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 2025 Overall Thoughts In the context of this year, the past two months have been … Continue reading
Tag Archives: jyp
Song Review: Twice – Enemy
Less than a month since the release of their new Korean album, Twice have already returned with the lead track of their upcoming Japanese album. They’re certainly busy, and Enemy represents a new sonic challenge for them. The group has long been known for their glossy pop sound but this track injects a grittier rock … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: July 2025
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
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (July 20, 2025)
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
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from July 6 – 12
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: Twice – Mars
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. Overall, Twice’s new album is a … Continue reading
Song Review: Twice – This Is For
Through popularity and persistence, Twice have amassed one of the largest K-pop girl group discographies out there, and that’s set to balloon even further with the release of a new album and solo tracks from each member. The album may boast a robust track list, but most of the songs’ running times take their cue … Continue reading
Song Review: Xdinary Heroes – FiRE (My Sweet Misery)
Xdinary Heroes fans are regularly fed by the band, who must be one of the most prolific acts working at the moment. It feels like new music is always just around the corner, whether that’s in the form of fully-promoted comebacks or drips and drabs of digital singles. New single FiRE (My Sweet Misery) falls … Continue reading
Top K-Pop Albums of 2025 (So Far)
Similar to last year, 2025 so far has been a singles game rather than a series of excellent albums. I have even fewer on my list than I did this time last year, and only one of them is a full album — though that classification is getting murkier as time goes on. There are … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2025
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 2025 Overall Thoughts We’re now at the midpoint of 2025, which means I’ll be publishing … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from June 22 – 28
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
Song Review: Jang Wooyoung (2PM) – Simple Dance
The guys of 2PM have remained quite active as soloists even if they don’t often release group material these days. Some of their best work has emerged from solo albums, though it’s been awhile since a song has really connected with me. Jang Wooyoung’s Sexy Lady and R.O.S.E still hold great nostalgic memories, and even … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from June 8 – 14
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (June 15, 2025)
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
Song Review: Stray Kids – Hollow
Since their Japanese debut in 2020, Stray Kids have amassed a rather large J-pop discography. JYP Entertainment has always been good at keeping multiple markets fed, and Stray Kids’ self-producing status ensures a certain level of continuity between their multi-language catalogs. New single Hollow hails from their upcoming third Japanese mini album and sees them … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: ITZY – Kiss & Tell
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. ITZY’s new mini album is strong … Continue reading
Song Review: ITZY – Girls Will Be Girls
Back in 2019, ITZY’s debut ushered in a wave of confident, attitude-forward girl group tracks. They’ve since shifted their style in a number of ways, which was evident on the couldn’t-be-more-different-from-each-other Gold and Imaginary Friend last year. It feels like they’ve only struck the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the genres they … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of May 2025
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. May 2025 Overall Thoughts The other day, I commented on Twitter/X that K-pop was struggling to … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from May 25 – 31
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (June 1, 2025)
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