MBC’s Under Nineteen survival series played like a budget version of Produce 101, but it cobbled together a surprisingly strong group of guys for its winning group 1THE9. Like other shows of its ilk, the whole thing feels corporation-driven rather than artistically inspired, down to that awful group name. But, I’m excited to see where … 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 I never featured it as a Buried Treasure, I felt … Continue reading
It’s been gratifying to watch Astro’s surge in sales numbers this year. 2018 was rough for the group, without a fully-promoted comeback as the fate of their agency seemed unclear. But, their first full album was a surprise success this January, and now the guys are entering the Japanese market. With J-pop’s love for bright … Continue reading
From late-2016 to 2017, BLACKPINK seemed destined to fill the huge hole left behind by fellow YG Entertainment artists 2NE1. Both Playing With Fire and As If It’s Your Last were excellent pop songs, hampered only by a lack of b-side material to go along with them. Last year’s mega-hit Ddu-Du Ddu-Du took the girls … 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. If you’ve seen my top three songs of March, you’ll already … Continue reading
Three years ago, who would have predicted that the reunion of a 5-member Nu’est would be one of 2019’s most anticipated moments? Back in 2016, few listeners seemed to care about the group’s work, but that is certainly going to change when the guys release their first album after the highly successful Wanna One and … Continue reading
Last year, BOL4 delivered their version of a summer song, and Travel went on to become a huge crossover hit. New single Bom (나만, 봄) takes its cues from spring — a season where K-pop goes crazy with drowsy mid-tempos and wistful ballads. As such, the song isn’t as much giddy fun as Travel was, … Continue reading
As SM Entertainment’s biggest-selling group for the past several years, EXO’s solo and sub-unit potential has been severely underutilized. I expect that this will change as members start enlisting, but I can’t believe it’s taken this long to see an official solo album from the group (not counting Lay’s Chinese efforts, of course). And honestly, … Continue reading
For me, one of the most frustrating things about Produce 101-spawned groups is that they don’t attempt to develop a signature sound or concept. Given their temporary status as project groups, I understand the desire to sample as many of the industry’s current trends as they can before disbanding, but it leads to a scattershot … 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. March 2019 Overall Thoughts After a slow start to 2019, March finally seemed to kick things … Continue reading
Re-brandings are pretty rare in K-pop, and a mixed bag when it comes to future success. Girl group Minx enjoyed a huge spike in notoriety after reforming as Dreamcatcher, but most of the time a relatively unknown act stays that way no matter what new name or concept is attached to them. Hot Place were … Continue reading
1TEAM are yet another 2019 debut group, hailing this time from Liveworks Entertainment. Some of its members will already be familiar to fans, as they participated in both BOYS24 and MIXNINE. Neither of those programs spawned the kind of sensation that Produce 101 does, so it’s gratifying to see an official debut for the guys. … Continue reading
With leader Zico leaving Block B late last year, it’s hard to imagine a path forward for the group. I don’t mean to discount the contributions of the other members, but Zico always felt like the face of Block B. Luckily, the group already has an established sub-unit. Bastarz debuted in 2015, and consists of … Continue reading
Though he has yet to release a mini album, the holy quintet of SHINee solos is now complete with the arrival of Minho’s I’m Home (그래). The track comes only days before his enlistment, which will leave Taemin as the group’s only actively promoting member. It’s crazy how time flies. Even five years ago, it … Continue reading
After last September’s Naughty Boy, I feared that Pentagon might end up chasing their own tail on a never-ending quest to replicate the structure and energy of 2018 hit Shine. This wouldn’t have been an utterly terrible fate. Shine was a fantastic song, after all. But, leader Hui has so much more to offer as … Continue reading
KARD debuted just at the right time. In late 2016, K-pop’s appetite for tropical pop was still high, and the group rode that trend to great international success throughout their first year. Things stalled a bit last summer, just as their sound began to feel more generic. No matter how successful a group may be, … Continue reading
Looking back, I was unfairly harsh on JBJ95’s debut last October. Despite its repetitive hook, Home stuck around through the winter and unveiled its charms gradually. When it comes to style and sound, I’m still not sure exactly who JBJ95 are as a duo, but in a landscape crammed with boy groups, their small configuration … Continue reading
For me, the post-Wanna One releases we’ve gotten so far have been subpar. It feels like too many of the members are rush-releasing music that lacks any individual spark, designed simply to keep their names in the spotlight. As one of the top two vote getters during season two of Produce 101, Park Jihoon has … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. PDOGG Years … Continue reading
At the end of last year, I picked Stray Kids as my top rookie of 2018. However, that was largely based on the incredible strength of their March debut. By the end of the year, I’d fallen a little out of love with their music. Part of me was afraid they’d begin to get lost … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 