Given Mystic Story’s track record, their first boy group ARrC’s material hasn’t been as quirky as I would have thought. So far, their sound hinges largely on old-school hip-hop, which isn’t a unique touchstone when it comes to K-pop’s boy bands. New single Awesome continues this trend with a few early 00s influences thrown in … Continue reading
Girl Group ifeye debuted earlier this year with the sprightly Nerdy. That song boasted a great chorus that was undercut by the airy, subdued production style that’s become so popular with this generation’s girl groups. With new comeback R U OK?, the girls make a sonic turn toward a more percussive summer sound. R U … Continue reading
Throughout their career, Purple Kiss have waffled between sounds and concepts with varied success. Their music hasn’t quite caught on in the way I would have thought despite the group being very talented. This uncertain vibe carries through to new single DOREMI, which feels like their least notable release yet. DOREMI is a stately mid-tempo, … Continue reading
Hyoyeon from SNSD has developed a nice solo career as a DJ/performer, though SM Entertainment has yet to give her an actual album to flex her skills. I guess full/mini albums aren’t as common in dance music as in other genres, but if you were to string all her prior tracks together you’d have a … Continue reading
Collaborations between K-pop stars and video games have become more common, which makes sense because I’d bet there is a lot of crossover between the fandoms. aespa’s new track with battle royale game PUBG goes beyond simple tie-in to include a full music video that sees the girls deposited in the game’s violent landscape. Musically, … Continue reading
As Astro’s youngest member, Yoon Sanha has often been constrained by the concepts he’s able to attempt. Last year’s solo effort Dive also seemed a bit confused, attempting a darker makeover that didn’t fit well with his charm as a performer. New title track Extra Virgin gives him a funk makeover, similar to the sound … Continue reading
As always, it’s a Sistar summer, with groupmates Hyolyn and Soyou releasing new singles within a day of each other. Both ladies have delived summer classics on their own, yet nothing will ever compare to their incredible group work. Lately, Hyolyn has taken a more subdued approach to the season, relying on softer sounds to … Continue reading
SHINEE’s Onew continues his prolific solo run with his third full album today. This was preceded by pre-release Confidence, a song that was musically impressive but failed to pull me in on a gut level. Title track Animals is a more straightforward synthpop affair, reminiscent of some sounds you might find on a SHINee album. … Continue reading
Last week, AKMU’s Chanhyuk pre-released the slow burn Out Of My Mind as a teaser for his second full length album. The album has a retro, synth-kissed sound with an idiosyncratic flair different from the hyper-commercialized 80’s revivalism that took over pop music in the early-2020s. With that said, title track Vivid LaLa Love (비비드라라러브) … Continue reading
Fresh off her role in season two of Squid Game, it feels like the perfect time for Jo Yuri to remind us that she’s also a singer. Her last title track was released almost two years ago, which feels like a century. The glossy Taxi remains one of her best, but judging by new single … Continue reading
Every so often, a song charms me in spite of itself. NCT Dream’s pre-release BTTF made so many musical moves that usually draw my ire. Its shouty sound couldn’t be more “NCT,” which has become less of a strength as time has gone on. Yet somehow, the song crossed the rubicon of annoyance and wormed … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. Like title track Snowy Summer, Close … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. Overall, Twice’s new album is a … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. I like Super Junior’s new single … Continue reading
Lee Chanhyuk’s second solo album is only days away and promises to mine many classic sounds of the 80’s. Prior to its release, he’s shared new track Out Of My Mind (돌아버렸어). From what I can gauge from the highlight medley, its synth-heavy sound is emblematic of what we’ll be getting on the full project. … Continue reading
ATEEZ have had a busy few weeks. Fresh off their latest comeback, the group has embarked on another big world tour and re-signed with their agency for an unprecedented seven (!) more years. Now, they’ve released a special edition of their latest album with new English-language track In Your Fantasy and a solo song from … Continue reading
Through popularity and persistence, Twice have amassed one of the largest K-pop girl group discographies out there, and that’s set to balloon even further with the release of a new album and solo tracks from each member. The album may boast a robust track list, but most of the songs’ running times take their cue … Continue reading
Over the past few months, the members of BLACKPINK have blitzed the market with a variety of solo work, making greater inroads to international markets than ever before. However, it’s been a whopping thirty four months since their last group title track. In K-pop’s fast-moving ecosystem, that’s enough time for a literal change in generations. … Continue reading
I enjoy learning about the meaning behind the names of new K-pop acts — especially the stranger ones. As expected, “CrazAngel” is a combination of “crazy” and “angel,” which is quite funny on its own when taken literally. It also means “Craze on Stage, Angel in Life,” which feels like the PG version of a … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 