Kim Jaehwan has a voice that can elevate any pop song. Too often, these voices are relegated to ballad after ballad after ballad. But, I love nothing more than hearing a powerful vocalist collide with an equally powerful dance or rock track. It’s one of the factors that made me such a huge fan of … Continue reading
This is always a difficult list to form. After all, there are way more b-sides than singles to choose from each year, and with K-pop’s love of promoting genre trends, the most interesting music is often hidden within albums that not every listener bothers to check out. Today and tomorrow, I’ll be counting down my … Continue reading
Kim Jaehwan really surprised me back in May, but it had nothing to do with his title track. Begin Again was a fairly straightforward K-ballad, bettered by Jaehwan’s immense talent. However, the rest of the album unveiled a diverse set of styles, including the brilliant funk-pop blast of Designer. Sure, Kim Jaehwan can rattle off … Continue reading
Days after railing against the Produce series’ negative effect on the K-pop industry, it’s time to look at the juggernaut from another angle. Since Wanna One’s disbandment at the start of the year, all of its members have gone on to release music of some sort. I’ve not been shy when it comes to my … 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. May 2019 Overall Thoughts After an underwhelming April, the month of May began to right the … 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. Of all the post-Wanna One projects, Kim Jaehwan has released my … Continue reading
I’ve been surprised by just how many sound-alike ballads the post-Wanna One K-pop landscape has produced so far, but Kim Jaehwan’s Begin Again (안녕하세요) doesn’t surprise me at all. I never expected that he would debut with anything but a ballad (though his mini album showcases a welcome versatility that should be explored further). As … Continue reading
