Boy group Trendz debuted earlier this year with TNT (Truth&Trust), a song I can barely recall. Their first mini album didn’t instill much confidence, largely forgoing memorable melodies for blustering attitude. On follow-up Who (吼), the guys have bolstered the intensity but still struggle to find a song that lives up to that energy. Who … Continue reading
The odds are stacked against Secret Number’s Doomchita (둠치타) based on its title alone. Tracks with these weird onomatopoeia names tend to be as irritating as their sound effect suggests. Flash back to 2020 and this group had my attention with the effusive Got That Boom. Even earlier than that, their debut suggested a vocal-heavy … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
I have a fear that many of K-pop’s 2022 summer offerings will opt for a subdued city pop sound. It probably won’t be proven true, but the industry does love a gentle coffeehouse vibe. Highlight’s Son Dongwoon has returned with his own summer track, and it falls closely along these lines. Today’s Weather (우리 날씨 … 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
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! EPISODE ONE RECAP // EPISODE TWO RECAP // EPISODE THREE RECAP // EPISODE FOUR RECAP // EPISODE FIVE RECAP// EPISODE SIX RECAP // EPISODE SEVEN RECAP // EPISODE EIGHT RECAP // EPISODE NINE RECAP // Ranking Queendom’s Final Singles I always kick off these … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. Seventeen’s newest album maintains the strength … Continue reading
Rookie group CLASS:y aren’t wasting any time. They’ve divided their debut mini album in two parts, releasing both within weeks of each other. Shut Down was unveiled only a month ago and it’s already time for their first comeback. I know the K-pop industry moves fast, but this feels like a new record! Shut Down … Continue reading
We’re at the point in the year when upbeat summer releases should start becoming more common. Given the season, I’m surprised May was filled with so many darker concepts. If you’ve followed The Bias List for long, you’ll know how much I love a summer concept album. I’ve got a whole playlist of these songs … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts So… we’re almost halfway through 2022 and…. hmmm. Compared to the songs … Continue reading
May 31st, 2022 We arrived on the planet CRAVITY late last night and celebrated our successful voyage with an early sleep. No champagne for this team. Even if we had wanted a grand celebration, this planet’s quirky physics wouldn’t allow it. Gravity is constantly changing here. Our Mission Specialist dubbed it “crazy gravity,” or “cravity” … Continue reading
Back in January, Victon impressed with the brisk, powerful Chronograph. It still stands as one of the more memorable boy group comebacks of the year, forgoing many of 2022’s musical trends for a classic, propulsive K-pop sound. Four months later, the guys are back with (the stupidly-titled) Stupid O’Clock. With a title like that, you’d … Continue reading
Yesterday on the blog, we spent some time discussing genre and highlighting underutilized styles we’d like to see more often in K-pop. 90’s hip-hop came up as an option, just in time for NCT Dream’s repackage track Beatbox. This song has been pitched as a fun 90’s hip-hop throwback. This is some clever marketing but … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. Once in a blue moon, you … Continue reading
As a supplement to my individual episode recaps, I like to take a look at the original songs that make up Queendom‘s finale. These were pre-released ahead of next week’s performances, which means we can judge them on their own merits rather than the effects-heavy stages that will no doubt bring a healthy dose of … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! EPISODE ONE RECAP // EPISODE TWO RECAP // EPISODE THREE RECAP // EPISODE FOUR RECAP // EPISODE FIVE RECAP// EPISODE SIX RECAP // EPISODE SEVEN RECAP // EPISODE EIGHT RECAP This week, we finish up the FANtastic Queendom round, made up of songs chosen … Continue reading
Seventeen’s fourth full album was preceded by their first English-language single Darl+ing, released last month. That song felt very much like a placeholder, as many pre-releases tend to be. Now that anticipation has been built, it’s time for the main course. With Hot, the guys are back with a harder-edged hip-hop track (what else is … Continue reading
SHINee is one of those select K-pop groups whose Japanese output is on par with their Korean work – both in quality and volume. This extends to their solo projects, with multiple members making inroads to the J-pop market. On the heels of his latest mini album, Onew is set to release the Japanese language … Continue reading
It’s crazy how quickly time passes in K-pop. When looking back at BVNDIT’s discography, I hadn’t even realized their last release happened over two years ago. That’s an entire lifetime for some groups, and a real hurdle for those still trying to establish themselves. So, it’s no surprise to see BVNDIT opt for a reinvention … Continue reading
We have another 2022 debut on our hands, as BLANK2Y give a thumbs up to the K-pop industry. They’re the first idol group to hail from the recently established Keystone Entertainment. (Side note: it always surprises me when newish agencies debut groups with so many members. Isn’t that super expensive??). Some of the guys come … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 