Since their 2016 debut, Cosmic Girls have gone a long way towards established a signature sound. Much of this has been possible by keeping their stable of songwriters tight. I think this is important for an idol group, as it fosters a sense of incremental growth without jarring transitions in style. New single Butterfly continues … Continue reading
K.R.Y. was Super Junior’s first official subgroup, formed almost fourteen (!) years ago. Yet, in all this time, they’ve never had a Korean album to call their own. It seems silly to use the word “debut” when talking about veterans of the industry. But in a way, When We Were Us (푸르게 빛나던 우리의 계절) … Continue reading
It’s been almost a year since Ha Sungwoon’s last comeback. That summer album showed a lot of promise, foregoing the tepid r&b of his solo debut for more adventurous sounds. Now, he’s back with the kind of funk-pop track I’d like to see K-pop’s moody boy groups tackle again. Get Ready isn’t perfect, but its … Continue reading
Music reviews have their place, but when it really comes down to it, the most important aspect of a song is how many times you actually play it. Well, I’m a total nerd when it comes to statistics, and I keep a detailed eye on my iTunes play counts. Apart from music videos and live … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! May … Continue reading
Idol rock group N.Flying have been absent since last October, when they released the groovy, understated Good Bam. Personally, I’ve been waiting for them to return to a more raucous sound. For me, the one-two punch of The Real and Hot Potato remains their defining era, even though the more straightforward Rooftop was the song … Continue reading
As the K-pop market has become more flooded with acts, it’s not unusual to see days with multiple comebacks. Usually, these are a grab bag of varying quality, but every once in awhile you’ll get a day that unveils multiple classics at once. This feature is dedicated to those epic days – days in which … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Past Recaps: Episode Two / Episode Three / Episode Four / Episode Five Now that my horse has left the race and is feeding peacefully in the neighboring pasture, I can watch this show without frayed nerves. Before I natter on about the pointlessness … Continue reading
More often than not, K-pop agencies play the long game with their trainees, recruiting young with the hope of rearing a world-conquering star. This is usually a behind-the-scenes process, but fans have been with Bang Yedam ever since he competed in the second season of K-pop Star at the age of ten. K-pop Star was … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. Though not as strong or consistent as either of their 2019 … Continue reading
I really don’t know what’s going on in Big Hit Entertainment’s head this year. As the agency rapidly expands, their 2020 musical choices have left me cold. BTS’s ON arrived at a challenging time, just as the pandemic was starting to take hold of the world. But even so, it feels like the most polarizing … Continue reading
If I’m being honest, I’ve never been blown away by a Victon title track. They strike me as the kind of group that can excel at a variety of concepts, but if I were asked to think of their iconic song or image, I’d come up short. This jack-of-all-trades approach isn’t unique within the idol … Continue reading
On top of everything else, I’m a voracious consumer of idol variety shows. I love nothing more than a great idol variety concept. As K-pop has grown more popular internationally, most idol variety has moved online. Usually the “episodes” are bite-sized – designed with this meme-happy generation in mind. The longer, TV-based series that still … Continue reading
Lay has a storied past on this site, scoring a few of my more colorful reviews. To be honest, I have a soft spot for his music – even if I dislike most of it. More often than not, his songs feel committed to taking the worst possible turns whenever the opportunity presents itself. I … Continue reading
Twice built incredible momentum throughout 2019. I mean, they were already the biggest K-pop girl group on the planet, but they managed to successfully mature their sound and evolve in unexpected ways. Both of last year’s albums were super solid, and ushered in a new era for the girls. That goodwill makes new single More … 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. May 2020 Overall Thoughts Well… I’m officially worried. We’re almost halfway through the year, and at … Continue reading
As Woollim Entertainment’s roster has grown, I’ve longed for more inter-agency collaborations. A holiday song, a special mixed-group unit – something that would showcase all of this ta)lent in one place. It took a global pandemic for that to finally happen, as the agency has unveiled their healing song Relay (이어달리기). The track encompasses over … Continue reading
Chungha’s been hinting at a full album release in the near future, and she’s taking a promotional approach more widely seen in Western acts by unveiling several singles before the official comeback. This is a shame, as I really think that April’s Stay Tonight deserved the full title track treatment. Unfortunately, I can’t say the … Continue reading
This feature is usually reserved for more established groups, but Golcha don’t yet have enough title tracks to warrant a Top Ten Singles countdown, and there’s no way I’m letting Road To Kingdom’s grave injustice go by without spotlighting my current bias group today. If you’re new to Golden Child, consider this a crash course, … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! For once, I’m actually thankful for internet rumors. Knowing two weeks ago about how tonight’s elimination would play out allowed me to watch this episode without going absolutely catatonic. Instead, I’ve been fuming for weeks. I came into tonight’s episode angry, just hoping that … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 