Whenever I see a newly-debuted group with a long acronym for a name, I’m instantly curious what the letters stand for. The answer is usually entertaining, but “HITGS” is almost perfunctory in its meaning. “Hip, Innocent, Teenager, Girls, Story.” Yeah, that’s like a mad lib for the typical K-pop vision board. At any rate, HITGS … Continue reading
I’ve been searching for my entry point with NEXZ’s music. They’ve released material in both Korean and Japanese, befitting their status as a “global” group, but too much of it has fallen into the kind of chant-heavy swaggery peddled by so many current boy groups. Pre-release Simmer did not point a promising way forward and … Continue reading
Last year, The Black Label’s rookie girl group MEOVV released a pair of singles. Neither Meow nor Toxic did anything for me, with the first being oddly inscrutable and the second quite boring. But as they say, “the third time’s the charm,” and MEOVV are back for another try with pre-release Hands Up. Once again … Continue reading
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back GO BACK After my first listen of the album, Go Back was immediately my favorite b-side. After a few days and more listens, songs like Lucky To Be Loved and Random Play … 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
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back NOW PLAYING Try With Us concludes with two of its stronger tracks. Now Playing (심야 영화) has much in common with K-pop’s current sound: bouncy and upbeat but still a bit subdued. … 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. There’s a reason I still watch … 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. The K-pop industry loves to harness … Continue reading
Girl group LOVEONE debuted late last year but I haven’t yet written about them on this blog. In fact, dig just under the surface and there are many under-the-radar acts that have never received a write-up. Most of these have great intentions but are hamstrung by a limited budget and agencies that are too risk-averse … Continue reading
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back FREESTYLE This is where the album gets into a bit of trouble for me. It’s clear that most TWS albums will now have an obligatory hip-hop track, and I liked last year’s … Continue reading
Rookie group KiiiKiii have launched their fourth music video from their debut mini album, milking the project far more than most acts would. I appreciate this “visual album” approach, though it would have been more satisfying if I also loved the music behind it. Of all the songs on the EP, Groundwork points toward the … Continue reading
Over the past few months, G-Dragon’s variety series Good Day has aired globally on Disney+ alongside its Korean terrestrial broadcast. I watched the first episode, but as much as I enjoy G-Dragon as an artist I find his current iteration quite uncomfortable as a TV personality. But even from one episode, I got the gist … Continue reading
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back RANDOM PLAY Going into this album, I was keeping my fingers crossed for another song like last year’s hey! hey!. I’ll probably be hoping for that each time TWS make a comeback … Continue reading
Prior to their new mini album today, Lucy unveiled their first single as a trio. Wakey Wakey was a cute, upbeat song but nothing that stood out within their discography. One would expect title track Hippo (하마) to go bigger and bolder than its pre-release, but the guys have delivered a somewhat understated comeback with … Continue reading
I don’t follow YOUNITE closely enough to be familiar with any members or have much stake in the group, but they often surprise me with the strength of their material. No matter what anyone says, last year’s goofy Geekin is a major highlight that’s still a blast to listen to today. However, the new jack … Continue reading
1. Lucky To Be Loved // 2. Countdown! // 3. Random Play // 4. Freestyle // 5. Now Playing // 6. Go Back LUCKY TO BE LOVED The overriding feeling among blog readers seems to be that I’m absolutely crazy for loving TWS’s new single Countdown, but I promise you this is no PSYOP or … Continue reading
Teen Top’s Niel has had a solo career for over ten years now. Back in 2015, he debuted with the Taemin-lite Lovekiller but has been active only sporadically since. She is his first solo single since last year’s underrated Parting Path and sees him taking on a more downbeat soul sound. Right off the bat, … Continue reading
We’ve got a new (pre) debut today in the form of girl group VVS, who have been teasing their arrival with some very ambitious, cinematic videos. I was hoping that ambition would make its way into their music, offering a new sound or style in a K-pop year that’s been pretty predictable so far. But … Continue reading
When last we heard from Chuu, she tried her hand at a pleasant synthpop sound. This seems to be very in trend for K-pop soloists, positioning them within the global market while still maintaining the more subdued vibe that’s taken hold of the industry’s girl group fare over the past few years. Like past efforts, … Continue reading
Kai’s been teasing the release of his new album with several songs, both of which took dance elements and subdued them to a leisurely pace. All the while, I’ve had to make peace with the fact that Kai clearly wants something different from his solo work than I’d expect. Title track Wait On Me continues … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 