NMIXX were smart to pre-release Roller Coaster last week. That song takes some time to get under your skin, but it’s blossomed into a subdued summer hit for me. Title track Party O’Clock plays within similar sonic territory. It’s far less successful in its execution. The name “Party O’Clock” conjures ideas of massive EDM drops … Continue reading
For the second day in a row, JYP Entertainment has dropped a pre-release for one of its groups. This time it’s NMIXX, who are due to make a summer comeback next week. Roller Coaster is one of two new tracks, and jettisons their “mixx pop” sound in favor of subdued dance music that’s much more … Continue reading
When it comes to music videos, JYP Entertainment reminds me of that famous Oprah meme: “You get a car! And YOU get a car! AND YOU GET A CAR!” The agency has become very generous when it comes to promotion, pairing so many of its artists’ b-sides and pre-releases with full music videos. On the … 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. June 2023 Overall Thoughts In the coming days, I’ll be sharing my top picks from the … Continue reading
NiziU’s second album is scheduled for release in mid-July, but its lead single has been unveiled early. Coconut is NiziU’s bid for a summer hit and contains many of the elements we associate with the season. I’ve had a hard time embracing NiziU’s music. Apart from the occasional standout, I find it too closely-aligned to … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … 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
Twice’s first promoted sub-unit Misamo debuts not with a Korean release, but a J-pop song. This is a little surprising, especially since the mellow Marshmallow seems suited to Korean tastes. But when you realize who’s involved in this unit, the decision couldn’t be clearer. Misamo gives the group’s three Japanese members a chance to shine … 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
There are times when you admire something even if you don’t necessarily like it. Stray Kids’ new single S-Class (특) has those qualities. I admire its chutzpah, and I admire the group’s willingness to experiment with sound and structure. This seems to be their answer to JYP Entertainment’s “mixx-pop” endeavor — basically cramming an entire … Continue reading
Twice’s Hare Hare has been kicking around digital spaces for a few weeks, but I’ve held off writing about it in a J-pop round-up because I knew the music video was just around the corner. Today, we have the visuals to accompany this bouncy dance track. Hare Hare is modern Twice, through and through. It … 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. April 2023 Overall Thoughts I’ve been complaining about K-pop a lot this year, but April was … Continue reading
When it comes to Xdinary Heroes’ music, I just can’t gain a foothold. Thus far, I’ve found almost every chorus grating and gimmicky, and their punky aesthetic feels like cosplay coming from a mega-corporation like JYP Entertainment. New single Freakin’ Bad is an improvement, though the song is still unlikely to find its way on … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts So… when does the good stuff start? Seriously, we had yet another … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
It’s been a week and I’m still recovering from the nursery rhyme assault that was NMIXX’s Young, Dumb, Stupid. Thankfully, it was only a pre-release and new single Love Me Like This will be receiving the bulk of their promotion. At this point, I’m not sure NMIXX’s music will ever be for me, but this … Continue reading
I’ve been a little hard on NMIXX’s music thus far, but it pushes a lot of my buttons in a bad way. I appreciate the ambition it takes to meld multiple sounds (and songs!) into one. I just don’t think the execution has been there. The music hasn’t showcased the group’s talent in a way … 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. Collapsedone is quickly becoming one of … Continue reading
Twice’s graceful metamorphosis into their current pop sound marks one of K-pop’s most satisfying evolutions. The group has always created great music, but they’ve managed to mature in a way that feels fresh, fun and natural. When it comes to pop groups, the goal is really quite simple: consistently release strong music and promote it … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 