Since leaving Cube Entertainment, Pentagon’s Kino has embarked on a solo career filled with quirky electropop and interesting ideas. I enjoyed his last EP quite a bit and new title track Taxi builds upon that sonic foundation while adding a generous sprinkle of 80s synth and occasional bursts of rock intensity. So many acts are … 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 2026 Overall Thoughts Hmm… um… Well… I guess if I look solely at my top … Continue reading
Kep1er has bucked the survival series odds and remained as a (less than full) group even after their initial contract ended. This seems to be the new norm, as a smaller version of ZEROBASEONE will also be promoting later this spring. Since reformatting as six, Kep1er’s music has run the gamut in sound and quality. … Continue reading
Jang Haneum participated in last year’s Boys II Planet and was set to debut in that program’s spin-off group, though that seems to be cancelled for now. He’s been releasing solo music for awhile and has somehow passed me by despite having a brilliant voice. When I heard teasers for new title track Wanna, I … Continue reading
DAY6 solo projects have largely left me cold, and that’s actually true for a lot of bands. Unless a member strikes out on their own with a vastly different sound, solo work can often feel like a lesser version of what the full band provides. I haven’t written about a solo track from keyboardist Wonpil … Continue reading
Red Velvet’s group work may be quite infrequent at this stage in their career, but a full album from member Irene should tide some fans over. She made her solo debut in 2024 and has also been active in a sub-unit with fellow member Seulgi, but a full project like this affords extra opportunity to … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
I wasn’t sure whether to write about this song or not since it’s barely promoted and the animated (AI slop) video doesn’t really fit my requirements for review. However, I’m very fond of CSR and their discography and it’s a slow day/week in K-pop. The group debuted in 2022 with a whopper of a mini … Continue reading
Ah, Dignity. I’ve reviewed a song of theirs once a year since 2024. The overall arc of their ratings has not been favorable, though they still boast one of the most unexpectedly great buried treasures to their name. New single Slipshot does little to reignite any spark I might have felt about their debut era. … Continue reading
Seven years after VERIVERY’s debut, a member has finally released a solo album. I’m not surprised it’s Kangmin, given his successful run on last year’s Boys II Planet. If anything, I’m surprised it took Jellyfish Entertainment this long to cobble together some songs for him. And cobble together they did, because Free Falling is undoubtedly … Continue reading
Kim Jaejoong’s iNKODE Entertainment plans to debut two new boy groups this year, which is a very ambitious idea for an agency still finding its footing. First up is KEYVITUP (read that out loud and roll your eyes), who make their official debut next month. Today, they’ve dropped pre-release Best One, whose title is surely … Continue reading
The ever-prolific Xdinary Heroes have another mini album lurking around the corner and are teasing it today with pre-release X room. I really enjoyed October’s ICU and hope that the group’s music will continue in that vein. X room is a very different beast, but its more reserved sound makes for a decent teaser. With … Continue reading
A full group comeback for Mamamoo is on the horizon to celebrate their twelth anniversary, but before that the individual members remain active with solo work. Moonbyul has been quite prolific over the past few years, covering many genres with her music. Her latest Hertz throws these genres into a blender. One thing I’ve appreciated … Continue reading
After debuting with a slightly bratty sound, Baby DONT Cry have made a seemingly permanent transition into glossy pop music. Though their recent pre-release Shapeshifter didn’t do much for me, there’s no denying that its an earworm. The chorus is still stuck in my head. Next up is title track Bittersweet, which adheres to a … Continue reading
While I wait impatiently for TWS to announce the details of their promised April comeback, we’ve got an unexpected treat to tide us over. Three of the group’s members (Dohoon, Jihoon & Kyungmin) have teamed up with American rapper 24kGoldn on a project single for Bugs‘ Essential; Studio. I’m not sure exactly what this is … Continue reading
ITZY are currently enjoying unexpected virality thanks to their 2020 b-side That’s A No No gaining traction on SNS. It’s the perfect time for the girls to be promoting, and if a full group comeback isn’t in the works a solo debut is the next best thing. Following the group’s leader Yeji, youngest member Yuna … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
It’s BTS week, which means new releases apart from that album have been pretty infrequent. However, another world-conquering K-pop group has a treat of their own. Stray Kids’ Hyunjin released solo track Lover on his birthday alongside a lo-fi music video. For an act with as much cachet as they have, most of Stray Kids’ … Continue reading
For many K-pop fans, the past few years have been leading up to this moment. After a long hiatus, BTS have made their much-anticipated return with album Arirang and title track Swim. I can certainly relate to the excitement of a beloved artist returning after a long time away, and if I catapult my mind … Continue reading
