After a very strong debut year, SixTONES’ musical direction has become quite hit or miss for me. I loved the big rock sound of tracks like New Era and ST and consider them the best overall template for the group’s sound. But, those songs seem to have been left in the past. Since then, I … Continue reading
In the past, this feature included both Korean and Japanese dramas. But in 2022, I realized I’m much more of a J-drama person. Their way of storytelling (and shorter, punchier running time) fits with my sensibilities and I completed over two dozen series this year. So this year, I’m going to run down my favorite … Continue reading
Today is J-pop day on The Bias List and I’m counting down my eighty favorite songs of the year! Now that you’ve had a chance to check out songs 80 to 11, it’s time for the best of the best — my absolute favorite J-pop tracks of 2022. This year, it’s a great blend of … Continue reading
Today is J-pop day on The Bias List and I’m counting down my eighty favorite songs of the year! You’ll want to start with the honorable mentions, but this post will cover songs 30 to 11. HONORABLE MENTIONS SONGS 50-31 SONGS 30-11 SONGS 10-1 2022 YEAR-END MASTERPOST 30. Johnny’s West – Susumu Shikanee Johnny’s West … Continue reading
Today is J-pop day on The Bias List! I’m dropping eighty of my favorite songs from 2022 in one day. You may want to check out the honorable mentions first, but if you’re looking to dive into the proper countdown at once, you’ve found the right spot! Here are songs 50 to 31, presented with … Continue reading
Before I count down my top 50 J-pop songs of the year, I thought I’d blast you with a bunch of honorable mentions. J-pop can be notoriously difficult to find if you’re not already an active fan, and I figured readers who share my particular taste in music might appreciate having some extra recommendations. These … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts The calendar may show one month left in 2022, but the year … Continue reading
King & Prince fans are still reeling from last week’s sudden announcement that members Sho Hirano, Yuta Kishi and Yuta Jinguji will be leaving the group (and agency) next year. I’ve seen my fair share of group disbandments and roster changes over the years, but this is one of the most genuinely shocking developments I … Continue reading
Enough with the ballads, Johnny’s! Apart from an anniversary track and a few b-sides, every Kis-My-Ft2 single since March 2020 has been a varying level of… slow. And without a full album in over two years, there haven’t been that many upbeat tracks to compensate. These singles have been tied to dramas, which explains their … Continue reading
With such a busy slate of K-pop releases, I don’t always have a chance to rave about some of my favorite J-pop. This week, I’ll be giving an overview of some of my favorite acts and songs. Hopefully you’ll find a new obsession to add to your playlist! Why I Love Kis-My-Ft2 (and you should … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts First off, I want to recognize Korea’s national period of mourning and … Continue reading
Debut songs from Johnny’s groups are a big deal. They’re often tied to a popular drama, performed everywhere to the point of being inescapable, and they quickly become a beloved and oft-referenced part of a group’s history. But ever since Travis Japan set up shop in the States to train and compete in numerous competitions … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts Well, September was certainly a contrast to August! With hindsight, August was … Continue reading
King & Prince have been super active this year: a double a-side, an album, a single and another double a-side on the way in November. But as flush with material as we’ve been, I still think they had a stronger 2021 overall – at least musically. The recently released TraceTrace seeks to expand the sound … Continue reading
It’s been a solid year for singles/albums from Johnny’s & Associates. As far as ratings go, I feel like I’ve given a ton of high-8’s but only a couple 9+ raves. Sexy Zone have been the recipients of two of those 9’s. Their Highlight album is aptly-named, giving us the excellent single Forever Gold 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. August 2022 Overall Thoughts Too often this year, my monthly round-ups have been… kind of a … Continue reading
After nearly two years of singles, Hey! Say! JUMP are back with a new studio album. Filmusic is a varied collection of songs themed around movie genres. Its most successful moments come when the group tries on a hard rap/rock style, though the self-referential Get Out Of My House is also a treat (especially if … Continue reading
Compared to earlier eras, it’s been a dry few years for new music from Kis-My-Ft2. Their latest singles have trended toward balladry – often themes to romance-focused dramas. That’s all well and good (frankly, I’ll take whatever they want to give us), but I’ve been hoping for more upbeat material. After all, age and experience … Continue reading
Late last week, Johnny’s groups SixTONES and Snow Man both surprise-released new music videos on YouTube, fueling rumors they may reunite for another duel-group single. It turns out that Snow Man’s Juicy heralds the release of a new studio album. We’ll need to wait to see where SixTONES’ Party People ends up. Both of these … Continue reading
It’s been fascinating to watch Johnny’s & Associates navigate the digital world and decide how they want to engage with it. Older fans can remember a not-too-distant time when official YouTube uploads were the stuff of wild dreams. We still get plenty of (frustrating) short music video edits, but more and more the agency is … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 