Korean rapper Sleepy is one half of the hip-hop duo Untouchable, and for Body Lotion, he’s teamed with labelmate Bang Yong Guk of boy group B.A.P. It’s a pairing that makes sense, given their complementary styles. Despite his moniker, Sleepy raps (and sings) at a higher, more sprightly pace, while Yong Guk is all deep-voiced … Continue reading
When GOT7’s comeback was released in March, I wasn’t so thrilled with it. Fly has since grown on me, though I still think it’s one of their weaker title tracks. As indicated by the brief sample we were given, follow-up single Home Run seemed to promise something bouncier and more upbeat. The song has actually been … Continue reading
As soon as History’s Queen music video began, with its jackhammer racket of electronic noise and played out saxophone sample, my eyes glazed over and I nearly turned it off. I railed about this exact production trend a few weeks ago with Beast’s new Japanese single. It’s very hard to remain objective about a song that chains itself … Continue reading
Block B get compared to Bigbang quite often. Some of the comparisons are fair, and many are not. They certainly have a sound of their own, but they do share a similarly annoying habit of taking long breaks in between releases. Prior to their March comeback, we’d gone nearly two years since hearing from them. … Continue reading
Given the purpose behind this track, I was bracing myself for a gag song, more concerned with cameos than music. Though I love Conan O’Brien, I definitely didn’t need him singing in a kpop single. Luckily, his portion of the audio is limited to a lame spoken intro (which honestly should have been kept exclusive … Continue reading
Now this is more like it! I’m not sure it’s possible for a single song to make up for an underwhelming March, but Without You certainly feels like a kick in the butt. Without any gimmicks or concessions to trends, it flies out of the gate on the strength of its melody and performance alone. … Continue reading
JYP (Park Jinyoung) is a legend in the world of kpop, and rightfully so. Not only is he the founder and head of his eponymous agency, but his career has continually forged the path of what kpop has developed into, starting in the 90’s and continuing to present day. He’s also a total character, and … Continue reading
I’ve always found SM’s “throw ’em out there” approach to debuting new groups to be kind of refreshing. There’s no endless countdown clocks or debut dates announced weeks before music is released. When they’re ready, they briefly tease and then just drop the music. Bucking industry trends, the first releases from their NCT boy group … Continue reading
I want to preface this review by saying that 1PUNCH’s debut was one of my favorite kpop tracks of last year. Because of that, I’ve been following Punch since the duo’s disbandment. I think he has incredible potential and I’m really pulling for him. I say all this to clarify that I bear no ill-will … Continue reading
Thank the kpop gods! We finally have an SM Station release that isn’t a lifeless ballad! This alone is something to celebrate, but the fact that Lil’ Something is a great song in its own right is icing on the cake. For those unfamiliar, Chen is one of the main vocalists in mega-group EXO, and Heize … Continue reading
I’ve been purposefully holding off on creating a Bigbang list because it’s so freaking hard to do. Not only are they the biggest group in kpop, but they’ve been around for a decade and have over thirty singles to choose from. Oddly, I find that most of my favorite singles are those recorded by the … Continue reading
Produce 101 has been such a fun ride and, more importantly, has already provided us with some great music. Both Pick Me and In The Same Place were deserved hits, but now that the final group has been decided, Crush acts as their official (pre)debut. As such, the song adheres to the EDM concept that … Continue reading
I’ve been following Laboum since their debut, and recently named them one of the most underrated rookies in kpop. With December’s spectacularly fun Aalow Aalow, they finally found the hit that should have catapulted them into stardom. Coming off that momentum, my expectations were high for their follow-up. For me, Imagine More is a bit … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides and album tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I find myself continually drawn back to DAY6’s … Continue reading
The year of the duets continues, with JYP launching its own series of in-house company collaborations. If nothing else, the project seems well-suited to give us new music from some of the agency’s less-promoted artists. For instance, it’s been ages since we heard from Kpop Star‘s Bernard Park, and for With You, he’s been … Continue reading
CF (Commercial Film) releases from kpop acts are often pretty flimsy, which makes sense because their whole purpose is to act as an advertisement for whatever product or brand a group is endorsing. Similarly, CF music videos are little more than extended commercials, usually with the product awkwardly shoehorned in. But, Mamamoo’s Woo Hoo is … Continue reading
I get the sense that CNBLUE’s Cinderella from last year wasn’t all that well-received. But, I appreciated the move towards a more synth/dance driven style and it actually got me more interested in the group than I’d been in quite some time. Nevertheless, You’re So Fine offers a sort of return to form, with its funky, … Continue reading
As Cube Entertainment’s second boy group after Beast, BTOB had a lot to live up to. They debuted strongly in 2012, but began to see a lull in the years that followed. Then, in 2015 they enjoyed a resurgence as a pop ballad group. So, which side is their best side? Read on to find out! Updated … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides and album tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Oh My Girl’s entire Liar Liar mini is … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 