For me, A.B.C-Z have always seemed to exist on the periphery of the Johnny’s Entertainment roster, which is pretty ridiculous considering how integral they’ve been to the agency’s various pursuits. From stage plays to Shounen Club, the members are certainly not unknown. But, a lack of English subtitling and a comparatively small fan base makes … Continue reading
Whatever happens going forward, I will always have a soft spot for Snuper. At their prime, the group delivered some of the best K-pop of this past decade. The frustrating irony is that most of that music has gone underappreciated and unknown, lost in the wake created by a-list acts with much bigger followings. But … Continue reading
If I’m being honest, I’ve not been a fan of the English-language reworkings (or English-language originals) released by Arashi over the past few months. I appreciate their goal of global outreach during this final lap of their career, but after building decades of goodwill across hundreds of J-pop tracks, it feels odd to cap it … Continue reading
I’ve always found it odd when acts release summer singles in September. Maybe it’s due to my occupation and schedule, but for me it feels like summer ends promptly at the end of August, blunting the effect of any new seasonal song. But Kis-My-Ft2 has been a longtime favorite of mine, and their music tends … Continue reading
King & Prince’s singles run has pin-balled between extremes, from the fluffy cutesiness of songs like Cinderella Girl and Koi-Wazurai to the edgier Mazy Night and Naughty Girl. This is largely in response to the needs of the drama projects these songs are tied into, but this “grab bag” sense of concepts tends to be … 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 2020 Overall Thoughts At the beginning of the year, one of my wishes for 2020 … Continue reading
Earlier this summer, Empress of J-pop Ayumi Hamasaki released her first new single in nearly four years. Ohia no Ki was a sentimental ballad, similar to those that have helped forge her decades-long career. But, I’m much more interested in its follow-up track, the electronic-meets-rock Dreamed A Dream. This song also represents a comeback of … Continue reading
I’m a big fan of the Exile Tribe family of groups, and for me The Rampage are the ones to beat at the moment. Their trio of vocalists are excellent – complimentary but compelling in their own right. And, the group’s edgy sound makes a great conduit for dynamic material. The Rampage’s music often steers … Continue reading
Japan’s first season of Produce 101 spawned boy group JO1, who made their debut this March with their single Infinity. For me, that song amounted to little more than a checklist of boy group tropes, but it did quite well for the guys. Now, they’re back with the bigger, ballsier Oh-Eh-Oh. Co-produced by Pentagon’s Hui, … Continue reading
Seventeen’s 24H is already the group’s fourth original Japanese single, continuing to represent their successful push into international markets. It comes on the heels of March’s Fallin’ Flower, and uses that track’s energy as a jumping off point. But, 24H pushes us in even stronger directions. Its willingness to explore is appreciated. Composed by the … Continue reading
Apart from their exciting, old-school hip-hop debut Tenhane, most of Ballistik Boyz’ best material has appeared as b-sides. February’s Anti-Hero’s was alright (though the teacher in me despises that misplaced apostrophe), but the rock-rap Front Burner and breakbeat Bang Out were absolutely incredible. New single Summer Hype doesn’t live up to either of those tracks, … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. Leave it to anime to help inspire a great 2020 TXT … Continue reading
Don’t be put off by Sexy Zone’s cringy name. It’s basically become a self-parody by now, anyway. Their music holds a unique place within the Johnny’s Entertainment pantheon, going through dramatic shifts in sound. They took a few years to find their footing (if I ever have to hear Lady Diamond again, it’ll be too … Continue reading
Nine years into their career, Da-iCE have scored a coveted One Piece anime theme. They join a long roster of artists – many managed by Avex – in this distinction, adding another pop anthem to the pantheon that kicked off with the 1999 mega-classic We Are. You can almost count on what you’re going to … Continue reading
Exile’s iconic vocalist Atsushi is celebrating his 40th birthday with the impending release of a new album – his first in nearly seven years. Pre-release single Osaka Tokyo (オーサカトーキョー) stands as another milestone, recorded with fellow J-pop veteran Koda Kumi. The duo last collaborated way back in 2006, making this song a long-awaited reunion. As … Continue reading
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
With Laughter, Official HIGE DANdism (Official髭男dism) delivered my favorite J-pop single of last month. The song took full advantage of their epic, emotional sound, doling out its powerful climaxes with a deliberate slow burn. But, Higedan have another side to their music as well. They can rock out with the best of them, and Hello … Continue reading
I first heard (most of) Run during a live performance back in late March, and I knew right away that this was going to be a big pop moment. It’s rare that a song ticks so many of my musical boxes at once. But due to pandemic postponements, it’s been an excruciatingly long wait to … Continue reading
Japanese singer/songwriter Reol has been active since the beginning of the 2010’s, whether as a soloist or with her group of the same name. Yet somehow, she’s stayed off my radar. That officially ends with the brilliant The Sixth Sense (第六感), which has me scrambling to catch up with all her past work. The song … 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 2020 Overall Thoughts For the first time in months, I feel pretty good about where … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 