from Johnny’s Entertainment so far. One bright spot has been Snow Man, who are quickly becoming one of my favorite acts in the agency. That has more to do with their rag-tag, self-effacing variety appearances than their music, but January’s Grandeur has proven … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts So far, the rule of 2021 seems to be “expect the unexpected.” … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts 2021’s momentum stalled a bit this month. But, it wasn’t for a … Continue reading
It’s amazing how thoroughly this bass-driven funk sound has infiltrated K-pop and J-pop over the past few months. I’m certainly not complaining. It’s always been a favorite style of mine. And though nobody is approaching Prince-level funk workouts, the added injection of rhythm is a welcome turn for these pop-heavy tracks. Funk is nothing new … Continue reading
Johnny’s Entertainment has been oddly quiet this spring, and its few releases have felt pretty underwhelming. I’m shocked that we haven’t yet gotten a full album announcement from Snow Man, and we’re just now learning what Kis-My-Ft2 will be up to for their big tenth anniversary. Thankfully, there are a couple of single releases to … Continue reading
Over the years, perfectly-scored, 10/10 songs have developed a sort of mythical status on The Bias List. I didn’t intend for this to be the case, but my hesitance to give full marks on release day has resulted in the concept of a “legendary song.” Last year, I inaugurated a handful of songs into this … 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. March 2021 Overall Thoughts I’ve heard whispers around social media lamenting that 2021 has been a … Continue reading
For a brief, shining moment last fall, Sexy Zone were five again. However, they’ve been knocked back to four as member Marius takes a break from the industry to focus on health. But even with these constant shifts in configuration, the group has somehow forged one of the strongest singles runs in modern J-pop. From … Continue reading
KAT-TUN are currently celebrating their 15th anniversary, and I hope that means we’ll be hearing a lot from them. It’s been nearly two years since their last album, and because the Kame x Yamapi project was scrapped last year, we haven’t even heard any solo music in the interim. KAT-TUN were one of my entry … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe, but Sexy Zone are celebrating their tenth anniversary since debut. It’s been a musically diverse road for them, starting off with cheeseball pop and eventually winding their way to the triumphant, transcendent Run. To honor this milestone, they’ve released a Greatest Hits package with two new songs, one of which is … Continue reading
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts 2021 is off to a roaring start, and February really kicked into … Continue reading
Despite being one of my favorite Johnny’s acts, I haven’t really loved any of Kis-My-Ft2’s promoted tracks since 2019’s Edge Of Days. I often cite the group’s 2016-18 run as some of my favorite material Johnny’s has ever churned out, and I long for the guys to return with that kind of focus. With that … Continue reading
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
Since debuting last year, SixTONES have blitzed the J-pop market with music, and their consistency in both quantity and quality has been admirable. The group is not a one-trick pony, and new single Boku ga Bokujyanai Mitaida makes that quite evident. As the theme to the live action adaptation of manga Liar X Liar, 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. January 2021 Overall Thoughts It’s the start of a new year, and new possibilities when it … Continue reading
I’m back with more J-pop b-sides and singles that never received a full Bias List review. This round-up covers material from October 2020 to January 2021, and I hope you find some treasures to add to your playlist! SixTONES – S.I.X / Special Order SixTONES released their first full-length album earlier this month, and it’s … Continue reading
Along with same-day-debuts SixTONES, Snow Man have become a quick success in Japan. I’m always eager to join the party, but I’m still searching for the track that would cement this group in my mind. They’re great performers, known more for their dance than their vocals, and are charming on variety as well. But although … Continue reading
