Remember when Tempest couldn’t stop shining? Hell, I’d gladly rewind to their Dangerous days of 2023. This year has been such a buzzkill for the group. Losing member Hwarang was a huge blow and musically their burgeoning Japanese discography feels like a misguided attempt to brand them into some bad boy stereotypes. From Vroom Vroom … Continue reading
I find it strange to tie your album release to a seasonal single, but K-pop (and J-pop) do it quite often. If releasing an album in the month of December, you’re bound to get at least some holiday fare. We saw this from NCT Wish last month and now it’s &TEAM’s turn. Their album isn’t … Continue reading
We’ve entered December, which all but ensures a steady stream of ballads from both K-pop and J-pop. This softer energy tends to be quite seasonal, as listeners seek coziness over musical bombast. Japan has an especially insatiable appetite for ballads, making NiziU’s AlwayS the perfect release for this time of year. AlwayS starts life as … 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
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 2024 Overall Thoughts Well… how are we all doing? Given the news of the past … Continue reading
The holiday season is upon us, which means K-Pop (and J-Pop) will soon be unleashing their seasonal efforts on the market. Alongside the release of their first Japanese album, NCT Wish are ready to usher in winter with the festive Wishful Winter. The song makes sense for November/December but feels like a throwaway in the … Continue reading
Seventeen are here to cap off an incredibly successful 2024 with the release of a new Japanese single. Shohikigen (消費期限) has been available for awhile now (I first wrote about it as part of a J-pop round-up), but they’ve just unveiled the music video for the song. While it’s rare for a K-pop act to … 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’m losing track of how many tripleS sub-units we have now, but I guess the sprawling nature of the project is kind of the point. Less than a month after the debut of Visionary Vision, we have a Japanese single by the newly-unveiled “∞!”. This unit takes a moodier approach, utilizing now-ubiquitous musical elements from … Continue reading
New JYP Entertainment boy group NEXZ have split their attention between Korea and Japan. Six out of seven members are Japanese, but they’ve been promoting actively in Korea with Korean-language music. New single Nallina certainly takes cues from the K-pop side of things, offering a dance-heavy showcase that skimps on the hooks and hinges on … 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
Stray Kids released two songs from their upcoming album last month, but neither of these was promoted with a music video. Title track Giant arrives as the album’s first big push right as the full project is unveiled. Fans of the group’s more disruptive side will find plenty to enjoy, as the song rumbles with … 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’ll rave about Ryugujo to anyone who will listen. Their Deep Wave EP earlier this year is among the most exciting pieces of music released in 2024 and I have similar hopes for their first full album later this month. Lead track Urashima is more ‘statement of intent’ than full song, making it a curious … Continue reading
XG are back with their second mini album, building on the success of earlier 2024 singles Something Ain’t Right and IYKYK. Those two songs touched on the dancier side of their music, so it makes sense that Howling would move back into hip-hop. These seem to be XG’s two musical modes, with a healthy dose … 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. TVXQ just released their best song … 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
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 2024 Overall Thoughts I’ve probably opened with this overused phrase during previous Octobers, but I’m … Continue reading
SNSD’s Sooyoung actually started her idol career in a short-lived J-pop group before eventually debuting in Korea. It’s funny, then, that it took this long for her to release a solo single in Japan. Better late than never, as Unstoppable recaptures some of the magic from SNSD’s discography while showcasing Sooyoung’s own charisma. A song … Continue reading
TVXQ are set to release a 20th Anniversary album in Japan early next month. They already unveiled its lead track Sweet Surrender a few weeks ago and now they’re teasing again with the classic ballad Dearest. Some of their most successful Japanese work has been within this musical realm, and given the special occasion it’s … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 