One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Crush (from The Awakening – 2017) GFriend’s music was often bolstered by new jack swing elements even if it never pushed definitively in that direction. Crush is the closest they got, tying a mystical tone to funky percussion that gives the song … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Crossroads (from Labyrinth – 2020) What I said then: “My central issue with Crossroads is that it’s just too lightweight. Yes, there are string sections aplenty swirling around the bulk of the song, but the percussion is too thin and inconsequential to … Continue reading
Despite displaying plenty of potential, One Pact have not enjoyed a rosy track record on this blog. Their songs have rated between 6.75 and 7.25 so far, with this June’s FXX Off the most disappointing of the bunch. However, there’s always room for musical redemption and new single Deserved transforms their sound with a lighter … Continue reading
After years of infrequent releases, the BLACKPINK members have blitzed the market with solo singles over the past few weeks. Some of these have featured international stars, like Lisa’s duet with Spanish pop queen Rosalía. Now, it’s Rosé’s turn to join forces with a global hitmaker, pairing up with Bruno Mars for the quirky, irreverent … Continue reading
Since their establishment in 2005, Top Media has exclusively managed male acts. Teen Top, 100%, UP10TION and MCND have all made their way through the agency’s ranks, but now Top is branching out to debut their first ever girl group. Odd Youth haven’t taken that all-important debut step yet, but we get a first look … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Crème Brûlée (from Song Of The Sirens – 2020) The plucky percussion that opens this track gives me bad flashbacks to when this style of production was ubiquitous in K-pop. I’m not a fan of this overall vibe. It’s too slow to … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Contrail (from The Awakening – 2017) There will be some songs in this feature that have already received short write-ups as part of other reviews, but I don’t plan to reference those old thoughts while writing about them this time. It’ll be … Continue reading
Billlie pre-released the understated Trampoline last week, complete with a low-budget music video that suggested they were saving their resources for their album’s title track. Remembrance Candy (기억사탕) is that title, arriving within the quirky worldbuilding we’ve come to expect from the group. It also scores a co-write from IU, who worked on the lyrics. … Continue reading
On the surface, Say My Name may seem like a typical new girl group, but they have an interesting mentor. They’re the first idol act from INKODE, the agency co-founded by ex-TVXQ member Kim Jaejoong. Jaejoong often interacts with younger idol groups as part of his variety work, but this is the first time we’ve … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Compass (from LOL – 2016) LOL was a great debut album and holds up very well – especially within its sugary pop genre. Compass is pure sweetness, underlined by a propulsive beat that builds to an astounding chorus. The synth percussion has … Continue reading
This spring, 82MAJOR’s Choke impressed with its addictive hip-hop production, but its lackluster hooks were quickly overshadowed by a similarly-themed comeback from fellow boy group YOUNITE. Still, the guys showed promise as hip-hop idols and new single Stuck (혀끝) seeks to capitalize on that sound. The instrumental isn’t quite as addictive this time around, but … Continue reading
Fresh off their snoozy pre-release R.E.M, Kiss Of Life are back with the title track from their new album. Get Loud ratchets up the energy and throws back to mid-2000’s R&B/dance sounds. The song wouldn’t sound out of place on a girl group album from that era, and that’s a solid direction for this group … Continue reading
ITZY were without their main vocalist for January’s comeback, but still managed to drop an early-2024 highlight with the rugged, exciting Untouchable. Now, Lia has returned to the group and everything’s golden. At least, that’s what their new single Gold seeks to portray. It’s an interesting sonic shift for them, throwing disparate musical elements together … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Cocktail Love (from Sugar Man 3 OST – 2020) So, this is technically a remake track featured on the (very great) variety show Sugar Man, but my K-pop A-Z feature is nothing if not comprehensive. Despite this cover being released in 2020, … Continue reading
Though they’ve lost members along the way, CNBLUE has slowly and surely grown into one of K-pop’s longest running bands. At this point, you can pretty accurately predict how their music will sound before even hearing it, which can be both comfortable and frustrating. New single A Sleepless Night (그리운건 그대일까 그때일까) is another solid … Continue reading
It’s exceedingly rare for a K-pop act to drop two full-length albums in the space of a year, but that seems to be EPEX’s plan. The date for their upcoming album hasn’t yet been set, but My Girl acts as its pre-release. The guys delivered an impressive one-two punch this spring, making me hope their … Continue reading
With as many digital singles as Xdinary Heroes have released this year, it hasn’t felt like the band has ever gone away. So rather than a comeback, Night Before The End acts as an extension. It also takes the opportunity to showcase a new texture to the band’s sound, slowing its energy for a dramatic … Continue reading
By any metric, it’s hard to argue that Seventeen aren’t the biggest K-pop act currently active. With this in mind, I keep waiting for another new single to wow me in the way so many of their past songs have. Maestro‘s chorus was an unsatisfying tease while last year’s God Of Music was pleasant but … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Click (from LOL – 2016) Early in their career, GFriend’s music could occasionally get a bit cutesy. Click’s exuberant cheerleader chants won’t be for everyone, and it doesn’t help that the song opens with them. However, the rest of the track offers … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 