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
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Fall In Love (from LOL – 2016) Preceding the epic Navillera on an album was never going to be easy, but Fall In Love’s strings intro promises more excitement to come. The song is light and breezy, underpinned with distorted guitar to … Continue reading
Hello Gloom may still be a rising name in Korean music, but he’s crafted some of the best pop music of the past few years — both for himself and label-mate from20. His Mamacita is one of my favorite tracks of the year, delving deeper into dance music than ever before. New single Somebody slows … Continue reading
BTS’s Jin marks a big milestone by being the first member to return from the military and release music. And, I’m not talking about his Super Tuna from a few weeks ago! He’s ready to unveil an entire album, led by pre-release I’ll Be There. And with names like Gary Barlow and Arcades on the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Eye Of The Storm (from Song Of The Sirens – 2020) Okay, now we’re talking! I’m a sucker for Eye Of The Storm’s bombastic opening. It’s like the kickoff to a musical. You know you’re in for some drama, and the rest … Continue reading
Before he enlists in the military, NCT’s Jaehyun is set to hold a two day fancon and has released a new single to tide us over while he enters hiatus. Unconditional arrives only two months since his first solo album and continues the vibey, on-trend r&b sound he established there. This seems to be the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Emotional Days (from Fallin’ Light – 2019) GFriend’s Japanese work is very hit or miss for me, which is funny because their best material strongly recalls J-pop sounds. Emotional Days’ repetitive melody has potential, but the song never builds into anything spectacular. … Continue reading
tripleS “Visionary Vision” has to be one of the more ridiculous sub-unit names to emerge lately, fully embracing an adjective-noun repetition like an extraordinary extraordinaire. But hey, this is K-pop! Fun with language is just an added bonus. Group name aside, Visionary Vision marks the debut of tripleS’s first dance-based sub-unit. Hit The Floor delivers … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Eclipse (from Labyrinth – 2020) Eclipse feels like a blend of the earthy tones of this album’s title track (Crossroads) and the swinging energy of GFriend’s debut era. I love the violin that winds its way through the instrumental, giving over to … Continue reading
What does one do during a severely underwhelming month in K-pop? Return to the classics, of course! And there’s no performer more classic than Cho Yong Pil. The 74-year-old legend has returned with his first album since 2013’s very good Hello. It’s also his twentieth work. Remember, he was largely active at a time when … Continue reading
Around this time last year, AMPERS&ONE debuted with the ebullient On And On, setting expectations for a bright, exciting discography. This year’s follow-up Broken Heart swerved in a different direction, muddying those same expectations. That song grew on me a bit but felt like an overall dip in quality. Thankfully, new single He + She … Continue reading
Over the past few years, Purple Kiss have flirted with quite a number of genres. Their singles run tends to bounce between negative and positive reviews on this blog. I prefer their more melodic tracks, especially given the strength of their vocalists. New single On My Bike offers a bit of everything, melding their various … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Dreamcatcher (from Labyrinth – 2020) Dreamcatcher opens with evocative tones, promising a textured instrumental that largely comes to pass. The production is the most immersive thing about this track, providing a sense of fullness with beds of synth and percussion that reminds … Continue reading
DXMON are making their first comeback since the withdrawal of member Jo (the guy who used to sport the spiky red hair). I wasn’t a huge fan of their debut, but follow-up Girls, Love Boys, Love Girls stood as a late-spring highlight. I’d love to hear them go further down that melodic route, but new … Continue reading
Rookie group POW burst out of the gate with the solid pop/rock of Favorite last year, but have struggled to find songs as equally strong since then. So rather than reinvent the wheel, they’ve embraced a proven hit with their remake of Avril Lavigne’s 2007 smash Girlfriend. The guys have K-popped the whole thing, cribbing … Continue reading
I haven’t been shy in voicing my displeasure/disinterest with K-pop’s current trend of beige, easy-listening girl group fare. The sound has become ubiquitous over the past year, dulling the excitement of many new groups. But within this sonic realm, ILLIT’s megahit Magnetic stood out as a solid example of the genre. Now they’re back with … Continue reading
Pre-release tracks aren’t necessarily meant to become the biggest hit of an artist’s career, but aespa’s Supernova surprised everyone by lodging itself at the top of the charts for the better part of the year. Karina’s recent solo track Up seems to be doing the same, adding to aespa’s red hot ascent. Now, the full … Continue reading
Longtime readers know that I’m a Sweetune aficionado. I hardly shut up about these producers (even/especially when they’re not currently producing). They’ve given us a wealth of K-pop classics over the years, including many of my all-time favorite songs. But being a Sweetune fanboy has its frustrations. They have little-to-no online presence and often disappear … Continue reading
*This was originally a “buried treasure” review, but now that we have an official mv, it’s been changed to a “song review” post. My rating hasn’t changed. It’s been quite some time since a Seventeen album has captured me, and new release Spill The Feels (such a cheesy title) is unlikely to break that trend. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Distance (from LOL – 2016) LOL is a very energetic pop album, but of course it has its softer moments as well. Distance is a bit of a weird one, seeming to borrow equally from reggae and harmonica-driven folk. Its chorus has … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 