When deciding which song off ILLIT’s newest album to feature as a “buried treasure,” I waffled between Oops and Jellyous. I’m glad I chose the former because now I get to write about the newly-promoted Jellyous as well. This is also another chance to wax poetic about how much Do The Dance has grown on … Continue reading
Thus far, BTOB members have experimented here and there with their solo work but never strayed too far from the balladry that’s made them so popular. On past efforts, Lee Changsub has embraced nostalgia, offering his takes on older genres and even newer iterations of older genres. New single Vroom Vroom (부릉부릉) is not a … Continue reading
To be honest, the title “Charizzma” sends a shiver down my spine. Naming your song “Charisma” would be cheesy enough since this is a quality you should be showing rather than telling, but adding the “Z’s” (a la the cringey slang “rizz”) practically makes the song collapse in on itself before even starting. HITGS already … Continue reading
Xdinary Heroes fans are regularly fed by the band, who must be one of the most prolific acts working at the moment. It feels like new music is always just around the corner, whether that’s in the form of fully-promoted comebacks or drips and drabs of digital singles. New single FiRE (My Sweet Misery) falls … Continue reading
Doh Kyung Soo has one of the richest tones in K-pop, but as with so many great voices his solo music has usually steered toward ballads and coffeehouse-ready midtempos. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the style doesn’t exactly inspire excitement. Teasers of his first full album seemed to promise a more diverse set of … Continue reading
Jeon Somi has returned with what will likely be her only new music this year. Talk about a discography doled out in crumbs! Despite debuting as a soloist all the way back in 2019, she’s never been given more than one single or mini album per year, making it even more important that each and … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
Prior to their comeback at the end of the month, One Pact released an EP of solo songs from each of the members. I won’t be writing about most of them since I don’t have much to say, but Jong Woo’s solo Passout instantly caught my ear and now it has a special video to … 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. H1-KEY remain one of K-pop’s most … Continue reading
In the space of two weeks, I’ve gone from not knowing who or what 1VERSE was to being just about ready to sign up as captain of their fan club. You can thank their YouTube channel for that. This is the first act from new agency Singing Beetle, brainchild of former SM Entertainment A&R Michelle … 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. It’s been awhile since I’ve featured … Continue reading
I’m not going to review this song because I don’t want to be unnecessarily mean, but listening to rookie group BLINGONE’s re-creation of KARA’s immortal Mister makes for a fascinating case study and comparison between K-pop generations. It answers the question nobody had but everybody wants to know: What if a classic second-gen song had … Continue reading
Similar to last year, 2025 so far has been a singles game rather than a series of excellent albums. I have even fewer on my list than I did this time last year, and only one of them is a full album — though that classification is getting murkier as time goes on. There are … Continue reading
With ALLDAY PROJECT’s breakout success, co-ed K-pop groups may be having a moment. What better time for KARD to reheat the nachos they created and show the industry how it’s done? However, it’s been a very long time since those nachos felt fresh, as the group has moved from their refreshing tropical sound to a … Continue reading
Girl group RESCENE enjoyed a bit of momentum with last year’s single Love Attack, but their agency has been unable to capitalize on this so far. Title track Glow Up came and went with little fanfare earlier this year, and the buzz around new single Deja Vu also seems to be muted. The public clearly … Continue reading
2025 has seen a number of boy group debuts spawned from survival series, and so far they’ve been killing it. NouerA and Close Your Eyes led charge and now it’s AHOF’s turn. This global group was formed on SBS series Universe League and their awkward acronym stands for “All-Time Hall Of Famer.” Time will tell … Continue reading
As 2025 kicked off, BABYMONSTER were still promoting their first album with a series of follow-up tracks. A second album has been promised for this fall (though take that with a grain of salt given YG Entertainment’s track record) and the summer-themed Hot Sauce acts as its opening salvo, released digitally to kick off the … 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. June 2025 Overall Thoughts We’re now at the midpoint of 2025, which means I’ll be publishing … Continue reading
I keep putting “(Victon)” after Han Seungwoo’s name whenever writing about his music, but it may be time to let that tag go. Given the state of the group’s contract renewals, it seems unlikely that they’d be coming back any time soon. Instead, it’s time to focus on solo projects and Seungwoo already has a … Continue reading
Debuting in early 2019, ONEUS are inching toward that all-important seven year mark when contracts will be up for renewal. Their presence in the industry has felt more muted these past few comebacks, churning out solid but inessential material that hasn’t quite lived up to their most enduring work. Now, after a series of solo … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 