Over the past few years, Astro members have been more active in solos and sub-units than full-group comebacks. The most prolific has been the duo of Moonbin and Sanha. It’s hard to believe they’re already on their third mini album! They made a strong debut with 2020’s Bad Idea before embracing more atmospheric material with … Continue reading
After pre-releasing Ditto last month, NewJeans have returned with their first single album. With 800,000 pre-orders, it’s astonishing how quickly this group has gone from complete unknowns to K-pop megastars. I guess it’s the power of several viral hits and HYBE’s intense market force. But as usual, all the popularity in the world doesn’t mean … 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. December 2022 Overall Thoughts December is historically a very slow month in K-pop, but every once … Continue reading
It’s time for K-pop’s final year-end festival of they year! As usual, MBC’s Gayo Daejejeon coincides with New Year’s Eve, pausing midway through for a countdown to 2023. Although HYBE artists were absent from the festival again this year, MBC’s Gayo tends to include a greater variety of genres than the other festivals. We had … Continue reading
Depending on when or where you’re reading this, it’s either the final day of 2022 or the first day of 2023. That means, it’s time to make my K-pop wishes for the new year. Many of these never end up coming true, but you’ve still got to put it into the universe, right?? 1. More … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again! Before I make my 2023 K-pop resolutions (ie: wishes) tomorrow, I’d like to rewind one year and see how well 2022 fulfilled those hopes. This is usually a pretty disappointing reflection, but maybe this year will be different? Make sure to look back at 2022’s resolutions before continuing! 1. … Continue reading
With 2020’s Answer, ATEEZ established a precedent for releasing excellent material under the guise of an “epilogue” (or in today’s case, a “spin-off”). This December has been severely lacking in notable K-pop comebacks, so I’m excited to have a big-name track like this pushing us into the new year. With that said, my passion for … Continue reading
Much of today’s discussion around Boys Planet dissects this “signal song” to see which idols got roped into the Produce 101-esque survival series. Pentagon’s Hui is the name going around the internet. He seems much too established to participate in a show like this, but although platforms like Boys Planet are cruel and exploitative, they … Continue reading
WayV have often released the strongest music within the NCT universe, including standout singles like Turn Back Time, Take Off and Moonwalk. But, we haven’t had a proper WayV comeback in nearly two years. During that time, members have released solos and sub-units alongside their participation in larger NCT projects. New single Phantom picks up … Continue reading
There are still two more countdowns to come (Top 40 pop songs and Top Dramas), but now that the K-pop-specific lists are complete it’s time to add up the categories and find out which comebacks ranked strongest overall. From a pure numbers standpoint, I guess this is the most important list I’ll publish! Just like … Continue reading
Following a tradition first established in 2020, I’m celebrating the holidays today with the opening of gifts. These packages come in the form of seasonal K-pop tracks not yet reviewed on the blog. This year, the rules are simple. I’m either keeping the gifts or planning to return them. There’s a pretty fine line between … Continue reading
Okay, I tried something new this time. Rather than watch the entire hours-long festival in one go, I just skipped to the performances on YouTube (which is probably what most sane people do!). This improved the overall experience by removing some of the bloat these year-end shows are well-known for. I’ve always appreciated the bigger … Continue reading
When it comes to K-pop choreography, I tend to focus on routines that feel iconic or eye-catching. The industry is stuffed with strong dancers, and I’m certainly not qualified to offer a technical breakdown. So with that in mind, here are the ten K-pop choreos that lingered in my mind throughout 2022. 2022 END-OF-YEAR MASTERPOST … Continue reading
While I don’t incorporate a song’s video into the reviews on this blog, I’m definitely not immune to a striking visual. Music videos are a vital part of the industry, and it’s time to celebrate my favorites of 2022. 2022 YEAR-END MASTERPOST Honorable Mentions: ENHYPEN – Blessed-Cursed Onew – Dice IVE – After Like PSY … Continue reading
With a group as large as Seventeen, there’s ample opportunity for solo projects. No member has released an entire album yet, but many of the guys have delivered solo singles – whether in the form of a proper comeback or a digital mixtape. Despite taking the role of rapper on Seventeen’s group tracks, Vernon’s Black … Continue reading
I spend the whole year plucking “buried treasures” from K-pop’s vast slate of albums, and now it’s time for those b-sides to have their own countdown! As usual, some of 2022’s strongest music was never promoted with a glossy video or music show blitz. Over the next two days, I’ll be counting down my forty … Continue reading
I’ve been picking and choosing which holiday releases to write about this month. When it comes to offering criticism, it’s difficult to find new variations of “I guess the sleigh bells are nice?”. I plan to touch on the tracks I’ve neglected during a holiday wrap-up post on Christmas day, but before that we have … Continue reading
I spend the whole year plucking “buried treasures” from K-pop’s vast slate of albums, and now it’s time for those b-sides to have their own countdown! As usual, some of 2022’s strongest music was never promoted with a glossy video or music show blitz. Over the next two days, I’ll be counting down my forty … Continue reading
I’m one of those K-pop fans who scours pre-release track lists for producer credits. I often become more excited by my favorite composer’s name on a track than the actual artist themselves. Because of this, my “top producers of the year” countdown has become a fun annual tradition. After all, these songs don’t materialize from … Continue reading
Compared to 2021, this year definitely felt weaker when it comes to albums. Mini albums faired better than full-lengths, but apart from a few mega-standouts, most K-pop releases took a piecemeal approach to their music — too often stuffing tracklists with a horde of different producers rather than settling on one unique vision. Like usual, … Continue reading
