Arriving the day after a farewell track from Wanna One, we’ve got another farewell song of sorts from Highlight. The nine-year-old group aren’t disbanding, but members are preparing to serve their mandatory military conscription. Starting soon, Highlight will be on hiatus for around two years. Before they go, they’ve given fans a gift in the … Continue reading
Despite debuting with one of 2017’s best dance tracks, Wanna One have slowly succumbed to the same fate as IOI. Their overseers clearly know that the Wanna One brand is more formidable than any actual song they might release, and this has resulted in a series of “that’ll do” singles instead of tracks that live … Continue reading
Was the title of this review dramatic enough to get your attention? I’m well aware that words like “…of all time” are only inviting pushback, and that the definition of “underrated” is completely subjective. Most artists and songs that get tagged with the “underrated” descriptor have in fact found a dedicated audience. Their fanbase may … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
As the year draws to an end, it feels like we’re suddenly seeing more low-level (ie: not from a huge agency) debuts. The first time I heard The Man BLK’s name, I wondering if this was a reinvention of boy group BLK, who released one album late last year before disbanding. It turns out, the … Continue reading
Hotshot are one of the established acts standing to gain from Wanna One’s early-2019 disbandment. Come February, main vocal Ha Sungwoon will be back with the group, presumably bolstering their brand with his increased star power. In the meantime, the remaining five members have tried to keep things chugging along, briefly promoting last summer and … Continue reading
When I think of Taemin as a soloist, I often want to give him a “Korean Michael Jackson” sort of label. But, when it comes to title tracks his music has often been more subdued than that comparison warrants. This is especially true in Japan, where both of his previous singles were lyrical, mid-tempo works … Continue reading
Earlier this year, I spent much of my review of Hyoyeon’s first DJ HYO track bemoaning its lack of structural risk-taking. It slavishly followed the standard EDM, beat-drop archetype. And the thing is… new single Punk Right Now kind of does the same thing. Yet, the song takes this formula and makes it memorable with hard-hitting, percussive … Continue reading
Back in August, I praised the symphonic instrumental of D-Crunch’s debut track Palace, but lamented the fact that the song lacked a strong chorus. Then again, a debut doesn’t often crystallize all of a group’s charms on its own. Palace was a teaser of sorts, and Stealer capitalizes on its best instincts by keeping the … Continue reading
In a sea change year for us older K-pop fans, BTOB are one of many established boy groups whose configuration has changed due to members beginning their mandatory military enlistment. Beautiful Pain (아름답고도 아프구나) is their first single as a six-member act, minus leader Eunkwang. Minhyuk is the next member scheduled for enlistment, at which … Continue reading
I first remember hearing BLACKPINK’s Jennie all the way back in 2013, where she guested on a trio of tracks by YG solo acts. It was clear even then that she was being prepped for whatever the agency’s next girl group would be, but her vocals seemed poised for solo work as well. Five years … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. One of the biggest issues I’ve had with much of Twice’s … 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. CODE 9 … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. In one of the week’s best surprises, Taemin’s new Japanese album … Continue reading
Donghyun and Youngmin of MXM are on the cusp of rejoining their fellow trainees to form Brand New Music’s highly anticipated new boy group. It all waits for future-members Daehwi and Woojin, who will be released from their Wanna One contract when the group disbands early next year. Before that happens, MXM have returned with … Continue reading
As 2018 draws to a close, I can’t help but think the year has been short on memorable debuts. Sure, there were the big ones (Loona, Stray Kids), but even those have felt very hit-or-miss. New girl group DreamNote haven’t spawned the kind of pre-debut hype that would lead them to instant stardom, but their … Continue reading
In addition to a fantastic full album, SHINee’s 2018 has seen new Japanese work from Taemin and a posthumous release from Jonghyun. One member we don’t hear from as often when it comes to solo music is Key. Four years ago, he formed the project duo Toheart with Infinite’s Woohyun, but beyond that he’s only … Continue reading
Gugudan’s unique “acts” concept has allowed them to explore a variety of styles since their debut in 2016. While this diversity can be exciting and unpredictable, it makes it difficult for the group to forge an identity of their own. Are they girl crush? Are they quirky? Are they innocent? Jellyfish Entertainment doesn’t seem to … Continue reading
Whenever a group is as active as Twice has been this past year, they run the risk of succumbing to listener fatigue. Between Korean and Japanese releases, the girls’ brand of quirky cute has been omnipresent. I was never predisposed to enjoying this sound in the first place, so a steady stream of it has … Continue reading
2018 has seen its share of trends, but the saddest has been groups having to make a comeback after the death of a member. First it was SHINee, then 100%, and now Spectrum. Only one single album into their career, Spectrum suddenly lost member Kim Dong Yoon. I can’t imagine how this would affect a … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 