NCT’s rotational nature is in full effect this year, with the news that Mark would be re-joining NCT Dream later in 2020. Before that happens, the unit’s six-member configuration has returned with Ridin’, an urban dance song that builds upon the their current trajectory while drawing upon SM Entertainment’s musical past. The result is a … Continue reading
Last summer, GWSN completed their Park in the Night trilogy, which paired them primarily with producers Stupid Squad (who have one of the worst team names in recent memory). Now, the girls seem poised to evolve their sound, branching out with new collaborators and releasing a mini album that doesn’t define itself as a piece … Continue reading
Since her solo debut in 2017, Chungha’s popularity has steadily climbed. She’s arguably become the most successful female soloist in this generation of idol pop, with every title track lodging itself in the charts for months at a time. With this in mind, I’ve always felt left out from the party. Beyond a song here … Continue reading
In a perfect world, Oh My Girl would have had a big, Remember Me-style comeback track waiting to be released just after their successful run on last year’s Queendom. Maybe their agency didn’t expect them to do as well as they did, but waiting nearly six months to capitalize on their boosted profile seems like … Continue reading
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … 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. April’s new mini album has a very strong Cosmic Girls feel, … 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! December … Continue reading
I’ll never forget the impact that HA:TFELT’s 2014 debut had. Ain’t Nobody was an explosion of a pop song, melding the commercial with the artistic in a really gratifying way. Since then, I’ve wanted to love most of HA:TFELT’s music more than I actually do. She’s an immensely appealing performer, but I find a lot … Continue reading
I’m surprised at how long this Pepsi CF campaign has hung around. Though it’s officially connected to Starship Entertainment, the resulting songs have featured artists from across the K-pop sphere, often completely unrelated to Starship’s roster. Such is the case with Refresh, which pairs Zico with Kang Daniel. I can’t think of a trendier duo … Continue reading
Since releasing last November’s mega-hit Hip, Mamamoo have taken a well-deserved break. But, that doesn’t mean the girls haven’t been busy. February saw Moonbyul release the solid Eclipse, Hwasa dueted with label-mates ONEWE earlier this month, and now leader Solar has unveiled a new solo single – her first to eschew typical balladry for something … Continue reading
2020’s girl group slate has given us Dun Duns and Nun Nu Nan Nas, ASSAs and Dumhdurums. So, it only makes sense that this onomatopoeia train would wind up at its logical destination: a big, honking LALALILALA. This is the all-caps exclamation with which April have finally put a cap on their seemingly endless hiatus. … Continue reading
After a couple of pre-releases, Hangyul and Dohyun (H&D) have officially made their post-X1 debut with the release of Soul. If nothing else, the Produce franchise has reignited interest in duos. It’s a unique and challenging configuration for an idol act, but can work if the two personalities and talents are well-aligned. So far, I … Continue reading
Last week, I lamented that it had been three months since I had rated a K-pop boy group title track higher than 8.25. This got me thinking about which act could be the one to break this unenviable streak. It turns out, the long-awaited champion was waiting right around the corner. After a fifteen-month hiatus, … Continue reading
Different groups are loved for different reasons, but one of my favorite concepts within pop music is the “imperial phase” — a (usually) brief era when every promoted song an act releases is absolutely superb and iconic. This got me to thinking: what are K-pop’s greatest imperial phases? I combed through my exhaustive playlists and … Continue reading
My relationship with GOT7’s post-2015 music has been fraught with disappointment and disinterest. However, 2019 reignited some sparks, led by a strong spring mini album and a great fall single in the form of the funky You Calling My Name. It was satisfying to hear the guys tackle something a little more lighthearted in sound, … Continue reading
Though they first debuted as relatively typical girl group MINX, Dreamcatcher’s 2017 reinvention spawned a discography that bucks K-pop’s trends in favor of heavy guitars and thundering percussion. They are unique within their often-soundalike K-pop era, bolstered by an incredibly consistent singles run. As always with these particular countdowns, a song needs to be paired … Continue reading
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … 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! November … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 