There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Tag Archives: kpop
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from June 21 – 27
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
LOONA: A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: June 2026
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
Song Review: M.O.N.T – Run
It’s a quick review today since I don’t usually write new reviews on Saturdays and it’s been ages since I wrote about boy group M.O.N.T. However, I figured some readers would appreciate hearing this song because it has a more classic K-pop sound that’s far from the trends of today. There are certain song titles … Continue reading
ZEROBASEONE: A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Song Review: HITGS – Little By Little
Girl group HITGS (that’s “Hip, Innocent, Teenager, Girls, Story” for those in the know!) debuted with a kitschy sound that matched their very young ages but have slowly blossomed into a more mature style. Even if this hasn’t yet resulted in memorable music, it points toward potential that could be exciting in the future. Little … Continue reading
Song Review: from20 – Big Boy
After a string of knockout synth pop singles, from20 has reinvented himself as a hyper-sexualized cartoon character. Last year’s Eye Candy and Social established this persona and new single Big Boy takes it even further. These songs remind me of a certain style of early-2000s pop/hip-hop — deliberately silly but also attempting a sort of … Continue reading
Song Review: ATEEZ – Bad
It’s been one step forward, two steps back with ATEEZ lately. After a promising 2025, a pair of early-2026 tracks succumbed to some of the group’s most frustrating instincts. That slump continues with new title track Bad, which lives up to its name. I mean, this review almost writes itself, right? Replace the “she’s” in … Continue reading
4MINUTE: A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Song Review: AtHeart – Say It
AtHeart debuted last summer and have been steadily promoting since. Every song they’ve released so far has been rated in the 7s on this blog, which pretty much sums up my feelings about their music. It’s inoffensive but unmemorable, slotting them within a swath of fifth-gen girl groups without much sonic identity of their own. … Continue reading
HIGHLIGHT: A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Song Review: AxMxP – 24 Hours
FNC Entertainment has this way of tossing out a bunch of acts and waiting for them to stumble into some kind of hit. The promotion rarely feels all that intentional, especially with their bands. AxMxP made a strong debut with a full album, but follow-ups have been less thought out. New single 24 Hours (편의점 … Continue reading
Song Review: dodree – HAWWAH
Since debuting early this year, the JYP-adjacent dodree has gained interest due to their blend of historical and modern sounds. This leveraging of traditional elements isn’t new to K-pop, but it’s been awhile since we’ve seen a group push so hard into this realm. New single HAWWAH (夏渦) is about what you’d expect from dodree’s … Continue reading
Song Review: Primrose – Cosmic
Girl group Primrose haven’t made many waves since debuting, but they’ve got a few solid songs under their belt. Last summer’s Cinema became a staple on my playlist, offering the kind of bright, uplifting pop sound that’s well-suited to the season. New single Cosmic takes the opposite approach, opting for a muted 90s R&B sound. … Continue reading
Song Review: NEXZ – Hellmate
Initially, I was pretty nonplussed about NEXZ’s output. But after the double volley of Beat-Boxer and Mmchk, they’ve rocketed up the ranks to become one of my most anticipated acts. They’ve promoted consistently in both Korea and Japan over the past two years and now they’re back with a new Japanese single. Hellmate‘s oddly dark … Continue reading
Song Review: Stray Kids – Run It
Stray Kids have a tour and a new album coming up, and to promote both they’ve released a special single that serves as an anthem for this era. Run It arrives with little promo other than an excellent teaser video that made me think it might be the best Stray Kids track since Miroh. That’s … Continue reading
MISS A: A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Song Review: BOYNEXTDOOR – Adios!
Two weeks after the release of their first full album, BOYNEXTDOOR are back with a surprise follow-up track. Though I enjoyed title track Viral quite a bit, most of the album is on the slower, sleepier side. Adios! was the only b-side that stuck out to me, so I’m glad it’s the one getting a … Continue reading
Song Review: VAYONN – Watta Day
Kim Jaejoong’s iNKODE label has set itself the ambitious task of debuting two boy groups this year. The already-promoting KEYVITUP are meant to be the hip-hop group while VAYONN are tackling pop. My taste tends to lean in a very pop direction, so I’m curious to see what VAYONN have to offer. Their album is … Continue reading