JYP Entertainment’s 2PM was designed as the uptempo counterpart to the agency’s ballad-heavy 2AM. Their commercial peak was back around 2009-2011, though their music has continued to improve as they’ve gained a foothold in Japan and become senior idols to younger JYP counterparts GOT7. At times they’ve been known as much for their model-like, athletic … Continue reading
Reviews of any sort represent a snapshot in time. I’d like to think that what I write about a song the day after its release ends up being what I think about it in the long term, and more often than not that’s the case. But certain songs have a way of creeping up on you … Continue reading
JYP’s G.Soul has come back with double title tracks, each one quite distinctive from the other. While the light reggae of Far, Far Away tackled a new genre, Where Do We Go From Here is much more strongly indebted to the sound G.Soul’s given us so far. There’s no denying that his voice is made for … Continue reading
R&B crooner G.Soul debuted under JYP last year after an incredibly long training period. His debut, the gorgeous and soaring You, went mostly underappreciated by the masses, and subsequent digital singles didn’t make that many waves either. Now he’s back with a double a-side single, and both songs couldn’t be more different from one another. … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. It’s been a couple weeks since Twice’s second mini album … Continue reading
Park Jinyoung (JYP) is many things to many people. You may know him as Korea’s answer to Prince, forging a sexually-charged performance style in the 90’s. Or, you may know him as the head of his self-titled music agency, and as a veteran judge on audition show K-Pop Star. And if none of that rings … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
Few groups have enjoyed as meteoric a rise as Twice has with their debut single Like Ooh Ah. It took me a long time to fully come around to Ooh Ah‘s charm, and if its longevity is anything to go by, I’m not the only one. Cheer Up feels as if it may achieve the same feat. On … Continue reading
When GOT7’s comeback was released in March, I wasn’t so thrilled with it. Fly has since grown on me, though I still think it’s one of their weaker title tracks. As indicated by the brief sample we were given, follow-up single Home Run seemed to promise something bouncier and more upbeat. The song has actually been … Continue reading
Given the purpose behind this track, I was bracing myself for a gag song, more concerned with cameos than music. Though I love Conan O’Brien, I definitely didn’t need him singing in a kpop single. Luckily, his portion of the audio is limited to a lame spoken intro (which honestly should have been kept exclusive … Continue reading
JYP (Park Jinyoung) is a legend in the world of kpop, and rightfully so. Not only is he the founder and head of his eponymous agency, but his career has continually forged the path of what kpop has developed into, starting in the 90’s and continuing to present day. He’s also a total character, and … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides and album tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I find myself continually drawn back to DAY6’s … Continue reading
The year of the duets continues, with JYP launching its own series of in-house company collaborations. If nothing else, the project seems well-suited to give us new music from some of the agency’s less-promoted artists. For instance, it’s been ages since we heard from Kpop Star‘s Bernard Park, and for With You, he’s been … Continue reading
After losing member Junhyuk, DAY6 is back as a five-piece to offer us another rockier alternative to traditional kpop. Their debut mini album was a very pleasant surprise last September, and luckily their new material ends up being more of the same. While Letting Go lacks some of the singalong quality that made Congratulations so … Continue reading
Of all the scheduled kpop releases this March, GOT7’s Fly was by far the one I was most looking forward to. The group had an incredible 2015, releasing two of the year’s best singles and finally cementing a versatile, melodic hip-hop sound for themselves. I expected Fly to be the capper on that success, sending … Continue reading
Jo Kwon, of JYP’s 2AM, is known by many as a “variety idol.” This is due to his bright, outgoing personality and uncanny ability to make a total fool of himself. Embracing elements of camp and gender reversal like very few of his peers, he’s a unique and important figure in kpop. But, you’re not going … Continue reading
I’ve been a massive fan of pretty much everything GOT7 has released in Korea. Given this, I’m continually baffled with how utterly terrible their Japanese singles have been in comparison. Other than one or two tracks, their jpop persona might as well be that of a completely different band. Yo Moriagatte Yo is the lead track from … Continue reading
The guys of 2PM have been in the kpop scene in one form or another for over seven years, which means that the time is drawing near for their mandatory 2-year military conscription. As such, I fully expect that we’ll be hearing a lot from them for the next year or so, and that starts … Continue reading
For as insular a world as kpop is, I’m surprised that these cross-company collaborations don’t happen more frequently. I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that EXO’s Baekhyun + miss A’s Suzy = $$$. Because of this, the two of them could have sung the phone book and been a major success, which … Continue reading
Oh, good old reliable MBC. Yet again, they have the most consistently good Gayo of the year. There wasn’t any performance as flawless as Infinite’s KBS one last night, but there were also very few stinkers. They do have a leg up from the start, with a more complete line-up and the New Year’s celebrations buoying … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 