K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
H1-KEY quietly released one of my favorite songs and albums of last year with their summery Lovestruck EP. Now, they’re back to celebrate their anniversary with a very different sound. Not Like A Movie (세상은 영화 같지 않더라) takes advantage of their strong vocals but doesn’t do much else that feels notable. Mid-tempo tracks like … Continue reading
Monsta X’s Joohoney has just released his second mini album, though he’s also put out a handful of mixtapes over the years. This follows digital pre-release Push, which failed to capture attention despite a notable team-up with IVE’s Rei. Now, he’s back with an even more notable feature — legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the … Continue reading
New boy group project idntt got a lot of attention last year, but I struggled to hear anything in their music that set them apart from their peers. Still, they have some notable producers attached to their songs and their large, ever-shifting configuration is interesting. However, I head into any song called “Pretty Boy Swag” … Continue reading
Writing reviews for established, beloved acts has been dicey of late. Very few of them seek to do anything different or groundbreaking, so instead we usually get material that fits within their general sound but feels like a much lesser, more inconsequential version of it. Apink have released anniversary singles every year, but they haven’t … Continue reading
Just like last year, I wanted to share my top twenty most-viewed posts for 2025. I find this list an interesting gauge of which acts are popular or buzzy at the moment (at least among netizens who read reviews). There aren’t many surprises, here. The list is dominated by a couple of the most popular … Continue reading
Happy 2026! As we transition to a new year, it’s Bias List tradition to unveil some wishes I have for K-pop going forward. I tend to go for broke with my resolutions, which more often than not leads to disappointment. But if you’re going to dream, why not dream big? I usually stop at ten … 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. December 2025 Overall Thoughts Well… I hate to say it but there are no “top three … Continue reading
It’s the last year-end festival of 2025! MBC’s Gayo Daejejeon is synonymous with the new year, as it also acts as a new year’s eve celebration (except for last year when it was postponed). As I always say, this adds a welcome sense of ceremony to the proceedings and makes it a special I look … Continue reading
I’ll be making my 2026 K-pop resolutions tomorrow, but before that I like to look back at my resolutions for last year and see if 2025 measured up to expectations. In short, I probably need to be less optimistic with these wishes… 1. Heighten the melody “Hmm… this resolution looks pretty familiar. It’s become my … Continue reading
Last year, Music Bank’s Global Festival was interwoven into KBS’s year-end festival. This year, they’ve chosen to broadcast it separately but I thought I’d cover it anyway because (like last year) parts of it were stronger than many of the proper year-end stages. This year’s theme was “The Golden Path” and the show was held … Continue reading
Before I move on to my J-pop and global pop countdowns over the next few days, I like to sum up the K-pop lists that have filled the past few weeks. The title of this post should technically be called “The Best Overall K-pop Comebacks & Debuts of 2025,” since not every album on this … Continue reading
It’s time once again for someone who knows next to nothing about dance to rank his favorite dances of the year. As usual, I tend to prefer quirky, iconic moves to technically difficult material. The thing is, the vast majority of idol choreo has become so polished that it’s hard to choose which routines are … Continue reading
It feels like it’s been ages since I last wrote a proper song review. In reality, it’s only been a week, but when you’re used to doing this every single day a week can feel like a year. Soon it’ll be January and the K-pop industry will whir back to life, but before that we’ve … Continue reading
For a moment, I debated whether or not to go forward with this particular countdown this year. Yes, K-pop music videos are generally great, but to be honest I just don’t watch them as intently as I used to. I’m much more familiar with the music than the visuals, which threatens to turn this list … Continue reading
Amid the non-stop countdowns and round-ups that mark the end of the year, THE BIAS LIST is celebrating an important milestone. Today is the blog’s tenth anniversary! Jeez. Ten years. In theory, a decade doesn’t seem that long, but when you look at just how much changes in that time it’s pretty astounding. For the … Continue reading
Now that I’ve taken a look at my favorite title tracks and singles of the year, it’s time to move on to… everything else. This countdown encompasses any track that didn’t receive a full music video. This becomes more nebulous by the year, with “track videos” and “special videos” and the like. I allow myself … Continue reading
Now that I’ve taken a look at my favorite title tracks and singles of the year, it’s time to move on to… everything else. This countdown encompasses any track that didn’t receive a full music video. This becomes more nebulous by the year, with “track videos” and “special videos” and the like. I allow myself … Continue reading
After KBS’s festival-that-didn’t-really-feel-like-a-festival last week, it’s time for the celebration to truly begin with SBS’s Gayo Daejeon. This is the show that airs every Christmas and usually features a ton of festive stages. It’s also held in a big venue with tons of artists in attendance, so it makes for a nice seasonal gift for … Continue reading
Following a tradition first established in 2020, I’m celebrating the holidays today with the opening of gifts. These packages come in the form of seasonal K-pop tracks not yet reviewed on the blog. As much as possible, I’m only focusing on original songs. There are TONS of song covers and “Christmas versions” of existing tracks … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 