November-December 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … Continue reading
As a spin-off to my Battle of the B-sides feature, I’m pleased to announce the arrive of “Battle of the Title Tracks!” In this feature, I’ll be pitting three K-pop title tracks/singles against each other and choosing a winner. These songs will mostly be from pre-2016 since I’ll try to focus on music I haven’t … Continue reading
When it comes to Korea and Japan, the difference between release scheduling presents an interesting dilemma for reviewers like myself. With K-pop, I’m usually writing about a song mere hours after it debuted, but J-pop’s extended cycle often allows more time for a track to settle in. There can be weeks — even months — … Continue reading
Since debut, CLASS:y have set their sights on both Korea and Japan, signed under Universal Music for the latter. They remain on the periphery of both markets, though their music is slowly improving. Like so many of their peers, their sound is a hodgepodge of various global elements. They cast their net wide rather than … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe NCT Dream hadn’t released an original Japanese single until now. Nearly seven years into their career, the unit has become one of NCT’s flagship brands. The brighter side of their music seems especially well-suited to a J-pop career. Best Friend Ever hearkens back to their earlier work and pairs them with … Continue reading
Seventeen BSS made their sub-unit debut all the way back in early 2018 with a fun, goofy pop-rock track. At that point, Seventeen were still on the rise – coming off fantastic singles Don’t Wanna Cry and Clap and about to make their Japanese debut with the also-incredible Call Call Call. Five years later and … Continue reading
I wasn’t going to recap Boys Planet (and technically, I’m still not doing it), but I’m watching the series and thought others might appreciate a spot to discuss it. So, each week I plan on dumping a few of my random thoughts about the show. Again, this will not be a full, detailed recap. But, … Continue reading
September-October 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … Continue reading
K-pop history is stuffed with great albums, and there’s only so many Buried Treasures and Battle of the B-sides features available to cover all these noteworthy tracks. The album format has always been special to me. Whether it’s a full-length or mini, albums have the opportunity to tell stories and develop an act’s personal style. … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … 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. January 2023 Overall Thoughts For the second month in a row, I couldn’t really find any … Continue reading
One of my hopes for 2023 is a Korean comeback from TVXQ that honors the legacy of their best work. We’ll see if SM Entertainment has that in them, but until then we have a new Japanese single from the legendary duo. Parallel Parallel arrives five months after last year’s Utsuroi and ups the tempo … Continue reading
VIVIZ are back with their second comeback, following last summer’s Loveade. Thus far, the girls have been trying on a variety of styles. Nothing has stuck out as much as their old GFriend sound, but their work as a trio has been pretty solid. New single Pull Up hearkens back to a mid-2010’s girl group … Continue reading
The name BXB stands for “Boy By Brush,” which is nonsensical in a way I can only admire. They were brought together as a project group last year by APR Project, but Fly Away (도약 (跳躍)) acts as their proper debut. Of most interest to readers of this blog is that fact that some members … Continue reading
8TURN are one of two K-pop debuts today. After a relatively sparse 2022, I expect 2023 to be a busy year for boy group debuts. These guys hail from MNH Entertainment, an agency that hasn’t had a great track record. Successful soloist Chungha just announced her departure from MNH while their girl group Bvndit disbanded … Continue reading
Whether I like it or not, context plays a huge role in how I review any new K-pop track. In a perfect world, we could imagine songs being released at different times and under different circumstances, but if you follow the industry as closely as I do it’s impossible to separate trends from a song’s … Continue reading
As we get closer to my monthly round-up for January, I’m desperate for singles to choose as part of my “top three.” For the second month in a row, I’ve got nothing but placeholders so far. The brief music video teaser for Korean-Thai group THE7’s debut seemed promising. A bright, synth-packed funk instrumental? Yes, please! … Continue reading
July-August 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … 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
Aimers debuted late last year with Fight Inside – a song that seemed to win them many fans. I came around to some of its charms (especially the SHINee-esque ones) through multiple listens, but the group hasn’t yet convinced me of their unique place in K-pop. Their all-important first comeback is still ahead of us, … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 